To The Core

To The Core is an idle game that, on the surface, would seem to place minimal strain on a system, yet the measured frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X with the Intel Arc B370 reveal a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics component. The data shows a combination positioned at rank 2750 out of 2991 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This pairing of a high-core-count desktop CPU with a power-sipping integrated graphics solution produces a playable, but far from high-performance, experience that scales predictably with resolution and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates where the bottleneck lies in this system. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 132 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 89 FPS, a decrease of 43 FPS or roughly 32.6%. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average falls to 51 FPS, which is another 38 FPS drop from the 1440p figure, representing a further 42.7% reduction. This steep, consistent decline as pixel count rises is a classic indicator of GPU-bound performance; the render output units and shading units of the Intel Arc B370 are simply overwhelmed by the increasing pixel workload.

The scaling pattern holds across all settings presets. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 97 FPS at 1080p to 65 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 37 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic degradation at the highest resolution, starting at 78 FPS in 1080p, dropping to 53 FPS in 1440p, and collapsing to just 30 FPS in 4K. The fact that even the lowest settings cannot maintain a 60 FPS average at 4K (51 FPS) underscores that the graphics processor is the limiting component, not the CPU. If the Ryzen 9 5900X were the constraint, we would expect to see a more plateau-like curve at higher resolutions where the GPU has less headroom, but instead we see a near-linear relationship between resolution and performance loss.

The data also shows a consistent performance gap between settings at each resolution, which further supports a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 54 FPS (132 vs 78). At 1440p, this gap narrows to 36 FPS (89 vs 53). At 4K, the gap shrinks to 21 FPS (51 vs 30). This shrinking delta at higher resolutions is typical of a GPU that is saturated; when the pixel fill rate is maxed out, the relative cost of more complex shading and effects diminishes because the core rendering cost dominates. The frame time data for Medium settings reinforces this, with the minimum FPS at 4K (37) being nearly half the minimum at 1080p (95), showing that the worst-case frame hitches scale directly with resolution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear performance ceiling for this combo. Its benchmark profile is minimal, with a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This indicates that its absolute performance level is very low compared to the broader market. The nearest rivals in the benchmark database, such as the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5), are all within a 1.4% margin of its score, confirming that this integrated part performs at a level comparable to legacy discrete mobile graphics chips.

The GPU's architecture is Xe3-LPG, built on Intel's 3 nm process, and it operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The fact that it can reach 51 FPS at 4K Low with such a low base clock suggests that the boost behavior is critical to its performance, but the overall compute resources are limited. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and only 20 render output units. This low ROP count of 20 is likely a primary contributor to the poor 4K performance, as the pixel fill rate of 48.00 GPixel/s becomes a hard limit when pushing over 8 million pixels per frame. The texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s is similarly modest.

Furthermore, the memory subsystem is entirely system-dependent. With "System Shared" memory type, bus width, and bandwidth, the GPU relies on the host system's DDR4 RAM, which is accessed via the dual-channel memory bus of the CPU. The system's memory bandwidth is 51.2 GB/s, which is shared between the CPU and GPU. This shared memory architecture can introduce latency and bandwidth contention, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU needs to access larger textures and frame buffers. The GPU's TDP is just 25 W, and it is classified as an IGP with no power connectors, reinforcing that it is not designed for high-end gaming workloads. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate support is a feature set highlight, but the hardware's raw throughput is the limiting factor in To The Core.

CPU Role

In stark contrast to the GPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-end desktop processor that is vastly underutilized in this configuration. With 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, its benchmark scores are robust. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16262 and a single-core score of 1527, alongside a Geekbench multicore score of 14118. Its average benchmark score is 41376, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H (score 41263, deltaPct 0.3) and the Intel Core i7-14650HX (score 41576, deltaPct -0.5), show that it is essentially performance-equivalent to these modern mobile and desktop processors in general compute.

Given that To The Core is an idle game, its computational demands are likely minimal, often relying on simple logic and timers rather than complex physics or AI. The CPU's base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.80 GHz provide ample headroom for any game logic. The 64 MB of L3 cache is also beneficial for holding game state data. However, the benchmark results show that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution. If it were, we would see frame rates that are similar across all resolutions, as the CPU workload is resolution-independent. The data clearly shows a steep FPS decline with resolution, which is a GPU characteristic.

The CPU's role here is to be a stable platform that does not hold back the GPU. In this case, it succeeds entirely. The 24 threads ensure that no background process or game thread will starve the main rendering pipeline. The Passmark multithread score of 39002 and the 3DMark max threads score of 10075 further indicate that the CPU has massive parallel throughput that the Arc B370 cannot demand. The system's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while shared with the GPU, is sufficient for the CPU's needs. The "System Dependent" bandwidth for the GPU means that the CPU's memory controller is the gateway for all graphics data, and the Ryzen 9 5900X provides a solid, if not high-bandwidth, foundation. The CPU is ready for a much more powerful discrete GPU, but with this IGP, it is effectively idling.

FAQ

Q: Why is the 4K performance so low compared to 1080p?

A: The average FPS drops from 132 at 1080p Low to 51 at 4K Low, and from 78 at 1080p Ultra to 30 at 4K Ultra. This steep decline indicates that the Intel Arc B370's rendering capabilities, specifically its 20 ROPs and 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate, are overwhelmed by the pixel count at 4K, making the GPU the sole limiting factor.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X powerful enough for this game?

A: Yes, the CPU data is far beyond the game's needs. With 12 cores and 24 threads, a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16262, and a 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs, the processor is not the performance constraint. The frame rate scaling with resolution confirms this, as a CPU bottleneck would show consistent FPS across resolutions.

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

A: The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), with deltaPct values of -0.2% and -0.5% respectively. This shows it performs in the same tier as these older, low-power discrete parts, and its 5th percentile ranking confirms its low absolute performance.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a smooth experience?

A: The only resolution that consistently delivers an average above 60 FPS across all settings is 1920x1080. At this resolution, even the Ultra preset achieves an average of 78 FPS, while Low reaches 132 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset falls to 53 FPS, which may be below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the shared system memory affect performance?

A: The GPU utilizes "System Shared" memory with "System Dependent" bandwidth, meaning it uses the CPU's DDR4 memory. The system's dual-channel memory bus provides 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This shared configuration is a likely contributor to the performance ceiling, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, particularly at higher resolutions where memory demands increase.

Q: How does this combo rank overall for this game?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Arc B370 is ranked 2750 out of 2991 tested combos for To The Core. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, indicating that while it is playable at lower resolutions, it is not a competitive or high-performing pairing for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is most capable. The Low preset yields an average of 132 FPS, which is the highest average recorded for this combo. The Medium preset averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 129 FPS. High settings average 97 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 78 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system can comfortably handle even the most demanding preset, though the jump from High to Ultra costs 19 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 89 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium averages 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 87 FPS. The High preset averages 65 FPS, which is borderline for a 60 Hz display. The Ultra preset averages 53 FPS, which will be perceptibly less smooth than the lower presets. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction across presets, with the Low preset losing 43 FPS, Medium losing 37 FPS, High losing 32 FPS, and Ultra losing 25 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations are fully exposed. The Low preset averages 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 50 FPS. The High preset averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 30 FPS. The minimum FPS for Medium at 4K is 37, which is lower than the average of the High preset at 1080p (97 FPS), highlighting how severe the resolution scaling is. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is fully playable, 1440p is passable at lower settings, and 4K is only playable at Low settings, and even then, it fails to maintain a 60 FPS average.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution and desired smoothness. For a 1080p display, the High preset is the best recommendation. It provides an average of 97 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and it offers a significant visual improvement over the Medium preset (112 FPS) without the substantial performance hit of the Ultra preset (78 FPS). The 19 FPS difference between High and Ultra is a steep price for the marginal visual gains that Ultra typically provides. The Medium preset is also a strong choice if maximum frame rates are desired, with an average of 112 FPS and a minimum of 95 FPS ensuring a consistently smooth experience.

For users with a 2560x1440 display, the Low preset is the only setting that guarantees an average above 60 FPS, hitting 89 FPS. The Medium preset at 75 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual quality over a high refresh rate, as its minimum of 64 FPS is still above 60. However, the High (65 FPS) and Ultra (53 FPS) presets are not recommended, as they either sit right at the edge of smoothness or fall below it. The data suggests that at 1440p, the GPU is stretched too thin for high-fidelity settings.

At 3840x2160, there are no ideal settings. The Low preset, with an average of 51 FPS, is the only one that approaches playability, but it will not feel as smooth as the lower resolutions. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all produce averages below 45 FPS, with Ultra at just 30 FPS. For this resolution, the data indicates that the user must accept a significant compromise in frame rate, and the Low preset is the only sensible choice. Alternatively, the user should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or 1080p to achieve a better balance of visual quality and performance. The best experience in terms of raw smoothness is the 1080p Low preset at 132 FPS, but the 1080p High preset offers a better balance of quality and speed, making it the overall recommendation.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking for this specific combination in To The Core is 2750 out of 2991 tested combos, placing it in the 2750th position. This translates to a percentile rank of approximately 8%, meaning it outperforms only 8% of the configurations tested for this game. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the massive disparity between the CPU's high-end capabilities and the GPU's entry-level performance. The Ryzen 9 5900X is a top-tier processor, ranking in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The combination brings the entire system down to the level of the weakest component.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H (deltaPct 0.3) and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 (deltaPct 0.4) have nearly identical average benchmark scores, but they would likely be paired with more capable graphics solutions in typical systems. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (deltaPct -0.5), are legacy parts from over a decade ago, which contextualizes the Arc B370's performance level. This pairing is akin to placing a modern V8 engine in a compact city car; the engine is capable of far more, but the chassis and drivetrain cannot handle the power. In this case, the CPU is the powerful engine, and the GPU is the limiting chassis.

The rank of 2750 serves as a stark indicator that this is not a balanced configuration for gaming. While the CPU ensures that there will be no processor-related stutters or bottlenecks in game logic, the GPU severely hampers the visual output. The data suggests that users with this CPU would see a dramatic improvement in To The Core by pairing it with any discrete GPU that scores higher than the 5th percentile. The combo's low rank is not a reflection of the CPU's ability, but rather proof of how crucial the graphics card is in determining the overall gaming experience, even for an idle game. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming at medium-to-high settings, and it is woefully underpowered for higher resolutions or demanding presets.