To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks at position 2750 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core, placing it in the lower 8% of all pairings. This is a significant underdog position, suggesting that while the system is functional, it is not positioned for high-end performance. The data indicates that this pairing sits far from the top of the leaderboard, and users should expect a experience that prioritizes playability over graphical fidelity at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2750 out of 2991 combos places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems for To The Core. This is a low position, but it is not the absolute bottom, indicating that there are still 241 tested combinations that perform worse. The percentile data for the individual components reinforces this middling-to-low standing: the CPU is in the 77th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 5th percentile among all GPUs.

This stark contrast between the CPU and GPU percentiles is the defining characteristic of this pairing. The Ryzen 5 8400F is a capable processor, sitting comfortably ahead of 77% of all CPUs tested in the database. Its average benchmark score of 25005 places it nearly neck-and-neck with the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, which scores 24964, a delta of only 0.2%. It also edges out the Intel Core i7-11850H (24935, 0.3% delta) and the Intel Core i7-13620H (24911, 0.4% delta). Conversely, the Intel Arc B370 is a clear outlier at the low end, with its average benchmark score of 1184 placing it just 0.2% behind the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and 0.5% behind the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). The data shows a massive capability gap between the two components, which heavily influences the game's performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is built on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Phoenix) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This configuration is typical for a modern mid-range desktop CPU, and its benchmark scores reflect a solid multi-threaded and single-threaded capability. For instance, it scores 20851 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2943 in Cinebench R23 singlecore. The 3DMark scores show scaling from 1874 with 2 threads to 6165 with max threads, indicating that the processor can utilize its 12 threads effectively.

In the context of To The Core, an idle game, the CPU's role is less about brute-force rendering and more about maintaining a stable game simulation and processing game logic. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Passmark single-thread score of 3685, is crucial for such games, as they often rely on a single main thread for the core loop. The 6 cores and 12 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks and any auxiliary threads the game might spawn. The data shows that this CPU is more than capable of handling the computational demands of the game, which is why it is not the primary bottleneck in this pairing. The 65W TDP and unlocked multiplier also suggest it is an efficient and flexible part, but the measured FPS results will show that its power is largely untapped at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear limiting factor in this combination. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (chip codenamed Panther Lake) built on a 3 nm process by Intel. Its specifications are modest: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. It has 10 ray tracing cores and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a base clock of 300 MHz. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's DDR5 memory, and its bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent."

The GPU's benchmark results are poor. It scores only 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end parts, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, which it trails by 0.5% and 0.7% respectively. This indicates that the Arc B370 is not designed for heavy 3D rendering, but rather for basic graphical output. In To The Core, which is an idle game with likely simple 2D or low-poly 3D visuals, this GPU can still produce playable frame rates, but its performance ceiling is low. The data suggests that the GPU's shared memory and low pixel rate (48.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (96.00 GTexel/s) will be the primary constraint on frame rates, especially as resolution and settings increase.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across different settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is quite capable. On Low settings, it achieves an average of 132 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 129. High settings yield an average of 97 FPS. Pushing to Ultra, the average falls to 78 FPS. This shows that even at the highest settings at 1080p, the system maintains a smooth frame rate well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings still deliver a strong 89 FPS average. Medium settings average 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 87. High settings produce an average of 65 FPS, which is still playable. Ultra settings, however, bring the average down to 53 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The trend continues at 3840x2160 (4K). Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium averages 43 FPS (with a minimum of 37 and maximum of 50), High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra drops to 30 FPS. The data shows that 4K resolution is only really playable on Low settings, and even then, it is close to the 50 FPS threshold.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K highlights the GPU bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 97 at 1080p to 65 at 1440p, and then to 37 at 4K. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 62% drop from 1080p to 4K. Similarly, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 132 at 1080p to 89 at 1440p and 51 at 4K, a 33% and 61% decline respectively.

This scaling pattern is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must process multiplies, and the Arc B370's limited pixel fill rate and shared memory bandwidth become the constraining factors. The CPU is not the bottleneck here, as its performance is constant across resolutions. The data implies that if the system had a more powerful GPU, the FPS at 1440p and 4K would be significantly higher, as the Ryzen 5 8400F has the headroom to push more frames. The fact that the FPS nearly halves when going from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU load would remain relatively stable, confirms that the GPU is the principal limiting component at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual quality. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice for a visual experience, offering an average of 78 FPS which is still well above the playable threshold. If a user prefers maximum smoothness, the Low preset at 132 FPS is the fastest, but the Medium preset at 112 FPS provides a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The High preset at 97 FPS is also a solid choice for a stable, high-quality experience.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended starting point, averaging 65 FPS. This is a smooth and visually pleasing experience. For those who prioritize a higher frame rate, the Medium preset at 75 FPS is also excellent. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is playable but may feel less fluid during more active moments. For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently playable experience, averaging 51 FPS. The Medium preset at 43 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets at 37 and 30 FPS respectively, are not recommended for smooth gameplay. The data suggests that for the best balance of quality and performance, users should target 1080p Ultra or 1440p High.

FAQ

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F or the Intel Arc B370 the main bottleneck in To The Core?*

A: The data strongly indicates the Intel Arc B370 is the bottleneck. The GPU is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 77th percentile. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU limitation, not a CPU one.

*Q: Can this system run To The Core at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The measured data shows an average of 51 FPS on Low settings at 3840x2160. At Medium settings, the average drops to 43 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 37 and 30 FPS respectively, which are not ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 60 FPS experience at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the best option, achieving an average of 65 FPS. The Medium preset is also a good choice, averaging 75 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short, with an average of 53 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F's performance compare to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F scores an average of 25005, which is only 0.2% higher than the Ryzen 5 7500F's score of 24964. This indicates they are virtually identical in overall CPU performance.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between the Low and Ultra presets at 1920x1080?

A: The difference is 54 FPS. The Low preset averages 132 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 78 FPS. This shows a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality settings.

Q: Does the system's performance drop more from 1080p to 1440p or from 1440p to 4K?

A: The percentage drop is similar. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the FPS drops by 33%. From 1440p to 4K at High settings, the FPS drops by 43%. The absolute drop from 1080p to 4K is much larger, representing a 62% reduction in average FPS.