To The Core

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a balanced mid-range combination for To The Core, an Idle game released on 2024-02-14. The data shows this combo ranks 1219th out of 1756 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The benchmark results reveal a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU holds its own at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to show exactly where this pairing excels and where it falls short.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor as pixel count rises. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 191.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 132.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 31%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 72.8 FPS, which is a 62% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep decline points to the GPU being heavily taxed at 4K, as the pixel throughput demand outpaces what the TU106 chip can deliver.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern is even more pronounced. The 1080p result of 266.2 FPS drops to 179.6 FPS at 1440p and then to 102.4 FPS at 4K. The percentage loss from 1080p to 4K here is about 62%, nearly identical to the High settings drop. This consistency across settings suggests that the resolution itself, not the graphical detail level, is the dominant factor in performance degradation. The 4K Low result of 102.4 FPS is still playable, but it shows the GPU working near its limits.

Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K. At Medium settings, 1080p yields 221.2 FPS, 1440p yields 152.5 FPS, and 4K yields 84.3 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K costs about 45% performance, while the jump from 1080p to 1440p costs about 31%. This indicates that the GPU has enough headroom at lower resolutions but becomes pixel-bound at 4K, where the 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are stretched thin.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F brings 4 cores and 8 threads to the table, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. This Alder Lake-S chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, posts strong single-threaded scores for its class. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 893 and the cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 1681 suggest that the CPU can handle the per-thread demands of To The Core without creating a bottleneck at 1080p.

The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide adequate data locality for an idle game's logic. The 3dmark_4_threads score of 2859 and the 3dmark_max_threads score of 4023 indicate that the CPU's performance scales well up to its full thread count. Since To The Core is an idle genre title, it likely does not utilize more than a few threads heavily, so the 4-core/8-thread configuration is sufficient.

At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor, as the 266.2 FPS result is far above any refresh rate target. However, the passmark_single_thread score of 3444 and the geekbench_singlecore score of 2224 show that the i3-12100F has solid single-core performance. The cinebench_r20_multicore score of 5003 and the passmark_multithread score of 14015 confirm that even under multi-threaded loads, this CPU holds its own. The data suggests that the CPU will not hold back the GPU at any resolution tested, as the FPS drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the workhorse of this pairing, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz, combined with 2176 shading units, deliver a measured fp32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS. The 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 2011 and the passmark_g3d score of 16462 place it in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, which is respectable for a card that is now end-of-life.

The GPU's memory configuration is critical for To The Core at 4K. With 8 GB of VRAM, the card has enough capacity for high-resolution textures, but the bandwidth becomes a constraint. The 448.0 GB/s figure is modest by modern standards, and the FPS drops at 4K reflect this limitation. The 64 ROPs and 136 TMUs provide adequate pixel and texture throughput, but the 105.6 GPixel/s pixel rate is not sufficient for smooth 4K gaming at Ultra settings.

At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 61.9 FPS, which is borderline playable but not smooth. The 4K High result of 72.8 FPS is better, but still well below the 1080p High result of 191.5 FPS. The GPU's passmark_directx_12 score of 61 and passmark_directx_11 score of 130 show that DirectX 12 performance is weaker than DirectX 11, which may explain why the game's Ultra settings, which likely use more advanced features, cause a larger performance hit. The geekbench_opencl score of 87670 and geekbench_vulkan score of 83503 indicate that the card is capable in compute workloads, but this does not translate to better frame rates in this specific game.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 1219th out of 1756 tested combinations in To The Core, placing it in the 31st percentile of all tested systems. This is a low ranking, but it is important to note that the database includes many high-end configurations. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 72 and the GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 63 suggest that both components are above average individually, but their combination does not boost the system's overall ranking in this game.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its performance. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX scores 13534, just 0.1% higher than the i3-12100F's average benchmark score of 13516. This is surprising given the Threadripper's workstation pedigree, but it highlights how well the i3 performs in synthetic tests. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13462, a 0.4% delta, and the Intel Core i3-10105 scores 13430, a 0.6% delta. The i3-12100F is effectively on par with these chips in average benchmark score.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN scores 19706, just 0.3% below the RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 19774. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 scores 19680, a 0.5% delta, and the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 scores 19623, a 0.8% delta. This shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is positioned very close to these cards in raw compute, even though it is a generation older than the RTX 2070.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers strong frame rates across all settings. Low settings yield an average of 266.2 FPS, Medium yields 221.2 FPS, High yields 191.5 FPS, and Ultra yields 154.0 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system has ample headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors, with even the most demanding Ultra settings staying well above 144 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but start to show the GPU's limitations. Low settings average 179.6 FPS, Medium averages 152.5 FPS, High averages 132.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 108.2 FPS. The Ultra setting still clears 100 FPS, which is playable for most users, but the gap between Low and Ultra has narrowed compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 102.4 FPS, Medium averages 84.3 FPS, High averages 72.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 61.9 FPS. The Ultra result is below 60 FPS, which is a common threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that this combo is not ideal for 4K gaming at maximum settings. The Low setting at 4K is still playable, but users seeking a consistent 60 FPS at 4K will need to dial back to Medium or High settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with all settings delivering above 150 FPS. At 2560x1440, the combo still averages over 100 FPS on all settings except Ultra, which hits 108.2 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in this title?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low, the average is 102.4 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 84.3 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 61.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent across all settings, and the RTX 2060 SUPER's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM are insufficient for high pixel counts at Ultra settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1219th out of 1756 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom third of the database. The CPU ranks in the 72nd percentile and the GPU in the 63rd percentile, but their combination does not boost the overall ranking.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 179.6 FPS, while Ultra settings average 108.2 FPS. This represents a 40% performance drop when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 2070?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2070's score of 19680. The two cards are essentially tied in synthetic benchmarks.