To The Core

To The Core pairs the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X with the Intel Arc B580 in a combination that ranks 1348th out of 1756 tested combos for this title, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but surprisingly capable at 1080p, where the CPU’s strong single-thread performance can push frame rates well beyond typical display refresh rates. The measured results show a consistent scaling pattern across all settings, with the gap between Low and Ultra presets widening as resolution decreases, which points to a system whose bottleneck shifts from the graphics card to the processor only at the lowest resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all four settings presets, confirming that the Intel Arc B580 becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 252 at 1920x1080 to 96.1 at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 62%. The High preset shows a similar pattern, dropping from 186.7 to 71, a 62% decline. Medium settings see the average go from 212.5 to 82.8, a 61% drop, while Ultra falls from 151.6 to 58.6, a 61% reduction.

This uniformity in scaling percentage across presets is telling: the performance penalty from resolution is nearly identical regardless of visual quality, which suggests the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the binding constraints at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is also notable, with High settings delivering 186.7 FPS at 1080p versus 126.9 at 1440p. The 4K results, even at Low settings, only achieve 96.1 FPS, indicating that the Arc B580’s 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are sufficient for 1080p gaming but become saturated quickly as resolution climbs. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K only viable at Low settings for fluid gameplay.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture with the BMG-G21 chip, brings 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a fixed 2670 MHz base and boost clock, with memory at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). These specifications translate into a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068 and a Passmark G3D score of 15748, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

In To The Core, the GPU’s role becomes evident when comparing the 1080p Ultra result of 151.6 FPS to the 1080p Low result of 252 FPS. The 66% performance uplift from Ultra to Low at the same resolution demonstrates that the graphics card’s shading units (2560) and texture mapping units (160) are heavily taxed by higher-quality effects. The GPU’s 80 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s, which aligns with the observed scaling: at 4K Ultra, the system manages 58.6 FPS, while at 4K Low it reaches 96.1 FPS. The nearest rival data shows the Arc B580 essentially matches the AMD Radeon 760M (0.1% delta) and sits 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, confirming it is a mid-range part that performs as expected in this idle-genre title, where the demand on the GPU is moderate but still significant.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 1348 out of 1756 tested combinations, this pairing sits in the 23rd percentile of all tested combos for To The Core. This is a surprisingly low ranking given the hardware’s raw compute capabilities, but it reflects the game’s relatively light demands. The CPU alone, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 54450, while the GPU’s 23021 average score places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

The combination’s rank is pulled down by the GPU’s mid-tier standing, as the CPU is clearly not the bottleneck in most scenarios. The data shows that the combo outperforms its overall rank at 1080p, where the 252 FPS Low result is competitive with higher-ranked systems, but falls behind at 4K, where the GPU’s limitations become pronounced. Compared to the GPU’s nearest rivals, the Arc B580’s 0.7% deficit to the RTX 4060 and 1.3% advantage over the RTX 4060 Mobile suggest that this combo’s 4K performance is typical for the GPU class, but the high-end CPU does not translate into a top-tier overall rank because the game is not CPU-intensive enough to leverage the 9900X’s advantages.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce 252 FPS, Medium reaches 212.5, High hits 186.7, and Ultra drops to 151.6. These numbers show a clear hierarchy: the jump from Low to Medium costs 39.5 FPS, Medium to High costs 25.8, and High to Ultra costs 35.1. The 1080p results are all above 144 Hz, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains solid but drops noticeably. Low settings average 170.9 FPS, Medium 145.3, High 126.9, and Ultra 103.1. The scaling pattern is similar, with a 25.6 FPS drop from Low to Medium, 18.4 from Medium to High, and 23.8 from High to Ultra. All 1440p results stay above the 100 FPS mark, which is acceptable for most monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU struggles. Low settings manage 96.1 FPS, Medium 82.8, High 71, and Ultra 58.6. The drop from Low to Medium is 13.3 FPS, Medium to High is 11.8, and High to Ultra is 12.4. The 4K Ultra result of 58.6 FPS is the only sub-60 result in the entire dataset, indicating that this resolution is only playable at Low or Medium settings for a smooth experience. Overall, the measured data shows a system that scales predictably with both resolution and settings, with the GPU being the sole determinant of frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with 64 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. Its multi-threaded performance is strong, as shown by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 46438 and a single-core score of 6555, while Geekbench reports 19827 multi-core and 3341 single-core.

In To The Core, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU at 1440p and 4K, but at 1080p, the processor’s single-thread performance becomes the differentiator. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and the Passmark single-thread score of 4672 indicate a processor capable of feeding the GPU adequately at high frame rates. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the 252 FPS result approaches the ceiling of what the GPU can physically render, and the CPU is not holding it back. However, the 9900X’s 12 cores and 24 threads are largely underutilized in this idle-genre title, which does not scale with multiple cores. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking across all CPUs is irrelevant here, as the game’s demand on the processor is minimal, and the combo’s overall rank is determined almost entirely by the GPU’s mid-tier performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the optimal resolution, with all settings presets delivering above 151 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets remain above 103 FPS, while 3840x2160 drops to a playable range only at Low (96.1) and Medium (82.8) settings.

Q: How much performance is lost from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, the drop from Low to Ultra is 100.4 FPS (from 252 to 151.6). At 1440p, the drop is 67.8 FPS (from 170.9 to 103.1). At 4K, the drop is 37.5 FPS (from 96.1 to 58.6).

Q: Is this combo more CPU-limited or GPU-limited?

A: The data indicates GPU limitation at 1440p and above, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1286) allows the GPU to reach its maximum, but the processor is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to its nearest rivals in this test?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon 760M (22999) and 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA P106-100 (22950). It sits 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (23181) and 1.3% ahead of the RTX 4060 Mobile (22729).

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested combinations?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X + Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 1348th out of 1756 tested combos for To The Core, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database despite the CPU’s high individual ranking.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves 96.1 FPS. Medium settings yield 82.8, High 71, and Ultra drops to 58.6, which is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers 151.6 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. This provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. If a higher refresh rate display is used, the Medium preset at 212.5 FPS offers a balanced trade-off between quality and speed, while Low at 252 FPS is only necessary for extreme refresh rates above 240 Hz.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 126.9 FPS is the optimal choice for most users, as it maintains a high frame rate while providing good visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 103.1 FPS is also viable for 100 Hz displays, but the Medium preset at 145.3 FPS is better suited for 144 Hz monitors. For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 96.1 FPS is the only setting that guarantees a smooth experience on 60 Hz displays, while Medium at 82.8 FPS is acceptable for 75 Hz screens. The Ultra preset at 58.6 FPS should be avoided unless the user prioritizes visuals over performance. Overall, the data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1440p with the High preset, balancing the GPU’s capabilities with the CPU’s headroom.