To The Core

The Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination delivers a robust experience in To The Core, with the data showing a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS data, component characteristics, and how this pairing ranks among tested configurations.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features a 12 MB shared L3 cache, with 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core. It supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-10400F demonstrates its multi-threaded capabilities. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10283 and the Geekbench multicore score of 6257 indicate solid parallel processing power. The PassMark multithread score of 12115 and the 3DMark 16-thread score of 4748 further confirm this. Single-thread performance is also respectable, with Cinebench R23 singlecore scoring 1451 and Geekbench singlecore scoring 1420. The processor's average benchmark score is 14185, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs.

The nearest rivals to the i5-10400F are closely matched in average score. The Intel Xeon 6756E scores 14163, a 0.2% difference, while the Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, a -0.3% difference. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115 (0.5% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277 (-0.6% delta). These close margins show that the i5-10400F sits in a competitive performance band, though its 6-core/12-thread configuration provides a distinct advantage for games that utilize multiple threads.

For To The Core, an idle genre game, the CPU's role is less about raw frame generation and more about maintaining consistent frame pacing. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 290 FPS on average. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at lower resolutions. The 12 threads ensure background tasks and game logic do not bottleneck the frame delivery. The 4.30 GHz boost clock helps with single-threaded tasks that idle games often rely on for simulation ticks. The 68th percentile ranking indicates the processor is above average, providing ample headroom for this title.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is a RDNA 4.0 architecture GPU, codenamed Strix Point, built on TSMC's 4 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. It also includes 28 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 1700 MHz, with a boost clock of 2990 MHz and a game clock of 2400 MHz. Memory runs at 2250 MHz, effective 18 Gbps.

In terms of compute, the RX 9060 delivers 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and matches that with FP16 at a 1:1 ratio. The pixel rate is 191.4 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 334.9 GTexel/s. The GPU has a TDP of 132 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 300 W. It connects via PCIe 5.0 x16 and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed profile. The PassMark G3D score is 17631, and the Geekbench OpenCL score is 88183. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3322. The average benchmark score is 16014, placing the GPU in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with a score of 16129 (-0.7% delta), the AMD Radeon R9 370X at 15862 (1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 7700 at 15852 (1% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 at 15679 (2.1% delta). The RX 9060 sits just below the RTX 3060 Ti, indicating comparable performance.

For To The Core, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is ample for the graphical demands of an idle game. The high boost clock of 2990 MHz allows for rapid processing of frame data, which is evident in the high FPS numbers at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 290, and even at 4K Ultra, it maintains an average of 66 FPS. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is sufficient for the textures and effects used in this title. The pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s ensures that fill-rate-heavy scenes are handled efficiently. The RX 9060's 59th percentile ranking suggests it is a mid-to-upper tier GPU, well-suited for this game's requirements.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 143 FPS at 2560x1440 resolution with High settings.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in the context of this game?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 singlecore score is 1451, while the multicore score is 10283. For To The Core, the high single-thread score ensures responsive game logic, while the multicore score of 10283 provides headroom for background tasks without impacting frame delivery.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 290, while at Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 171. This represents a 119 FPS difference between the two settings presets.

Q: Does the GPU outperform or underperform its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129. The delta is -0.7%, indicating the RX 9060 is slightly less powerful on average.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 80, with an average of 94 FPS and a maximum of 109 FPS.

Q: How many cores and threads does the Intel Core i5-10400F have?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers high frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 290. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 246, with a minimum of 209 and a maximum of 282. High settings yield an average of 213 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 171 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 119 FPS drop, indicating a significant performance cost for higher visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows a clear step down from 1080p. Low settings average 195 FPS. Medium settings average 165 FPS, with a minimum of 140 and a maximum of 190. High settings average 143 FPS. Ultra settings average 115 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 80 FPS, demonstrating a more moderate scaling curve than at 1080p. The minimum FPS at Medium settings (140) is still well above typical display refresh rates, ensuring smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance is the most demanding. Low settings average 112 FPS. Medium settings average 94 FPS, with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 109. High settings average 82 FPS. Ultra settings average 66 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is 46 FPS, which is the smallest absolute drop among the three resolutions. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor, as the relative cost of higher settings decreases. The minimum FPS of 80 at Medium settings indicates that even at 4K, the combo can maintain playable frame rates.

Across all resolutions, the measured data shows that Medium settings offer a balanced performance point, with average FPS of 246 at 1080p, 165 at 1440p, and 94 at 4K. The High settings preset provides a slight visual improvement over Medium but at a noticeable FPS cost, particularly at lower resolutions. Ultra settings are the most demanding, but still maintain an average above 60 FPS at all resolutions, with the lowest being 66 FPS at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1719 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. This places the pairing in the upper-middle portion of all tested configurations. The rank of 1719 indicates that there are 1718 combos that perform better, while 1272 combos perform worse. This position reflects the balanced nature of the CPU and GPU pairing, where neither component is a clear bottleneck.

The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs suggest that the combo is well-matched. The CPU is slightly stronger relative to its peers than the GPU, which means that in GPU-intensive scenarios, the GPU may be the limiting factor. However, the measured FPS data shows that the combo performs admirably, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU's strength can be fully utilized.

The combo rank of 1719 out of 2991 means that this pairing is in the 57th percentile of all tested combos. This suggests that while the i5-10400F and RX 9060 are not top-tier components, they are capable of delivering a solid experience in this title. The rank is influenced by the overall performance of the components, with higher-ranked combos likely featuring more powerful CPUs and GPUs. The data indicates that this combo is a mid-range option that provides good frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium settings average 246 FPS, which is 44 FPS lower than Low but 33 FPS higher than High. The minimum FPS of 209 at Medium settings ensures that frame drops are rare, providing a smooth experience. At 1440p, Medium settings average 165 FPS, with a minimum of 140, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. At 4K, Medium settings average 94 FPS, with a minimum of 80, which is still comfortably playable.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low settings at any resolution will provide the highest FPS. At 1080p, Low settings achieve 290 FPS, and at 1440p, they achieve 195 FPS. Even at 4K, Low settings maintain an average of 112 FPS. However, the visual quality trade-off may not be worth the FPS gain for most users, as the difference between Low and Medium is 44 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K.

For users prioritizing visual fidelity, Ultra settings are an option, but the FPS cost is significant. At 1080p, Ultra settings average 171 FPS, which is 75 FPS lower than Medium. At 1440p, Ultra averages 115 FPS, which is 50 FPS lower than Medium. At 4K, Ultra averages 66 FPS, which is 28 FPS lower than Medium. The data suggests that the visual improvements from Medium to Ultra are not justified by the substantial FPS drops, especially at lower resolutions. The High settings preset offers a middle ground, with average FPS of 213 at 1080p, 143 at 1440p, and 82 at 4K, but Medium settings provide a better frame-time consistency, as evidenced by the minimum FPS values.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend of decreasing performance as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 290 at 1080p to 195 at 1440p, and then to 112 at 4K. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 61% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 246 at 1080p to 165 at 1440p, and then to 94 at 4K. This is a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 62% drop from 1080p to 4K.

At High settings, the average FPS drops from 213 at 1080p to 143 at 1440p, and then to 82 at 4K. This is a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 62% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 171 at 1080p to 115 at 1440p, and then to 66 at 4K. This is a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 61% drop from 1080p to 4K. The consistent percentage drops across all settings presets indicate a uniform scaling pattern.

The fact that the FPS drops by roughly 33% from 1080p to 1440p and by roughly 61% from 1080p to 4K suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting component in this combo. The resolution scaling directly increases the pixel count, which places more demand on the GPU's pixel rate and memory bandwidth. The RX 9060 has a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, which are sufficient for 1080p but become more strained at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance, as measured by its benchmark scores, is less affected by resolution changes, as its workload remains relatively constant regardless of pixel count. This is confirmed by the data showing that the FPS drops are consistent across settings, indicating that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions.