To The Core

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for To The Core with the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 reveals a clear pattern: this combination is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates remarkably high even at 1080p. The scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a significant but not catastrophic drop, indicating that the RTX 3070's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 355 FPS at 1920x1080 to 239 FPS at 2560x1440, a 32.7% reduction, and then further to 136 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 43.1% drop from the 1440p figure. This progression shows that the GPU is being pushed progressively harder as resolution increases, but the game remains highly playable at all settings even at 4K. The Ryzen 5 8400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on Zen 4 architecture, clearly has ample headroom for this idle-genre title, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset maintains an 81 FPS average.

The Medium settings row provides the most complete data with min and max FPS values. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 115 FPS with a minimum of 98 and maximum of 133, showing a tight frame time distribution. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average climbs to 202 FPS with a range of 172 to 232. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average reaches 300 FPS with a minimum of 255 and maximum of 345. This consistency suggests that frame pacing remains stable across resolutions, with the GPU never becoming so saturated that it produces erratic frame times.

The scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is still contributing meaningfully to performance, but the RTX 3070's 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 165.6 GPixel/s pixel rate handle the rendering workload efficiently. The fact that 4K Ultra still achieves 81 FPS demonstrates that this GPU, while not a flagship, is well-matched to To The Core's graphical demands. The game's idle genre nature means it likely doesn't have the complex geometry of AAA shooters, but the resolution scaling still shows a typical GPU-bound curve.

FAQ

Q: Is this combination capable of 4K gaming in To The Core?

A: Yes. Benchmark results show 100 FPS average at 3840x2160 High settings and 81 FPS at Ultra. Even the most demanding preset maintains playable frame rates, though Low settings at 136 FPS offer the smoothest 4K experience.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 25005 places it 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964), 0.3% above the Intel Core i7-11850H (24935), and 0.4% above the Intel Core i7-13620H (24911). It trails the AMD EPYC 9474F (25103) by 0.4%.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximizing frame rate?

A: At 1920x1080 Low settings, the combination achieves 355 FPS average. For those prioritizing raw performance, 1080p is clearly superior, while 2560x1440 still delivers 239 FPS at Low and 175 FPS at High.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 stack up against its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 17208 is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083), 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037), and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019). It trails the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468) by 1.5%.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K?

A: The data does not show VRAM-related stuttering. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum FPS is 98, indicating the 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth handles the game's textures without causing severe frame drops.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 175 FPS. This is well above the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors, making this an excellent resolution for this combination in To The Core.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1601 out of 3725 tested combos in To The Core, placing it in the top 43% of all tested configurations. This ranking reflects a solid mid-to-upper tier position, though the game's idle genre means many higher-end GPUs will naturally outperform it. The RTX 3070's 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs and the Ryzen 5 8400F's 77th percentile among all CPUs suggest that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card in this pairing.

The combo's ranking is particularly notable because To The Core is not a graphically intensive title, and the data shows the CPU's strong single-thread performance (951 in 3dmark_single_thread, 3685 in passmark_single_thread) contributes significantly to achieving high frame rates. The 1601st rank out of 3725 means that while many combos with newer or more expensive GPUs surpass it, this pairing delivers respectable performance that would satisfy most players. The combination's position in the rankings is competitive given that the RTX 3070 is end-of-life production status and the CPU is a mainstream 6-core part.

When considering the nearest rivals, the CPU's 0.2% advantage over the Ryzen 5 7500F and the GPU's 0.7% edge over the RX 7600 XT suggest that this combo is well-balanced. The ranking would likely be higher in CPU-bound scenarios, but To The Core's resolution scaling data indicates GPU limitations emerge at 4K. Overall, this is a capable pairing that sits comfortably in the upper half of tested configurations, with the CPU providing more headroom than the GPU for future gaming demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers exceptional frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 355 FPS, Medium reaches 300 FPS with a minimum of 255 and maximum of 345, High achieves 260 FPS, and Ultra maintains 209 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the CPU's 4.20 GHz base clock and 4.70 GHz boost clock are sufficient to feed the GPU without bottlenecking, and the RTX 3070's 5888 shading units process the game's visuals with ease.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates remain high but show the expected decline. Low settings average 239 FPS, Medium averages 202 FPS with a range of 172 to 232, High delivers 175 FPS, and Ultra drops to 141 FPS. The 1440p results demonstrate that this resolution is the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and performance, as even Ultra settings remain above 140 FPS, well beyond the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become more apparent. Low settings still achieve 136 FPS, Medium averages 115 FPS with a minimum of 98 and maximum of 133, High delivers 100 FPS, and Ultra falls to 81 FPS. While these numbers are all playable, the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K (55 FPS difference) is nearly double the gap at 1080p (146 FPS difference), highlighting the increased GPU workload at higher pixel counts.

The Medium settings row is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions, providing insight into frame consistency. At 1080p, the 90 FPS spread between minimum and maximum suggests some variance, but the 255 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay. At 1440p, the spread narrows to 60 FPS, and at 4K it tightens further to 35 FPS, indicating that frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 plays a decisive role in To The Core's performance at higher resolutions, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit memory bus providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 1500 MHz base clock and 1725 MHz boost clock, combined with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, deliver 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. These specifications translate directly to the measured frame rates, where the GPU's capability becomes the limiting factor at 3840x2160.

The VRAM allocation is sufficient for this game, as evidenced by the stable minimum frame rates at 4K Medium (98 FPS). With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, the RTX 3070 handles To The Core's texture requirements without memory swapping or stutter. The memory clock of 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed ensures that data transfer keeps pace with the GPU's processing demands. The pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s indicate the GPU can fill pixels and apply textures rapidly, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates at 4K.

The GPU's 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208, places it in the mid-range of current graphics hardware. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083, 0.7% lower), demonstrating that the RTX 3070 remains competitive despite being end-of-life. The 220 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 12-pin power connector make it a straightforward installation for most systems. The 8 nm process node from Samsung with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die shows the GPU's architecture is mature and well-understood.

Settings Recommendations

For players using a 1920x1080 monitor, Ultra settings at 209 FPS provide the best visual experience without sacrificing performance. The 355 FPS at Low settings offers minimal benefit over Ultra unless competing in high-refresh-rate esports scenarios, which is unlikely given the game's idle genre. Medium at 300 FPS and High at 260 FPS are also excellent choices, but Ultra's 209 FPS still exceeds the refresh rate of most 1080p displays, making it the clear recommendation.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 175 FPS offer the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. Ultra at 141 FPS is also viable, but the 34 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the additional graphical load. Medium at 202 FPS is the choice for players who prioritize frame rate, though High's 175 FPS is already well above standard 144Hz monitor refresh rates. Low at 239 FPS is excessive for this resolution and sacrifices too much visual quality.

For 3840x2160 gaming, High settings at 100 FPS provide the best experience, offering a 19 FPS improvement over Ultra's 81 FPS with presumably minimal visual differences. Medium at 115 FPS is also a strong option, with a minimum of 98 FPS ensuring no drops below 60 FPS. Low at 136 FPS is recommended only for players who demand maximum smoothness, as the visual compromise likely outweighs the performance gain at this resolution. The data clearly indicates that High is the optimal preset for 4K, delivering a smooth experience while maintaining graphical quality.