To The Core

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a remarkably fluid experience in To The Core, an idle game that clearly favors high frame rates over raw graphical fidelity. The measured data shows this combination is far from a bottleneck at standard resolutions, with average frame rates soaring past the 200 FPS mark at 1080p and maintaining triple-digit performance even at 4K. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the provided measured data.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in To The Core?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 290.4 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution across different settings?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 66.3 FPS on Ultra settings to 111.3 FPS on Low, with High and Medium settings producing 81.6 FPS and 93.3 FPS respectively.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between 1440p and 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial jump. At 1440p High, the average is 140.8 FPS, while at 1080p High it rises to 216.1 FPS, representing an increase of over 75 FPS for the same settings.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded in the dataset?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 66.3 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the only configuration in the dataset that drops below the 70 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1097 out of 1756 total tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the benchmark database for this specific title.

Q: Does the game show a linear scaling between settings presets?

A: No, the scaling is not linear. For example, at 1440p, moving from Low (194.1 FPS) to Medium (163.3 FPS) is a drop of 30.8 FPS, while moving from Medium to High (140.8 FPS) is a drop of 22.5 FPS, and High to Ultra (112.5 FPS) is a drop of 28.3 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 14nm process. Its base clock of 2.60 GHz can boost up to 4.40 GHz, and it carries a 12 MB shared L3 cache. In the context of To The Core, an idle game, the CPU's single-thread performance is likely the primary driver of the high frame rates observed, as such titles typically rely less on multi-core scaling.

Benchmark data for the CPU shows a strong single-core showing with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2029 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1979. Its multi-core capabilities are also respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14372 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 7579. The CPU sits at the 75th percentile among all tested processors, and its average benchmark score of 17181 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (17189) and Intel Core i7-1260P (17212), with delta percentages hovering around zero.

The processor's 12 threads and 4.40 GHz boost clock ensure that even in scenes with numerous entities—common in idle games—the CPU can maintain high frame pacing. The measured FPS data suggests no CPU-bound limitation is present, as even at 1080p Low (290.4 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (174.6 FPS), the frame rates are exceptionally high, indicating the CPU is not a bottleneck in this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance of visual quality and performance varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset yields 216.1 FPS, which is already far beyond what most displays can show. The Ultra preset still delivers a very high 174.6 FPS, making the visual upgrade essentially free in terms of playability. The data indicates that at 1080p, users can safely select Ultra without worrying about frame rate dips.

At 2560x1440, the High preset (140.8 FPS) offers a strong experience, while Ultra (112.5 FPS) remains well above 100 FPS. For users with 144Hz displays, High is the recommended starting point, as it provides sufficient headroom. The Low preset at 194.1 FPS is unnecessary for typical 1440p monitors, but it shows the combo's capability.

The most critical decision comes at 3840x2160. Here, the High preset (81.6 FPS) and Medium preset (93.3 FPS) are both viable for 60Hz displays. However, the Ultra preset drops to 66.3 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less margin for error in complex scenes. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the High preset is the sweet spot, providing a 15.3 FPS improvement over Ultra while maintaining superior visual fidelity to Medium.

The Low preset at 4K (111.3 FPS) shows that the GPU has significant headroom, but the visual compromise is likely too steep for most users. The benchmark results indicate that High settings at 4K provide the best balance of performance and visual quality, with Medium as a fallback if frame rates are prioritized.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1097 out of 1756 tested combinations in To The Core. This position places it in the 62nd percentile of all combos, meaning roughly 37% of tested systems perform worse. Given the high absolute frame rates measured, this ranking is likely influenced by the presence of newer, higher-end components in the database rather than any deficiency in this specific pairing.

The CPU's individual performance is competitive, with its average benchmark score of 17181 nearly matching the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (17189) and Intel Core i7-1260P (17212). The GPU also holds its own, with an average benchmark score of 22206, placing it close to the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307) and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (21670). The delta percentages for the GPU's nearest rivals are small, ranging from -2.3% to +2.5%, indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER is a well-balanced performer.

The combo's rank of 1097 suggests that while it is not at the top of the charts, its measured FPS in To The Core are exceptionally playable at all tested resolutions. The data implies that the combination is well-matched, with neither component severely limiting the other in this title, and its ranking is a reflection of the broader competitive landscape rather than a comment on its absolute capability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12nm process at TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In To The Core, the GPU's role is clearly performance-driven, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling across settings. At 1080p, the GPU delivers between 174.6 FPS (Ultra) and 290.4 FPS (Low), showing that the GPU is far from saturated at this resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 115.8 FPS, highlighting the GPU's ability to handle increased graphical loads without significant frame rate collapse.

At 1440p, the GPU continues to perform strongly, with a spread of 81.6 FPS between Low (194.1 FPS) and Ultra (112.5 FPS). The transition to 4K shows more strain, with the Ultra preset dropping to 66.3 FPS, yet the Low preset still manages 111.3 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this title, as no memory-related bottlenecks are evident in the data.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its capability, with a Passmark G3D score of 18169 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 98316. Its percentile ranking of 65 among all GPUs, combined with an average benchmark score of 22206, positions it as a solid mid-to-high-range performer. The data shows that in To The Core, the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rate scaling, with the CPU playing a supporting role that never limits the GPU's output.