To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptional frame rates in To The Core, placing 19th out of 1756 tested combos. This top-tier ranking is driven by a GPU that sits at the 94th percentile among all tested graphics cards, combined with a CPU that, while less dominant, still performs well above average. The data confirms that this combo is overwhelmingly GPU-bound, with the RTX 5090’s massive memory bandwidth and shading power providing headroom that makes the Ryzen 5 7500F the primary limiting factor at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s 19th-place finish out of 1756 tested combinations places it in the top 1.1% of all configurations in To The Core. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, which outperforms its direct rivals in aggregate benchmark scores. The RTX 5090’s average benchmark score of 84306 is 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 and 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile. Conversely, the CPU’s average score of 24993 places it just 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-11850H and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX. The GPU’s high percentile rank (94th) versus the CPU’s 82nd percentile indicates that the graphics card contributes more to this high placement than the processor does. The measured FPS data reinforces this, showing that even at 4K Ultra, the combo maintains an average of 143.5 FPS, a figure primarily attributable to the GPU’s capabilities.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, running on a 5 nm process. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz can boost up to 5.00 GHz, which is critical for gaming performance. In To The Core, an idle game that often relies on single-thread performance for simulation logic, the CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 974 and Geekbench single-core score of 2759 indicate solid per-core throughput. The chip’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for game logic. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 24993 places it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, being only 0.3% behind. Despite this, the CPU is not the star here; the data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 589.9 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 143.5 FPS, suggesting that while the CPU can feed frames quickly, its influence diminishes as resolution increases. The 12 threads and 6 cores are sufficient for this genre, and the 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures that the game’s single-threaded tasks never become a bottleneck at standard refresh rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its architecture, Blackwell 2.0, includes 21760 shading units and 170 RT cores, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. This hardware translates into a passmark G3D score of 39650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14411, placing the GPU in the 94th percentile overall. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 84306 is 1.3% higher than the AMD Radeon PRO W6600, its closest rival in the data. In To The Core, the GPU’s role is to render the visual elements at high frame rates. The 32 GB VRAM is overkill for this title, but it ensures no memory-related stutters even at 4K. The measured FPS demonstrates the GPU’s headroom; at 1440p High, the combo produces 310.4 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate display. The GPU’s performance is so strong that it outpaces the CPU’s ability to deliver instructions, particularly at lower resolutions where the frame rate ceiling is lifted.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 589.9 FPS on Low, 534.5 FPS on Medium, 462.7 FPS on High, and 375 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 423.3 FPS, 361.1 FPS, 310.4 FPS, and 251 FPS for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, respectively. At 3840x2160, the performance is still impressive: 242.2 FPS on Low, 204.6 FPS on Medium, 177.1 FPS on High, and 143.5 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution is consistent, with Ultra settings typically reducing frame rates by about 36-40% compared to Low. For instance, at 1080p, the drop from 589.9 FPS to 375 FPS represents a 36.4% decrease. This indicates that the GPU has enough raw power to handle even the most demanding presets, but the relative cost of Ultra settings is significant. The 4K Ultra result of 143.5 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, making this combo viable for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals how the combination scales with resolution. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all settings drops by roughly 28-30%. For example, at High settings, the FPS goes from 462.7 at 1080p to 310.4 at 1440p, a 32.9% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more pronounced, with High settings falling from 310.4 to 177.1 FPS, a 42.9% decrease. This steeper decline at higher resolutions points to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 589.9 FPS, which suggests the CPU is near its limit in feeding frames. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU’s workload increases dramatically, and the frame rate drops to 143.5 FPS, showing that the RTX 5090 is being pushed harder. The scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p, the system is CPU-bound, as the GPU has ample headroom, but by 4K, the GPU is the dominant constraint. The 32 GB of VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensure that memory bandwidth is not a bottleneck, even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU’s shading units are the limiting factor.

FAQ

*Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in To The Core?*

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combo ranks 19th out of 1756 tested combinations.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 84306, which is 1.3% higher than the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 and 0.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 589.9, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 143.5, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 589.9 FPS suggests the system is CPU-bound, as the GPU has more than enough power to render frames faster than the CPU can deliver them.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5090 have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 375 FPS is the clear choice, as it delivers a high frame rate with maximum visual quality. The High preset at 462.7 FPS is also excellent, but the 23% increase in frame rate from Ultra to High is less important on a 1440p or 4K monitor. At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 251 FPS is recommended for users with 240Hz displays, while the High preset at 310.4 FPS is better suited for 300Hz panels. For 4K gaming, the Ultra preset at 143.5 FPS is highly playable on 144Hz monitors, and the High preset at 177.1 FPS offers a smoother experience for those with 165Hz displays. The data shows that the Medium preset provides a balanced middle ground, with 204.6 FPS at 4K, but given the GPU’s power, there is no reason to downgrade below High settings at any resolution. The Low preset, while reaching 589.9 FPS at 1080p, is unnecessary for this hardware, as even Ultra settings exceed the refresh rate of most monitors. Therefore, the optimal settings are Ultra at 1080p and 1440p, and High or Ultra at 4K, depending on whether the user prioritizes visual fidelity or slightly higher frame rates.