To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B390 pairing presents a curious case for "To The Core," an idle game that typically demands minimal hardware. The data reveals a configuration that is surprisingly capable at 1080p, but whose performance profile is heavily dictated by the graphics processor's unusual characteristics. This analysis explores how the six-core CPU and the integrated Arc GPU interact to produce the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a six-core, twelve-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture, using the Cezanne codename on TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. For an idle game, this is a substantial amount of processing power. The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range standing: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 and a single-core score of 2319, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 7976 and single-core score of 1730. Its 3DMark scores scale from 836 in single-thread to 5411 in max-threads, indicating a healthy thread-scaling capability that most games, especially idle titles, will not fully utilize.

The processor's 16 MB of L3 cache and 512 KB L2 per core provide ample bandwidth for game logic and entity tracking, which is the primary workload in an idle game. The memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s over dual-channel DDR4 is more than sufficient for the modest data throughput required by "To The Core." Given that the CPU's percentile ranking sits at 73 versus all CPUs, it is positioned comfortably above average. Its nearest rivals show a near-tie in average benchmark score: the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 is only 0.1% slower, the Intel Core i5-12500 is 0.4% slower, the Intel Core i7-10700F is 0.5% faster, and the Intel Core i5-11600KF is 0.7% slower. This CPU is not a bottleneck in this context; it is the foundation upon which the GPU performance is built.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is the single most defining component in this configuration, primarily because it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a "System Shared" memory configuration. It is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture on Intel's 3 nm process, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. It features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its compute capabilities include a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 7.680 TFLOPS. The GPU's TDP is 80 W, and it has no dedicated power connectors, being an IGP.

The most critical aspect is the lack of dedicated VRAM. With "System Shared" memory, the GPU relies on the system's DDR4 RAM, making bandwidth "System Dependent." This is a significant limitation for gaming, as the memory bus width is also "System Shared," preventing the high-bandwidth access that discrete GPUs enjoy. The GPU's benchmark presence is minimal, with only a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This places the GPU in the 9th percentile versus all GPUs, indicating it is far below average. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end discrete parts: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7% faster). This context is crucial—the Arc B390 performs at the level of decade-old entry-level graphics cards, which explains why the measured FPS in "To The Core" is modest at higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the specific context of "To The Core," this combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2643 out of 2991 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations tested, which is a stark contrast to the CPU's above-average individual standing. The data indicates that while the processor is a strong performer, the integrated GPU drags the entire combo down to a low rank. This is a clear case of the GPU being the limiting factor.

The combo's rank implies that the vast majority of other pairings—likely those with any discrete graphics card—produce higher frame rates. The CPU's high percentile (73rd) does little to boost the combo's standing when the graphics solution is so weak. This is the most important takeaway for potential users: the Ryzen 5 5500 is a capable mid-range CPU, but pairing it with this specific IGP results in a system that is only suitable for the most graphically undemanding titles, like idle games, and even then, only at lower resolutions and settings. The rank also suggests that for "To The Core," most users would see better performance from a weaker CPU paired with a stronger discrete GPU.

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

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of the combo's performance envelope. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system is most comfortable. At Low settings, it achieves an average of 147 FPS. Moving to Medium settings yields 124 FPS (with a min of 105 and max of 143). High settings produce 107 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 86 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system can handle even the highest preset with a playable frame rate, though the gap between Low and Ultra is a 61 FPS drop.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases noticeably. Low settings average 99 FPS, Medium settings average 83 FPS (min 71, max 96), High settings fall to 72 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 58 FPS. The trend is clear: raising the resolution from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly 30-33% across all settings. At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 56 FPS, Medium settings average 48 FPS (min 41, max 55), High settings drop to 41 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 33 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only one that falls below 30 FPS, but the overall pattern shows that 4K is only viable at Low settings, and even then, it is borderline.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play "To The Core" with this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the most capable resolution, with all settings achieving above 86 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium settings stay above 80 FPS, while 3840x2160 requires Low settings to remain above 50 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The Intel Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory, making its bandwidth "System Dependent" on the CPU's DDR4 RAM. This is a major limiting factor, as it prevents the high-bandwidth access seen in discrete GPUs, contributing to the low 9th percentile ranking versus all GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 5500 has a 73rd percentile ranking versus all CPUs and scores well in multi-threaded tests, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile. The combo's low rank of 2643 out of 2991 confirms the GPU limits the system.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2643 out of 2991 tested combos in "To The Core," placing it in the bottom 12% of all tested pairings, despite the CPU's individual strength.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p Low and 4K Ultra?

A: The system achieves 147 FPS at 1920x1080 Low, but only 33 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra. This represents a 114 FPS drop, or about a 78% reduction in performance from the lowest resolution/setting to the highest.

Q: Should users expect smooth gameplay at 1440p?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 2560x1440, High settings yield 72 FPS and Ultra yields 58 FPS. These are playable, but users seeking higher refresh rates would need to stick to Low (99 FPS) or Medium (83 FPS) settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system can handle the Ultra preset at 86 FPS, which is the best visual quality available. For users with a 144 Hz monitor, the Low preset at 147 FPS is the only way to hit that refresh rate, but the Medium preset at 124 FPS offers a strong balance of visual fidelity and speed. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset (83 FPS) provides the best balance, as High drops to 72 FPS and Ultra to 58 FPS. The data suggests that at 1440p, the visual jump from Medium to High is not worth the 11 FPS loss, and Ultra is only for users who prioritize fidelity over frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 56 FPS is the only setting that approaches a smooth 60 FPS experience. Medium at 48 FPS is playable but not ideal, and High (41 FPS) and Ultra (33 FPS) should be avoided for any fast-paced interaction, though for an idle game, these might still be acceptable. The overarching recommendation is to use 1080p for the highest settings and 1440p for a balanced experience. The 4K resolution is only viable at Low settings, and the data indicates that the "System Shared" memory of the GPU is the primary reason for this precipitous drop-off.

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

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is severe and reveals the GPU's limitations. At Low settings, the system goes from 147 FPS at 1920x1080 to 99 FPS at 2560x1440 (a 33% drop) and then to 56 FPS at 3840x2160 (a 62% drop from 1080p). At Ultra settings, the progression is 86 FPS to 58 FPS to 33 FPS, which is a similar relative decline. The scaling factor between 1080p and 1440p is roughly 0.67 for all settings, and between 1080p and 4K, it is roughly 0.38. This is a typical pattern for a GPU that is bandwidth-constrained.

The "System Shared" memory and "System Dependent" bandwidth mean that as resolution increases, the GPU must access more data from system RAM, which is far slower than dedicated GDDR memory. The data implies that the GPU is not compute-bound but memory-bound. The 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is theoretically sufficient for higher frame rates, but the memory subsystem cannot feed the shaders fast enough at higher resolutions. This is a classic case where the GPU's compute capability is hamstrung by its memory architecture. The CPU's performance remains constant, so the FPS drop is directly attributable to the Arc B390's inability to handle the increased pixel throughput and memory pressure. The results show that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, and any move to higher resolutions quickly exposes the GPU's fundamental weakness.