It all depends on the video card and resolution
The authors of the Hardware Unboxed channel decided to once again explore the impact of processors on performance in modern games. Unlike many other such tests, they took CPUs separated by two generations, and also from different lines, as well as three video cards of different classes. And we tested all this in all major resolutions and with different graphics settings.
For comparison, we took the Ryzen 5 3600, which at its current price remains an excellent choice for inexpensive PCs, as well as the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which is simply the best gaming CPU today thanks to the additional V-Cache memory.
Only a few games can be seen in the video, but the authors say that they tested a larger number, but the results are about the same.
So, from the review we can highlight several main points, but they should be divided depending on the video card used. Also, in a number of aspects, it is worth putting Counter-Strike 2 out of the equation as an undemanding game.
First is the Radeon RX 7700 XT. Of course, the conclusions regarding this card can be extended to adapters of the same class or less powerful ones.
Here, even in Full HD, if you set the settings to maximum or close to them, in general, the Ryzen 5 3600 is sufficient. Simply because this processor as a whole is enough to unlock the potential of the card, and in itself is more a powerful CPU won't do much, especially in terms of price. However, already at medium settings, where the game is less dependent on the graphics core, the influence of the processor increases significantly, and you can get an impressive performance increase. At 1440p, the trend intensifies even more, that is, there is less and less sense in buying a more powerful CPU, and in 4K it does not exist even with minimal graphics quality settings.
Next up is the much more powerful Radeon RX 7900 XT. Here the situation changes quite dramatically. In Full HD, regardless of the settings, the difference between the CPU is very, very noticeable, simply because the Ryzen 5 3600 is not enough for such a powerful GPU. At 1440p the influence of the CPU weakens, but still remains at a noticeable level, especially if you lower the settings a little. In 4K, the difference remains only for low or minimum graphics quality settings, that is, at this resolution, even for such a powerful video card, a middle-aged six-core CPU, which now costs less than $100, will often be enough.
But if we move on to the RTX 4090, which remains the elusive leader in the video card market, here the more powerful CPU appears in all its glory. The difference in Full HD can simply be twofold even at maximum settings. And even in 4K it is noticeable in all modes.
Thus, the importance of the CPU for a modern gaming PC is best assessed based on the target resolution and the available video card. But for entry-level and sometimes even middle-class systems, you can really get by with an inexpensive processor from previous generations with virtually no loss of performance.