To The Core

# 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 family, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It runs at a 2.90 GHz base clock and reaches a 4.30 GHz boost clock, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The CPU uses the Intel Socket 1200 platform, supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, and connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes. This is a desktop part with a 65 W TDP, unlocked multiplier disabled, and no integrated graphics.

For a game like To The Core, which falls into the Idle genre, the CPU's role is less about raw physics or simulation and more about sustaining game logic, background calculations, and ensuring the GPU is not starved of frames. The processor's multi-threaded benchmarks show a 3dmark_16_threads score of 4748 and a 3dmark_max_threads score of 4735, indicating that scaling from 8 to 16 threads (the latter test using all 12 threads) yields almost no additional performance — a hint that the chip's 6 physical cores are fully saturated beyond a point, but the game's workload does not heavily tax hyper-threading. Single-thread performance is moderate, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 688, yet that is sufficient for an idle game's tick rate.

In the context of this CPU's overall standing, it sits at the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14168. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552 (scoring 14115, which is 0.4% lower), the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (scoring 14277, which is 0.8% higher), and the Intel Core i5-8500 (scoring 14332, which is 1.1% higher). These deltas are tiny, meaning the i5-10400F's compute capability is tightly clustered with those parts, and any performance differences in-game will come down to how To The Core uses memory bandwidth and cache rather than raw core count.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10297 and single-core score of 1453 further illustrate that while it is not a flagship part, it provides a balanced throughput that can keep up with a high-end GPU at lower resolutions. The Passmark multithread score of 12115 and single-thread score of 2541 reinforce this. For To The Core, the data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck; instead, the combination with the GPU and the selected resolution/settings determines FPS. The CPU's 12 threads and 4.30 GHz boost are enough to drive frame rates well past 200 FPS at 1080p, as the measured rows show.

# How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 achieves a combo rank of 809 out of 1756 tested combinations in To The Core. That places it in the upper-middle portion of the database, meaning there are 809 other combos that perform better, but 947 that perform worse. Given that the CPU is from the 10th generation (2020) and the GPU is also from 2020, this is not a advanced pairing, yet it outperforms the majority of tested combos.

To contextualize the GPU side, the RTX 3070 sits at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro S7150 (scoring 28409, which is 0.6% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (scoring 27985, which is 0.9% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (scoring 27956, which is 1.0% lower). The GPU's architecture is Ampere, built on Samsung's 8 nm process, with 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. It also packs 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, though these are unlikely to matter for an idle game.

The combo's rank of 809 out of 1756 indicates that while the RTX 3070 is a strong performer, the i5-10400F holds it back in some scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU should be more dominant. However, the measured FPS data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the combo still produces playable frame rates. The rank is not a reflection of failure but of the competitive landscape; many combos use newer CPUs with higher single-thread scores that push frame rates further. Still, this pair is more capable than 54% of all tested combos, which is respectable for a mid-tier 2020 setup.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU's 73rd percentile and the GPU's 72nd percentile are well matched, but the combo rank slightly lags what those individual percentiles might suggest. This is because To The Core is not particularly demanding on either component, so the combo's rank is influenced by the wide spread of other hardware — some with much newer CPUs that excel in idle game loops. The data shows that the i5-10400F's 6 cores are not a severe liability, but the combo sits where it does due to the GPU's high potential being partially untapped at lower resolutions where the CPU caps out.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of how the combo scales from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p High settings, the combo averages 260.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, that drops to 175.5 FPS — a reduction of 32.6%. At 4K High, the FPS falls to 97.6, which is another 44.4% reduction from 1440p. The frame rate drops are substantial, but they point to the GPU becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases, since the CPU's workload (game logic, draw calls) stays constant while pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

Looking at Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 354.6 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. At 1440p Low, it drops to 240.3 FPS, a 32.2% decrease, and at 4K Low, it reaches 137.9 FPS, a 42.6% drop from 1440p. The fact that 1080p Low exceeds 350 FPS suggests that the CPU is not a hard bottleneck — the i5-10400F can push very high frame rates when the GPU has less work to do. However, the drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is still large, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being taxed.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is similar but the absolute numbers are lower. 1080p Ultra averages 211.3 FPS, 1440p Ultra averages 141.9 FPS (a 32.8% drop), and 4K Ultra averages 78.5 FPS (a 44.7% drop from 1440p). The percentage drops are remarkably consistent across settings — roughly 32% from 1080p to 1440p and 44% from 1440p to 4K — which indicates that the limiting component is the GPU across all settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the 1080p to 1440p drop to be smaller at lower settings (where the GPU has less work), but the consistent scaling suggests the RTX 3070's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are the primary constraints as resolution climbs.

The RTX 3070's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s are the likely culprits for the 4K performance drop. At 4K, the GPU must process over 8 million pixels per frame, and the measured FPS at 4K High (97.6) and 4K Ultra (78.5) reflect this load. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal — it maintains high frame rates at 1080p, but at 4K, the GPU's rendering pipeline is the limiting factor, which is why the combination still delivers playable results.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080 (Full HD), the combo achieves its highest frame rates across the board. Low settings yield 354.6 FPS, Medium settings yield 299.6 FPS, High settings yield 260.6 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 211.3 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 143.3 FPS, meaning Ultra costs about 40% of the Low setting's performance. This is a typical pattern for a GPU-bound game at 1080p, where the RTX 3070 is not fully taxed at Low settings, allowing the CPU to push frame rates to their maximum.

At 2560x1440 (Quad HD), the frame rates drop but remain high. Low settings average 240.3 FPS, Medium settings average 200.0 FPS, High settings average 175.5 FPS, and Ultra settings average 141.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 98.4 FPS, which is a 41% reduction from Low to Ultra — similar to the 1080p ratio. The data indicates that even at 1440p, the combo is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this resolution's demands.

At 3840x2160 (4K Ultra HD), the frame rates become more modest but still playable. Low settings average 137.9 FPS, Medium settings average 118.8 FPS, High settings average 97.6 FPS, and Ultra settings average 78.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 59.4 FPS, which is a 43% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the combo just barely stays above 75 FPS, which is acceptable for most displays. The data shows that the RTX 3070, with its 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance, can handle 4K in To The Core, but the i5-10400F's contribution is less critical at this resolution.

Comparing settings across resolutions, the highest single measurement is 354.6 FPS at 1080p Low, and the lowest is 78.5 FPS at 4K Ultra. The data is consistent: each resolution step reduces FPS by a similar proportion regardless of settings, confirming that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates. The CPU's 3dmark_4_threads score of 2560 and 3dmark_2_threads score of 1350 suggest that even lightly threaded workloads are handled well, which is why the i5-10400F does not bottleneck the GPU at any resolution tested.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for a balance of frame rate and visual quality?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at High settings provides 175.5 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. At this resolution, the combo delivers a smooth experience without the frame rate penalty seen at 4K, where High settings drop to 97.6 FPS. The 1440p High setting offers a 79.9 FPS advantage over 4K High, making it the most balanced choice.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-10400F bottleneck the RTX 3070 in this game?

A: The data suggests no severe bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 354.6 FPS, which indicates the CPU can feed the GPU with frames. The consistent scaling from 1080p to 4K (roughly 32% drop to 1440p and 44% drop to 4K) shows the GPU is the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the 1080p to 1440p drop would be smaller at Low settings, but it mirrors the drop at Ultra settings.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested combinations in the database?

A: The combo ranks 809 out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the 54th percentile. This is slightly lower than the individual percentiles of the CPU (73rd) and GPU (72nd), but it still outperforms 947 other combos. The rank reflects that many newer CPUs can push higher frame rates in this idle game, but the RTX 3070's strong GPU performance keeps this combo competitive.

Q: What is the highest FPS this combo can achieve?

A: The highest measured FPS is 354.6, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only setting where the combo exceeds 350 FPS, and it represents the ceiling for this pairing. At 1440p Low, the FPS drops to 240.3, and at 4K Low, it is 137.9.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the combo averages 97.6 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it averages 78.5 FPS. Both are above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. However, the 4K Low setting (137.9 FPS) offers the best performance if frame rate is the priority, while 4K Ultra provides the highest visual fidelity at a cost of 59.4 FPS compared to Low.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance affect the game's results?

A: The CPU's 3dmark_max_threads score of 4735 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10297 indicate solid multi-threading, but To The Core does not appear to scale with more threads, as the 16-thread score (4748) is nearly identical to the max-thread score. This means the game likely relies on fewer cores, and the i5-10400F's 6 cores are sufficient; adding more threads would not improve FPS.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the display's refresh rate and resolution. For 1080p displays, Ultra settings at 211.3 FPS are the clear choice, as they provide the highest visual quality while still exceeding 200 FPS — well above any 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor's capability. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 143.3 FPS, but the absolute number remains high, so there is no reason to sacrifice quality at this resolution.

For 1440p displays, High settings at 175.5 FPS offer the best balance. Ultra settings drop to 141.9 FPS, which is still above 144 Hz but leaves less headroom. Medium settings (200.0 FPS) provide a higher frame rate but with reduced visual fidelity. If the monitor is 144 Hz, High is recommended because it stays above 144 FPS with better graphics than Medium; if the monitor is 165 Hz, Medium might be preferable to stay above the refresh rate, but High's 175.5 FPS is already sufficient for most 144 Hz panels.

For 4K displays, the choice is more nuanced. High settings at 97.6 FPS are ideal for 60 Hz displays, as they provide a smooth experience with good visual quality. Ultra settings at 78.5 FPS are also playable but may show minor stutter on 120 Hz displays. Medium settings at 118.8 FPS are the best option for 120 Hz panels, as they stay above 100 FPS while maintaining decent visuals. Low settings at 137.9 FPS are only recommended for competitive play where frame rate is paramount, as the visual quality drop is significant for an idle game.

In summary, the data-driven recommendation is to prioritize 1080p Ultra or 1440p High for most users, as these settings offer the best combination of frame rate and visual fidelity. At 4K, High or Medium settings are viable depending on the display's refresh rate. The combo is versatile enough to handle all settings without dropping below 78 FPS, making it a capable pairing for To The Core across the entire resolution spectrum.