To The Core

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D in To The Core is a study in extremes. The CPU is a six-core, six-thread Coffee Lake part from 2018, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It was designed for a time when 1080p gaming was the standard and 4K was a distant dream. The GPU, by contrast, is a current-generation Blackwell 2.0 behemoth with 21,760 shading units, a 512-bit memory bus, and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory. This is a combination that should theoretically be bottlenecked by the processor at lower resolutions, but the measured data in this specific idle game tells a more nuanced story.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Core i5-9400 brings six physical cores and six threads, a configuration that was the mainstream sweet spot for several years. Its 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are typical for the platform. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 935 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 6,629 points in multi-core. These numbers place it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating it is a middle-of-the-road processor in the current landscape. Its average benchmark score of 2,254 is nearly identical to rivals like the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2,259, -0.2%) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (2,264, -0.4%), showing that its compute capability is well understood.

For To The Core, an idle game, the demands on the CPU are likely minimal. The game's genre suggests that the primary computational load is on simple logic, timers, and UI updates rather than complex physics or AI. The i5-9400’s six threads are more than sufficient for these tasks. The data supports this: at 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 371 FPS. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p only drops the frame rate to 308 FPS, a decline of 63 FPS. This relatively small spread in performance across settings at 1080p is a classic sign that the CPU is not the limiting factor. If the processor were the bottleneck, we would see very similar FPS numbers regardless of the graphics settings, which is not the case.

Instead, the CPU appears to be keeping pace with the GPU's output demands. The fact that the i5-9400, despite its age, can feed the RTX 5090 D enough data to exceed 300 FPS at 1080p Ultra confirms the game's low CPU overhead. The processor's 65W TDP and end-of-life production status are historical facts, but its performance in this title is more than adequate. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU provides a stable foundation, with the FPS scaling directly with GPU load, a clear sign that the processor is not the primary constraint in this particular game.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combined system ranks 294th out of 2,991 tested configurations in To The Core. This places it in the top 10% of all combos, which is a strong showing given the aging CPU. The ranking is likely bolstered by the immense power of the GPU, which can brute-force its way through the game's rendering demands. The fact that this combo sits in the 294th spot, rather than higher, is almost certainly due to the CPU's limitations in other, more demanding titles, but within this specific game, its performance is commendable.

To contextualize this rank, consider that there are 2,697 other combos that rank below it. This means the i5-9400 + RTX 5090 D combination is faster than the vast majority of systems tested for this game. The data suggests that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting, pulling the overall score up. The CPU's percentile ranking of 47 is low, but the combo's rank of 294 out of 2,991 is high, demonstrating a significant synergy where the GPU compensates for the CPU's age. This is not a balanced build, but it is an effective one for this specific workload. The results show that for an idle game, the graphics card is the dominant factor in determining the final frame rate, and the CPU is sufficient to avoid becoming a significant drag on performance.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data provides a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 333 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 292 FPS, a decrease of 41 FPS or roughly 12%. Jumping to 4K High further reduces the frame rate to 188 FPS, a significant drop of 104 FPS from 1440p and 145 FPS from 1080p. This pattern of declining performance as resolution increases is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 5090 D is being asked to render more pixels, and its frame output decreases proportionally.

The data for Low settings reinforces this. At 1080p Low, the system hits 371 FPS. At 1440p Low, it produces 325 FPS, and at 4K Low, it drops to 256 FPS. The consistent scaling across all settings indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates at 1080p and 4K would be much closer together, as the CPU would be unable to feed the GPU faster frames regardless of the resolution. The fact that the FPS scales inversely with resolution proves that the GPU is the component being stressed. The CPU has enough headroom to provide instructions at 371 FPS, but the GPU cannot render the higher-resolution frames as quickly. This is a textbook example of a GPU-limited system, where the processor is more than capable of keeping up with the graphics card's demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1080p, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset yields an average of 371 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 350 FPS with a minimum of 297 FPS and a maximum of 402 FPS. High settings produce 333 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a very smooth 308 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the user can enable the highest settings and still enjoy a frame rate well above the refresh rate of any standard monitor. The spread between Low and Ultra is only 63 FPS, which is a relatively small gap, suggesting that the game is not heavily taxing the GPU at this resolution.

Moving to 1440p, the performance remains incredibly high. The Low preset produces 325 FPS, Medium averages 306 FPS with a minimum of 260 FPS and a maximum of 352 FPS, and High settings yield 292 FPS. The Ultra preset still delivers a very playable 265 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but not severe, with the Ultra preset losing 43 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, as all settings remain above the 240 FPS threshold, ensuring a buttery-smooth experience on capable displays.

At 4K (3840x2160), the performance is still impressive but begins to show the GPU's workload. The Low preset produces 256 FPS, Medium averages 217 FPS with a minimum of 184 FPS and a maximum of 249 FPS, and High settings yield 188 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 151 FPS. While these numbers are lower than at lower resolutions, they are still exceptionally high for 4K. The game remains playable at all settings, and even the most demanding Ultra preset provides a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS standard for 4K gaming. The data shows a clear trend of diminishing returns as resolution increases, but the RTX 5090 D ensures that the experience is never compromised.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a powerhouse that defines the performance of this combo. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for high-resolution textures and demanding effects. The GPU's boost clock of 2407 MHz and its 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power are staggering figures. In synthetic tests, it scores 44,065 in Passmark G3D and 14,326 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 77,712 is close to rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, -1.6%), showing it is a top-tier performer.

In To The Core, the GPU's role is to render the game's visuals, and it does so with overwhelming force. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, with frame rates scaling directly with resolution. The 32 GB of VRAM is likely overkill for an idle game, but it ensures that there is no memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in, even at 4K Ultra settings. The GPU's immense compute power allows for high frame rates even at the highest settings. The data indicates that the RTX 5090 D is not the bottleneck; it is the component that is pushing the system to its high ranking. The GPU's performance is so strong that it more than makes up for the CPU's age, allowing this combo to achieve frame rates that would be impossible with a less capable graphics card.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For users with a 1080p or 1440p high-refresh-rate monitor, the Ultra preset is the obvious choice. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 308 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra, it manages 265 FPS. Both of these figures are far above the 144Hz or 165Hz refresh rates that are common on modern gaming monitors. The data shows that there is no reason to drop to a lower preset at these resolutions, as the GPU has ample headroom to handle the highest settings without compromising the frame rate. The difference between Ultra and High at 1440p is only 27 FPS, but the visual fidelity improvement from Ultra is often worth the minor performance cost.

At 4K, the choice is more nuanced. The Ultra preset produces 151 FPS, which is still very smooth and suitable for a 144Hz 4K display. If a user is sensitive to frame rate drops, the High preset at 188 FPS offers a more significant performance buffer. The Medium preset at 217 FPS is also a strong option, but the jump in visual quality from Medium to High is typically more noticeable than the jump from High to Ultra. Given the data, the High preset at 4K provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, offering a 37 FPS improvement over Ultra while likely delivering a nearly identical visual experience. For those who prioritize absolute smoothness over maximum detail, the Medium preset at 4K is a viable choice, but the High preset is the recommended starting point based on the measured rows.