Intel's Enthusiast Channel VP and GM, Robert Hallock, recently told PC Games Hardware that we are overlooking a critical factor in gaming performance. He believes that enthusiasts are significantly underestimating the importance of software to the PC experience.

The Importance of Software to the PC Experience

Hallock argues that relying solely on raw hardware power is no longer enough to guarantee top-tier performance. According to him, the era where hardware alone could dictate speed has passed.

"I truly truly believe that the general PC gaming market and especially enthusiasts... are significantly underestimating the importance of software to the PC experience, like really, really seriously," Hallock stated. He noted that while this might have been the case in 2010 or 2015, "that is not how gaming works anymore."

While hardware remains a vital component, Hallock pointed out that unoptimized software can leave massive performance gains on the table. Specifically, he highlighted that:

  • Game optimization can hide 10% to 30% of potential performance.
  • This lack of optimization is often most prevalent in console ports.
  • Games may perform better on AMD chips or Intel chips depending on which architecture developers prioritize during testing.

Beyond Raw Power: CPU Scheduling and Architecture

Software impact extends beyond game code to include operating system tasks like CPU scheduling. This process directs essential processes to the correct CPU cores and threads, which is vital for modern architectures.

This management has become increasingly complex for Intel following the implementation of hybrid architectures, including:

  • P-cores (Performance cores)
  • E-cores (Efficiency cores)
  • LPE-cores (Low Power Efficiency cores)

The importance of software-driven efficiency is also tied to multithreading. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan recently admitted that "moving away from SMT put us at a competitive disadvantage," suggesting that the return of multithreading will make optimized scheduling even more critical.

Ultimately, Hallock suggests that asking Intel to focus less on software in favor of hardware is essentially asking them to "leave 20% performance behind." When considering the balance between these two pillars, we should follow the wisdom of Tulio and Miguel from The Road to El Dorado: Both. Both is good.