To The Core

To The Core is an idle game that rarely stresses modern hardware, but the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination reveals a system with enormous headroom. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings, indicating that this pairing is far more powerful than the game requires, making it a choice for users who prioritize maximum smoothness and future-proofing over cost efficiency.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in this game?

A: This specific combination ranks 358th out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the top 20% of all systems measured for To The Core.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49367, which is 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K's score of 49166. It also edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X by 0.6% and the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 1.4%.

Q: What is the performance difference between the GPU and its closest rival?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070's average benchmark score is 41687, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300's score of 41610. It also leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 by 0.6%.

Q: What is the best performance measured at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 464.9 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset.

Q: What is the performance drop from Low to Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops from 181.7 FPS on Low settings to 107.8 FPS on Ultra settings, a significant reduction of 73.9 FPS.

Q: Does the game leverage the CPU's multi-core capabilities?

A: The CPU has 14 cores and 20 threads with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 32889. The high frame rates at all resolutions suggest the game does not bottleneck on this processor's single-thread or multi-thread performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is built on the Raptor Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node. It features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This configuration provides substantial parallel processing power, reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and Geekbench multi-core score of 15636.

For a game like To The Core, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, simulation, and draw calls. The data shows that even at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work, the frame rates scale linearly with settings, indicating the CPU is not a limiting factor. The 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that this processor is in the top tier for overall performance, which translates directly to the high minimum frame rates seen in this title.

The single-core performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4643 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4273. This is relevant for idle games that may have a primary simulation thread that dictates the pace of the game. The 20 threads also ensure that background tasks won't interfere with the game's performance. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample fast storage for frequently accessed data, further reducing potential stutters.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 358 out of 1756 tested combos places it in the 80th percentile of all configurations tested for To The Core. This is a strong position, indicating that the i5-14600KF and RTX 5070 pairing is capable of delivering top-tier performance. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as its performance is on par with or better than its nearest rivals, including the AMD EPYC 4345P which has a higher average score of 49595.

The GPU's rank of 83rd percentile among all GPUs, combined with the CPU's 93rd percentile, suggests a balanced system where neither component is severely holding back the other. The measured FPS data supports this, showing high average frame rates at all resolutions and settings. The rank is not near the top of the list, which likely includes systems with even more powerful components, but the performance gap in actual gameplay is minimal given the high absolute FPS numbers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. On Low settings, it averages 464.9 FPS. This drops to 391.9 FPS on Medium, 342 FPS on High, and 277 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that even at the highest settings, the frame rate is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very high. Low settings produce an average of 314.5 FPS, Medium yields 262.5 FPS, High gives 232.3 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a strong 186 FPS. This resolution is where the system truly shines, providing excellent smoothness with no compromises.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers playable frame rates. Low settings average 181.7 FPS, Medium averages 148.5 FPS, High averages 128.8 FPS, and Ultra dips to 107.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 73.9 FPS drop at this resolution, which is a significant percentage reduction but still results in a very playable experience. The data reveals that the gap between Low and Ultra settings is consistent across resolutions, suggesting a balanced workload between CPU and GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node. It has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The GPU has 6144 shading units and a boost clock of 2512 MHz. Its Passmark G3D score of 29137 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5077 indicate strong rasterization performance.

In To The Core, the GPU's role is primarily to render the game's visuals. The benchmark results show that the RTX 5070 is more than capable of handling this task. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the texture and geometry data at all settings, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates. The GPU's performance relative to its rivals is noteworthy; it outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 by 0.6% in average benchmark score, despite being a newer generation card with different memory architecture.

The frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K (from 181.7 to 107.8 FPS) indicates that the GPU is the primary factor in this performance change. The high memory bandwidth and fast clock speeds ensure that the GPU can feed data to the cores quickly, preventing bottlenecks. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are not heavily utilized in an idle game, but they contribute to the card's overall capability and the high DirectX 12 and Vulkan scores.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the system provides an excellent experience at any setting. For users with high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p monitors, the High settings preset is recommended. At 2560x1440, High settings yield an average of 232.3 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz or 165 Hz refresh rates of most gaming monitors. This provides a perfect balance of visual quality and performance.

For 4K users, the High settings preset at 3840x2160 offers an average of 128.8 FPS, which is suitable for 120 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 4K still delivers 107.8 FPS, making it a viable option for those who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate. The Medium preset is the most balanced for 4K, providing 148.5 FPS, which gives additional headroom for any potential dips in more demanding scenes.

The Low settings preset provides the highest frame rates, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. Given that the game is an idle title, the visual experience is likely part of the appeal, so the Medium or High presets are better choices. The data suggests that High is the "sweet spot" for this combination, offering a substantial improvement in visuals over Medium with only a modest drop in frame rate. For users with variable refresh rate monitors, any preset above 60 FPS will provide a smooth experience, making even the Ultra preset a solid choice at 4K.