To The Core

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this AMD Ryzen 7 3700X + Intel Arc B370 combination reveals a clear and consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system produces 97 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 65 FPS, a reduction of 32 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High preset yields only 37 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p figure. This steep decline suggests the Intel Arc B370, with its 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs, becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises.

The Low preset tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 132 FPS. At 1440p Low, it falls to 89 FPS. At 4K Low, it reaches only 51 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 43 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 38 FPS. This near-linear drop indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput — rated at 48.00 GPixel/s — is being taxed heavily at higher resolutions. The Arc B370's boost clock of 2400 MHz cannot compensate for the sheer number of pixels being processed at 4K.

Ultra settings amplify this effect. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages 78 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 53 FPS. At 4K Ultra, it falls to 30 FPS — barely playable by most standards. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K Ultra is 61.5%, which is steeper than the High preset's 61.9% drop (from 97 to 37). This suggests that the most demanding settings place an even greater burden on the GPU's fixed-function units.

Medium settings, which include min and max FPS data, show similar trends. At 1080p Medium, the average is 112 FPS with a min of 95 and max of 129. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 75 FPS with a min of 64 and max of 87. At 4K Medium, the average is 43 FPS with a min of 37 and max of 50. The min FPS figures are particularly telling: at 4K Medium, the minimum of 37 FPS is only 14 FPS above the average of the 4K Ultra preset. Frame pacing may become inconsistent as the GPU approaches its limits.

What does this scaling say about the limiting component? The Ryzen 7 3700X, with 8 cores and 16 threads, is unlikely to be the bottleneck at 4K. Its Zen 2 architecture, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost of 4.40 GHz, should provide ample headroom for an idle game like "To The Core." The data implies the Arc B370, which sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, is the primary constraint. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 reinforces this — the GPU is positioned far below most modern discrete graphics solutions.

The 1440p results offer a middle ground. At High settings, 65 FPS is smooth. At Medium, 75 FPS is even better. The system appears balanced at this resolution, with neither component clearly dominating the other. At 1080p, the CPU may begin to play a larger role, particularly at Low settings where 132 FPS approaches the upper limits of what this processor can feed.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of presets at each resolution. For 1080p gameplay, the Low preset delivers 132 FPS, which is the highest average recorded across all configurations. However, the Medium preset at 112 FPS may offer a better visual experience while still maintaining high frame rates. The min FPS of 95 at Medium ensures that even demanding scenes stay well above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is playable but represents a 30.4% drop from Medium, which may not justify the visual gains.

At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 89 FPS, while Medium hits 75 FPS. The High preset sits at 65 FPS. For a smooth experience, Medium appears to be the sweet spot — the 75 FPS average with a 64 FPS minimum keeps frame times consistent. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is borderline; some players may find it acceptable, but the 22 FPS drop from Medium is substantial.

At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset averages 51 FPS, which is the only preset above the 50 FPS threshold. Medium averages 43 FPS, High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. For 4K, Low is the recommended preset if frame rate is the priority. The Medium preset's minimum of 37 FPS indicates that even mid-range settings can cause noticeable stutters in busy scenes.

The data suggests a scaling strategy: at 1080p, use Medium or High; at 1440p, use Medium; at 4K, use Low. The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer, with 4K Ultra producing only 30 FPS — a figure that falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay in most titles. The gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases: 54 FPS at 1080p (132 vs. 78), 36 FPS at 1440p (89 vs. 53), and 21 FPS at 4K (51 vs. 30). This narrowing gap indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so constrained that even reducing settings yields diminishing returns.

For players who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate, the High preset at 1080p (97 FPS) or 1440p (65 FPS) may be acceptable. However, the benchmark data indicates that Medium offers the best balance of performance and quality across all three resolutions. The Medium preset's min FPS values — 95 at 1080p, 64 at 1440p, and 37 at 4K — provide a reliable floor for frame pacing.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a 7 nm Zen 2 processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz place it in the mid-range of desktop CPUs. The processor's L3 cache is 32 MB, with 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core. It supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

In terms of synthetic benchmarks, the 3700X scores 2092 in Cinebench R15 multicore and 204 in single-core. Geekbench results show 8899 multicore and 1593 single-core. Passmark tests reveal a multithread score of 22458 and a single-thread score of 2656. The processor's percentile vs. all CPUs is 84, meaning it outperforms the majority of CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 34260.

The nearest rivals to the 3700X include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (avg score 34222, delta 0.1%), the AMD EPYC 4244P (avg score 34220, delta 0.1%), the Intel Core i5-13450HX (avg score 34333, delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (avg score 34083, delta 0.5%). These deltas are all within one percent, indicating that the 3700X is competitively positioned against these processors.

For "To The Core," an idle game, the CPU demands are likely modest. The genre typically involves minimal physics and AI computation, instead relying on timers and UI updates. The 3700X's 8 cores and 16 threads provide substantial parallel processing capability, though the game may not utilize all of them. The single-thread performance, as indicated by the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 204, should be sufficient for the game's primary logic thread.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 132 FPS. This figure suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The 3700X's boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides adequate per-core performance for high frame rates. However, at 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS result is clearly GPU-bound, as the CPU would have no trouble maintaining the game's logic at such a low frame rate.

The memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are sufficient for an idle game. The PCIe Gen 4 interface with 24 lanes (CPU only) ensures that the GPU — which uses system shared memory — has adequate bandwidth for data transfer. The Intel Arc B370's memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the CPU's DDR4 memory. This shared memory architecture can introduce latency, but for an idle game, the impact is likely minimal.

The 3700X's TDP of 65 W is modest, and the processor is rated as Active in production status. It was released in 2019 with a launch MSRP of $329. The multiplier is unlocked, allowing for overclocking if the user desires additional performance. However, the benchmark data does not indicate whether overclocking was applied during testing.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in "To The Core"?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the best resolution. At Medium settings, the combo achieves 112 FPS average with a minimum of 95 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same settings yield 75 FPS average, and at 3840x2160, only 43 FPS average.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Low across resolutions?

A: At 1080p, Low achieves 132 FPS while Ultra achieves 78 FPS, a difference of 54 FPS. At 1440p, Low hits 89 FPS and Ultra hits 53 FPS, a 36 FPS difference. At 4K, Low reaches 51 FPS and Ultra reaches 30 FPS, a 21 FPS difference.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 3700X a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 132 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed frames quickly. The 3700X's 84th percentile ranking among CPUs and its 8-core, 16-thread configuration provide ample headroom for an idle game.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 95 and max is 129, giving a spread of 34 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the min is 64 and max is 87, a spread of 23 FPS. At 4K Medium, the min is 37 and max is 50, a spread of 13 FPS. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions indicates more consistent frame times as the GPU saturates.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2750 out of 2991 tested combinations. This places it in the lower percentile of all combos, consistent with the GPU's 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

Q: Does the game benefit from the 3700X's 16 threads?

A: As an idle game, "To The Core" likely does not utilize all 16 threads. The CPU's single-thread performance, with a Passmark score of 2656, is more relevant. The high frame rates at 1080p Low (132 FPS) suggest the processor's per-core performance is adequate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is a 3 nm processor from Intel with a Panther Lake chip and Xe3-LPG architecture. It belongs to the Arc Graphics-M generation. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its base clock is 300 MHz and boost clock is 2400 MHz. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, while FP16 reaches 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1). The TDP is 25 W, and it uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, placing it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is also 1184. The nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (avg score 1186, delta -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (avg score 1190, delta -0.5%), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (avg score 1192, delta -0.7%), and the AMD FirePro M2000 (avg score 1168, delta 1.4%). These rivals are all significantly older GPUs, indicating the Arc B370's performance level is comparable to legacy hardware.

The GPU's memory configuration is entirely system shared, meaning it relies on the host CPU's DDR4 memory. This is unusual for a desktop GPU and likely contributes to its low benchmark scores. The bus interface is IGP, and the slot width is also IGP, confirming that this is an integrated graphics solution rather than a discrete card. The display outputs are portable device dependent, and the GPU consumes only 25 W.

In "To The Core," the GPU's performance is consistent with its low benchmark ranking. At 1080p Low, the 132 FPS result is respectable, but at 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS figure highlights the GPU's limitations. The 20 ROPs are likely the primary constraint at high resolutions, as pixel fill rate becomes critical. The 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate is modest by modern standards.

The GPU's 1280 shading units and 40 TMUs provide adequate texture processing for an idle game, which typically has simple visuals. The 10 ray tracing cores are unlikely to be utilized in this genre. The DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) API support ensures compatibility with modern rendering techniques, but the game's simple graphics may not benefit from these features.

The GPU's boost clock of 2400 MHz is relatively high, but the low shading unit count and ROP count limit its overall throughput. The 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance is sufficient for 1080p gaming in undemanding titles but struggles at 4K. The measured FPS data confirms this: the gap between 1080p and 4K is substantial across all settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces the following average FPS figures: Low 132, Medium 112, High 97, Ultra 78. The Medium preset has a minimum of 95 FPS and maximum of 129 FPS. This represents the most playable configuration, with all presets exceeding 60 FPS except Ultra, which falls to 78 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are: Low 89, Medium 75, High 65, Ultra 53. The Medium preset has a minimum of 64 FPS and maximum of 87 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that reliably exceeds 60 FPS, while Ultra drops below 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS figures are: Low 51, Medium 43, High 37, Ultra 30. The Medium preset has a minimum of 37 FPS and maximum of 50 FPS. No preset achieves 60 FPS at this resolution, and Ultra is effectively unplayable.

The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent halving of frame rates. At Low settings, 132 FPS drops to 89 FPS at 1440p (32.6% reduction) and then to 51 FPS at 4K (42.7% reduction from 1440p). At Ultra settings, 78 FPS drops to 53 FPS (32.1% reduction) and then to 30 FPS (43.4% reduction). The percentage drops are similar across settings, indicating the GPU's scaling behavior is uniform regardless of preset.

The Medium preset's min/max data provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p, the 95-129 FPS range represents a 34 FPS spread. At 1440p, the 64-87 FPS range is a 23 FPS spread. At 4K, the 37-50 FPS range is a 13 FPS spread. The decreasing spread at higher resolutions suggests the GPU becomes more consistently saturated, with less variation in frame times as it approaches its limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X + Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2750 out of 2991 tested combos in "To The Core." This places it in the bottom 8.1% of all combinations. The ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's low performance, as the CPU's 84th percentile ranking is relatively strong.

The combo's rank is consistent with the GPU's 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is comparable to legacy GPUs like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190. This suggests the Arc B370 provides performance similar to hardware from over a decade ago.

The CPU's nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, AMD EPYC 4244P, Intel Core i5-13450HX, and Intel Core Ultra 7 165H — all have average scores within 0.5% of the 3700X. This indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in the combo's low rank. If the GPU were paired with a significantly faster CPU, the rank might improve slightly, but the GPU's 5th percentile performance would still cap frame rates.

The combo's rank of 2750 out of 2991 means that 241 combos perform worse. Given that the GPU is an integrated solution with system shared memory, this rank is expected. The 25 W TDP and lack of dedicated memory bandwidth are significant disadvantages for gaming performance.

For "To The Core," an idle game with modest graphical demands, the combo still manages playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The 1080p Medium preset's 112 FPS average is smooth, and even 1440p Medium at 75 FPS is acceptable. However, 4K gaming is not viable, with all presets falling below 60 FPS.

The data implies that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming in undemanding titles. The GPU's low ROP count and system shared memory are the primary bottlenecks. Players seeking higher resolutions or more graphically intense games would need a more powerful GPU. The CPU, while not top-tier, provides sufficient performance for this workload and would not bottleneck a more capable graphics card.