To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a peculiar combination for To The Core, a game released on 2024-02-14. The data shows a CPU that sits in the 77th percentile of all processors, while the GPU languishes in the 9th percentile, creating a significant imbalance that dictates the performance envelope observed in the measured FPS rows. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results for this specific pairing, focusing strictly on the provided metrics.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall ranking of this specific CPU and GPU combination in To The Core?*

A: The combo is ranked 2643 out of 2991 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems measured for this game.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F has an average benchmark score of 24964. This puts it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-11850H (score 24935), 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H (score 24911), and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core 5 210H (score 24872). It trails the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, which scores 25005, by 0.2%.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile, and who are its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, meaning the Arc B390 is 1.3% faster. It is also 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% faster than the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710.

Q: What is the best average FPS achievable at 1080p with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded at 1920x1080 is 147 FPS, which is achieved with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, there is a substantial drop. At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 99 FPS on average, while the Ultra preset delivers 58 FPS. This represents a 41 FPS difference, or roughly a 41% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the data show a minimum FPS value for the High settings at 4K?

A: No, the measured FPS data for the 3840x2160 High settings row only includes an average FPS of 41, with no minimum or maximum FPS values recorded.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael). It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This CPU is a strong performer in general benchmarks, with a 77th percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 24964. Its multi-threaded performance is highlighted by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22799 and a Geekbench multicore score of 12362. Single-thread performance is also solid, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 974 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3841.

Given that To The Core is an Idle game, the demands on the CPU are likely less about raw multi-core throughput and more about consistent single-thread performance and frame pacing. The data for this combo suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 147 FPS, a figure that is likely high enough to be limited by the GPU or game logic rather than the processor. The CPU's capability is further evidenced by its Passmark physics score of 1788, which often correlates with gaming logic performance. The 32 MB shared L3 cache is also a healthy amount for game data, likely reducing the need to fetch data from system memory, which is DDR5 with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

The Ryzen 5 7500F's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13620H, have nearly identical average benchmark scores (24911, a 0.2% difference). This means that, in terms of raw computational power, the 7500F is essentially on par with those chips. In the context of To The Core, the choice between these CPUs would likely yield negligible differences in FPS, as the data points to the GPU being the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU is more than adequate to feed the Arc B390 at lower settings, but as the resolution and settings increase, the load shifts heavily onto the graphics processor.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (chip codenamed Panther Lake). It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This is a fundamental constraint for gaming performance. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2).

The GPU's benchmark results are starkly weak. It scores 1482 in the 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 test and sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are ancient, low-end parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which it only beats by 2.7%. This indicates that the Arc B390's raw 3D rendering capability is extremely limited. The 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is not the sole determinant of gaming performance, but the low ROP count (24) and the dependence on shared system memory are likely severe bottlenecks.

In To The Core, the GPU is clearly the dominant performance limiter for this combo. The average FPS scales predictably with resolution and settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at 1080p, the average FPS drops from 147 at Low to 86 at Ultra. This 61 FPS swing is entirely due to the GPU's inability to handle the increased rendering load at higher settings. The shared memory architecture means that at 4K, the system must allocate a large portion of system RAM for the framebuffer, which is less efficient than dedicated VRAM. This explains the relatively poor scaling to higher resolutions, where the 4K Ultra preset only manages 33 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combination balances visual quality with a playable frame rate. The data shows that the Low preset is the only one that consistently provides a high refresh rate experience across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Low achieves 147 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience on a high-refresh monitor. At 2560x1440, it still manages a very respectable 99 FPS.

The Medium preset offers a significant step up in visual fidelity for a moderate performance cost. At 1080p, it delivers 124 FPS, which is still very smooth. At 1440p, it drops to 83 FPS, which remains in the playable range for most titles. The High preset is also viable at 1080p with 107 FPS, but the gains from Medium to High are not as large as the drop from Low to Medium. At 4K, all presets struggle to maintain 60 FPS, with the High preset averaging 41 FPS and Medium averaging 48 FPS.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 appears to be the sweet spot. It provides 124 FPS, which is high enough for smooth gameplay, while offering better visuals than the Low preset. If a higher resolution is desired, the Low preset at 2560x1440 with 99 FPS is the recommended choice to maintain a high frame rate. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it is the only setting that dips below 60 FPS at 1080p (86 FPS) and falls to 33 FPS at 4K, which would be a subpar experience.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration of an AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and an Intel Arc B390 ranks 2643 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. This places it in the bottom 11.6% of all systems, which is a very low position. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU is a high-performing part, but the GPU's 9th percentile standing drags the entire system down.

The data suggests that the CPU is capable of much higher frame rates if paired with a more powerful graphics card. The CPU's average benchmark score of 24964 is in the 77th percentile, indicating it is a strong component. The combo's rank is a direct reflection of the weakest link in the chain. In this case, the Intel Arc B390, with its performance comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (which it beats by only 2.5%), is severely underpowered for gaming at mainstream resolutions and settings. The result is a system that, despite having a capable processor, falls into the lowest tier of gaming performance for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's performance across different resolutions and settings. All values are average FPS unless otherwise specified.

At 1920x1080, the system performs as follows:

• Low: 147 FPS
• Medium: 124 FPS (min 105, max 143)
• High: 107 FPS
• Ultra: 86 FPS

At 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are:

• Low: 99 FPS
• Medium: 83 FPS (min 71, max 96)
• High: 72 FPS
• Ultra: 58 FPS

At 3840x2160, the system is heavily taxed, with results as follows:

• Low: 56 FPS
• Medium: 48 FPS (min 41, max 55)
• High: 41 FPS
• Ultra: 33 FPS

The data shows a consistent and expected trend: performance decreases as both resolution and graphical settings increase. The variance between minimum and maximum FPS for the Medium setting is relatively small (e.g., 38 FPS spread at 1080p), suggesting fairly stable frame times for that preset.

Resolution Scaling

The impact of resolution on performance is significant for this combo. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at the High setting reduces the average FPS from 107 to 72, a drop of 35 FPS or roughly 33%. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is even more pronounced. At the High setting, the FPS drops from 107 at 1080p to 41 at 4K, a 62% reduction in average frame rate.

This steep drop-off when increasing resolution is a strong indicator that the system is heavily GPU-limited. The Intel Arc B390, with its shared memory architecture and limited ROPs, is simply unable to handle the increased pixel fill rate required at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is relatively unaffected by resolution, so the entire burden of the performance loss falls on the GPU. For example, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 147 at 1080p to 56 at 4K, a 62% decrease. This is a massive penalty and confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all settings. The scaling pattern is consistent regardless of the quality preset, which reinforces the conclusion that the limiting component in this configuration is the graphics processor.