To The Core

This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F paired with the Intel Arc B390 in the idle game To The Core. The data comes directly from benchmark measurements, focusing strictly on the provided FPS scores, hardware specifications, and comparative rankings. The goal is to give a clear, practical picture of what this combo delivers across different resolutions and settings, without relying on speculation or external data.

The pairing represents a unique mix: a capable desktop CPU from the 5000 series with a mobile-oriented integrated GPU. The Ryzen 5 5600F offers six cores and twelve threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture, and its benchmark scores place it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. On the other side, the Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture, which sits in just the 9th percentile for GPUs. This creates a significant imbalance that heavily influences the gaming experience, as the measured FPS in To The Core reflects the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's strength.

FAQ

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F + Intel Arc B390 combo capable of running To The Core at 1080p?*

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS ranges from 86 on Ultra settings to 147 on Low settings. Even the most demanding preset, Ultra, maintains an average of 86 FPS, which is above the standard 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals in terms of raw GPU performance?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. This puts it slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 (1.3% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, which scores 1460 (1.5% slower). It is also 2.5% faster than the GeForce GT 625 OEM and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in To The Core if aiming for a consistent 60+ FPS?*

A: The data suggests 1920x1080 is the most reliable choice. At 1080p, all four tested settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) produce average FPS well above 60. At 2560x1440, only the Low (99 FPS) and High (72 FPS) presets achieve this target, while Medium and Ultra fall to 83 and 58 FPS respectively. At 4K, no setting reaches 60 FPS average.

Q: How substantial is the performance drop when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: The drop is severe. For example, with High settings, the average FPS falls from 107 at 1080p to 72 at 1440p and then down to 41 at 4K. This represents a 61.7% decrease in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: Which setting preset provides the highest average FPS at 1080p?

A: The Low preset provides the highest average FPS at 1920x1080, achieving 147 FPS. This is followed by Medium at 124 FPS, High at 107 FPS, and Ultra at 86 FPS.

*Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of tested configurations for To The Core?*

A: No. The combo ranks 2643 out of 2991 total tested combos, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations in the database for this specific game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the central component in determining this combo's gaming performance. Its specifications reveal a design focused on efficiency rather than raw power. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with a TDP of just 80 W. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent."

This shared memory architecture is a critical factor. The GPU's performance is heavily tied to the system's memory bandwidth, which for the Ryzen 5 5600F is 51.2 GB/s in a dual-channel configuration. For a game like To The Core, which is an idle game, the demands are not as extreme as in AAA titles. However, the data shows that the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is only 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, are older, low-end parts, confirming its entry-level performance class.

The benchmark results in To The Core directly reflect this GPU's limitations. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 147 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to maintain high frame rates. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become bottlenecks. The pixel rate is listed at 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate at 120.0 GTexel/s. At 4K, the sheer number of pixels overwhelms the GPU. The average FPS at 4K drops to 56 on Low and 33 on Ultra, showing that the GPU can't keep up with the workload at that resolution. The CPU, with its 85th percentile ranking and strong multi-threaded score of 19236, is not the bottleneck here; the integrated GPU simply lacks the processing power for high-resolution gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's overall standing in To The Core is quite low. It holds a rank of 2643 out of 2991 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, indicating that most other configurations deliver better performance in this game. This ranking is unsurprising given the GPU's low benchmark percentile.

When looking at the individual components, the story is clear. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a strong processor. Its average benchmark score is 36945, placing it in the 85th percentile. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, which has a nearly identical average score of 36938. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is slightly faster at 37018, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 and Intel Core i9-12900T score 37093 and 37112 respectively. The CPU's performance is a non-issue.

The Intel Arc B390, however, is a major limiting factor. Its average benchmark score of 1482 puts it in the 9th percentile. It is only 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M. These are very old, low-tier GPUs, highlighting the B390's position at the absolute bottom of the performance stack. This massive disparity between the CPU's high ranking and the GPU's low ranking is the primary reason the combo performs poorly overall. The CPU has significant headroom, but the GPU holds the entire system back. The combo rank reflects the weakest link, which is the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across all tested configurations. Here is a detailed breakdown:

1920x1080:

• Low: The average FPS is 147. This is the highest score recorded in the entire dataset.
• Medium: The average FPS is 124, with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 143.
• High: The average FPS is 107.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 86.

At 1080p, the combo is playable at all settings. The jump from Low to Ultra represents a 41.5% decrease in performance, but even the Ultra preset maintains a solid average of 86 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: The average FPS is 99.
• Medium: The average FPS is 83, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96.
• High: The average FPS is 72.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 58.

At 1440p, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset is still very smooth at 99 FPS, and High is playable at 72 FPS. However, the Medium preset's minimum of 71 FPS shows more variance, and Ultra drops below the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 58 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: The average FPS is 56.
• Medium: The average FPS is 48, with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 55.
• High: The average FPS is 41.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 33.

At 4K, the combo struggles significantly. No setting achieves an average of 60 FPS. Even the Low preset, which was the best performer at other resolutions, only manages 56 FPS. The Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 33 FPS. The data shows a clear linear progression: higher settings and higher resolutions result in lower frame rates, with the GPU's limitations becoming increasingly apparent.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the bottleneck. For example, on High settings, the average FPS drops from 107 at 1080p to 72 at 1440p, a 32.7% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the FPS drops from 72 to 41, a further 43.1% decrease. Overall, from 1080p to 4K on High settings, the average FPS drops by 61.7%.

This pattern is consistent across all settings. On Low settings, the FPS goes from 147 at 1080p to 99 at 1440p to 56 at 4K. On Medium, it goes from 124 to 83 to 48. On Ultra, it goes from 86 to 58 to 33. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly similar for each preset, around 60-62%.

This behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat regardless of resolution, as the CPU's workload doesn't change much with pixel count. Instead, the FPS drops dramatically as the resolution increases. This clearly indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component. The Ryzen 5 5600F has ample processing power to handle the game's logic, but the GPU cannot render the frames fast enough at higher pixel counts. The data suggests that for 1440p and 4K gaming, this combo is under-powered, and for a smooth experience, you must reduce the resolution to 1080p or significantly lower the settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend heavily on your target resolution and desired performance.

For a 60 FPS experience, 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is the best choice. The data shows an average of 86 FPS, which provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. This allows you to enjoy the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. If you have a high-refresh-rate monitor (e.g., 144Hz), the Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that can push close to that range, with an average of 147 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the options are more limited. To stay above 60 FPS, you'll need to use the High preset, which averages 72 FPS. The Low preset is also an option at 99 FPS, but the visual quality will be significantly lower. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended, as its 58 FPS average dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, achieving a smooth 60 FPS is not possible with any settings. The best you can manage is the Low preset, which averages 56 FPS. This is close to 60 but not quite there, and it will likely feel slightly less fluid. For a more consistent experience at 4K, you would need to rely on other technologies not listed in the data, or accept a lower frame rate. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 41, which can cause noticeable stuttering.

In summary, the "best" experience, balancing visuals and performance, is 1080p with Ultra settings. This gives you the highest quality visuals while maintaining a playable frame rate. For players prioritizing maximum FPS, 1080p Low is the clear winner. At higher resolutions, the GPU's limitations force you to make significant compromises on settings to maintain playability.