To The Core

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 2643 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. That places this configuration in the 12th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning roughly 88% of tested setups delivered higher average frame rates. This is a bottom-tier result for a desktop platform, and the data suggests the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck.

The combo rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolution and settings combinations. With the Arc B390 sitting at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, the pairing's low standing is unsurprising. The CPU, by contrast, ranks at the 90th percentile among all processors, creating a massive imbalance. The data shows a system where the processor has substantial headroom, but the graphics solution caps the experience at entry-level performance levels.

Comparing the GPU's nearest rivals clarifies the situation. The Arc B390 posts an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463), 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460), 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446), and 2.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443). These are all legacy or ultra-low-end parts, and the Arc B390 only marginally outperforms them. In To The Core, an idle game that is not graphically demanding, this GPU still manages only modest frame rates at higher settings.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory across a dual-channel bus, and it integrates UHD Graphics 770.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 24491, while the single-core score is 2064. Geekbench results show a multicore score of 16673 and a single-core score of 2491. PassMark multithread testing yields a score of 38682, with single-thread performance at 4270. The CPU's average benchmark score is 48618, placing it at the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

The nearest CPU rivals show how tightly grouped this processor is with its competition. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, a delta of 0.3%. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, a delta of 0.7%. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, a delta of -0.8%. These deltas are all within 1%, indicating the i5-14600K is squarely in a competitive performance tier.

For To The Core, an idle genre game, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining a stable frame delivery floor. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the i5-14600K provides far more processing capability than this game type requires. The game's logic loops and background calculations are unlikely to stress even a fraction of the available threads. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures snappy single-threaded responses, which matters for UI interactions and game state updates common in idle games.

The data implies the CPU is never the limiting factor in this combo. At 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lightest, the combo reaches 147 FPS average. Even at this peak, the CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4270 suggests it could push far higher if the GPU allowed. The L3 cache of 24 MB shared across the chip provides ample room for game data that benefits from fast access, though an idle game's working set is typically small.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, drawing up to 80 W. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS.

Critically, the Arc B390 uses system shared memory for both its VRAM and memory bus. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the host system's main memory, which can introduce latency and bandwidth limitations. For an integrated part, this is typical, but it constrains performance in ways discrete GPUs avoid.

The GPU's benchmark presence is minimal, with only one recorded test: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, scoring 1482. This places the Arc B390 at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, as detailed earlier, are all NVIDIA parts from a much older era, and the deltas are small. The GT 520MX is from 2011, and the GT 710 is from 2014, yet the Arc B390 only leads them by 1.3% to 2.7%. This indicates the Arc B390 performs at a level comparable to decade-old entry-level discrete GPUs.

In To The Core, the GPU's limitations become apparent as settings and resolution increase. The game is not graphically intensive by modern standards, yet the Arc B390 struggles to maintain high frame rates at maximum settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 33, which is below the 41 FPS seen at 4K High. The GPU's 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are modest, and the shared memory architecture likely hampers texture throughput and frame buffer operations.

The boost clock of 2500 MHz is respectable for an integrated part, but the low base clock of 300 MHz suggests aggressive power management. The 80 W TDP is high for an iGPU, indicating the Arc B390 draws significant power under load. Still, the FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS is not enough to overcome the memory bandwidth constraints of a shared system memory configuration.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings levels, providing a full matrix of 12 data points. At 1080p, the combo delivers playable results across all settings. Low settings yield 147 FPS average, Medium 124 FPS, High 107 FPS, and Ultra 86 FPS. The Medium preset includes min and max values of 105 and 143 FPS, respectively, showing a 38 FPS spread. The 1080p numbers indicate the combo can handle this resolution comfortably, with even Ultra settings remaining above 60 FPS.

At 1440p, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 99 FPS, Medium 83 FPS (min 71, max 96), High 72 FPS, and Ultra 58 FPS. The Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting this resolution is borderline for the Arc B390 at maximum settings. The Medium preset's min of 71 FPS indicates occasional dips, but overall the experience remains fluid for an idle game.

At 4K, the GPU's limitations are stark. Low settings average 56 FPS, Medium 48 FPS (min 41, max 55), High 41 FPS, and Ultra 33 FPS. Every preset at 4K averages below 60 FPS, and Ultra drops to 33 FPS, which is half the 1080p Ultra result. The Minimum frame rates at 4K Medium (41 FPS) and the average at 4K High (41 FPS) coincide, suggesting the GPU is consistently hitting a performance ceiling rather than experiencing occasional stutters.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each settings tier costs a similar percentage of performance regardless of resolution. From Low to Ultra at 1080p, the drop is from 147 to 86 FPS, a 41.5% reduction. At 1440p, the drop is from 99 to 58 FPS, a 41.4% reduction. At 4K, the drop is from 56 to 33 FPS, a 41.1% reduction. This consistency indicates the GPU's relative scaling is stable across resolutions, but the absolute headroom shrinks as pixel count rises.

# Resolution Scaling

Examining how FPS scales from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 147 at 1080p to 99 at 1440p, a 32.7% decrease, and then to 56 at 4K, a 43.4% decrease from 1440p. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low is 61.9%. At Ultra settings, the progression is from 86 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p (a 32.6% drop) to 33 at 4K (a 43.1% drop), totaling 61.6% from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling is remarkably uniform across settings. The percentage drops from 1080p to 1440p are consistently around 32-33% for all presets, and the drops from 1440p to 4K are consistently around 43%. This uniformity suggests the GPU is the sole bottleneck, as CPU-bound scenarios would show less degradation at higher resolutions where the GPU takes longer per frame.

The 4K results are particularly telling. At 4K Low, the combo manages 56 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 33 FPS. The 4K pixel count is 4 times that of 1080p, yet the FPS does not quarter because the game's workload is not purely pixel-driven; idle games have fixed logic overhead that scales less than rendering load. Still, the Arc B390's shared memory architecture likely becomes a significant constraint at 4K, as the system RAM bandwidth must serve both CPU and GPU workloads.

The data indicates that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo in To The Core if the user wants to maintain 60+ FPS at most settings. Only Ultra at 1440p falls below 60 FPS. At 4K, no settings tier reaches 60 FPS, and the experience degrades noticeably. The limiting component is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's 90th percentile ranking and strong benchmark scores indicate it has ample headroom at all tested resolutions.

# FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in To The Core?*

A: The data shows 1080p is the only resolution where all settings presets exceed 60 FPS average. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 58 FPS, and at 4K, even Low settings only reach 56 FPS. For a consistently smooth experience, 1080p is the recommended resolution.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GT 710 (1443). These are marginal leads over much older hardware.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The GPU is decisively the bottleneck. The CPU ranks at the 90th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 9th percentile. The consistent FPS scaling across resolutions and settings, with uniform percentage drops, indicates the GPU's rendering limits dominate the results.

Q: What settings preset provides the highest frame rate at 4K?

A: Low settings at 4K deliver the highest average FPS of 56, compared to 48 at Medium, 41 at High, and 33 at Ultra. Even at Low, the 4K result falls below 60 FPS, highlighting the GPU's limitations at this resolution.

Q: How does the i5-14600K's performance compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, scores 48698, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470 (delta 0.3%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287 (delta 0.7%), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995 (delta -0.8%). All rivals are within 1% of the i5-14600K.

Q: What is the frame rate range for Medium settings at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. This represents a 25 FPS spread, indicating some variability but generally stable performance.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings balance depends on the target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1080p, all presets exceed 60 FPS, so users can choose Ultra at 86 FPS for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The jump from High (107 FPS) to Ultra (86 FPS) represents a 19.6% performance cost, which is acceptable for an idle game where visual polish may enhance the experience.

At 1440p, the Medium preset (83 FPS average, 71 FPS minimum) offers the best balance. It maintains a playable minimum above 70 FPS while providing better visuals than Low. High at 72 FPS is also viable, but Ultra drops to 58 FPS, which may cause noticeable judder on 60 Hz displays. For users prioritizing frame rate stability, Medium is the safest choice at 1440p.

At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS, so the recommendation depends on tolerance for lower frame rates. Low at 56 FPS is the closest to the 60 FPS target and provides the smoothest experience. Medium at 48 FPS offers a moderate visual upgrade but dips to 41 FPS minimums. High and Ultra at 41 and 33 FPS respectively are likely too sluggish for comfortable play, even in an idle game where twitch reactions are not required.

The data suggests this combo is best paired with a 1080p display. At that resolution, the full settings range is usable, and the GPU's limitations are hidden by the lower pixel count. For 1440p users, Medium settings provide the best compromise between visuals and performance. At 4K, the combo is not recommended, as even Low settings fall short of 60 FPS, and the experience will feel compromised regardless of preset choice. The uniform scaling pattern indicates these recommendations are stable, with the GPU consistently being the limiting factor across all tested configurations.