To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers a strictly playable experience in To The Core, but the data reveals a pairing where the GPU is the decisive constraint at higher resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all tested settings and resolutions indicate that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming, with performance scaling predictably downward as resolution increases.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB of L3 cache. This configuration, paired with dual-channel DDR4 memory support offering 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth, provides a solid foundation for gaming workloads.

In the context of To The Core, an idle game, the CPU's role is less about raw frame generation and more about maintaining consistent frame pacing and handling background simulation logic. The benchmark data shows the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 15,045 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,124 in single-core. These scores place it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a capable mid-range performer. When compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU's average benchmark score of 17,035 is virtually identical to the Intel Core i7-1260P (17,007, a 0.2% difference) and the AMD EPYC 7742 (16,998, also a 0.2% difference). It trails the Intel Core i5-11400 (17,067) by a negligible 0.2% and the AMD EPYC 7573X (17,070) by the same margin.

For this specific game, the 6-core/12-thread configuration is more than adequate. The measured FPS at 1080p with Low settings reaches 147 FPS, which is well beyond what a CPU bottleneck would typically allow. Even at 4K with Ultra settings, where the frame rate drops to 33 FPS, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor, as the workload shifts heavily toward the GPU. The Ryzen 5 3600's single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 696 and Geekbench single-core score of 1,536, ensures that it can keep up with the demands of frame generation without introducing stutter or frame-time spikes.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process node. It features a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 render output units (ROPs), along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its compute capabilities include 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 15.36 TFLOPS of FP16 performance (2:1 ratio). The memory subsystem is entirely system-shared, with no dedicated VRAM, meaning bandwidth and capacity are dependent on the host system's DDR4 memory.

This is a critical detail for understanding the performance profile. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1,482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is an exceptionally low ranking, and the nearest rivals confirm its position: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463 (1.3% lower), the GeForce 800M scores 1,460 (1.5% lower), the GT 625 OEM scores 1,446 (2.5% lower), and the GT 710 scores 1,443 (2.7% lower). The Arc B390 is essentially competing with decade-old entry-level discrete GPUs.

In To The Core, the GPU's role is to render the visual output, and the data shows it struggles as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, it achieves 147 FPS, but this drops to 41 FPS at 4K High. The system-shared memory means there is no dedicated VRAM bandwidth advantage, and the GPU's 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are modest figures. The 80 W TDP for an integrated solution is relatively high, but it does not compensate for the lack of dedicated memory bandwidth. The GPU is clearly the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, as evidenced by the steep FPS declines.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2,643 out of 2,991 tested combos in To The Core. This places it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested, which is a poor showing for a modern processor paired with a current-generation integrated GPU. The ranking reflects the GPU's low percentile performance, as the CPU is a relatively strong component.

The rank of 2,643 out of 2,991 means that 348 other combinations performed worse, but the vast majority of systems delivered higher frame rates. This is not surprising given the Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU ranking. The CPU's 71st percentile ranking does little to boost the overall combo position, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios. For context, a system with a similarly performing CPU but a mid-range discrete GPU would likely rank in the top 1,000 or better. This combo's rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited fill rate and memory bandwidth, which cap performance even in a less demanding title like To The Core.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS is 147. This drops to 124 FPS on Medium, which has a minimum FPS of 105 and a maximum of 143. High settings yield 107 FPS on average, while Ultra settings produce 86 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 61 FPS, indicating that the GPU has headroom at this resolution but is still taxed by higher-quality effects.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance takes a significant hit. Low settings average 99 FPS, which is a 48 FPS drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96. High settings drop further to 72 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 58 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 41 FPS, showing that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain smooth frame rates. Low settings average 56 FPS, which is a 43 FPS drop from 1440p Low. Medium settings average 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 55. High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 33 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 23 FPS, indicating that the GPU is severely constrained at 4K, with even the lowest settings failing to reach 60 FPS.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals the GPU as the definitive bottleneck. At Low settings, the system goes from 147 FPS at 1080p to 99 FPS at 1440p, a 32.7% drop, and then to 56 FPS at 4K, a 61.9% drop from 1080p. This is a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling, where the frame rate is inversely proportional to the number of pixels rendered.

At Medium settings, the progression is 124 FPS (1080p) to 83 FPS (1440p) to 48 FPS (4K), representing a 33.1% drop and a 61.3% drop respectively. High settings show a similar trend: 107 FPS (1080p) to 72 FPS (1440p) to 41 FPS (4K), with drops of 32.7% and 61.7%. Ultra settings yield 86 FPS (1080p), 58 FPS (1440p), and 33 FPS (4K), with drops of 32.6% and 61.6%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is telling. Regardless of the quality preset, the frame rate scales almost identically with resolution, which is a hallmark of a GPU that is limited by its raw pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The CPU is not the constraint here; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU's workload does not scale with pixel count. The data clearly shows that the Arc B390's system-shared memory and modest 24 ROPs are the limiting factors, and the Ryzen 5 3600 has ample headroom to feed frames at all tested settings.

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

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p gaming, the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 107 FPS, it provides a smooth experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while the Ultra preset at 86 FPS is also playable but offers diminishing returns for the extra GPU load. The Low preset at 147 FPS is excessive for most displays, and the Medium preset at 124 FPS is a strong alternative if you prefer higher frame rates over visual fidelity. Given that the game is an idle title, the visual enhancements from High to Ultra are unlikely to be critical, so High is the recommended sweet spot.

At 1440p, the situation is more nuanced. The Low preset at 99 FPS is the only setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium at 83 FPS is also playable, but High at 72 FPS and Ultra at 58 FPS dip below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action. For a smoother experience, Low or Medium is recommended, with Medium providing a better visual experience at 83 FPS. The High preset is acceptable if you prioritize image quality over frame rate, but the 72 FPS average is borderline.

At 4K, the system is simply not capable of delivering a consistently smooth experience. Even the Low preset at 56 FPS falls short of 60 FPS, and Medium at 48 FPS, High at 41 FPS, and Ultra at 33 FPS are all below playable thresholds for most users. If you must run at 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, but it will still exhibit occasional drops. For the best experience with this combo, the data strongly suggests sticking to 1080p with High settings, which delivers the highest frame rate while maintaining reasonable visual quality. The 1440p Medium preset is a secondary option for those with higher-resolution displays who are willing to accept a lower frame rate.