To The Core

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B580 lands at rank 1345 out of 1756 tested combos in To The Core. That places this pairing in the bottom quarter of the database, which is surprising given the components involved. The combo sits at roughly the 23rd percentile of all tested configurations — not a disaster, but clearly not a top-tier setup for this particular title.

The ranking tells a story of imbalance. The Ryzen 7 9700X is a strong CPU with an average benchmark score of 36029, placing it in the 89th percentile of all processors. The Arc B580, however, sits at just the 66th percentile among GPUs with an average score of 23021. When a high-percentile CPU meets a mid-tier GPU, the combo's overall rank tends to reflect the weaker link. In this case, the Arc B580 is holding the pairing back. The data shows a 1080p Ultra average of 150.9 FPS and a 4K Ultra average of 58.7 FPS — playable numbers, but nothing that would push this combo higher in the standings.

What's notable is how close the Arc B580's average benchmark score is to its nearest rivals. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 by only 0.7%, and it leads the AMD Radeon 760M by 0.1%. The performance envelope here is tight. The combo rank reflects that narrow margin — small differences in GPU performance translate directly into rank movements when so many configurations are clustered together.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X brings 8 cores and 16 threads to the table, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The 65W TDP is modest for a desktop part, and the 4nm process node from TSMC helps keep power in check. This CPU supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which matters for feeding a GPU in a game like To The Core.

Looking at the benchmark data, the 9700X shows strong scaling from 2 threads to 8 threads. The 3DMark scores climb from 2525 with 2 threads to 4869 with 4 threads and then 8184 with 8 threads. The jump from 8 to 16 threads is smaller — from 8184 to 9824 — indicating that the extra threads provide diminishing returns in most workloads. The max threads score of 9771 is barely above the 16-thread score, which suggests the processor is well-utilized at 16 threads but doesn't gain much beyond that point.

In To The Core, the measured FPS data indicates that CPU performance is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 251.2 FPS — a very high number that suggests the CPU can push frames far beyond what most displays can show. Even at 4K Low, the average stays at 99 FPS, which is respectable. The 9700X's single-thread performance, shown in its 3DMark single-thread score of 1280 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4459, is more than adequate for this game's demands.

The CPU's nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score is the Intel Core i5-14500HX, which trails by just 0.2%. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is 0.6% behind, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is 0.4% ahead. These tiny margins mean that swapping the 9700X for any of these alternatives would produce nearly identical results in this game — the CPU is not where this combo gains or loses its rank.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 uses the Xe2-HPG architecture with the BMG-G21 chip, built on a 5nm process from TSMC. It packs 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs, along with 20 ray tracing cores. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Clock speeds are set at 2670 MHz for both base and boost, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The card draws 190W and requires a 450W power supply.

The GPU's benchmark results tell a mixed story. Its PassMark G3D score of 15748 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068 show reasonable performance, but the DirectX scores are oddly low — 76 for DX10, 128 for DX11, and 76 for DX12. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 109672 is much stronger, suggesting the card performs better in Vulkan-based workloads. In To The Core, however, the measured FPS shows the GPU handling the load adequately across all settings.

The Arc B580's average benchmark score of 23021 puts it in a tight cluster with its rivals. It leads the NVIDIA P106-100 by 0.3% and the AMD Radeon 760M by 0.1%, while trailing the RTX 4060 by 0.7%. The RTX 4060 Mobile is 1.3% behind the B580. These are all within noise levels — the B580 is essentially performance-equivalent to its nearest competitors. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is worth noting, as it provides headroom for higher resolutions and texture settings without running into memory limits.

# FAQ

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X the limiting factor in this combo for To The Core?*

A: No. The CPU's high 1080p Low average of 251.2 FPS and 89th percentile ranking among all processors indicate it is not the bottleneck. The GPU's 66th percentile ranking and lower average benchmark score make it the more likely constraint.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in this game?

A: The Arc B580 trails the RTX 4060 by 0.7% in average benchmark score. In practice, this means nearly identical frame rates — the 0.7% difference is negligible for gameplay.

Q: What is the best performance setting for this combo at 1080p?

A: The data shows 1080p Medium delivers 216.7 FPS, which is 29.4% higher than High's 187.4 FPS and 43.6% higher than Ultra's 150.9 FPS. Medium provides a strong balance of visual quality and performance.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 58.7, which is playable but not ideal. At 4K High, it improves to 70.6 FPS, and at 4K Medium it reaches 83.1 FPS. Dropping to Low yields 99 FPS.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 9700X's 8-core configuration matter for this game?

A: The 3DMark scores show strong scaling from 2 to 8 threads (2525 to 8184), but minimal gains beyond that (9771 at max threads). To The Core appears to use 8 cores effectively, with the extra 8 threads providing only marginal benefit.

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to its component percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 1345 out of 1756 (23rd percentile), while the CPU sits in the 89th percentile and the GPU in the 66th percentile. The gap between component strength and combo rank reflects the GPU's limiting role.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a predictable decline as resolution increases, but the pattern reveals where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p Ultra, the combo delivers 150.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p Ultra drops that to 101 FPS — a 33.1% decrease. Going further to 4K Ultra brings it down to 58.7 FPS, another 41.9% drop from 1440p. These are steep declines, characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would stay relatively flat across resolutions until the GPU became saturated.

The Low settings tell a clearer story. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 251.2 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 167.9 FPS — a 33.2% decrease. At 4K Low, it falls to 99 FPS, another 41.0% drop. The consistency of these percentage drops across different settings levels confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU is capable of feeding frames at over 250 FPS, but the Arc B580 cannot maintain that throughput as pixel count increases.

Looking at the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at each settings level: High drops from 187.4 to 127.8 FPS (31.8% decrease), Medium from 216.7 to 145.6 FPS (32.8% decrease), and Ultra from 150.9 to 101 FPS (33.1% decrease). The uniformity of these drops — all in the 31-33% range — is a classic GPU-bound signature. The 1440p to 4K transitions show slightly larger drops of 41-42%, reflecting the doubling of pixel count from 1440p to 4K (3.7 million to 8.3 million pixels).

# Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience with this combo. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 216.7 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display refresh rate currently available. High offers 187.4 FPS, still excellent, while Ultra drops to 150.9 FPS — still very playable. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays, Low at 251.2 FPS is a viable option, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it.

At 1440p, Medium again emerges as the sweet spot with 145.6 FPS. High follows at 127.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 101 FPS. All three are above the 60 FPS threshold, so any of them work. However, the jump from Medium to High costs 17.8 FPS (12.2% decrease), while the jump from High to Ultra costs 26.8 FPS (21.0% decrease). Diminishing returns set in quickly at higher quality levels.

At 4K, the recommendations shift. Ultra at 58.7 FPS is borderline for smooth gameplay, though it technically stays above 60 FPS. High at 70.6 FPS is more comfortable, and Medium at 83.1 FPS is the recommended choice for a good balance. Low at 99 FPS is the best option if frame rate is the priority over visual fidelity. Given the 12 GB VRAM capacity, memory is not a concern at 4K — the bottleneck is raw GPU compute.

For the best overall experience, Medium at 1440p offers the strongest combination of visual quality and performance at 145.6 FPS. If playing at 1080p, Medium at 216.7 FPS is the clear winner. At 4K, Medium at 83.1 FPS provides a playable experience without the visual compromises of Low. The data consistently shows Medium as the optimal preset across all resolutions for this CPU-GPU pairing.