To The Core

To The Core is an idle game, and its performance profile reflects that genre: the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain a smooth experience at 4K. The data shows a clear scaling pattern where lower settings and resolutions yield dramatically higher average FPS, making it a capable pairing for mainstream displays but not for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. This analysis breaks down the measured results, offering practical settings advice based on the exact benchmark rows provided.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 2 architecture (codename Renoir) using a 7 nm process from TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features a cache layout of 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, which is relevant for an idle game that may rely on memory latency for its simulation loops.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 4600G scores 13,593 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,919 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 6,637 multi-core and 1,460 single-core. These numbers place it in the 71st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17,507. Its nearest rivals in the database are tightly clustered: the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (avg score 17,482, deltaPct 0.1), the AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE (17,614, deltaPct -0.6), the Intel Core 7 150U (17,395, deltaPct 0.6), and the Intel Core i3-14100T (17,648, deltaPct -0.8). The 4600G sits almost exactly in the middle of this group, within 1% of all four rivals.

For To The Core, the CPU's 12 threads are likely sufficient for the game's background simulation, but the measured FPS data shows that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 147 FPS average, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU well at that load. However, the single-thread score of 726 in 3DMark and 1,919 in Cinebench R23 indicate that the Zen 2 architecture's per-core performance is modest by modern standards, which could bottleneck if the game has any single-threaded logic. The data does not show CPU-specific FPS metrics, so the analysis must infer from the overall combo results: the CPU is adequate for the 1080p and 1440p ranges, but the 4K drops point more toward GPU limits, as detailed below.

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

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy across resolutions and settings. For a 1920x1080 display, the Low preset delivers 147 FPS average, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium drops to 124 FPS (with a min of 105 and max of 143), High comes in at 107 FPS, and Ultra falls to 86 FPS. All four settings at 1080p are above 60 FPS, so any preset is playable, but the choice depends on whether the user values smoothness over visual fidelity.

For 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low yields 99 FPS, Medium 83 FPS (min 71, max 96), High 72 FPS, and Ultra 58 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which is a critical consideration for a smooth experience. If the user has a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset (83 FPS) provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining higher detail than Low. High at 72 FPS is also viable, but the 11 FPS difference between High and Medium is more significant than the visual gap in most idle games.

At 3840x2160, the results are starkly different. Low averages 56 FPS, Medium 48 FPS (min 41, max 55), High 41 FPS, and Ultra 33 FPS. No 4K setting reaches 60 FPS, and even the Low preset is borderline. The best experience at 4K would be Low (56 FPS), but that is still below the ideal smoothness threshold. The data suggests that 4K is not a recommended target for this combo; the user should either drop to 1440p or accept sub-60 FPS performance.

The optimal recommendation based on the measured rows is: for 1080p, use Medium (124 FPS) as the best balance of quality and headroom, since the min FPS of 105 ensures no stutter even in busy scenes. For 1440p, Medium (83 FPS, min 71) is the sweet spot, as it keeps the frame rate well above 60 while avoiding the visual downgrade of Low. For 4K, Low (56 FPS) is the only acceptable option, but users should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in To The Core?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 147, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B390 support modern graphics APIs needed for this game?

A: Yes, the Intel Arc B390 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which covers the API requirements for a 2024-released idle game.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 4600G compare to its closest CPU rivals in raw benchmark scores?

A: The 4600G has an average benchmark score of 17,507, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (17,482), 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE (17,614), 0.6% higher than the Intel Core 7 150U (17,395), and 0.8% lower than the Intel Core i3-14100T (17,648).

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The minimum FPS for the 2560x1440 Medium preset is 71 FPS, with an average of 83 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390's performance competitive with dedicated GPUs?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463, deltaPct 1.3), GeForce 800M (1,460, deltaPct 1.5), GT 625 OEM (1,446, deltaPct 2.5), and GT 710 (1,443, deltaPct 2.7). It is slightly ahead of these older entry-level parts, but the percentile indicates it is a low-tier performer.

Q: At what resolution does the combo fail to maintain 60 FPS on any setting?

A: At 3840x2160, no settings preset reaches 60 FPS average. The highest is Low at 56 FPS, followed by Medium at 48 FPS, High at 41 FPS, and Ultra at 33 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations for To The Core, this pairing of AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2,643 out of 2,991 total combos. This places it in the lower 11.6% of all tested configurations, which is consistent with the GPU's low percentile (9th) dragging down the overall ranking despite the CPU's more respectable 71st percentile.

The rank of 2,643 means there are 348 combos that perform worse, but the vast majority (2,642) outperform this setup. This is not a high-end gaming combination by any stretch; it is designed for light or older titles. To The Core, being an idle game, is relatively undemanding, which is why the combo still manages 147 FPS at 1080p Low. However, the ranking reflects that even with a strong CPU, the GPU's limited compute (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) and shared memory bandwidth create a bottleneck that prevents this from being a competitive gaming rig.

The deltaPct between the Arc B390 and its nearest GPU rivals (GT 520MX at 1.3%, GeForce 800M at 1.5%) shows that it is only marginally faster than decade-old mobile chips. This explains why the combo ranks so low: the GPU is the weak link. For context, if the CPU were paired with a mid-range dedicated GPU, the ranking would improve significantly, but as measured, this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at medium-to-low settings, not for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution play.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process from Intel. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with a TDP of 80 W. The GPU uses system shared memory for both its VRAM and bandwidth, meaning its performance is heavily dependent on the system's DDR4 memory (in this case, paired with the Ryzen 5 4600G's dual-channel configuration).

The Arc B390 has 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines. It includes 12 ray tracing cores and delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1,482, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The nearest rivals are all NVIDIA entry-level parts from over a decade ago, with the GT 520MX being just 1.3% slower and the GT 710 being 2.7% slower.

The shared memory architecture is the critical factor for To The Core. At 1080p, the combo achieves 147 FPS on Low, which suggests the memory bandwidth is sufficient for that load. However, at 4K Ultra (33 FPS), the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, likely due to the memory bandwidth being shared with the CPU and the limited ROP count (24) struggling with higher pixel throughput. The 2.5 GHz boost clock helps, but it cannot compensate for the lack of dedicated VRAM. The measured FPS scaling across resolutions follows a predictable pattern: 1080p to 1440p drops by roughly 30-40% (e.g., High from 107 to 72 FPS), and 1440p to 4K drops by another 40-50% (e.g., High from 72 to 41 FPS). This is typical of an IGP with constrained memory bandwidth.

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

1920x1080:

• Low: 147 FPS average. This is the best-case scenario for the combo, indicating the game is not CPU-bound at this setting.
• Medium: 124 FPS average, with a minimum of 105 and maximum of 143. The min/max range shows good consistency.
• High: 107 FPS average. Still well above 60 FPS, suitable for most displays.
• Ultra: 86 FPS average. The lowest at 1080p, but still smooth.

2560x1440:

• Low: 99 FPS average. A significant drop from 1080p Low (147 FPS), showing the GPU's scaling limits.
• Medium: 83 FPS average, with a minimum of 71 and maximum of 96. The min FPS of 71 is the lowest recorded at this resolution, but it stays above 60.
• High: 72 FPS average. This is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but the margin is thin.
• Ultra: 58 FPS average. This is the first preset to fall below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

3840x2160:

• Low: 56 FPS average. Barely playable, but below the 60 FPS target.
• Medium: 48 FPS average, with a minimum of 41 and maximum of 55. The min FPS of 41 indicates noticeable stutter in demanding scenes.
• High: 41 FPS average. A clear step down from Medium, making it hard to recommend.
• Ultra: 33 FPS average. The lowest measured value, which is not viable for a good experience.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step down (4K to 1440p, 1440p to 1080p) roughly doubles the performance headroom. At 1080p, all settings are playable; at 1440p, only Low through High are viable; at 4K, even Low fails to hit 60 FPS. The user should prioritize 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings to get the best combination of frame rate and visual quality, based on the measured metrics provided.