To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a compelling performance profile in "To The Core," an idle genre title released in 2024. The measured data reveals a system that excels at high refresh rates across all tested resolutions, with the GPU providing a massive amount of headroom. This analysis will break down the performance characteristics, the roles of the CPU and GPU, and provide detailed FPS breakdowns to help you optimize your experience.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear trend of diminishing frame rates as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound title, but the absolute numbers are high enough that the game remains exceptionally fluid even at 4K. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the RTX 4080 delivers an average of 352 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 with High settings, the average drops to 272 FPS, a reduction of 80 FPS. At 3840x2160, the same High preset yields 156 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is a drop of 196 FPS, highlighting that while the RTX 4080 is powerful, the increased pixel workload is still the dominant factor.

The resolution scaling pattern is most pronounced when considering the Ultra preset. At 1080p, the average FPS is 326, at 1440p, it's 219, and at 4K, it drops to 125. This shows a very consistent scale, with the 4K figure being significantly lower than the 1080p figure. The fact that the 4K High average (156 FPS) is well above the 60 FPS threshold suggests the system is never truly bottlenecked by the GPU, but the gap between 1440p and 4K becomes more significant as settings increase.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU may be more of a factor, as the 392 FPS average at Low settings is close to the ceiling of what a six-core processor can feed. As the resolution climbs, the GPU becomes the primary limiting component, but it is also so powerful that it still provides frame rates that are far above the typical 144 Hz or 60 Hz display refresh rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant performance driver in this configuration. The GPU is built on the AD103 chip using the Ada Lovelace architecture. It comes equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, which allows for a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 2205 MHz, and it boosts up to 2505 MHz. This high memory bandwidth and large memory pool are critical for handling the demands of "To The Core" at high resolutions, ensuring that texture streaming and asset loading are not bottlenecks.

In the measured data, the RTX 4080's performance is consistent with its high-end position. At 4K with Low settings, the system achieves 212 FPS, which is a clear sign that the GPU is not being pushed to its limit. The average score in the PassMark G3D benchmark is 34457, which places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which has an average score of 54209 (0.1% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X with a score of 54828 (-1.1% lower). The RTX 4080's raw score is 54247, which means it is extremely close to the RTX 4080 SUPER in overall compute capability.

The GPU's role becomes more defined when looking at the FPS in "To The Core". The 4K Ultra setting (125 FPS) is still 125 FPS, which is high, but the 4K Low setting (212 FPS) shows a 87 FPS difference. This demonstrates that the GPU is robust but that the game's graphical settings have a clear impact on frame rate. The fact that even the most demanding 4K preset is above 120 FPS confirms the RTX 4080's role as the primary enabler of this high refresh rate experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600, with its six cores and twelve threads based on the Zen 2 architecture, provides a solid foundation. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz and it can boost to 4.20 GHz. The CPU also has a 32 MB shared L3 cache. While it is not the newest CPU on the market, it has a performance percentile of 71 against all CPUs, indicating it outperforms most other processors. Its average benchmark score is 17035, which puts it in the same ballpark as the Intel Core i5-11400 (17067) and the Intel Core i7-1260P (17007).

In the measured FPS data for "To The Core," the CPU's ability to feed the RTX 4080 is evident at 1080p. The Low preset at 1080p yields an average of 392 FPS, which is the highest measured. The CPU's six cores and twelve threads are, however, likely to become a limiting factor at such high frame rates, as the gap between 1080p and 1440p High is 80 FPS, but the difference between 1080p and 1440p Low is only 48 FPS (392 FPS to 344 FPS). This suggests that the GPU is still strong enough to handle the load, but the CPU's capacity is being tested at the very high end.

The CPU's performance is also highlighted by the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15045, which is a strong number for a six-core chip. It allows the system to maintain high frame rates, but it does not provide the same level of headroom as the GPU. At 4K, the CPU's role is much less significant, and the average FPS is very high, indicating the GPU is the main bottleneck. The system is well-balanced, but the data suggests that the RTX 4080 is the dominant component, with the 3600 providing enough processing power to avoid being a major bottleneck, especially at high resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance. Here is a breakdown of the results, resolution by resolution, across each settings preset.

1920x1080

• Low: The system achieves an average of 392 FPS.
• Medium: The average is 370 FPS, with a minimum of 314 and a maximum of 425 FPS.
• High: The average is 352 FPS.
• Ultra: The average is 326 FPS.

At 1080p, the system is highly capable, with even the Ultra preset producing over 300 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 66 FPS.

2560x1440

• Low: The system posts an average of 344 FPS.
• Medium: The average is 314 FPS, with a minimum of 267 and a maximum of 361 FPS.
• High: The average is 272 FPS.
• Ultra: The average is 219 FPS.

1440p performance is still very high. The Ultra preset at 219 FPS is a clear step down from 1080p but remains well above standard refresh rates.

3840x2160

• Low: The system achieves an average of 212 FPS.
• Medium: The average is 180 FPS, with a minimum of 153 and a maximum of 207 FPS.
• High: The average is 156 FPS.
• Ultra: The average is 125 FPS.

At 4K, the frame rates are still high, but the scaling is clear. The Ultra setting provides a solid 125 FPS, which is still a great experience for most players.

The data shows the performance is consistently high across all settings and resolutions. The system can comfortably handle 4K, and at 1080p it can push well beyond the refresh rate of most displays.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 570th out of 3725 combos in "To The Core". This places it in the upper echelon, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations. The rank is a strong indicator that this setup is well-suited for the game, delivering above-average performance.

When looking at the individual components' standings, the RTX 4080's high percentile (86th) aligns with the combo's strong rank. The Ryzen 5 3600, with a percentile of 71, provides a solid base. The top 15% of all combos have the ability to run the game at high settings, but the exact rank of 570/3725 shows that this specific pairing is a high-performing, but not the absolute top-tier. The GPU is the clear driver of this rank, as its strong performance is the main factor pushing the combo into the top 15% of all configurations.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data provides a clear picture of what each settings preset delivers. The data indicates that the best experience depends on the user's display and personal preference for visual fidelity versus raw frame rate.

• For 1080p and 1440p displays: The Ultra preset is recommended. At 1080p it provides an average of 326 FPS, and at 1440p it provides 219 FPS. These are both extremely high frame rates, and the visual benefits of the Ultra settings do not significantly compromise the smoothness of the game. The High preset also offers excellent performance but with slightly less visual detail.

• For 4K displays: The High preset is the sweet spot. It provides an average of 156 FPS, which is still very high and visually pleasing. The Ultra preset at 4K (125 FPS) is also excellent, but the 31 FPS difference between High and Ultra is more pronounced at 4K. If you want the best of both, the High preset at 4K offers a great balance of visual fidelity and frame rate. The Medium preset also provides a solid 180 FPS at 4K.

The data also indicates that the Low preset is only necessary if you need to maximize frame rate, but for this system, it's not needed. The best experience is to use the Ultra preset for 1080p and 1440p, and the High preset for 4K, as it provides the best combination of visual quality and high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 with the High preset?

A: The average frame rate at 1920x1080 with the High preset is 352 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080's performance compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER's score of 54209. This makes them virtually identical in performance.

Q: What is the best setting to use for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset is recommended for 4K, providing an average of 156 FPS. The Ultra preset provides a slightly lower 125 FPS, but both are excellent.

Q: What is the combo's rank in the game?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 570th out of 3725 tested combos.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU more of a bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU's role is less significant than at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between 4K and 1080p on the High preset?

A: The 4K High preset averages 156 FPS while the 1080p High preset averages 352 FPS. This is a 196 FPS difference, showing a significant resolution scaling.