To The Core

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B570 occupies the 2,380th position out of 2,991 tested combinations in "To The Core." This places the combo in the lower third of all tested systems, indicating that while it is fully capable of running the game, it does not deliver top-tier performance relative to the broader hardware landscape. The percentile ranking of the CPU at 68 and the GPU at 65 further contextualize this position: both components sit comfortably above the median, but neither is positioned near the top of their respective charts. The data suggests a balanced pairing where overall standing is more a reflection of the game's modest requirements than a deficiency in either part.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2,380 out of 2,991 tested systems is a decisive indicator of its standing. This places it in the 79th percentile from the bottom, meaning roughly four out of five tested configurations outperform it. However, rank alone does not tell the full story. The game in question, "To The Core," is an Idle genre title released in early 2024, a category not typically associated with demanding graphical or computational loads. Consequently, the relatively low rank likely reflects the fact that many higher-tier systems are being tested against a game that does not meaningfully stress them. The data shows a CPU that scores in the 68th percentile against all processors, which is respectable for a 4-core, 8-thread part, and a GPU in the 65th percentile, indicating average performance for its class. The combination of two above-median components still landing in the bottom quarter of tested combos highlights how competitive the upper echelons of the test pool are, likely filled with high-core-count CPUs and flagship GPUs that far exceed this game's needs.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, specifically the Battlemage generation, and it brings 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus. The memory clock runs at 2375 MHz, translating to 19 Gbps effective, which yields a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is generous for a game like "To The Core," which is unlikely to be bandwidth-limited at any resolution tested. The GPU's base and boost clocks are both set at 2500 MHz, and it features 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The compute throughput is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS for FP32, with FP16 reaching 23.04 TFLOPS via a 2:1 ratio. In the context of this game's benchmark results, the GPU appears to be the primary driver of performance scaling, particularly at higher resolutions. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra is 51, which drops from 64 at High, suggesting that the GPU's raw fill rate and shading power are being taxed as settings increase. The 10 GB VRAM is ample for this title, as no measured frame data indicates memory capacity issues; the bottleneck at 4K Ultra is more likely the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth limits relative to the game's engine demands.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a predictable pattern where the GPU becomes increasingly influential as pixel count rises. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 225 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 152 FPS; and at 4K Low, it falls to 87 FPS. This represents a 61% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The scaling is similar at High settings: 165 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K, a 61% drop as well. The consistency of this drop-off across settings strongly suggests a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates; however, the fact that 1080p Low (225 FPS) is not dramatically higher than 1080p High (165 FPS) indicates that even at 1080p, the GPU is starting to become a limiting factor. The gap between 1440p and 4K is substantial across all settings, which is typical for a mid-range GPU like the Arc B570; the transition from 2.1 million pixels to 8.3 million pixels is a fourfold increase in workload, and the data shows the GPU cannot maintain proportional performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides exact average frame rates for each resolution and settings combination, though minimum and maximum values are only available for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields 225 FPS average, Medium produces 191 FPS (with a minimum of 162 and maximum of 219), High achieves 165 FPS, and Ultra drops to 133 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo delivers exceptional smoothness even at the highest settings, with Ultra still well above the 60 FPS threshold. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 152 FPS, Medium at 128 FPS (minimum 109, maximum 147), High at 111 FPS, and Ultra at 89 FPS. The 1440p results remain strong, with even Ultra staying above 85 FPS, which would be suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more moderate: Low averages 87 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS (minimum 62, maximum 84), High averages 64 FPS, and Ultra averages 51 FPS. The 4K Ultra result dips below the 60 FPS standard, and the Medium preset's minimum of 62 FPS shows that there are moments of sub-60 performance even at that setting. The data reveals a clear trend: the combo is excellent for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but 4K requires settings adjustments to maintain a stable 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a TDP of 58 W. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 11,860 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,674 in single-core; it achieves 4,051 in 3DMark with 16 threads and 893 in single-thread. The Geekbench scores are 7,252 multi-core and 1,932 single-core. These numbers suggest a capable budget processor that holds its own against older mainstream parts. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Core 3 N355 (average score 13,492, delta 0%), the Intel Core i5-9500 (13,452, delta 0.3%), and the Intel Core 5 120UL (13,594, delta -0.7%). The i3-12100F's average benchmark score is 13,494, placing it essentially on par with these competitors. In the context of "To The Core," the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 225 FPS is high enough that the CPU's 4 cores could be a limiting factor, but the data shows that the GPU is still the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (1,674 in Cinebench R23) ensures that the game's logic and draw calls are handled efficiently, but the lack of more cores does not appear to hinder performance in this title, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: The data shows that at 1440p Ultra, the combo achieves 89 FPS average, and at 4K High, it drops to 64 FPS average. Therefore, 1440p at any settings yields well above 60 FPS, while 4K requires Medium settings (73 FPS average) or lower to stay comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13,494. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, scores 13,492 (0% difference), while the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452 (0.3% slower). The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13,594, which is 0.7% faster than the i3-12100F.

Q: Is the GPU's 10 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, the game "To The Core" is from the Idle genre, and the measured FPS data shows no indication of VRAM limitations. The GPU's 10 GB GDDR6 memory with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is more than adequate, as performance scales consistently with resolution and settings without any sudden drops that would indicate memory capacity issues.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo averages 165 FPS, while at 4K High, it averages 64 FPS. This is a 61% reduction in frame rate, highlighting the significant workload increase on the GPU when moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160.

Q: Does the combo ever drop below 60 FPS in the measured data?

A: The only instance where the average FPS falls below 60 is at 4K Ultra, which averages 51 FPS. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 62, which is just above 60, but the average is 73 FPS, indicating that frame dips are rare and not severe.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556. It is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534, 0.1% slower) and the Intel Arc A750 (20,582, 0.1% faster). The AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20,662, which is 0.5% faster, and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20,480, which is 0.4% slower.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver excellent performance, with even Ultra averaging 133 FPS. The data suggests that users should select Ultra for the best visual experience, as the 133 FPS average is still well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440, Ultra remains viable with an 89 FPS average, but for users seeking the highest possible frame rates, High at 111 FPS offers a better balance without sacrificing much visual quality. For 4K, the choices are more constrained: High averages 64 FPS, which is just above 60, while Medium averages 73 FPS and provides a more comfortable margin above the threshold. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 62 indicates that even in demanding scenes, performance stays above 60, making it the recommended choice for 4K. Ultra at 4K should be avoided if maintaining 60 FPS is a priority, as the 51 FPS average falls short. In summary, the data supports a simple rule: use Ultra at 1080p and 1440p, and use Medium at 4K to ensure a stable experience. The GPU's 10 GB VRAM and the CPU's 4 cores are sufficient to handle these settings without bottlenecking, as the frame rates scale consistently with the workload.