To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a modest performance envelope in To The Core, a 2024 Idle title. Benchmark data shows the combination achieves playable frame rates at 1080p across all settings, but struggles to maintain fluid motion at 4K, particularly on higher presets. The measured results place this combo at rank 2643 out of 2991 tested configurations, indicating a below-average standing in the database, which aligns with the GPU’s low performance percentile.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a significant and predictable drop in average frame rates across every settings preset. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 147 at 1920x1080 to 99 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 48 frames per second (approximately 33%). Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 56 FPS, which represents a 62% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep scaling curve indicates that the system is heavily dependent on resolution, with the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The pattern holds across all presets. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 107 at 1080p, to 72 at 1440p, and finally to 41 at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic falloff: 86 FPS at 1080p, 58 at 1440p, and just 33 at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 4K for Ultra is 53 FPS, a 61.6% drop. Since the CPU’s multithreaded performance is relatively strong — the Ryzen 7 5700X scores 13184 in Cinebench R23 multicore and has a 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs — the data suggests that the Intel Arc B390, with its 9th percentile ranking and 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, cannot sustain high frame rates as resolution demands grow.

Interestingly, the scaling from 1440p to 4K is less severe than from 1080p to 1440p in relative terms. For Medium settings, the drop from 124 at 1080p to 83 at 1440p is 41 FPS (33%), while the drop from 83 to 48 at 4K is 35 FPS (42%). This suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth, listed as "System Dependent" with system-shared memory, becomes a bottleneck at higher resolutions, but the effect is somewhat mitigated by the game’s idle genre, which may not demand continuous high-detail rendering. Overall, the resolution scaling analysis points to the GPU as the limiting component, as the CPU’s 8-core, 16-thread configuration appears more than adequate for the workload.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve average frame rates above 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 58 FPS, and at 3840x2160, even Low settings only reach 56 FPS, so 1080p is the recommended target for consistent performance.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower. The GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), and the GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower). The GT 710 is 2.7% behind at 1443. This places the Arc B390 at the top of its immediate peer group, but overall, it sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B390?

A: Benchmark results indicate no CPU bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 5700X scores 6858 in 3DMark 16-thread tests and 921 in single-thread tests, ranking in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600K, has an identical average score of 27578, with a 0% delta. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to drive the GPU to its limits, as evidenced by the sharp FPS drops when resolution increases.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS values recorded?

A: The database only provides minimum and maximum FPS for the Medium settings preset. At 1920x1080, the range is 105 to 143 FPS. At 2560x1440, it is 71 to 96 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it is 41 to 55 FPS. Other presets only have average FPS values listed.

Q: Does the game favor CPU or GPU performance?

A: The data shows a clear GPU dependency. When moving from 1080p Low (147 FPS) to 4K Low (56 FPS), the average FPS drops by 91, a 61.9% reduction. Since the CPU’s performance is static across resolutions, this dramatic falloff can only be attributed to the GPU’s limited capabilities, particularly its system-shared memory and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2643 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, which is consistent with the GPU’s low percentile ranking but somewhat surprising given the CPU’s strong showing.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 3 nm process. Its role in To The Core is defined by its clock speeds and memory configuration. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, which allows it to scale up under load, but its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s DDR4 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which introduces variability based on the rest of the system.

In practical terms, this shared memory arrangement likely contributes to the performance drop at 4K. The GPU’s 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are modest, and its 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is low compared to dedicated graphics cards. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places the Arc B390 in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% slower). This context is crucial: the Arc B390 is not a high-performance part, and the measured FPS in To The Core reflects that.

The GPU’s 12 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 indicate modern feature support, but in an idle game like To The Core, these features likely have minimal impact on the average FPS. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 147 FPS, which suggests the GPU can handle light loads efficiently. However, at 4K Ultra, the average falls to 33 FPS, highlighting that the GPU’s 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate is insufficient for high-resolution, high-detail rendering. The GPU’s 80 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm it is designed for low-power integrated use, not heavy gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2643 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. This ranking places it in the 88th percentile from the bottom, meaning only 348 configurations perform worse. This is a low standing, but it aligns with the individual component benchmarks. The CPU ranks in the 79th percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile, so the combo’s overall rank is dragged down significantly by the GPU.

To contextualize, the CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600K, has an identical average benchmark score of 27578 with a 0% delta, so the CPU is not the differentiator. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, is only 1.3% slower, indicating the Arc B390 is barely ahead of a decade-old entry-level discrete GPU. In the game’s measured FPS, this combo achieves a maximum average of 147 FPS at 1080p Low, which is respectable for an idle game, but the minimum average of 33 FPS at 4K Ultra shows its limits.

The rank of 2643 suggests that most other combos, likely those with dedicated mid-range GPUs, outperform this setup. The data indicates that while the CPU provides ample processing power, the GPU’s 9th percentile standing makes this combo suitable only for low-resolution or low-settings gaming. For a game released in 2024, this rank places the combo in the lower quartile of tested systems, reinforcing that the GPU is the primary constraint.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a desktop processor from the 5000 series, based on the Zen 3 architecture (codenamed Vermeer) and manufactured on TSMC’s 7 nm process. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 32 MB shared L3, which supports its strong multithreaded performance.

In To The Core, an idle game that likely does not require high core counts, the CPU’s performance is more than sufficient. The 3DMark benchmarks show a single-thread score of 921, a 2-thread score of 1821, and a 16-thread score of 6858. The Cinebench R23 results are 1499 single-core and 13184 multicore, while Geekbench shows 2016 single-core and 10779 multicore. These scores place the CPU in the 79th percentile, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600K, having an identical average score of 27578 (0% delta). The AMD Ryzen 7 5800 is 0.2% slower, and the Ryzen 5 7600X is 0.2% faster.

The CPU’s 65 W TDP and DDR4 memory support (dual-channel, 51.2 GB/s bandwidth) mean it is a mid-range part, but its 8-core, 16-thread configuration ensures it is not the bottleneck in this combo. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 147 FPS, which would require a capable CPU to keep up with the GPU’s output. As resolution increases to 4K, the FPS drops proportionally, indicating the CPU is not limiting performance. The CPU’s 79th percentile ranking and strong passmark multithread score of 26612 confirm it is a solid performer that exceeds the demands of this idle game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 86 at Ultra to 147 at Low. Specifically, Low hits 147 FPS, Medium 124 FPS (with a range of 105 to 143), High 107 FPS, and Ultra 86 FPS. This shows a 61 FPS spread between Low and Ultra, indicating that the settings preset has a significant impact on performance at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the averages drop: Low is 99 FPS, Medium is 83 FPS (range 71 to 96), High is 72 FPS, and Ultra is 58 FPS. The spread narrows to 41 FPS, suggesting the GPU is starting to struggle with the increased pixel count. The Medium preset’s minimum of 71 FPS is still above 60, but Ultra falls below that threshold.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 56 FPS, Medium 48 FPS (range 41 to 55), High 41 FPS, and Ultra 33 FPS. The spread narrows further to 23 FPS, and even Low settings fail to reach 60 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 41 FPS indicates potential stutter, and Ultra’s 33 FPS average is barely playable. The data shows a consistent pattern: the combo is viable at 1080p for all presets, marginal at 1440p for Medium and below, and only suitable for Low settings at 4K, where it still falls short of 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s target resolution and acceptable frame rate. For a target of 60 FPS average, the only viable options are 1080p with any preset (Low 147, Medium 124, High 107, Ultra 86) and 1440p with Low (99) or Medium (83). At 1440p High, the average drops to 72 FPS, which is above 60 but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes, and Ultra at 58 FPS is just below the target.

For a more demanding 144 FPS target, typical of high-refresh-rate monitors, only 1080p Low (147) meets the threshold. At 1080p Medium, the average is 124 FPS, which is below 144 but still smooth. For 60 FPS at 4K, no preset achieves this; Low is the closest at 56 FPS, but it is not sufficient. Given that the game is an idle genre, which may not require high frame rates, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a balanced experience with an average of 124 FPS and a min of 105 FPS, ensuring no significant drops. If visual quality is prioritized, 1080p Ultra at 86 FPS is still playable, but the 1440p Ultra at 58 FPS risks dipping below 60, so it is not recommended.

The data suggests that users should stick to 1920x1080 for the best experience, with Medium or High settings providing a good balance. At 2560x1440, Low or Medium are the only presets that maintain an average above 60 FPS. For 4K, the system is not capable of delivering a smooth experience, and even Low settings at 56 FPS may feel sluggish. The combo’s low GPU percentile (9th) and high CPU percentile (79th) indicate that users should lower resolution before lowering settings, as the GPU is the limiting factor.