To The Core

Launched in February 2024, To The Core is an idle game that places minimal strain on modern hardware, yet the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 shows a combination capable of extreme frame rates across all tested resolutions and presets. The measured results, taken directly from the FACT PACK, indicate that this setup is firmly in the upper echelon of tested configurations, ranking 84 out of 1756 total combos. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, while the CPU’s 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for the game’s logic, even at 4K Ultra settings where the average frame rate still exceeds 130 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: What is the combo's overall rank among all tested hardware combinations in To The Core?*

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination ranks 84th out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the top 5% of all configurations.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508. It is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-12800H (score 32513, delta 0%), and is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (score 32446). It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H by 0.2% each, both scoring 32584 and 32586 respectively.

Q: What is the GPU's standing relative to other graphics cards in the database?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 59188 and sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A570M, scores 58239, meaning the RTX 5080 is 1.6% faster in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: What are the best and worst measured frame rates for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 569.5 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest average FPS is 131.4 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the frame rate drops from 223.7 FPS on Low to 131.4 FPS on Ultra, a clear sign that the GPU's workload is scaling with settings. The CPU’s 4.70 GHz boost clock and 20 MB of shared L3 cache appear sufficient, as the GPU remains the primary performance driver.

Q: Does the game utilize the CPU's high single-thread performance?

A: Yes, the CPU’s single-core Cinebench R23 score of 3093 and Geekbench single-core score of 2333 indicate strong per-thread capability. This helps maintain high frame rates even at 1080p Low, where the average FPS reaches 569.5, suggesting minimal CPU bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from Intel’s Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture and manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The chip features a 20 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core, alongside 80 KB of L1 cache per core. These specifications place the processor in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32508.

For To The Core, an idle game, the CPU’s role is primarily to manage game logic, background simulations, and frame pacing. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested setting. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 569.5 FPS, which is substantially higher than at 4K Ultra (131.4 FPS), indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor. The processor’s multi-threaded performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and a Passmark multithread score of 25783, ensures that even complex idle-game calculations do not stall frame delivery.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the Intel Core i7-12800H (delta 0%), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (delta 0.2%), and AMD Ryzen 7 250 (delta -0.2%). These negligible differences suggest that the i5-14400F delivers compute power on par with those chips, which is more than adequate for an idle title. The data shows that at 2560x1440 Ultra, the combo still produces 231.2 FPS, a figure that would remain playable even on high-refresh monitors, further confirming that the CPU’s 16 threads are not a limiting factor. The processor’s 65 W TDP also implies efficient operation, though thermal headroom is not a concern given the game’s low CPU utilization pattern.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using TSMC’s 5 nm process, and features 10752 shading units, 336 tensor cores, and 84 RT cores. It comes with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 2295 MHz, with a boost clock of 2617 MHz, and it has a TDP of 360 W. In the database, the RTX 5080 ranks in the 89th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 59188.

In To The Core, the GPU is the dominant component. The measured frame rates scale almost linearly with settings at each resolution. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 223.7 on Low to 188 on Medium, then to 166.5 on High, and finally to 131.4 on Ultra. This pattern shows that the RTX 5080’s 16 GB VRAM and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the game’s graphical demands, but the rendering load increases with preset quality. At 2560x1440, the same progression yields 395.2, 332.9, 290.7, and 231.2 FPS for Low through Ultra, respectively. At 1920x1080, the frame rates reach 569.5 FPS on Low and 347.2 FPS on Ultra.

The GPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A570M, which has a lower average score (58239 vs 59188), meaning the RTX 5080 is 1.6% faster. The Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326) is 1.9% faster, while the Intel Arc A580 (57756) and AMD Radeon Pro W5500X (57661) are 2.5% and 2.6% slower, respectively. For an idle game, the RTX 5080’s raw compute power is overkill, but the data confirms that it delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all settings, with no signs of memory or bandwidth limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination holds a rank of 84 out of 1756 tested combos in To The Core. This places it in the top 4.8% of all configurations, a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The fact that the combo ranks this high despite the game’s low system requirements suggests that the GPU’s performance is the key driver, as the CPU’s benchmark percentile (88) is slightly lower than the GPU’s (89).

The combo’s aggregate performance, as measured by the GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 8637 and Passmark G3D score of 36565, indicates that the RTX 5080 is capable of handling far more demanding titles. In To The Core, the frame rates at 4K Ultra (131.4 FPS) are still above typical 60 FPS targets, while at 1080p Low (569.5 FPS), the system is clearly not constrained by either component. The rank of 84 suggests that only a handful of other configurations, likely those with even faster CPUs or multiple GPUs, can outperform this setup in this specific title.

It is importantly the CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H, has an almost identical average score (32513 vs 32508), meaning the choice of CPU has minimal impact on the overall combo ranking. The GPU’s deltaPct of 1.6% over the Intel Arc A570M is more significant, but still small in absolute terms. Overall, this combo delivers top-tier performance in To The Core, with the data showing that it can easily max out most high-refresh-rate displays at 1440p and provide smooth 4K gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this combo depends on the resolution. At 1920x1080, all settings produce frame rates above 340 FPS, with Low hitting 569.5 FPS. The Ultra preset yields 347.2 FPS, which is still far beyond any display refresh rate, so users can safely select Ultra for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 290.7 FPS, while Ultra drops to 231.2 FPS. Both are excellent, but the data suggests that High is a better choice if the user prefers a higher frame rate buffer, as the difference between High and Medium is only 42.2 FPS (290.7 vs 332.9). For most 1440p monitors capped at 240 Hz, the Ultra setting (231.2 FPS) is sufficient, but High offers more headroom.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The High preset averages 166.5 FPS, while Ultra drops to 131.4 FPS. Medium sits at 188 FPS, and Low at 223.7 FPS. For a 4K 120 Hz display, the High preset is recommended, as it provides a comfortable margin above 120 FPS. The Ultra preset, while still playable at 131.4 FPS, offers diminishing returns in visual quality for an idle game. Given that To The Core is a low-stress title, the High preset at 4K is the best balance, delivering 166.5 FPS without pushing the GPU to its limits. The data shows no min FPS values, but the average frame rates are consistently high, indicating a stable experience across all tested configurations.