To The Core

The benchmark data for To The Core with the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 shows a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, with the CPU becoming a more significant factor as resolution increases. The measured frame rates across all settings and resolutions are exceptionally high, indicating that this pairing is well-suited for high-refresh-rate displays even at 4K. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, setting recommendations, and how this specific hardware combination behaves in this idle-genre title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy across the four quality presets at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is relatively small in absolute terms, but the scaling is consistent. Low produces 457.8 FPS, Medium drops to 430.3 FPS, High comes in at 412.5 FPS, and Ultra trails at 346.6 FPS. This means that the jump from Low to Ultra costs roughly 111 FPS, a 24.2% reduction in average frame rate. The data suggests that High is the optimal balance for 1080p, as it retains 412.5 FPS while providing substantial visual improvements over Low and Medium. The gap between High and Ultra is 65.9 FPS, which is notable, but the High preset still delivers a frame rate far beyond what any standard 1080p monitor can display.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with more pronounced gaps. Low achieves 396.1 FPS, Medium 331.3 FPS, High 288.4 FPS, and Ultra 230.3 FPS. Here, the High preset remains the recommended choice, offering 288.4 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of most 1440p gaming monitors. The Ultra preset at 230.3 FPS remains playable but represents a 58.1 FPS drop from High. For users with 144Hz or 165Hz displays, High is the clear winner, as it provides a comfortable margin above those refresh rates while avoiding the diminishing returns of Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the scaling becomes more critical. Low yields 225.9 FPS, Medium 187.4 FPS, High 167.8 FPS, and Ultra 135.3 FPS. The High preset is again the best experience, as it stays above 144Hz, which is the target for many high-end 4K displays. Ultra drops below 144Hz, making it less ideal for smooth motion. The data indicates that High is the universally recommended preset for this combo, as it maintains high frame rates at all resolutions without the significant performance cost of Ultra. The only scenario where Ultra might be considered is on a 120Hz 4K display, where 135.3 FPS still exceeds the panel's capability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this configuration, and its specifications explain the extraordinary frame rates. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This is paired with 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 render output units. The boost clock is 2617 MHz, with a base clock of 2295 MHz. These specs place the RTX 5080 in the 89th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 59188.

In To The Core, an idle game, the GPU's raw compute power is more than sufficient to handle the rendering load. The measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 457.8 FPS, which is likely near the engine's internal limits or the CPU's ability to feed the GPU. The GPU's high pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s contribute to its ability to push these numbers. The 16 GB VRAM is ample for any texture or asset size used in this title, and the GDDR7 memory bandwidth prevents any bandwidth bottlenecks, even at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the Intel Arc A570M (1.6% higher), Intel Arc Pro A60 (1.9% lower), and Intel Arc A580 (2.5% higher). These deltas are small, indicating that the RTX 5080 is positioned in a tight performance cluster. However, in this specific game, the RTX 5080's performance is exceptional, as evidenced by the measured FPS. The GPU's role is to provide headroom, and it does so decisively, as the CPU becomes the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 457.8, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: How does the Ultra preset at 4K compare to the Low preset at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces 135.3 FPS, while the Low preset at 1920x1080 produces 457.8 FPS. This represents a 322.5 FPS difference, or a 70.4% reduction in frame rate when moving to the higher resolution and quality settings.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. The Intel Core i5-11400F has a passmark single-thread score of 2981 and a 3dmark single-thread score of 868. The FPS gap between Low (457.8) and Medium (430.3) is only 27.5 FPS, and between Medium and High it is just 17.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom and the CPU is constraining the maximum frame rate.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 103rd out of 1756 tested combinations, placing it in the top 5.9% of all configurations.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 have enough VRAM for this game?

A: Yes, with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory, the RTX 5080 has far more VRAM than To The Core likely requires. The memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s also ensures that texture streaming and rendering are not hindered.

Q: What is the percentage difference in performance between the lowest and highest FPS at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the lowest FPS is 230.3 (Ultra) and the highest is 396.1 (Low). This is a 165.8 FPS difference, meaning the Ultra preset runs at 58.1% of the Low preset's frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a combo rank of 103 out of 1756 tested combinations in To The Core. This places the configuration in the 94.1st percentile, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of other hardware pairings tested. The rank is a holistic measure that accounts for performance across all settings and resolutions, and the data shows a consistently high level of performance.

The CPU, with an average benchmark score of 17181, sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (0% delta), Intel Core i7-1260P (-0.2%), and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (-0.2%). This indicates that the i5-11400F is a mid-range processor that does not bottleneck the RTX 5080 in this title, as evidenced by the high frame rates. The GPU, ranked in the 89th percentile, is the primary driver of the combo's strong overall rank. The combination of a capable mid-range CPU and a high-end GPU results in a top-100 finish, which is notable given that the CPU is not a flagship part.

The rank of 103 suggests that there are 102 other combinations that perform better, likely featuring more powerful CPUs that can push frame rates even higher at 1080p. However, for a 1440p or 4K gaming scenario, this combo's rank is likely higher, as the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The data supports the conclusion that this pairing is well-balanced for high-resolution gaming, where the RTX 5080's power is fully utilized.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the scaling behavior of this hardware combination. At the High preset, the average FPS goes from 412.5 at 1080p to 288.4 at 1440p, and finally to 167.8 at 4K. This represents a 30.1% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 41.8% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 59.3%. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering load increases significantly with resolution.

At the Low preset, the scaling is steeper. From 1080p (457.8 FPS) to 1440p (396.1 FPS), the drop is 13.5%. From 1440p to 4K (225.9 FPS), the drop is 43.0%. The larger drop at 4K indicates that the GPU is being stressed more heavily, but the frame rates remain high. The Ultra preset shows the most extreme scaling: 346.6 FPS at 1080p, 230.3 FPS at 1440p, and 135.3 FPS at 4K. This is a 61.0% total reduction from 1080p to 4K.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting component, as the FPS differences between settings are relatively small. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, as the FPS drops significantly with each increase in quality setting. The RTX 5080's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K, but the load is substantial. This scaling behavior is expected for a high-end GPU paired with a mid-range CPU, and it confirms that the best experience is achieved at 1440p or 4K with the High preset, where the GPU is fully utilized without being overburdened.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are as follows: Low 457.8, Medium 430.3, High 412.5, and Ultra 346.6. The spread between Low and Ultra is 111.2 FPS, with the Ultra preset offering 75.7% of the Low preset's performance.

At 2560x1440, the values are: Low 396.1, Medium 331.3, High 288.4, and Ultra 230.3. The spread here is 165.8 FPS, with Ultra providing 58.1% of Low's frame rate. This larger spread indicates that the GPU is becoming more stressed at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the values are: Low 225.9, Medium 187.4, High 167.8, and Ultra 135.3. The spread is 90.6 FPS, with Ultra delivering 59.9% of Low's performance. The absolute frame rates at 4K are still very high, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 135 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the High preset offers the most balanced experience, with frame rates of 412.5, 288.4, and 167.8 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. The data shows that this combo is capable of driving high-refresh-rate displays at any resolution, and the High preset is the recommended choice for the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Low preset provides the highest frame rates but sacrifices visual fidelity, while the Ultra preset offers the best visuals but with a significant performance cost, particularly at 4K.