To The Core

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B580 occupies the 2,790th position out of 3,725 tested combinations for To The Core. This places the combo in the lower third of the database, suggesting that while it can run the game, it does not deliver top-tier performance relative to other pairings. The percentile data reinforces this: the CPU sits at the 68th percentile against all processors, and the GPU matches that exact 68th percentile against all graphics cards. The data implies a balanced but mid-range pairing, where neither component is the clear bottleneck, yet the overall combo rank indicates that many other systems will produce higher frame rates in this specific title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2,790 out of 3,725 is a strong indicator of its standing. It means that roughly 75% of all recorded combinations outperform it in To The Core. This is not a damning verdict, but it clarifies expectations. The i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14,185 places it within a tight cluster of rivals: it is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Xeon 6756E, 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552, but 0.3% behind the Intel Core 7 160UL and 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C. These deltas are negligible, showing that the CPU's compute capability is squarely average. The GPU, similarly, has an average score of 23,021, which is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, but 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 and 1% behind the NVIDIA P106-100. The performance envelope is consistent across both components, which explains the middling combo ranking. The data suggests that for an idle game like To The Core, the ranking is less about raw power and more about the efficiency of the pairing, and this pairing is competent without being exceptional.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and the BMG-G21 chip, using a 5 nm process from TSMC. It carries 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 2375 MHz, which translates to 19 Gbps effective. These specifications are crucial for To The Core, an idle game that likely relies on consistent memory throughput rather than extreme compute bursts. The GPU's base and boost clocks are identical at 2670 MHz, a flat clock curve that suggests stability under sustained load. With 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, the B580 offers a pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 13.67 TFLOPS, which is modest but sufficient for a game of this genre. The data shows that the GPU's 68th percentile ranking aligns with its measured performance. In To The Core, the GPU's role becomes evident when examining the FPS across settings: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 255 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 58 FPS. This 197 FPS swing indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance when settings and resolution are increased, as the CPU's compute headroom is less relevant in this workload.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 255 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 172 FPS, a reduction of 83 FPS (approximately 33%). At 4K Low, the average falls further to 98 FPS, another 74 FPS drop (approximately 43%). This trend shows that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, demanding more from the render pipeline. The Medium settings row provides additional insight: at 1080p, the average is 216 FPS with a minimum of 183 FPS and a maximum of 248 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 145 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 83 FPS. The min-to-max spread at 1080p Medium (183-248) narrows at 1440p (123-167) and tightens further at 4K (71-95), indicating that frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU becomes more saturated. The data implies that the CPU, with its 2.90 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost clocks, is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions, as the FPS scales almost linearly with resolution. However, the 58 FPS result at 4K Ultra suggests that the GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily, pushing the combo to its limits.

FAQ

*Q: What is the combo's overall rank in To The Core?*

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F with the Intel Arc B580 ranks 2,790 out of 3,725 tested combos, placing it in the lower third of all pairings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14,185. It is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Xeon 6756E and 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552, but 0.3% behind the Intel Core 7 160UL and 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C.

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to similar cards?

A: The Arc B580's average score is 23,021. It outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP by 0.2% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 by 0.6%, but trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 by 0.7% and the NVIDIA P106-100 by 1%.

Q: Which settings provide the highest frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 yields the highest average FPS at 255, followed by Medium at 216 FPS, High at 187 FPS, and Ultra at 150 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 456.0 GB/s bandwidth and a 2375 MHz memory clock. This configuration supports the high frame rates at 1080p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the average drops to 98 FPS on Low and 58 FPS on Ultra.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for performance differences?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 255 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 58 FPS. This 197 FPS drop indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for the game's demands.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 10th Gen processor built on the Comet Lake architecture, using a 14 nm process from Intel. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. These specifications are modest by modern standards, but for To The Core, an idle game, the CPU's role is less demanding. The benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 688 in 3dmark and 1,451 in Cinebench R23, which are adequate for the game's logic. The multi-thread performance is more robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10,283 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 12,115. The CPU's percentile ranking of 68th vs all CPUs indicates it is not a high-end part, but it is capable. In the context of the measured FPS, the CPU's 65 W TDP and 4.30 GHz boost clock do not appear to constrain performance, as the frame rates at lower resolutions are high. The data suggests that the CPU provides sufficient headroom for the GPU to operate, but the combo's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU's mid-tier performance rather than the CPU's limitations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience depends on the resolution target. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 255 FPS, which is excessive for most displays, but the Medium preset at 216 FPS offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, with a minimum of 183 FPS ensuring smooth gameplay. The High preset at 187 FPS is also viable, but Ultra at 150 FPS begins to show diminishing returns. For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 145 FPS is the sweet spot, as it maintains a high frame rate while providing better visuals than Low at 172 FPS. The High preset at 126 FPS is still playable, but Ultra at 101 FPS dips below the 120 FPS threshold that many users prefer. At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 98 FPS is the only option that exceeds 60 FPS, while Medium at 83 FPS and High at 72 FPS are acceptable for a less demanding game. Ultra at 58 FPS is below the 60 FPS standard and should be avoided. The data implies that Medium settings across all resolutions provide the most consistent experience, as it offers the only rows with min and max FPS values, indicating stable frame pacing. The recommendation is to prioritize Medium for a balanced experience, or drop to Low at 4K to maintain a playable frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 255 FPS, the highest recorded. Medium follows at 216 FPS, with a minimum of 183 FPS and a maximum of 248 FPS. High drops to 187 FPS, and Ultra falls to 150 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 105 FPS, showing a significant impact from settings. At 2560x1440, Low averages 172 FPS, Medium averages 145 FPS with a min-max range of 123-167 FPS, High averages 126 FPS, and Ultra averages 101 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with Low losing 83 FPS, Medium losing 71 FPS, High losing 61 FPS, and Ultra losing 49 FPS. This trend indicates that the GPU is handling the increased pixel load, but the gaps between settings narrow at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, Low averages 98 FPS, Medium averages 83 FPS with a min-max range of 71-95 FPS, High averages 72 FPS, and Ultra averages 58 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K is more severe: Low loses 74 FPS, Medium loses 62 FPS, High loses 54 FPS, and Ultra loses 43 FPS. The data shows that the combo is capable of high frame rates at 1080p, but at 4K, the GPU's 456.0 GB/s bandwidth and 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance become limiting. The Medium settings at each resolution provide the most complete data, with both min and max FPS recorded, suggesting that this is the intended performance tier for the combo.