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Gears of War: E-Day showed unusually strong CPU scaling in Tom’s Hardware’s test of 25 processors—but that finding applies to the specific game, settings, and test system, not to Unreal Engine 5 games as a whole. The FPS Review’s October 3, 2026 Weekender also rounds up ten other hardware and PC-performance stories, from a GeForce RTX 5070 and QD-OLED monitors to cooling, storage, and The Witcher 3.
Does Gears of War: E-Day use more CPU cores?
In Tom’s Hardware’s benchmark, yes: Gears of War: E-Day made substantial use of the CPU and showed meaningful performance differences among processors. Tom’s Hardware tested 25 CPUs with an RTX 5090 Founders Edition. At 1080p High, it reported CPU utilization around 80–90% during gameplay and an average of 168.7 frames per second (FPS) for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D averaged 153.8 FPS in the same comparison.
The 9800X3D delivered 42% higher performance than the Ryzen 5 7600X in that 1080p High test. That is a substantial result, but it is not proof that every player needs a high-end CPU: it describes one game build and test configuration. Read Tom’s Hardware’s CPU benchmarks.
Why the CPU gap changes with graphics settings
At a lower resolution or less demanding graphics preset, a fast GPU can render frames quickly enough that CPU throughput becomes more visible. Raise the resolution or visual workload, and the graphics card can become the limiting part of the system. Tom’s Hardware reported that most non-X3D processors clustered near 150 FPS in its cited test, but the gap narrowed as the test shifted toward GPU limits: the 9800X3D was only 6.8% ahead of the Ryzen 5 9600X on the Ludicrous preset, while at 1440p the RTX 5090 constrained results to around 130 FPS.
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Those figures are tied to Tom’s Hardware’s RTX 5090 test system. They should not be read as expected frame rates on a different graphics card, at another resolution, or with different settings. To compare CPUs meaningfully, keep the GPU, resolution, preset, game build, and upscaling configuration the same; then consider average FPS alongside 1% lows, utilization, power use, and CPU cost.
Is E-Day CPU-heavy because it uses Unreal Engine 5?
The benchmark supports a narrower conclusion: E-Day can load the CPU heavily and scale with processor performance under the tested conditions. It does not establish that Unreal Engine 5 games generally behave this way, nor does the available coverage quantify how common this behavior is across UE5 titles.
Should you turn on Low Core Mode?
For a typical desktop with more than two active CPU cores, Tom’s Hardware found that Low Core Mode reduced performance—by as much as nearly 32% in its tested set. It is not a general-purpose FPS boost.
Rank #2
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The more favorable result came from a special case: Tom’s Hardware disabled two of the four cores in an Intel Core i3-14100 system. In that severely core-restricted setup, Low Core Mode helped with texture streaming and long pauses, but the system remained much slower overall. The proposed explanation—that the mode provides a lighter asset-streaming path—is an interpretation of the result, not a confirmed statement from the developer. Hardware Busters also summarized Tom’s Hardware’s findings; it did not independently reproduce that CPU test. Tom’s Hardware’s test details and Hardware Busters’ summary.
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What CPU do you need for Gears of War: E-Day?
These benchmarks do not establish a minimum CPU recommendation or a universal upgrade threshold. They show that the CPU can matter, particularly when the graphics card and settings leave room for high frame rates. Whether a faster processor helps your PC depends on the rest of your system and the resolution, preset, and frame-rate target you use.
- If you want to compare CPU performance, use results taken with the same GPU and graphics settings rather than comparing headline FPS from different test systems.
- Check average FPS and 1% lows, not utilization alone: a high utilization reading signals workload, but does not by itself say how smooth a game feels.
- Do not treat the 9800X3D’s lead in this test as a recommendation that every E-Day player should buy or upgrade to that CPU.
Ten more hardware and performance reviews in the Weekender
The FPS Review’s Weekender is a roundup of outside testing and product reviews. The summaries below describe what those outlets reported; they are not new tests by The FPS Review or independent retests here. Read the October 3 Weekender.
Rank #3
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1. Gears of War: E-Day graphics cards and handheld coverage
The Weekender also points readers to graphics-card testing by Tom’s Hardware and TechPowerUp, alongside handheld and game testing coverage from TechPowerUp and GameGPU. In its summary of graphics-card results, The FPS Review says RTX 50-series cards had a slight edge in average FPS, while Radeon RX 9000 cards delivered better 1% lows. The two measures tell different parts of the performance story, and the roundup’s summary should not be treated as a single standardized comparison across all cards or systems.
2. ASUS T1 GeForce RTX 5070 OC Edition
This limited-edition League of Legends-themed card pairs a factory overclock with cooling that the Weekender describes as an advantage over a reference RTX 5070. The summary also flags price and Radeon alternatives as important context: a cooler or faster card is not automatically the better value if its premium outweighs the performance difference.
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3. AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D
The Weekender’s summary of The FPS Review and HotHardware coverage says the Ryzen 7 7700X3D averaged roughly 8% higher gaming performance than the Ryzen 7 7700X, sat a small margin behind the 7800X3D, and used substantially less power in the cited comparison. It also notes weaker non-gaming results than the plain 7700. Those are review-specific comparisons, not a claim that the X3D model is better for every workload.
Rank #4
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4. Eleven budget 27-inch QD-OLED monitors
Monitors Unboxed tested 11 budget 27-inch QD-OLED models. The Weekender highlights the range of factors in the comparison: coating, subpixel layout, SDR and HDR brightness, calibration, motion handling, ports, and design. Panel type and refresh-rate claims alone do not settle which monitor is the best fit; the image characteristics and connectivity matter too.
5. TeamGroup NV10000 PCIe 5.0 SSD
The storage coverage emphasizes efficiency, heat, and power draw as well as speed, with price as a caveat. In The Overclocking Page’s reported test, the drive peaked at 67°C without a heatsink, below its stated 80°C throttling limit. That is a result from the cited test conditions, not a guarantee of the same temperature in every case or airflow setup.
6. MSI MEG CORELIQUID E15 360
KitGuru’s review, as summarized by the Weekender, describes strong but not class-leading cooling performance. Its curved AMOLED display is the standout feature, while the reported price approaches $400. The trade-off is straightforward: buyers are paying for a distinctive display as well as liquid cooling, rather than for an uncontested cooling lead.
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7. Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE Black and ARGB
The Weekender summarizes Igor’s Lab testing of both Phantom Spirit variants as essentially matched. At 40 dB(A), the reported temperatures were about 28 K above ambient at 100 W and about 69 K above ambient at 200 W. The summary positions the air coolers as much less expensive than a screen-equipped all-in-one liquid cooler; compare temperatures at matched noise and account for the price difference rather than treating cooling figures in isolation.
8. SilverStone FLP03 case
The FLP03 is a retro-styled chassis for micro-ATX and Mini-ITX systems. The Weekender calls out its included fans, support for a top-mounted 360 mm radiator, and a removable or movable front dashboard. As with any compact case, check motherboard, radiator, and component clearances against the exact build before buying.
9. Pulsar Feinmann F01 Noctua Edition mouse
This mouse integrates a fan, and the Weekender’s summary weighs that cooling feature and the materials and polling options against weight, comfort, battery life, and price. Those trade-offs are particularly personal for a mouse: a distinctive cooling feature does not resolve fit or comfort for an individual hand.
10. The Witcher 3 Remastered PC performance and noblechairs HERO Black
The final two subjects are a game-performance roundup and a chair review. For The Witcher 3 Remastered, the Weekender attributes reports of unusual scaling, path-tracing trade-offs, driver issues, and pressure on 8 GB of VRAM to TechSpot, DSOGaming, and Hardware Unboxed. These findings are tied to the tested configurations and should not be generalized to every GPU or driver.
Hardware Asylum’s review of the noblechairs HERO Black, as summarized by The FPS Review, discusses build quality, firm and relatively flat seating, fit for taller users, and the tested model’s weight rating. Seat shape and firmness are subjective; the model’s dimensions and stated rating are more useful checks for whether it may suit a particular buyer.
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