To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a surprisingly robust experience in To The Core, an idle game that clearly responds well to both CPU and GPU resources. The benchmark data shows this combo is capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions, though it begins to show its limits at 4K Ultra. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, interprets what the numbers mean for actual gameplay, and contextualizes the results against the broader hardware landscape.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K follows a predictable curve, but the specific numbers reveal where the bottleneck lies. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 225 FPS at 1920x1080 to 152 FPS at 2560x1440, a 32.4% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 brings the average down to 87 FPS, which is another 42.8% drop from 1440p. This steep decline at higher resolutions points directly to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the averages are 191 FPS at 1080p, 128 FPS at 1440p, and 73 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are consistent: roughly 33% from 1080p to 1440p, then another 43% from 1440p to 4K. This uniformity across presets indicates that the scaling behavior is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven, reinforcing the conclusion that the Intel Arc B570’s rendering throughput is the ceiling at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent. The 225 FPS Low result and 165 FPS High result suggest the Ryzen 5 5600F has enough headroom to feed the GPU efficiently at lower pixel counts. The 6-core, 12-thread Zen 3 processor, with its 32 MB shared L3 cache, handles the game’s logic and draw calls without slowing the GPU down. However, the data also shows that even at 1080p Ultra (133 FPS), the gap between Low and Ultra is 92 FPS, indicating that the GPU still has a significant influence on frame rates even at the lowest resolution tested.

The 4K Ultra result of 51 FPS is the weakest point in the dataset. Compared to 1080p Ultra, this is a 61.7% reduction in average frame rate. This steep drop suggests that the Arc B570’s 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus are sufficient for the game at this resolution, but the 2304 shading units struggle with the sheer volume of pixels. The 51 FPS average is playable but not ideal for a smooth experience on high-refresh displays.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 34 FPS (225 to 191), while Medium to High costs another 26 FPS (191 to 165). High to Ultra costs 32 FPS (165 to 133). The step from Low to Medium is the smallest performance hit relative to the visual improvement typically gained, making Medium the most efficient choice at this resolution for players seeking a balance.

At 1440p, the data supports a similar conclusion. Medium delivers 128 FPS, which is 24 FPS higher than High (111 FPS) and 39 FPS higher than Ultra (89 FPS). The 128 FPS average at Medium is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and leaves room for dips without becoming stuttery. Low at 1440p (152 FPS) is only 24 FPS faster than Medium, suggesting diminishing returns from dropping settings further.

At 4K, the recommendations shift. Medium produces a 73 FPS average with a minimum of 62 FPS and maximum of 84 FPS, based on the measured row. This is the only 4K preset with min/max data, and the 62 FPS minimum is still comfortably playable. High at 4K (64 FPS) is close to Medium but has no min/max data to confirm stability. Ultra at 4K drops to 51 FPS, which is borderline for demanding users. Low at 4K (87 FPS) offers the highest headroom but likely sacrifices significant visual fidelity.

For the best experience per the measured rows, Medium at every resolution appears to be the sweet spot. At 1080p it provides 191 FPS, at 1440p 128 FPS, and at 4K 73 FPS. The consistency of the min/max data at Medium (162-219 at 1080p, 109-147 at 1440p, 62-84 at 4K) suggests this preset has the most stable frame pacing across the board. Players with high-refresh 1080p monitors could justify High or Ultra, but the data indicates Medium offers the best trade-off for overall smoothness.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured results. The GPU’s base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, which is a modest clock speed but consistent across the board. The 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units provide a solid foundation for rasterization. The 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance places it in a competitive tier, though the data shows it is not a high-end part.

The 10 GB GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus delivers 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a critical figure for To The Core, which appears to be memory-sensitive given the performance scaling. At 4K Ultra, the game likely exhausts the available bandwidth, contributing to the 51 FPS average. The 18 ray tracing cores and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are present, but the game’s idle genre suggests these features are not heavily utilized in the measured scenarios.

The GPU’s benchmark scores provide context for its overall capability. The PassMark G3D score of 14195 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649 indicate mid-range performance. The nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with a deltaPct of 0.1% and the Intel Arc A750 with a deltaPct of -0.1%. This places the B570 essentially on par with those parts in synthetic tests, which aligns with the measured FPS results in this game.

The GPU’s 150 W TDP and suggested 450 W PSU are reasonable for a desktop build, but the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is worth noting. The 20 lanes available on the CPU are more than sufficient, and the x8 link does not appear to bottleneck performance in this title based on the consistent scaling across resolutions. The dual-slot design and 272 mm length are standard for a card of this class.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2380 out of 2991 tested combinations in To The Core, placing it in the 79.6th percentile of all tested systems. This is a respectable position, though not exceptional. The ranking reflects the mid-range nature of both components. The Ryzen 5 5600F, with its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 36945, provides solid single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. The Arc B570, ranked 65th percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 20556, is similarly positioned.

The specific ranking suggests that this combo outperforms roughly four out of five tested systems in this game. This is largely due to the game’s apparent optimization for modern hardware and the balance between CPU and GPU. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 2872 and multi-thread score of 19236 indicate it can keep up with the GPU’s demands at most settings. The near-zero deltaPct values against rivals (0% vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225, -0.2% vs AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D) show the CPU is well-matched with its peers.

However, the 2380th rank also indicates that many higher-end combos achieve significantly better performance. The gap between this combo and top-tier systems is likely driven by GPU differences, as the Arc B570’s 65th percentile ranking means many GPUs offer more raw power. For an idle game like To The Core, the frame rates are already high at 1080p and 1440p, but the ranking shows there is headroom for improvement with more powerful components.

The data suggests this combo is a balanced mid-range option. It is not a top performer, but it delivers playable frame rates at all tested settings except 4K Ultra, where the 51 FPS average is the only sub-60 result. The combo’s ranking relative to others in the database confirms that users should expect solid 1080p and 1440p performance, with 4K being a stretch goal.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 is the best resolution. At Medium settings, the combo delivers 128 FPS average with a 109 FPS minimum, which is smooth and stable. At 1920x1080, the 191 FPS Medium result is faster but offers less visual detail per pixel. 3840x2160 is playable at Medium (73 FPS) but the lower minimum of 62 FPS makes it less consistent.

Q: How does this combo handle 4K gaming in this title?

A: The data shows 4K is playable but not ideal. At Low settings, the average is 87 FPS, which is smooth. Medium drops to 73 FPS with a 62 FPS minimum, still within playable range. High produces 64 FPS, and Ultra falls to 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for most players. The GPU’s 10 GB memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but the 2304 shading units limit performance at this resolution.

Q: Which settings preset should I use at 1440p?

A: Medium is the recommended preset at 2560x1440. It delivers 128 FPS average, which is 24 FPS higher than High (111 FPS) and 39 FPS higher than Ultra (89 FPS). The minimum of 109 FPS at Medium is also higher than the likely minimums of the higher presets, ensuring more consistent frame pacing.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are steep and consistent across all settings, which is characteristic of GPU limitation. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push 225 FPS at Low settings, showing it is not holding the system back at lower pixel counts.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 20556 places it nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, deltaPct 0.1%) and the Intel Arc A750 (20582, deltaPct -0.1%). This means the B570 performs essentially on par with those parts in synthetic tests, which translates to similar frame rates in To The Core.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2380 out of 2991 tested combinations, placing it in the 79.6th percentile. It outperforms roughly 80% of tested systems in To The Core, which is a solid result for a mid-range CPU and GPU pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this combo in To The Core is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 225 FPS average
• Medium: 191 FPS average, 162 FPS minimum, 219 FPS maximum
• High: 165 FPS average
• Ultra: 133 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 152 FPS average
• Medium: 128 FPS average, 109 FPS minimum, 147 FPS maximum
• High: 111 FPS average
• Ultra: 89 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 87 FPS average
• Medium: 73 FPS average, 62 FPS minimum, 84 FPS maximum
• High: 64 FPS average
• Ultra: 51 FPS average

The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data at every resolution, providing a reliable picture of frame stability. At 1080p, the range is 162 to 219 FPS, indicating a tight spread. At 1440p, the range is 109 to 147 FPS, also consistent. At 4K, the range widens to 62 to 84 FPS, showing more variance but still within playable limits. The data shows that the combo maintains high average frame rates across all resolutions, with the only sub-60 result being 4K Ultra at 51 FPS. This breakdown confirms the combo’s strength at 1080p and 1440p, while positioning 4K as a viable but compromise-laden option.