To The Core

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a frame rate curve in To The Core that is heavily influenced by resolution, but the data suggests the CPU is rarely the limiting factor until very high frame rates are reached. At 4K, the GPU carries the load, while at 1080p, the combination still produces exceptionally high frame rates that approach the practical limits of the hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern: as resolution increases, average frame rates drop across every settings preset. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 260 FPS at 1920x1080 to 175 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 100 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 33% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 43% reduction moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent, but the magnitude of the drop between 1440p and 4K is slightly larger, which points to the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck at the highest resolution.

At the Low preset, the frame rates are dramatically higher, with 355 FPS at 1080p, 239 FPS at 1440p, and 136 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33%, again, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 43%, mirroring the High preset pattern. The fact that the Low preset still shows a significant frame rate reduction when moving to 4K indicates that even at the lowest graphical load, the RTX 3070's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor at that resolution.

The Medium preset, which has the most complete data including minimum and maximum frame rates, shows 300 FPS average at 1080p, 202 FPS at 1440p, and 115 FPS at 4K. The minimum frame rates at this preset are 255 FPS at 1080p, 172 FPS at 1440p, and 98 FPS at 4K. The gap between average and minimum FPS widens at higher resolutions, with the 4K minimum being 17 FPS below the average, suggesting occasional frame time spikes that are more pronounced when the GPU is under heavier load.

The Ultra preset shows the lowest frame rates overall, with 209 FPS at 1080p, 141 FPS at 1440p, and 81 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33%, and from 1440p to 4K is 43%, maintaining the same proportional scaling as the other presets. This consistency across all four presets suggests that the resolution scaling behavior is uniform, and the limiting component at 4K is definitively the GPU.

At 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU's performance becomes relevant. The Ryzen 7 7700's boost clock of 5.30 GHz and its single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3dmark single-thread score of 1049, likely contribute to the ability to maintain frame rates above 200 FPS at these resolutions. However, the data does not show any signs of CPU bottlenecking, as the frame rates continue to scale with resolution changes rather than plateauing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1601 out of 3725 tested combos in To The Core. This places the combo in the 57th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the other tested systems. The rank is based on the measured FPS data, which shows the combo is capable of delivering high frame rates across all resolutions and settings.

Interpreting this rank, the combo is positioned in the upper-middle tier of tested hardware. Out of 3725 combinations, being at rank 1601 means there are 2124 combos that perform worse, and 1600 that perform better. This is a solid position, especially considering that the RTX 3070 is an end-of-life product, while the Ryzen 7 7700 is still in active production.

The GPU's individual percentile rank is 61, which is in line with the combo's overall ranking. The nearest rivals to the RTX 3070 in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which has a deltaPct of 0.7% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, which has a deltaPct of 1% higher. The RTX 3070's average benchmark score is 17208, while its rivals score 17083, 17037, and 17019 for the RX 7600 XT, GTX 690, and HD 7970M respectively. The performance difference between these GPUs is minimal, with a maximum delta of just 1.1%, so the combo's ranking is largely dependent on the CPU pairing.

The CPU's percentile rank is 87, which is significantly higher than the GPU's rank. The Ryzen 7 7700's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, which scores 40048 with a deltaPct of 0.1% higher, and the Intel Core 5 221E, which scores 40144 with a deltaPct of -0.2%. The CPU's average benchmark score is 40081, placing it in a tight cluster of similar-performing processors. The CPU's high percentile rank indicates that the Ryzen 7 7700 is a strong performer, but the combo's overall rank is pulled down by the GPU's more modest standing.

The data shows that the combo's rank of 1601 out of 3725 is a balanced result, where the CPU's strength compensates for the GPU's mid-tier position. In a game like To The Core, which is an idle genre title, the high frame rates measured suggest that the game is not particularly demanding, and the combo's rank reflects its ability to handle the game's requirements comfortably.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for the optimal settings preset at each resolution. At 1080p, all presets deliver average frame rates above 200 FPS, with the Low preset reaching 355 FPS, Medium at 300 FPS, High at 260 FPS, and Ultra at 209 FPS. The minimum frame rate at Medium is 255 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. Given that the game is an idle genre title, the visual quality of the Ultra preset is likely to be preferred, and the 209 FPS average is more than sufficient for a smooth experience.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset delivers 141 FPS average, which is still very playable, but the High preset at 175 FPS offers a 24% improvement in frame rate. The Medium preset at 202 FPS is the highest average at this resolution that still provides a minimum frame rate of 172 FPS. For players who prioritize frame rate consistency, the Medium preset is the best choice at 1440p, as it offers a high average with a solid minimum.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Ultra preset drops to 81 FPS average, which is below the 100 FPS threshold that many consider ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 100 FPS is the minimum recommended setting for 4K, as it maintains an average that is exactly at that threshold. The Medium preset at 115 FPS is even better, providing a 15% improvement over High, and the Low preset at 136 FPS is the highest average at 4K.

The best experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1440p, which offers 202 FPS average with a minimum of 172 FPS. This provides a high frame rate with a narrow gap between average and minimum, indicating consistent performance. At 4K, the High preset is the most balanced, as it maintains 100 FPS average without sacrificing too much visual quality. The Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided if frame rate is a priority, as the 81 FPS average is significantly lower than the other presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data spans three resolutions and four settings presets, with the Medium preset being the only one that includes minimum and maximum frame rates. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 355 at Low, to 300 at Medium, 260 at High, and 209 at Ultra. The Medium preset at 1080p has a minimum of 255 FPS and a maximum of 345 FPS, showing a 90 FPS range between minimum and maximum.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 239 at Low, 202 at Medium, 175 at High, and 141 at Ultra. The Medium preset at 1440p has a minimum of 172 FPS and a maximum of 232 FPS, resulting in a 60 FPS range. This tighter range compared to 1080p suggests more consistent frame pacing at the higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 136 at Low, 115 at Medium, 100 at High, and 81 at Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS, with a 35 FPS range. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 98 FPS, which is very close to the 100 FPS average of the High preset, indicating that the Medium preset at 4K is nearly as consistent as the High preset.

The delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution is significant. At 1080p, the difference is 146 FPS (355 vs 209), at 1440p it is 98 FPS (239 vs 141), and at 4K it is 55 FPS (136 vs 81). This proportional reduction in the delta as resolution increases further confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the graphical settings have less impact on frame rate when the resolution is higher.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete data, and it shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, both the average and minimum FPS decrease, but the range between minimum and maximum also decreases. This suggests that higher resolutions produce more stable frame rates, even if the average is lower.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in To The Core?*

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with the Medium preset delivers 202 FPS average with a minimum of 172 FPS, which is the highest average at a resolution that still offers a minimum above 170 FPS. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 260 FPS, which is higher, but the 1440p Medium preset offers a better balance of resolution and frame rate.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1601 out of 3725 tested combinations, placing it in the 57th percentile. This means it performs better than 2124 other combos and worse than 1600, indicating a solid upper-middle-tier position.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 100 at High and 81 at Ultra, while the Medium preset has a minimum of 98 FPS. This significant drop from 1440p indicates the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as the CPU's high single-thread score of 1049 would not cause such a large frame rate reduction.

Q: What is the highest frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 355 at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The next highest is 300 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 260 FPS at 1080p High and 239 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which 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 by 1.5%.

Q: What is the frame rate consistency like at different resolutions?

A: The Medium preset shows a range of 90 FPS between minimum and maximum at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. This indicates that frame rate consistency improves as resolution increases, with the 4K Medium preset having a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture with the Raphael codename. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18760 and a Geekbench multicore score of 15371. Its single-thread performance is also notable, with a Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 1930 and a 3dmark single-thread score of 1049.

In To The Core, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the combo achieves over 200 FPS on all presets, which requires significant CPU throughput. The Ryzen 7 7700's 16 threads and high boost clock of 5.30 GHz are well-suited for this task, as the game's idle genre likely involves many concurrent calculations that can utilize multiple threads.

The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide the data throughput necessary for high frame rates. The CPU's 3dmark 16-thread score of 8484 and max-thread score of 8479 indicate that it scales well with thread count, which is beneficial for games that can utilize multiple cores.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is tightly clustered. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 has an average benchmark score of 40048, which is 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 7 7700's 40081. The Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144, which is 0.2% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 270 scores 40246, which is 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313, which is 0.6% higher. These minimal deltas show that the Ryzen 7 7700 is competitively positioned in its performance class.

The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are likely sufficient for To The Core, as the game's frame rates suggest it is not heavily CPU-bound. The data shows that at 4K, frame rates drop significantly across all presets, which indicates the GPU is the bottleneck at that resolution. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU's performance is adequate, but the exact CPU utilization is not measured in the provided data.

The CPU's architecture and clock speeds are key to its performance. The Zen 4 architecture on a 5 nm process node provides efficient power consumption, with a TDP of 65 W. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is among the highest for its class, and the 3dmark single-thread score of 1049 confirms that it can handle single-threaded tasks effectively. In a game like To The Core, where the frame rates are generally high, the CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid becoming the limiting factor at resolutions below 4K.