To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G paired with the Intel Arc B370 delivers a playable, though not exceptional, experience in To The Core, a title that clearly favors GPU scaling over CPU muscle. The data shows a system that can handle 1080p gaming comfortably but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested processor and graphics card combinations for this game.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling metric in this dataset is the frame rate collapse as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 132 FPS, which drops to 89 FPS at 1440p and further to 51 FPS at 4K. This represents a 61% performance loss from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The pattern is consistent across all presets: High settings go from 97 FPS at 1080p to 65 FPS at 1440p and 37 FPS at 4K, while Ultra settings fall from 78 FPS to 53 FPS and finally 30 FPS at 4K.

These numbers indicate that the Intel Arc B370, with its 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs, is the limiting component. The 4K results are particularly revealing—every preset lands below 60 FPS, with Ultra barely holding 30 FPS. Even the most aggressive reduction in graphical fidelity (Low settings) only yields 51 FPS at 4K, which is below the threshold most builders consider smooth. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the bottleneck here; the CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 4863 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13593 suggest it has ample headroom for this title.

The scaling pattern points squarely at GPU-bound rendering. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings costs 37 FPS (112 to 75), and moving from 1440p to 4K at the same settings costs 32 FPS (75 to 43). The frame rate degradation is nearly linear, which is characteristic of a graphics card that is running out of pixel throughput. The Arc B370's pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for 4K workloads, regardless of the CPU's capability.

For a practical takeaway: this combo is a 1080p machine. At 1440p, only Low settings break 60 FPS, and even then just barely at 89 FPS. The 4K results are essentially unplayable for anything beyond static scenes, with the best case scenario being Low settings at 51 FPS. The data does not support using this combo for high-resolution gaming without significant graphical compromises.

FAQ

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve at 1080p with any settings?

A: The highest measured average is 132 FPS at 1080p with Low settings. The Medium preset delivers 112 FPS, High drops to 97 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 78 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 1440p gaming?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 1440p, Low settings produce 89 FPS, Medium yields 75 FPS, High gives 65 FPS, and Ultra drops to 53 FPS. Only Low and Medium maintain an average above 60 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: No. At 4K, all settings produce averages below 60 FPS. The best result is 51 FPS at Low settings, followed by 43 FPS at Medium, 37 FPS at High, and 30 FPS at Ultra. This is not a smooth experience by modern standards.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2% delta) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5% delta). It is slightly ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, +1.4% delta).

Q: What is the CPU's performance position among all processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G ranks in the 71st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17507. It is within 0.8% of the Intel Core i3-14100T and within 0.6% of the Intel Core 7 150U.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data suggests no. The frame rate drops are proportional to resolution increases, which is classic GPU-limited behavior. The CPU's strong multi-threaded scores (Cinebench R23: 13593, PassMark Multi-Thread: 15992) indicate it is not the restricting factor.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. Its role in this combo is defined by its modest specifications: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2400 MHz, and it relies on system-shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is system-dependent.

The measured 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places this GPU in the 5th percentile among all graphics cards. This is a very low standing, and the nearest rivals—the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192)—are all legacy parts from over a decade ago. The performance deltas are negligible, ranging from -0.7% to +1.4%, which means the Arc B370 is effectively in the same performance class as those older discrete GPUs.

The GPU's clock behavior is worth noting. With a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz, there is an 8x multiplier between idle and peak speeds. This wide range suggests the GPU can scale aggressively when needed, but the underlying hardware limits are evident in the measured FPS. At 1080p, the GPU manages 132 FPS at Low settings, but this falls to 78 FPS at Ultra—a 41% drop from just increasing graphical fidelity. At 4K, the Ultra preset produces 30 FPS, which is exactly one-quarter of the 1080p Low result.

The 25 W TDP and lack of power connectors confirm this is an energy-efficient part, but efficiency does not translate to high-end performance. The shared memory architecture is also a potential concern, as the system RAM bandwidth will affect the GPU's ability to feed its 1280 shading units. In To The Core, an idle game, the GPU's limitations are masked at lower resolutions but become brutally apparent at 4K, where the pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s cannot keep up with the demand.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for settings choices. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance: 112 FPS average, with a minimum of 95 FPS and maximum of 129 FPS. This is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, and the minimum frame rate indicates the 1% lows are unlikely to cause noticeable stutter.

For those prioritizing frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 132 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the jump from Low to Medium costs only 20 FPS (132 to 112), suggesting that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for most users. The High preset at 97 FPS is still smooth, but the Ultra preset at 78 FPS begins to approach the edge of what is comfortable for fast-paced gameplay, though To The Core is an idle game where this may be acceptable.

At 1440p, the recommendation changes. The Medium preset produces 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Low preset at 89 FPS is the safest choice for maintaining smoothness. The High preset at 65 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 53 FPS should be avoided if frame rate consistency matters. At 4K, only the Low preset (51 FPS) is worth considering, and even that is below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 43 FPS and High at 37 FPS are marginal, while Ultra at 30 FPS is only suitable for static screenshots.

The data points to a simple rule: use Medium at 1080p, drop to Low at 1440p, and avoid 4K entirely unless you are willing to accept sub-60 FPS performance. The minimum frame rates recorded for Medium settings (95 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, 37 FPS at 4K) show that the GPU maintains reasonable consistency, but the averages are already low enough that any further dips would be noticeable.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2750th out of 2991 tested combinations in To The Core. This places it in the bottom 8% of all combos, a ranking that reflects the GPU's severe limitations rather than the CPU's capabilities. The CPU alone sits in the 71st percentile among all processors, which is a respectable position, but the GPU's 5th percentile standing drags the overall combo down significantly.

The delta between the CPU's strong relative performance and the GPU's weak relative performance creates an imbalanced system. In an idle game like To The Core, where the CPU is not heavily taxed, the GPU becomes the sole determinant of frame rate. The combo rank of 2750 out of 2991 suggests that most other tested pairings—whether they use stronger GPUs or more balanced configurations—outperform this one.

For context, the CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (average score 17482, +0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i3-14100T (average score 17648, -0.8% delta). These are all within 1% of the 4600G's average score of 17507, meaning the CPU is not the differentiator in this combo's ranking. The GPU's nearest rivals are all legacy ATI parts, which highlights how dated this GPU's performance level is in the current GPU landscape.

The practical implication of this rank is that builders should not expect this combo to compete with even mid-range systems in To The Core. The 30 FPS result at 4K Ultra and the overall sub-60 FPS performance at 4K across all settings place this firmly in the entry-level category. The combo is functional for 1080p gaming, but its ranking suggests that any upgrade path—either a stronger GPU or a more balanced pairing—would yield significant improvements.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are as follows: Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium averages 43 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS and maximum of 50 FPS, High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 21 FPS, which is a 41% drop in performance from the lowest to highest fidelity.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the numbers improve substantially. Low settings produce 89 FPS, Medium averages 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and maximum of 87 FPS, High averages 65 FPS, and Ultra drops to 53 FPS. The Low to Ultra spread is 36 FPS, representing a 40% performance penalty for maxing out the settings. This resolution is the most balanced for this combo, as it offers playable frame rates at Low and Medium.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo shows its best performance. Low settings hit 132 FPS, Medium averages 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and maximum of 129 FPS, High averages 97 FPS, and Ultra produces 78 FPS. The Low to Ultra spread is 54 FPS, which is a 41% reduction. The minimum frame rates at Medium (95 FPS) are still above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU maintains stable performance even when pushing more pixels.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: Low settings are always the fastest, Ultra are always the slowest, and the percentage drop from Low to Ultra is nearly identical (41-42%) regardless of resolution. This uniformity suggests that the GPU's performance scaling is consistent, but the absolute numbers at 4K are too low for comfortable gameplay. The data shows a system that is perfectly serviceable for 1080p and adequate for 1440p, but it hits a hard wall at 4K where no settings preset can achieve a smooth experience.