To The Core

# To The Core with AMD Ryzen 5 8400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a remarkably smooth experience in To The Core, an Idle genre title released on February 14, 2024. Across all measured settings and resolutions, this combination never dips below 71 FPS average, and at 1080p it pushes well past 300 FPS on Low settings. This pairing ranks 2004th out of 3725 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the benchmark database. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but with enough CPU headroom to exploit high refresh rates at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-limited scenario at higher resolutions, with the RTX 4060 becoming the primary constraint as pixel count increases. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 229 at 1920x1080 to 154 at 2560x1440, a 33% reduction, and then to 88 at 3840x2160, another 43% drop from 1440p. This steep scaling curve indicates that the GPU is working progressively harder with each resolution step, while the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern across all settings follows a consistent trend. At Low settings, the system delivers 313 FPS at 1080p, 210 FPS at 1440p, and 120 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is particularly telling: despite dropping to the lowest quality preset, the system still loses 61% of its 1080p performance, confirming that resolution itself — not graphical complexity — is the dominant factor at 4K. Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 265 FPS at 1080p, 178 Fps at 1440p, and 102 FPS at 4K.

Ultra settings provide the clearest evidence of GPU limitation. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 71, which is the lowest recorded value in the entire dataset. Interestingly, the difference between 1080p Ultra (185 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (124 FPS) is 33%, nearly identical to the High settings scaling between those same resolutions. This consistency suggests that the RTX 4060's shading and memory bandwidth constraints scale predictably with pixel count, regardless of the specific quality preset.

The fact that even 4K Low (120 FPS) remains comfortably above 60 FPS indicates that this game is not particularly demanding, but the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become limiting factors at 4K. The data does not show any resolution where the CPU becomes the bottleneck — even at 1080p Low with 313 FPS, the system maintains consistent performance, suggesting the Ryzen 5 8400F is more than capable of driving this title at high frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip at TSMC's 5 nm process, demonstrates its capabilities clearly in this game. With a base clock of 1830 MHz and boost clock of 2460 MHz, the GPU delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for all tested settings at 1080p and 1440p, but becomes a constraint at 4K Ultra where the average FPS drops to 71.

The GPU's benchmark standing provides context for its performance. With a percentile rank of 61 among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 17639, the RTX 4060 sits close to the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, 0.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, 0.5% behind). These are surprisingly close rivals in synthetic benchmarks, yet in To The Core the RTX 4060 performs exceptionally well, suggesting the game favors NVIDIA architecture or that the synthetic benchmarks do not capture gaming efficiency.

The GPU's 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output processors handle this Idle title with ease. The 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present but likely underutilized in a game of this genre, which does not appear to rely heavily on ray tracing or DLSS features based on the measured results. The pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s provide ample throughput for the resolutions tested.

The RTX 4060's memory configuration deserves scrutiny at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM capacity and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest by modern standards, yet the card still manages 88 FPS at 4K High and 102 FPS at 4K Medium. The fact that 4K Low achieves 120 FPS while 4K Ultra drops to 71 FPS indicates that texture quality and shading complexity, rather than raw geometry, are the primary GPU workloads. The 17 Gbps effective memory speed helps compensate for the narrow 128-bit bus, but the data shows diminishing returns as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 8000 series based on Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Phoenix), provides robust processing power that never becomes the limiting factor in To The Core. With a base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz, this 65 W TDP chip delivers strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. The CPU's benchmark results confirm its capability: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and single-core score of 2943, along with a PassMark multi-thread score of 24389 and single-thread score of 3685.

The CPU's percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs and average benchmark score of 25005 place it in a tight competitive cluster. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964, 0.2% ahead), Intel Core i7-11850H (24935, 0.3% ahead), and Intel Core i7-13620H (24911, 0.4% ahead), with the AMD EPYC 9474F (25103, 0.4% behind) rounding out the group. These deltas are negligible, meaning the 8400F performs essentially identically to its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks.

In the context of To The Core, the CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB L2 cache per core provide sufficient data locality for game logic and entity management typical of Idle games. The 4 nm process node and 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die contribute to the processor's efficiency, though the game's performance data suggests that CPU utilization is moderate at best. Even at 1080p Low with 313 FPS average, the CPU maintains frame delivery without apparent bottlenecking.

The Ryzen 5 8400F's memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5 support may play a subtle role in game performance, particularly at high frame rates where CPU-bound scenarios can emerge. However, the measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU limitation — the system scales predictably with GPU load across resolutions, indicating the processor has substantial headroom. The 3DMark scores (single-thread: 951, 2-thread: 1874, 4-thread: 3563, 8-thread: 5275, 16-thread: 6091, max-thread: 6165) suggest that even heavily threaded workloads are handled competently, though an Idle game like To The Core likely uses only a fraction of the available threads.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 265 FPS average with a minimum of 225 FPS and maximum of 304 FPS — these figures are within 15% of High settings performance while presumably reducing graphical load. At 1440p Medium, the average of 178 FPS (minimum 151 FPS) remains well above the 144 Hz refresh rate threshold for high-refresh monitors, making this the sweet spot for most users.

For 4K users, the Medium preset is also the recommended choice, delivering 102 FPS average with a minimum of 87 FPS and maximum of 117 FPS. This is the only 4K setting where minimum FPS is recorded, and the 87 FPS floor ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. High settings at 4K achieve 88 FPS average but without recorded minimums, implying potential frame dips below the Medium preset's floor. The 14 FPS difference between 4K Medium (102) and 4K High (88) represents a 16% performance gain from reducing settings one tier, which is substantial for maintaining consistent frame pacing.

Ultra settings are difficult to recommend at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the 185 FPS average is respectable, but it represents a 30% drop from Medium (265 FPS) with no recorded minimum or maximum values to assess frame consistency. At 1440p Ultra, the 124 FPS average approaches the threshold where high-refresh monitors (144 Hz) would experience occasional dips. At 4K Ultra, the 71 FPS average is the only sub-90 FPS result in the entire dataset, making it suitable only for users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate.

Low settings provide the highest frame rates but may compromise visual quality unnecessarily given the system's capabilities. At 1080p Low, the 313 FPS average is impressive for competitive play, but the 48 FPS difference from Medium (265) is unlikely to be perceptible on most displays. The recommendation is clear: Medium settings across all resolutions, with High as a viable alternative for users with 60 Hz displays at 4K or those prioritizing visuals at 1080p.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run To The Core at 4K 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, comfortably. All four settings presets at 3840x2160 exceed 60 FPS average: Low delivers 120 FPS, Medium 102 FPS, High 88 FPS, and Ultra 71 FPS. Even the most demanding preset maintains a 71 FPS average, leaving headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 offer the best measured combination of performance and quality, with 178 FPS average, 151 FPS minimum, and 205 FPS maximum. This provides ample headroom for high-refresh displays, while High settings (154 FPS average) remain viable for users prioritizing visual fidelity.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, placing it within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964), Intel Core i7-11850H (24935), Intel Core i7-13620H (24911), and AMD EPYC 9474F (25103). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming performance.

Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Based on the measured results, yes. The RTX 4060 with 8 GB GDDR6 memory achieves 71 FPS average at 4K Ultra, the most demanding configuration tested. The 272.0 GB/s memory bandwidth appears adequate for this title, though higher resolutions and settings would likely stress the memory subsystem further.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 High settings is 229 FPS. This is 36 FPS lower than Medium (265 FPS) but 44 FPS higher than Ultra (185 FPS), making High a strong middle-ground option for users with 240 Hz displays.

Q: How does the RTX 4060's benchmark position relate to its in-game performance?

A: The RTX 4060 ranks in the 61st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17639, closely matching the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666), AMD Radeon 780M (17588), and AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551). Despite this middling synthetic standing, it delivers excellent frame rates in To The Core, suggesting the game is not particularly GPU-intensive relative to the card's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (Full HD):

• Low: 313 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 265 FPS average, 225 FPS minimum, 304 FPS maximum
• High: 229 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 185 FPS average (no min/max recorded)

The 1080p results show a clear hierarchy across settings, with Low exceeding Medium by 48 FPS, Medium exceeding High by 36 FPS, and High exceeding Ultra by 44 FPS. The Medium preset's recorded range (225-304 FPS) indicates a 79 FPS spread, suggesting some scene-dependent variability even at this resolution.

2560x1440 (Quad HD):

• Low: 210 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 178 FPS average, 151 FPS minimum, 205 FPS maximum
• High: 154 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 124 FPS average (no min/max recorded)

At 1440p, the performance hierarchy remains consistent. Medium settings show a 54 FPS range (151-205 FPS), which is proportionally similar to the 1080p Medium spread. The step from Medium to High represents a 24 FPS drop, while High to Ultra drops another 30 FPS, indicating increasing GPU workload at each quality tier.

3840x2160 (4K Ultra HD):

• Low: 120 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 102 FPS average, 87 FPS minimum, 117 FPS maximum
• High: 88 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 71 FPS average (no min/max recorded)

The 4K results show the most dramatic scaling. Low to Medium drops 18 FPS, Medium to High drops 14 FPS, and High to Ultra drops 17 FPS. The Medium preset's 30 FPS range (87-117 FPS) is the tightest of any resolution, indicating more consistent frame pacing at 4K. The progression from 1080p Low (313 FPS) to 4K Low (120 FPS) represents a 62% reduction, while 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra drops from 185 FPS to 71 FPS, a 62% reduction as well — demonstrating that resolution scaling affects all settings equally.

The complete dataset reveals that the RTX 4060 + Ryzen 5 8400F combination is exceptionally well-suited for To The Core, with no configuration falling below 71 FPS average. The system's weakest performance point — 4K Ultra at 71 FPS — still clears the 60 FPS standard, while its strongest — 1080p Low at 313 FPS — provides headroom for even the fastest refresh-rate displays. The bottleneck analysis shows the GPU as the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains consistent frame delivery across all tested configurations.