To The Core

The data for To The Core with the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but reveals CPU headroom at 1080p. The measured frame rates across all twelve settings combinations provide a clear picture of where this combo excels and where it begins to strain.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a predictable but steep performance curve. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 240.1 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops that figure to 161.4 FPS, a reduction of roughly one-third. The climb to 3840x2160 Low yields 94.5 FPS, which is less than 40% of the 1080p result. This pattern strongly indicates that the RTX 2060 is the limiting component as pixel count rises.

The scaling behavior changes with the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the system delivers 140.2 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, that falls to 97.3 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it drops to 55.3 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is larger on Ultra (about 61% reduction) than on Low (about 61% reduction as well), which suggests the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are saturated uniformly regardless of the graphics load. Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 99.9 FPS, but at 4K that gap narrows to 39.2 FPS. This compression at higher resolutions is the classic signature of a GPU that runs out of shader throughput and memory bandwidth before the CPU can become a factor.

The 1440p results sit in a comfortable middle ground. High settings at 2560x1440 produce 116.9 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows that this resolution is the sweet spot for the combo, as even the most demanding Ultra preset at 1440p maintains 97.3 FPS. The 4K numbers, while playable at Medium (80.1 FPS) and High (67.8 FPS), indicate that the RTX 2060's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient but not abundant for the pixel workload.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the Core i5-10400F and RTX 2060 ranks 1418 out of 1756 tested combos for To The Core. That places it in the bottom 20% of all configurations, which is notable given the individual component scores. The CPU alone sits in the 73rd percentile against all processors, and the GPU holds the 58th percentile against all graphics cards. The combination ranking, however, suggests that the game's idle genre does not heavily reward the multi-threaded capabilities of this six-core, twelve-thread processor.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its standing. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores a 0.4% higher average, while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.8% lower. The Intel Core i5-8500 trails by 1.1%, and the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 is 1.2% behind. These deltaPct values are all within a narrow 2.6% band, indicating that the i5-10400F's performance is essentially average for its class in synthetic tests. For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S is 0.5% ahead, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700 are both 1.7% ahead, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.8% behind. The GPU's ranking is similarly clustered, which means the combo's low overall rank stems from the game's specific demands rather than any single component being a severe outlier.

The combo rank of 1418 out of 1756 translates to roughly the 19th percentile. This is not a poor result for an idle game, as many higher-ranked combos likely feature far more expensive hardware. The measured FPS data, however, shows that this system is never below 55.3 FPS at any tested setting, which contradicts what the low rank might suggest. The rank reflects relative standing against all other pairings, not absolute playability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 206.2 FPS, which is only 33.9 FPS below Low but provides noticeably better detail. At 2560x1440, Medium produces 138.4 FPS, comfortably above the 120 FPS mark for high-refresh displays. Even at 3840x2160, Medium maintains 80.1 FPS, which is smooth for most users.

The High preset is the next best option for users with 1440p monitors. It produces 116.9 FPS at that resolution, which is still excellent, but the jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 30.5 FPS (from 206.2 to 175.7). At 4K, High drops to 67.8 FPS, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K, as it falls to 55.3 FPS, and even at 1080p it only reaches 140.2 FPS, which is lower than the Medium result at 1440p. The performance cost of Ultra over High is consistent: roughly 20% fewer frames across all resolutions.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rate, Low at 1080p hits 240.1 FPS, which is ideal for esports-style responsiveness. However, the game's idle genre does not require such high refresh rates, so Medium is the recommended default for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the settings ladder shows clear separation. Low produces 240.1 FPS, Medium yields 206.2 FPS, High gives 175.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 140.2 FPS. The step between Low and Medium is 33.9 FPS, while the step from Medium to High is 30.5 FPS, and High to Ultra is 35.5 FPS. This consistent degradation of roughly 30-35 FPS per settings tier indicates the GPU is scaling linearly with the graphics workload at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers compress. Low delivers 161.4 FPS, Medium drops to 138.4 FPS, High reaches 116.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 97.3 FPS. The gaps between tiers are 23.0, 21.5, and 19.6 FPS respectively, showing a slight narrowing as the GPU becomes more stressed. At 3840x2160, the compression continues: Low gives 94.5 FPS, Medium gives 80.1 FPS, High gives 67.8 FPS, and Ultra gives 55.3 FPS. The differences are 14.4, 12.3, and 12.5 FPS, indicating that at 4K, the GPU is nearing its limits and additional graphical settings have diminishing returns on frame rate.

The 4K Ultra result of 55.3 FPS is the only measured value below 60 FPS, which is the traditional threshold for smooth gameplay. All other eleven configurations exceed 60 FPS, and eight of them exceed 100 FPS. This is a very strong showing for a game that is likely not graphically intensive given its idle genre.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is central to this combo's performance. Its benchmark scores reflect a mid-range card from the Turing generation. The PassMark G3D score of 14111 and average benchmark score of 16074 place it near the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996, 0.5% higher) and AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16351, 1.7% higher). The card's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which the measured FPS data suggests is adequate for this game at all tested resolutions.

The GPU's clock speeds are 1365 MHz base and 1680 MHz boost, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The 1920 shading units and 120 texture mapping units handle the game's rendering efficiently, as evidenced by the 240.1 FPS at 1080p Low. The card's 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die, manufactured on TSMC's 12 nm process, provide the compute horsepower needed for this workload. The 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are present but likely unused in an idle game, which does not typically employ ray tracing or DLSS.

The RTX 2060's percentile rank of 58 against all GPUs is modest, but its performance in To The Core is strong. The measured FPS at 4K High (67.8 FPS) indicates that the card has enough headroom for this title, even at the highest pixel count. The GPU's 160 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for this performance class, and the PCIe 3.0 x16 interface is not a bottleneck given the game's frame times.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run To The Core at 4K?*

A: Yes, all four 4K settings produce playable frame rates. Low gives 94.5 FPS, Medium gives 80.1 FPS, High gives 67.8 FPS, and Ultra gives 55.3 FPS. Only Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 1920x1080, all settings except Ultra exceed 144 FPS, with Low at 240.1, Medium at 206.2, and High at 175.7. At 2560x1440, only Low (161.4 FPS) and Medium (138.4 FPS) come close to or exceed 144 FPS.

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

A: The Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168, which is 0.4% lower than the AMD EPYC 7552, 0.8% higher than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, 1.1% higher than the Intel Core i5-8500, and 1.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter at all resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 240.1 FPS result is high, but the consistent FPS drops of roughly 30-35 FPS per settings tier indicate the GPU is working hard even at the lowest preset.

Q: What settings should I use for the smoothest experience?

A: Medium settings offer the best balance across all resolutions. At 1080p it delivers 206.2 FPS, at 1440p it gives 138.4 FPS, and at 4K it maintains 80.1 FPS. This preset provides strong frame rates without the performance penalty of High or Ultra.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 1418 out of 1756 tested combos for To The Core, placing it in the 19th percentile. Despite the low rank, the measured FPS data shows the system is highly playable at every resolution and settings combination.