Intel Executive Responds to Poor CPU Gaming Performance: It's a Software Optimization Issue, 30% Performance is Wasted
Intel's latest Core Ultra 200 series processors, even with the enhanced Plus models, still lag significantly behind AMD's Ryzen X3D series flagships in gaming performance. Addressing this widely discussed performance gap, Intel Vice President and General Manager Robert Hallock gave a formal response in an interview with PC Games Hardware. He clearly stated that the bottleneck in gaming performance of Intel's hybrid architecture CPUs is not the hardware itself, but insufficient software optimization.
Hallock directly refuted the common claim that efficiency cores (E-cores) hinder gaming performance. Several hardware reviews have shown that disabling all E-cores actually speeds up game operation. However, Hallock provided clear data, stating that the gaming performance of E-cores is almost identical to that of performance cores (P-cores), with a performance difference of only about 1%.
He explained that the root cause of performance anomalies in some games does not lie in the differences in core architecture. Currently, many games and game engines still default to the assumption that all CPU cores have the same specifications and operating logic. This cognitive bias can cause incorrect thread scheduling, core load imbalance, and unstable frame generation times, ultimately lowering the gaming experience.
Hallock frankly stated that the entire PC gaming market, especially the hardcore enthusiast community, seriously underestimates the importance of software to the PC experience. He said that faster hardware can indeed make games run faster, but if the game is not specifically optimized for the corresponding CPU, 10% to 30% of potential performance will be wasted.
It is reported that the thread scheduling of Intel's hybrid architecture CPUs relies heavily on the built-in hardware thread scheduler. However, the final game performance will be affected by multiple factors including the operating system, game engine, background processes, and power plan.
Hallock emphasized that the hybrid architecture has been successfully validated in multitasking and productivity scenarios, but unlocking peak gaming performance cannot rely solely on hardware upgrades. He believes that as long as the bottleneck of software optimization is solved, Intel processors have the potential to approach or even surpass the current leading Ryzen X3D series chips in gaming performance.