To The Core

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 2000 series, built on the Zen architecture (Zen+ Pinnacle Ridge) using a 12 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 46.9 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

In the context of To The Core, an idle genre game, the CPU’s role is primarily to maintain a stable frame pacing floor. The benchmark data shows that this processor, despite being from 2018, is not a bottleneck at any measured resolution. At 1920x1080, the lowest settings yield 343.8 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 286.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 57.3 FPS, indicating that the CPU can sustain high throughput even when the GPU is not heavily taxed. At 3840x2160, the same settings range from 236.8 FPS (Low) down to 137.7 FPS (Ultra), showing that the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU across all tested configurations.

The Ryzen 5 2600’s benchmark scores reinforce its capability. In Cinebench R23, it achieves a multi-core score of 11186 and a single-core score of 1579. Its PassMark multi-thread score is 13160, and its single-thread score is 2239. The processor’s average benchmark score is 19616, placing it in the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, it trails the Intel Core i5-1345U by 0.4% (avg score 19691) and the Intel Core i5-11600KF by 0.6% (avg score 19740), while leading the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U by 0.6% (avg score 19508) and the Intel Core i7-10700F by 0.7% (avg score 19485). These margins are negligible, meaning the Ryzen 5 2600 performs on par with these modern mobile and desktop parts in aggregate workloads.

For To The Core, the data suggests that the CPU’s boost clock of 3.90 GHz is sufficient to handle the game’s logic and update loops. The idle genre typically relies on discrete calculations rather than continuous rendering, so the 6-core configuration provides ample parallel headroom. The memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s is not a limiting factor, as the frame rates at 1080p exceed 280 FPS across all settings, indicating that the CPU is never starved for data. The processor’s 77th percentile ranking confirms it sits above the median CPU, and its performance parity with rivals like the Core i5-1345U means users should not expect CPU-induced frame drops in this title.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship of the GeForce 40-series, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 16384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, alongside 128 ray tracing cores and 512 tensor cores. The GPU has a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). It is equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The card’s raw compute capability is 82.58 TFLOPS for FP32, with a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s.

In To The Core, the RTX 4090’s performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 343.8 FPS (Low) to 286.5 FPS (Ultra), a drop of 57.3 FPS between the two extremes. At 2560x1440, the range is 297.4 FPS (Low) to 245.6 FPS (Ultra), a drop of 51.8 FPS. At 3840x2160, the range narrows to 236.8 FPS (Low) to 137.7 FPS (Ultra), a substantial drop of 99.1 FPS. This pattern indicates that at 4K, the GPU’s shading and memory bandwidth become more significant, as the higher pixel count demands more from the 24 GB VRAM and the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth.

The RTX 4090’s benchmark scores place it in the 91st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66473. Its PassMark G3D score is 38194, and its Geekbench OpenCL score is 317684. Compared to its nearest rivals, it trails the NVIDIA Tesla T4 by 0.4% (avg score 66733) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 by 0.9% (avg score 67097), while leading the NVIDIA Tesla P40 by 0.5% (avg score 66127) and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 by 1.3% (avg score 67320). These deltas are small, but they show the RTX 4090 is competitive with enterprise accelerators in aggregate benchmarks, which is unusual for a consumer card.

For this game, the GPU’s role is to render the idle game’s visuals, which may include animated backgrounds or particle effects. The data shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 4090 is not the limiting factor—the CPU and memory subsystem handle the frame delivery, and the GPU easily exceeds 240 FPS even at Ultra settings. At 4K, the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth become more relevant, as evidenced by the larger FPS drop from Low to Ultra (99.1 FPS). However, even at 4K Ultra, the average of 137.7 FPS is well above the typical 60 FPS target, indicating the RTX 4090 has substantial headroom. The 24 GB VRAM is likely underutilized in this title, as idle games rarely require large textures, but the bandwidth ensures smooth frame delivery at all tested resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings provide a clear picture of the optimal configuration. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 343.8 FPS, which is the highest average among all settings at this resolution. The Medium preset yields 324.3 FPS, High yields 307.3 FPS, and Ultra yields 286.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 57.3 FPS, which is a 16.7% reduction in performance. For users with a 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitor, the Low preset ensures the frame rate stays above the refresh rate, but the Ultra preset still exceeds 280 FPS, so there is no practical need to drop settings unless chasing maximum refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset again leads with 297.4 FPS, followed by Medium at 285.9 FPS, High at 267.9 FPS, and Ultra at 245.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 51.8 FPS, a 17.4% reduction. Since all presets exceed 240 FPS, the Ultra preset is viable for 1440p, offering the best visual quality without any perceptible performance compromise. The High preset is a middle ground, but the data shows that Ultra only costs 52 FPS compared to Low, which is unlikely to be noticeable on most displays.

At 3840x2160, the performance hierarchy changes more dramatically. Low yields 236.8 FPS, Medium yields 202.2 FPS, High yields 174.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 137.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 99.1 FPS, a 41.8% reduction. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset falls below 144 FPS, making it less suitable for high-refresh 4K displays. For 4K, the Medium preset at 202.2 FPS offers a balanced experience, while the High preset at 174.1 FPS is still above 144 Hz. The Low preset at 236.8 FPS is the best choice for competitive play or maximum smoothness, but it sacrifices visual fidelity.

The data suggests that the best experience depends on the display’s refresh rate and resolution. For 1080p and 1440p, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it maintains frame rates above 240 FPS at both resolutions (286.5 and 245.6 FPS, respectively). For 4K, the Medium preset provides the best balance, with 202.2 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold. Users with 60 Hz displays can safely use Ultra at any resolution, as even 4K Ultra at 137.7 FPS exceeds 60 FPS. The measured rows show no min or max FPS data, so the average figures are the sole basis for these recommendations.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 330th out of 1756 tested combos in To The Core. This places the combo in the top 18.8% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing given the CPU’s age. The data indicates that the RTX 4090 is the dominant component, as it is in the 91st percentile among GPUs, while the CPU is in the 77th percentile. The combo’s ranking is therefore likely driven by the GPU’s raw performance, with the CPU contributing enough to avoid being a significant bottleneck.

The rank of 330 out of 1756 means that 1426 combos perform better in this game. Given that the RTX 4090 is one of the fastest consumer GPUs available, the combos above this one likely feature newer, higher-clocked CPUs such as the Ryzen 7000 series or Intel Core 13th/14th gen parts, which can push frame rates higher in CPU-bound scenarios. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combo still achieves 286.5 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 137.7 FPS at 4K Ultra, which are excellent results for an idle game. The gap between this combo and higher-ranked ones is likely due to the CPU’s single-thread performance, as the Ryzen 5 2600’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1579 is modest compared to newer parts, but it does not manifest as a visible issue in this title.

The combo’s ranking is also affected by the fact that the RTX 4090 is paired with a 2018-era CPU. In more CPU-intensive titles, this pairing would show a larger performance gap, but To The Core’s idle genre mechanics are less demanding on the processor. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 343.8 FPS, which is within 10% of what a top-tier CPU might achieve with the same GPU. The 77th percentile CPU ranking and 91st percentile GPU ranking combine to produce a top-20% combo ranking, which is a reasonable outcome. For users with this combo, the benchmark results indicate that the RTX 4090 is being utilized effectively, and the CPU is not holding back the GPU in a meaningful way.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings for this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 286.5 FPS, which is the lowest among the four presets at this resolution but still well above typical refresh rates.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 2600 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-1345U?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 19616, which is 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-1345U’s average score of 19691. This difference is negligible in practice.

Q: What is the RTX 4090’s memory bandwidth and how does it affect 4K performance?

A: The RTX 4090 has a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which helps maintain high frame rates at 3840x2160. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 137.7, while at 4K Low it is 236.8, indicating the bandwidth is sufficient for all presets.

Q: Which preset offers the best experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 245.6 FPS, which is above the 240 Hz threshold. Since the difference between Low (297.4 FPS) and Ultra (245.6 FPS) is only 51.8 FPS, the Ultra preset is recommended for the best visual quality without a perceptible performance drop.

*Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations in To The Core?*

A: The combo ranks 330th out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the top 18.8% of all configurations. This is a strong result given the Ryzen 5 2600’s 2018 release date.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The benchmark data indicates no significant bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 343.8 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it achieves 137.7 FPS, showing the CPU can feed the GPU sufficiently across all resolutions and settings. The CPU’s 77th percentile ranking supports this conclusion.