To The Core

To The Core is an idle game, and the benchmark results for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D with the Intel Arc B370 show a configuration that is primarily limited by its graphics component. Across all tested resolutions, the data indicates a playable experience at 1080p, but frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases, revealing the Arc B370’s position as the bottleneck. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, settings scaling, and the roles of the CPU and GPU in this specific pairing.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data provides clear guidance on which graphics preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 97 FPS, which is a strong result for an idle game. The Medium preset achieves 112 FPS, and Low reaches 132 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High only costs 15 FPS while presumably offering better visual fidelity. The Ultra preset, while playable at 78 FPS, represents a significant 19 FPS drop from High, suggesting diminishing returns for the extra graphical load.

Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset still holds up well with an average of 65 FPS. This is above the standard 60 FPS threshold and indicates that High is the optimal choice for a smooth experience at this resolution. The Medium preset provides 75 FPS, offering a slight buffer, but High remains the recommended setting for those prioritizing visual quality without sacrificing playability. The Low preset at 89 FPS is unnecessarily fast for an idle game, and Ultra at 53 FPS dips below the 60 FPS mark, making it less desirable.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. The Low preset is the only setting that maintains a playable average, hitting 51 FPS. The Medium preset averages 43 FPS, which is borderline, and High drops to 37 FPS. Ultra falls to 30 FPS, which is not recommended for a comfortable experience. For 4K gaming, the data suggests that users must compromise significantly on settings, with Low being the only viable option for consistent frame delivery.

Overall, the High preset provides the best experience at 1080p and 1440p, offering a strong balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 4K, users should default to Low to maintain playability. The measured frame time data for Medium at all resolutions shows a stable range (e.g., 95-129 FPS at 1080p), indicating consistent performance without major stutters, which is typical for an idle game with less demanding scenes.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its performance profile is modest, as indicated by its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. This places it in the company of older discrete parts; its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (deltaPct -0.2), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (deltaPct -0.5), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (deltaPct -0.7). The data shows that the Arc B370 is essentially on par with these legacy cards, which explains its struggles at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s clock speeds are listed with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz, but the memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s DDR4 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. This shared memory architecture is a critical limitation, as the memory bandwidth is "System Dependent" and cannot match the dedicated bandwidth of discrete GPUs. In an idle game like To The Core, this likely contributes to the frame rate drops seen as resolution increases, since the shared memory interface must handle larger framebuffers and texture data.

With 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units, the Arc B370 has a peak pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, which is low by modern standards. The benchmark results confirm this: at 1080p High, the GPU manages 97 FPS, but at 4K High, it drops to 37 FPS. This scaling shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor as resolution climbs, with the shared memory and limited compute resources struggling to keep up with the increased pixel load.

The GPU’s power envelope is a low 25 W TDP, which is typical for an integrated solution. This explains why it cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K, as the performance ceiling is constrained by its design. For this combo, the data suggests that the Arc B370 is adequate for 1080p and playable at 1440p, but it is not suited for 4K gaming beyond the lowest settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a desktop processor from the Ryzen 7 series, based on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer) and built on a 7 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its key differentiator is the large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is designed to boost gaming performance. The CPU’s benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14317 and a single-core score of 1452, placing it in the 80th percentile of all CPUs.

In terms of rivals, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average benchmark score of 27896, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (deltaPct 0) and the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct 0.1). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-12600KF (deltaPct 0.3) and slightly behind the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 (deltaPct -0.1). This indicates that the CPU is a high-performing component that should not bottleneck most games.

However, in To The Core, the CPU’s role is secondary. The benchmark data shows that the frame rates scale inversely with resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. At 1080p High, the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to achieve 97 FPS, but at 4K High, the frame rate drops to 37 FPS, even though the CPU’s workload (e.g., game logic, physics for an idle game) does not change significantly with resolution. The CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for an idle game, which typically uses fewer threads.

The CPU’s memory support is DDR4 with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Since the GPU uses system shared memory, the CPU’s memory controller is also responsible for feeding the GPU, which could introduce latency or bandwidth constraints. However, the data does not show severe frame time inconsistencies (e.g., the Medium preset shows a tight range at each resolution), suggesting the CPU is not causing stutters. The CPU’s high single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core score of 2017) likely ensures smooth frame pacing, even when the GPU is under load. Overall, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is overqualified for this game, and the performance ceiling is set entirely by the Intel Arc B370.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for To The Core, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2750 out of 2991 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, which is a poor result given the CPU’s high performance. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU’s limitations, as the Arc B370’s 5th percentile ranking drags down the overall combo performance.

To put this in perspective, the CPU alone is in the 80th percentile, meaning it outperforms 80% of all processors tested. Yet, when paired with the Arc B370, the combo falls to the 2750th spot. This disparity highlights the extreme imbalance in this configuration. The data suggests that this combo is only suitable for low-demand scenarios or older games, as it cannot leverage the CPU’s strengths in a graphically intensive environment. While the CPU has no trouble handling the game’s logic, the GPU’s low performance means that most of the CPU’s potential is wasted in this pairing.

The combo’s ranking is also notable because the GPU’s nearest rivals are significantly older parts. This means that users with a Ryzen 7 5800X3D would see dramatically better results with almost any dedicated GPU, as the Arc B370’s integrated nature holds back the entire system. The benchmark data for this combo shows that it is not a balanced pairing, and the ranking reflects that, sitting at 2750 out of 2991, which is a clear signal that the GPU is the weak link.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across settings ranges from 78 (Ultra) to 132 (Low). At 2560x1440, the range drops to 53 (Ultra) to 89 (Low). Finally, at 3840x2160, the range falls to 30 (Ultra) to 51 (Low). This scaling indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in pixel count.

Specifically, comparing the High preset across resolutions, the frame rate goes from 97 FPS at 1080p to 65 FPS at 1440p, a 33% drop, and then to 37 FPS at 4K, a 43% drop from 1440p. This is a steep decline that is typical of a GPU that is overburdened by resolution. The CPU, with its high performance, does not show any signs of bottlenecking, as the frame rates do not plateau at lower resolutions; instead, they continue to rise as resolution decreases.

This scaling behavior confirms that the system is GPU-bound. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions, but the data shows a clear inverse relationship. The only exception is the Low preset, which still sees a drop from 132 FPS at 1080p to 89 FPS at 1440p and 51 FPS at 4K, further reinforcing the GPU’s role. For an idle game, this means that users should prioritize resolution over settings, as lowering resolution yields the most significant FPS gains.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play To The Core with this combo?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 is the best resolution, as it offers the highest frame rates across all settings, with averages ranging from 78 FPS (Ultra) to 132 FPS (Low). At 2560x1440, the frame rates are still playable on High (65 FPS), but 4K is only viable on Low (51 FPS).

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, which is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (deltaPct -0.2) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (deltaPct -0.5). It is slightly slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (deltaPct -0.7) and slightly faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (deltaPct 1.4).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is in the 80th percentile of CPUs, while the Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of GPUs. The frame rate drops significantly with resolution, indicating the GPU cannot keep up with the CPU’s capabilities.

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

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 65, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The frame rate is stable, with no reported minimum or maximum deviations in the data.

Q: Does the CPU’s large cache help in this game?

A: The CPU has a 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is beneficial for general gaming, but the data does not show any specific advantage in To The Core. The frame rates are limited by the GPU, so the cache’s impact is not visible in the measured results.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2750 out of 2991 tested combinations for To The Core. This places it in the lower end of the performance spectrum, primarily due to the GPU’s low performance, despite the CPU’s high benchmark scores.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measured for each resolution and settings preset:

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 37 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 51 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 43 | 37 | 50 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | High | 65 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 89 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 75 | 64 | 87 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 53 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | High | 97 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 132 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 112 | 95 | 129 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 78 | N/A | N/A |

The data shows a consistent pattern: Medium settings provide the only measured frame time ranges, with a 95-129 FPS spread at 1080p, 64-87 FPS at 1440p, and 37-50 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the Medium preset offers stable performance without major dips, making it a reliable fallback if High settings cause issues. The High and Low presets do not have reported minimum or maximum FPS, indicating a steady average. Overall, the breakdown confirms that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, with 4K reserved for Low settings only.