To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a playable, though not exceptional, experience in To The Core, with the benchmark data clearly illustrating a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics component. Across the measured resolutions, the combo demonstrates a predictable scaling pattern that points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck, while the CPU’s strong synthetic scores suggest it has ample headroom left on the table. The data shows a configuration that can handle the game at 1080p with high refresh rates on lower presets, but which struggles to maintain smooth performance as resolution and graphical demands increase.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for To The Core reveals a stark and consistent drop in performance as resolution scales from 1920x1080 up to 3840x2160. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate falls from 107 FPS at 1080p to 72 FPS at 1440p, a significant reduction of 35 FPS. Pushing further to 4K, the average plummets to just 41 FPS, representing a 66 FPS total drop from the 1080p baseline. This pattern strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B390’s rendering capabilities are the limiting factor; the jump in pixel count from 2.07 million at 1080p to 8.29 million at 4K quadruples the workload on the GPU, and the data shows the graphics processor cannot keep pace.

This trend is even more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset. The system achieves a very playable 147 FPS at 1920x1080, but this drops by 48 FPS to 99 FPS at 2560x1440. At 4K, the average FPS falls further to 56, which is a 91 FPS reduction compared to 1080p. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is approximately 62%, while the drop at High settings is about 62% as well. This consistency across presets reinforces the conclusion that the resolution scaling behavior is governed almost entirely by the pixel throughput limits of the GPU, rather than any CPU-side constraint. The Ryzen 5 7400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the component being stressed by these resolution changes.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 83 at 2560x1440 to 48 at 3840x2160, a 35 FPS loss. Similarly, at Ultra settings, the average drops from 58 FPS at 1440p to 33 FPS at 4K. This steep decline at the highest resolution suggests that the Arc B390’s memory subsystem, which is System Shared, becomes a severe bottleneck. The need to access system memory for frame buffer data at 4K resolutions likely introduces significant latency and bandwidth limitations that are not as prevalent at lower resolutions. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable target for this combo in To The Core, as even the lowest preset fails to maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. The benchmark results show that its capabilities are modest, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its synthetic score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, which puts it in direct competition with very old, entry-level discrete GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. The data shows it is only 1.3% faster than the GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the GT 710. This context is crucial for understanding the in-game performance; the Arc B390 is not a gaming-focused part, and its performance in To The Core reflects that.

The GPU’s specifications further explain its behavior. It features a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs. The memory is System Shared, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and relies on the system’s main memory. This architecture is typical for integrated graphics, and the measured FPS shows the consequences. The texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, and the pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, which are decent numbers for an iGPU but insufficient for high-end gaming. In To The Core, this translates to a system that can handle the game at lower resolutions and settings but quickly runs out of steam when the rendering load increases.

The GPU's performance in the game is directly tied to its fillrate and memory bandwidth constraints. At 1080p Low, the 147 FPS average suggests the GPU can keep up with the relatively simple pixel workload. However, as settings increase to High and Ultra at 1080p, the average FPS drops to 107 and 86 respectively, indicating that the increased shading and texture work is taxing the 1536 shading units and 48 TMUs. The situation worsens at higher resolutions, where the System Shared memory becomes a critical weakness. The lack of dedicated VRAM means that the GPU is competing with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and the data shows this leads to significant frame rate degradation, particularly at 4K where the frame buffer demands are immense.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for To The Core, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and Intel Arc B390 finds itself near the bottom of the performance ladder. The combo ranks at 2643 out of 2991 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems. This ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a comparatively strong performer. The data shows that while the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates in other contexts, the overall system performance in this game is held back by the graphics solution, dragging the combo's overall rank down.

The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's position in the overall GPU hierarchy. With a percentile rank of just 9, the Arc B390 is outperformed by the vast majority of graphics cards in the database. Its nearest rivals, all of which are over a decade old, highlight its position in the current market. The fact that it is only 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M and 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM underscores that its gaming performance is on par with legacy entry-level hardware. Consequently, when combined with a modern mid-range CPU like the Ryzen 5 7400F, the resulting system is still bottlenecked to a degree that places it in the lower echelons of the ranking.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The Ryzen 5 7400F sits in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32750. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14600T and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, have nearly identical average scores, with deltas of just 0.1% and -0.2% respectively. This indicates that the CPU is a well-balanced, capable processor. However, the GPU's average benchmark score of 1482 is minuscule in comparison. This massive imbalance creates a situation where the CPU is likely idling, waiting for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks. The benchmark data suggests that this combo would have ranked significantly higher if paired with a more powerful graphics card, but as it stands, the GPU dictates the system's low overall position.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in To The Core is achieved at the 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This configuration yields an average FPS of 147, which is well above the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay. The data shows that while the Medium preset at 1080p still provides a playable 124 FPS average, the Low preset offers a significant performance buffer that ensures a more consistent frame time experience. Given the GPU's limited capabilities, prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity is the sensible choice for this system.

For users with 2560x1440 monitors, the Low preset is also the only viable option, delivering an average of 99 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution drops to 83 FPS, which is still acceptable, but the Ultra preset falls to 58 FPS, which may introduce noticeable stutter. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual quality and performance at this resolution, and the Low preset provides the best balance for maintaining a high refresh rate experience. Pushing to High or Ultra at 1440p is not recommended, as the performance gains from the visual upgrades do not justify the significant FPS loss.

At 3840x2160, the data paints a bleak picture. Even the Low preset only manages an average of 56 FPS, which is borderline playable but will likely feel inconsistent. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not viable, with averages of 41 and 33 FPS respectively, which are well below the standard for a smooth gaming experience. The recommendation is to avoid this resolution entirely, as the System Shared memory of the Arc B390 is a major bottleneck that prevents any preset from achieving a satisfactory frame rate. The measured FPS breakdown clearly indicates that 1080p is the target resolution for this combo, with Low or Medium settings being the most sensible choices for a responsive and visually coherent experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the performance envelope of this combo. At 1920x1080, the system scales from an average of 147 FPS on Low to 124 FPS on Medium, with a minimum of 105 and maximum of 143 at Medium. The High preset drops the average to 107 FPS, while the Ultra preset brings it down to 86 FPS. All of these figures suggest that 1080p gaming is feasible, with the Low and Medium presets offering the most headroom for maintaining high frame rates.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. The Low preset maintains a solid 99 FPS average, but the Medium preset drops to 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and maximum of 96. The High preset reduces the average to 72 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 58 FPS. The data shows that 1440p is a compromise resolution for this system, where only the Low preset guarantees a consistently high frame rate, and the Medium preset offers a playable, though less stable, experience.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset yields an average of 56 FPS, which is the only preset to break the 50 FPS barrier. The Medium preset averages 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 and maximum of 55, while the High preset drops to 41 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of just 33 FPS. This data conclusively shows that 4K is not a realistic option for this hardware configuration in To The Core, as even the lowest settings fail to provide a consistently smooth experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a modern 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 5 nm process. Its performance is robust, as indicated by its 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 21765 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3072 points in the single-core test. This demonstrates a high level of computational power that far exceeds the demands of To The Core, which is an Idle genre game. The CPU’s performance is not a limiting factor in the measured results, as the frame rates are almost entirely dictated by the GPU.

The CPU’s capabilities are further highlighted by its comparison to its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i5-14600T and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H have average benchmark scores that are within 0.2% of the 7400F, showing that it is a competitive mid-range part. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide ample bandwidth for game logic and asset streaming. However, in this specific game, the CPU's role is largely to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game state, a task it handles with ease. The data shows that the CPU is likely never the bottleneck, as the GPU's rendering time far exceeds the CPU's frame preparation time.

The game To The Core is an Idle title, which typically does not stress the CPU with complex physics or AI simulations. Therefore, the Ryzen 5 7400F’s 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for the task. The benchmark results show a consistent performance pattern across all resolutions and settings that is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU’s strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by its 3689 Passmark single-thread score, ensures that it can handle the game's primary thread without issue. In fact, the data suggests that the CPU has significant headroom, and its performance in this combo is effectively wasted due to the weak GPU, which is the definitive factor in the system's overall ranking and playability.