To The Core

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in To The Core, with the data showing that the GPU is the primary engine driving frame rates across all tested configurations. The combination ranks 409th out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the top quarter of all systems benchmarked for this title. This positioning is notable given the CPU’s older Comet Lake architecture, suggesting that the RTX 5070’s Blackwell architecture compensates for any potential processor limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop is surprisingly moderate for an idle game. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves 344 FPS, which drops to 230.2 FPS at 1440p and further to 133.4 FPS at 4K. This represents a 61.2% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that while the GPU is heavily utilized, the game’s idle nature allows for exceptionally high headroom even at maximum resolution.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. The 230.2 FPS at 1440p High falls to 133.4 FPS at 4K High, a 42% decrease that strongly suggests the RTX 5070’s 192-bit memory bus and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed by the increased pixel count. However, even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains 108.1 FPS, which remains well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. This indicates that the limiting component at 4K is clearly the GPU’s raw rasterization throughput, not the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads.

Comparing Low settings across resolutions provides further insight. At 1080p Low, the system hits 388.9 FPS, which drops to 314.6 FPS at 1440p and 182.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low figure being less than half of the 1080p Low figure highlights that even with reduced graphical load, the 4K pixel count creates a substantial bottleneck. This pattern confirms that To The Core is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU contributing minimal overhead.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads to the pairing, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The CPU’s benchmark scores paint a picture of a processor that is adequate but not exceptional for modern gaming workloads. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 and single-core score of 1453 place it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, which is respectable for a 2020 release. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 4748 and 2-thread score of 1350 indicate that multi-threaded performance scales well, but single-thread performance is where the processor shows its age.

In the context of To The Core, an idle game, the CPU’s role appears minimal. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the system only reaches 388.9 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The processor’s PassMark single-thread score of 2541 and multi-thread score of 12115 are solid, but the game’s frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution and settings, a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The CPU’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s demands.

The nearest rival comparisons for the CPU show that it sits in a tightly packed field. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, a mere 0.4% difference from the i5-10400F’s average benchmark score of 14168, while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.8% higher at 14277. This clustering suggests that the i5-10400F is not a performance outlier, but rather a mid-pack processor that delivers consistent, predictable results. For an idle game like To The Core, this means the CPU is unlikely to create any unexpected bottlenecks.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate does the system achieve at 1080p Ultra?

A: The system delivers 276.2 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which is the lowest of the 1080p configurations but still far above display refresh rates for most monitors.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the frame rate drops from 344 FPS at 1920x1080 to 133.4 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 210.6 FPS or 61.2%.

Q: Is the RTX 5070 the limiting component at 4K?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates GPU-bound performance at 4K. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 yields 108.1 FPS, while Low settings only improve this to 182.1 FPS, showing that pixel throughput is the primary constraint.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the system at any tested resolution?

A: No. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the system reaches 388.9 FPS. The CPU’s 6-core, 12-thread configuration is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5070 across all tested configurations.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: The combination ranks 409th out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the top 23.3% of all systems benchmarked for To The Core.

Q: What is the difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce 264.3 FPS while High settings produce 230.2 FPS, a difference of 34.1 FPS that favors Medium for higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance across all settings. Low settings produce 388.9 FPS, Medium produces 369 FPS, High produces 344 FPS, and Ultra produces 276.2 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 112.7 FPS, indicating that the graphical settings have a meaningful but not overwhelming impact at this resolution. The 1080p results show that the RTX 5070 is capable of delivering frame rates well beyond what most displays can show, making this resolution almost trivial for the hardware.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally high but begins to show the GPU’s workload increasing. Low settings deliver 314.6 FPS, Medium 264.3 FPS, High 230.2 FPS, and Ultra 183.4 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 131.2 FPS, a larger absolute gap than at 1080p, reflecting the increased pixel count. The 1440p results indicate that users seeking maximum refresh rates should stick with Medium or High settings, while those prioritizing visual quality can still achieve over 180 FPS at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still strong but noticeably lower. Low settings produce 182.1 FPS, Medium 148.8 FPS, High 133.4 FPS, and Ultra 108.1 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that dips below 110 FPS, but it remains comfortably above 60 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each setting shows a consistent pattern: Low drops by 53.2%, Medium by 59.7%, High by 61.2%, and Ultra by 60.9%. This uniformity indicates that the GPU’s rendering pipeline is the dominant factor across all quality presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination achieves a rank of 409 out of 1756 tested combos for To The Core. This top-quartile placement is impressive given the CPU’s age and mid-tier positioning. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 14168 places it in the 73rd percentile of all processors, while the GPU’s average benchmark score of 41687 places it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. The combination of a 73rd-percentile CPU with an 83rd-percentile GPU results in a system that outperforms the majority of tested configurations.

The GPU’s nearest rivals provide context for its performance. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 41610, a 0.2% difference from the RTX 5070’s 41687, while the NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 41897, just 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 41441, 0.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro 580X scores 41991, 0.7% higher. These tight margins show that the RTX 5070 sits in a competitive performance band, but its 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth give it advantages in memory-intensive scenarios.

For the CPU, the nearest rival data shows a similar clustering. The AMD EPYC 7552 is 0.4% lower in average score, the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.8% higher, the Intel Core i5-8500 is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 is 1.2% higher. This grouping indicates that the i5-10400F is not a performance outlier, but its combination with the RTX 5070 produces a system that ranks in the top 25% for To The Core, suggesting the GPU carries the workload effectively.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience in To The Core. For users with 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 276.2 FPS is the recommended choice, as it delivers the highest visual quality while still maintaining frame rates far above any display’s refresh rate. The difference between Ultra and Low at this resolution is 112.7 FPS, but the visual benefits of Ultra likely outweigh the marginal frame rate gain for most players.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 264.3 FPS offers the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. The High preset at 230.2 FPS is also viable, but the 34.1 FPS difference between Medium and High makes Medium the superior choice for users with high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 183.4 FPS remains playable but offers diminishing returns for the additional GPU load.

For 4K displays, the High preset at 133.4 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium at 148.8 FPS, with only a 15.4 FPS penalty, while the Ultra preset at 108.1 FPS dips below 110 FPS. Users prioritizing maximum frame rates at 4K should select Medium, which delivers 148.8 FPS, but those seeking the best visual experience should accept the High preset’s 133.4 FPS. The Low preset at 182.1 FPS is only recommended for users with 144Hz or higher 4K displays who absolutely require maximum frame rates.