To The Core

To The Core is an idle game that, despite its genre, demonstrates a surprisingly demanding rendering load. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 produces a dataset that is particularly interesting for analyzing CPU and GPU scaling. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but begins to show its limits as resolution increases. The benchmark data indicates a pairing that is well-balanced at lower resolutions, with the CPU providing ample headroom and the GPU becoming the primary constraint at higher pixel counts.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which is supported by a 32 MB shared L3 cache. The benchmark results show that this CPU is a formidable performer. Its average benchmark score of 37943 places it in the 86th percentile of all tested CPUs, indicating top-tier processing capability.

In the context of To The Core, the CPU's high single-thread performance is likely a key factor. The processor scores 1280 in the 3dmark single-thread test and 3023 in Geekbench single-core. A game with simulation or logic-heavy elements, as is often the case with idle games, can benefit significantly from strong single-core speed. The data shows that the Ryzen 7 9700X provides a substantial amount of processing power that is not fully taxed by this title at lower resolutions. For instance, at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 225 FPS, a figure that is more likely constrained by the GPU's rendering ability than the CPU's logic calculations.

The multi-threaded capabilities are also robust, with scores of 20485 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 9771 in 3dmark max threads. This ensures that even if To The Core utilizes multiple threads for background tasks or asset streaming, the 9700X has ample headroom. The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is incredibly tight. It is a mere 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14901E and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, with scores of 37911 and 37904 respectively. This data suggests that for this game, the specific choice between these top-tier CPUs would have a negligible impact on frame rates, as the bottleneck appears to shift to the GPU as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the jump from Low to Medium is significant, moving from 225 FPS to 191 FPS, a 34 FPS drop. However, the step from Medium to High is more moderate, reducing to 165 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding at this resolution, with an average of 133 FPS.

For a balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset appears to be the optimal choice at 1080p. It delivers 165 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of most standard monitors, while offering a substantial visual improvement over the Medium and Low presets. The Ultra preset, while playable at 133 FPS, demands a significant performance cost for what is likely a marginal visual gain in an idle game.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. The High preset averages 111 FPS, while Medium delivers 128 FPS and Ultra drops to 89 FPS. Here, the High preset remains a solid recommendation, providing a smooth experience above 100 FPS. For users with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, the Medium preset at 128 FPS offers the best chance of maximizing the display's potential, though High is more balanced for fidelity. At 3840x2160, the system begins to struggle with the highest settings. The High preset averages 64 FPS, which is on the cusp of smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset drops to 51 FPS, which is likely not ideal for a responsive experience. The data suggests that for 4K gaming with this combination, the High preset is the maximum viable setting, and users may need to consider the Medium preset (73 FPS) for a more comfortable frame rate buffer.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the transition from a CPU-bound to a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the system delivers 165 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 111 FPS at 1440p, and further to 64 FPS at 4K. This represents a 61% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K.

This steep decline is a classic indicator of GPU limitation. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels to be rendered quadruples from 1080p to 4K. The Intel Arc B570, with its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, must work progressively harder to fill those pixels. The CPU's performance, in contrast, does not scale with resolution in the same way; its workload remains relatively constant. Therefore, at 1080p, where the GPU can render frames quickly, the CPU's ability to feed it data becomes a potential bottleneck, though the high FPS numbers suggest it handles this well. At 4K, the GPU's rendering throughput is the clear limiting factor, as evidenced by the frame rate dropping to a level that is roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count.

The data also shows a similar trend at Medium settings, with 191 FPS at 1080p dropping to 128 FPS at 1440p and 73 FPS at 4K. The consistency of this scaling across different presets reinforces the conclusion that the Intel Arc B570 is the component that determines the upper limit of performance as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 combination is ranked 2992 out of 3725 tested combos in To The Core. This places it in the 80th percentile of all combinations, meaning it outperforms roughly 80% of the other tested systems. While this is a strong showing, it also indicates that there are a significant number of combinations that achieve higher frame rates.

This ranking is particularly interesting given the high performance of the CPU. The Ryzen 7 9700X's average benchmark score of 37943 is in the 86th percentile, but the combo's rank is slightly lower. This suggests that the GPU, which sits in the 65th percentile with an average score of 20556, is holding the combination back from achieving a higher overall rank. The data implies that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would likely result in a significantly better combo rank, as the CPU has demonstrated it has more performance to give. The combination is still a very capable one, but the ranking data clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting factor in achieving top-tier performance in this game.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and features 2304 shading units. It operates at a consistent base and boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU is equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. Its performance profile places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556.

The GPU's role in To The Core is crucial, particularly at higher resolutions. The benchmark data shows that it is the primary determinant of frame rate at 1440p and 4K. Its performance is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534, a 0.1% difference. It is also nearly identical to the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20582, a -0.1% difference. This suggests that the B570 offers a specific level of rasterization performance that is well-documented and consistent.

The 10 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the textures and assets used in To The Core, even at 4K High settings, as the game is not known for being extremely VRAM-hungry. The high clock speed of 2500 MHz ensures that the processing cores are fed with data quickly. However, the data from the resolution scaling analysis shows that this GPU's raw compute power is the limiting factor when the resolution increases. The FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS is a measure of its raw compute capability, and it is this figure that determines how quickly it can process the pixel data at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset achieves an average of 225 FPS. The Medium preset averages 191 FPS, with a minimum of 162 FPS and a maximum of 219 FPS. The High preset averages 165 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 133 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 152 FPS. The Medium preset averages 128 FPS, with a range from 109 FPS to 147 FPS. The High preset averages 111 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 89 FPS. This resolution offers a good balance, with even the Ultra preset remaining playable.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limits become apparent. The Low preset averages 87 FPS. The Medium preset averages 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS. The High preset averages 64 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 51 FPS. The frame rates at 4K are the only ones that dip below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and they do so on the Ultra preset. The data shows a clear and consistent step-down in performance as both resolution and settings increase, quantifying the system's capabilities precisely.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 offers the best balance. At High settings, the system achieves 111 FPS, which is smooth and visually detailed. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of very high frame rates (165 FPS on High), but 1440p provides a significant visual upgrade while still maintaining a high level of performance.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in To The Core?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 64 FPS, which is playable. The Ultra preset averages 51 FPS, which may feel less smooth. For a more comfortable experience at 4K, the Medium preset, at 73 FPS, would be the recommended choice.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943. This is a 0.1% difference from the Intel Core i9-14901E (37911) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37904). It is 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core 5 211E (37829). This indicates the 9700X is essentially tied with its closest competitors in overall CPU performance.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556. It is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480). It is 0.1% behind the Intel Arc A750 (20582) and 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662). The performance is very closely matched among these GPUs.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the system achieves very high frame rates, but the drop to 4K is substantial (e.g., 165 FPS to 64 FPS on High settings). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is being fully utilized. The CPU, ranked in the 86th percentile, has more performance headroom than the GPU, which is in the 65th percentile.

Q: What is the ranking of this specific CPU and GPU combination?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 combination is ranked 2992 out of 3725 tested combos in To The Core. This means it performs better than most other combinations tested, but there is still a significant number of systems that achieve higher frame rates.