To The Core

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 2643 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. That places this setup in the bottom 12% of all combinations, which is a poor result for a game that is otherwise not demanding. The ranking reflects the GPU's severe limitations more than the CPU's capabilities, as the Ryzen 5 5600 sits in the 74th percentile among all CPUs while the Arc B390 languishes in the 9th percentile among all GPUs.

This is a lopsided pairing. The CPU is a mid-range performer that should handle an idle game like this without breaking a sweat, but the GPU is holding the entire combo back. The data shows that at 1080p Ultra, the combo manages only 86 FPS, which is playable but far from impressive for a game of this genre. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate collapses to 33 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for smooth gameplay. The rank of 2643 reflects this GPU-bound reality, where the integrated-class graphics solution cannot keep pace with what the CPU can feed it.

Compared to other tested combos, this ranking is poor because the Arc B390 is fundamentally a low-end graphics solution. The CPU's strong multi-threaded scores—like 18,309 in Cinebench R23 multi-core—do not translate into game performance when the GPU becomes the bottleneck. For an idle game, the expectation would be high frame rates at almost any resolution, but the data contradicts that. The combo's rank suggests that users would be better served by pairing this CPU with a more capable discrete GPU, even though the Arc B390 carries the Intel Arc branding.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. The GPU runs at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts up to 2500 MHz, which is a wide clock range that allows it to scale with thermal and power headroom. The memory configuration is system shared, meaning it uses the host system's RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, and the bandwidth is system dependent.

In To The Core, the GPU's role is critical because it is the limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 147 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 86 FPS. That is a 41% performance penalty from simply raising settings. At 4K, the situation worsens dramatically. The 4K Low result is 56 FPS, which drops to 33 FPS at 4K Ultra. The GPU's lack of dedicated VRAM and its low compute throughput (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) are the primary reasons for these results.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482 places it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are ancient, low-end parts from over a decade ago. This context is important because it shows that the Arc B390 is not a gaming GPU by any modern standard. In an idle game like To The Core, the GPU still manages to produce playable frame rates at lower settings, but it cannot maintain high performance under load. The 12 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are irrelevant when the raw rasterization performance is this limited.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of settings for this combo. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 147 FPS, Medium delivers 124 FPS, High delivers 107 FPS, and Ultra delivers 86 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 124 FPS and a minimum of 105 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 105 FPS ensures that the game remains smooth even in demanding scenes, which is important for an idle game where the player may be watching automated processes.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 83 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably lower than 1080p. The High preset at 1440p drops to 72 FPS, and Ultra falls to 58 FPS. If the user prefers higher resolutions, Medium at 1440p is the recommended choice because it maintains a minimum above 60 FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset is the only one with a recorded minimum frame rate (41 FPS), and it delivers an average of 48 FPS. This is playable but not ideal for fast-paced interactions.

The best experience per the measured rows is the 1080p Medium preset. It provides 124 FPS average with a 105 FPS minimum, which is smooth and responsive. The jump from Low to Medium costs 23 FPS (from 147 to 124), but the visual improvement is typically worth it for an idle game where the player will spend significant time looking at the screen. The jump from Medium to High costs another 17 FPS (from 124 to 107), which is a smaller relative penalty but still noticeable. Ultra is not recommended at any resolution because the performance cost is disproportionate to the visual gains, especially at 4K where it drops to 33 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 + Intel Arc B390 combo good for To The Core?

A: The combo ranks 2643 out of 2991 tested, placing it in the bottom 12%. It can play the game at 1080p Medium with 124 FPS average and 105 FPS minimum, but performance degrades quickly at higher resolutions and settings. It is functional but not good compared to other combos.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo in To The Core?

A: The data shows that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot, delivering 124 FPS average with a 105 FPS minimum. At 1440p, Medium drops to 83 FPS average with a 71 FPS minimum, which is still playable. At 4K, Medium delivers 48 FPS average with a 41 FPS minimum, which is borderline.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are all very low-end GPUs, indicating the Arc B390 is not a gaming-class part.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combo for To The Core?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 5600 has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18,309 and a single-core score of 2,584, placing it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU is in the 9th percentile. The FPS scaling from Low to Ultra settings shows the GPU struggling, not the CPU.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K for this combo?

A: At Medium settings, the 1080p average is 124 FPS, while the 4K average is 48 FPS. That is a 61% drop in performance. At Low settings, the 1080p average is 147 FPS, and the 4K average is 56 FPS, a 62% drop. At High settings, the drop is from 107 FPS to 41 FPS, a 62% reduction.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings in To The Core?

A: At 1080p Ultra, it delivers 86 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 58 FPS, which is marginal. At 4K Ultra, it falls to 33 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset imposes a heavy cost on this GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep decline as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 124 at 1080p, to 83 at 1440p, and down to 48 at 4K. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 42% drop from 1440p to 4K. The overall reduction from 1080p to 4K is 61%. At Low settings, the pattern is similar: 147 FPS at 1080p, 99 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K. That is a 33% drop to 1440p and a 43% drop to 4K, totaling a 62% reduction.

This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. When the GPU is the limiting component, increasing resolution directly increases the pixel count, which demands more fill rate and memory bandwidth. The Arc B390's system-shared memory and system-dependent bandwidth mean that at higher resolutions, the GPU must move more data across the system bus, which further reduces performance. The fact that the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is nearly identical across all settings (61-62%) confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at every quality level.

The 4K Low result of 56 FPS is interesting because it shows that even at the lowest settings, the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K. This suggests that the pixel throughput itself is the limiting factor, not the shading complexity. The GPU's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply too low for 4K rendering. For an idle game, users should stick to 1080p or 1440p to get acceptable performance, as 4K requires a more capable GPU.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The CPU has a 32 MB shared L3 cache, 512 KB L2 per core, and 64 KB L1 per core. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The CPU is built on TSMC's 7 nm process and has a TDP of 65 W.

In To The Core, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The Ryzen 5 5600's benchmark scores indicate it is more than capable for this task. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18,309 and single-core score of 2,584 are strong numbers for a mid-range desktop CPU. The Geekbench multi-core score of 9,158 and single-core score of 1,936 further confirm the CPU's competence. The PassMark multi-thread score of 21,541 and single-thread score of 3,256 show balanced performance across different workloads.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, which scores 20,454 (0.1% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G, which scores 20,425 (0.2% lower). This places the Ryzen 5 5600 in a competitive position among current processors. However, none of this CPU performance matters in To The Core because the GPU is the bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 147 FPS, but the CPU could likely push much higher if paired with a better GPU. The CPU's 12 threads and 6 cores are sufficient for an idle game, and the boost clock of 4.40 GHz ensures responsive single-threaded performance.

The CPU's 74th percentile ranking among all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 9th percentile. This mismatch explains why the combo ranks so poorly in the game. The CPU is not the problem; it is the GPU that limits the experience. Users considering this combo for To The Core should be aware that upgrading the GPU would yield significant performance gains, while the CPU would not need to be replaced.