To The Core

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers remarkably high frame rates in To The Core, an Idle genre title. The measured data shows this pairing is capable of pushing well beyond standard high-refresh display limits across all tested resolutions and settings. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on how each component contributes to the final FPS figures and what those numbers mean for your gaming experience.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 477.6, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does this system maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 110.1 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which remains comfortably above standard 60 FPS thresholds.

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

A: The i7-12700K scores 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.7% lower than the Intel Core i5-14500HX, but it is 0.6% faster than the Intel Core i7-13700T and 0.8% faster than the Intel Core i7-13800H.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the difference is 133.4 FPS, with Low settings producing 322.5 FPS and Ultra producing 189.1 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER's memory bandwidth sufficient for this game's data demands?

A: The GPU features 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth across a 192-bit bus with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, which is sufficient to sustain the high frame rates observed even at 4K.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rates in To The Core, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU's 1980 MHz base clock and 2475 MHz boost clock provide the raw processing speed needed to handle the rendering workload. With 7168 shading units and 224 texture mapping units, the card has substantial parallel processing power. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which appears more than adequate for this title, as evidenced by the frame rates not collapsing at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark results are strong. It scores 29995 in Passmark G3D and 192684 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 42576 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A6000, which it trails by only 0.2%. It also sits just 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE. This level of performance translates directly to the high average FPS figures seen in the measured data. For an Idle game, which typically does not stress GPU geometry or pixel fill rates as heavily as action titles, the RTX 4070 SUPER is clearly overprovisioned, allowing it to maintain high frame rates even when settings are cranked up.

The GPU's 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a strong indicator of its capability. The pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s ensure that even at 3840x2160, the card can fill the screen with detail without becoming a bottleneck. The data shows that at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 75.8 FPS (185.9 vs 110.1), which indicates that the GPU is still responsive to settings changes, but even the most demanding preset leaves plenty of performance headroom.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K plays a supporting role in To The Core, ensuring that the GPU is never starved of data. With 12 cores and 20 threads, this Alder Lake processor provides ample multi-threaded throughput for game logic and background tasks. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz offer strong single-threaded performance, which is often critical for game simulation. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates solid performance. It scores 29241 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4128 in single-core, with a multi-thread score of 34404 in Passmark. Its average benchmark score is 35684, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. This is a very strong result, and it sits in a tight pack with its nearest rivals. The deltaPct values are all within 1.6% of its score, showing that the i7-12700K is firmly in the middle of a competitive field of high-end processors.

The CPU's performance is more than sufficient for To The Core. The game's Idle genre means it likely does not require the absolute maximum CPU throughput, and the measured FPS figures suggest that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at all resolutions. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 9276 and the 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043 indicate a balanced processor that can handle both lightly and heavily threaded workloads. The data implies that the CPU is not holding back the GPU, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution changes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high. Low settings produce an average of 477.6 FPS, Medium delivers 405.7 FPS, High yields 350.9 FPS, and Ultra still manages a very playable 286.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 191.5 FPS, showing the full range of GPU scaling.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers remain impressive. Low settings average 322.5 FPS, Medium hits 275.3 FPS, High reaches 240.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 189.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 133.4 FPS. At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more moderate but are still high. Low settings average 185.9 FPS, Medium produces 155.2 FPS, High yields 136.8 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 110.1 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 75.8 FPS.

The data shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER is powerful enough to handle even the most demanding preset at 4K, as the 110.1 FPS average at Ultra is well above the 60 FPS standard. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent, with each resolution step reducing frame rates by a similar proportion. The GPU's performance is the dominant factor, as the CPU's capabilities are not challenged by the frame rates observed.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant but not drastic, indicating that the GPU is heavily utilized. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 477.6 at 1080p to 185.9 at 4K, a reduction of 61.1%. At Medium settings, the drop is from 405.7 to 155.2, a 61.7% reduction. High settings see a drop from 350.9 to 136.8, a 61.0% reduction, and Ultra settings drop from 286.1 to 110.1, a 61.5% reduction.

The consistency of this percentage drop across all settings is a key finding. It suggests that the workload scales linearly with pixel count, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates at 1080p would not be as high as they are, and the drop to 4K would be less pronounced. The fact that the frame rates at 1080p are so high (above 286 FPS even at Ultra) and the drop to 4K is uniform points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck.

This analysis is supported by the CPU's benchmark scores, which are strong but not extraordinary. The i7-12700K is capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the 477.6 FPS result, but the GPU's rendering capacity is what ultimately limits the frame rate. At 4K, the GPU is working harder, and the frame rates scale down accordingly. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 198.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are clearly sufficient to handle the data throughput required at all tested resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on your display's refresh rate. For a 144Hz monitor, High settings at 3840x2160 provide an excellent experience, with an average of 136.8 FPS. This offers a great balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, staying above the 144Hz threshold in most scenes. If you have a 240Hz monitor, 2560x1440 with High settings delivers 240.1 FPS, which is nearly perfect for that refresh rate. Pushing to Ultra at this resolution yields 189.1 FPS, which is still very high and might be preferable if you want maximum visual quality.

For 1080p users with very high refresh rate displays (360Hz+), the data shows that Medium settings at 405.7 FPS or High settings at 350.9 FPS are the best options. These settings provide a massive frame rate buffer, ensuring that the display is always saturated. Ultra at 1080p produces 286.1 FPS, which is still excellent but may not fully utilize a 360Hz panel. The data indicates that the GPU has enough headroom that you can prioritize visual quality without sacrificing playability. At 4K, the choice is between High at 136.8 FPS and Ultra at 110.1 FPS; High is the recommended setting for competitive play, while Ultra is reserved for those who prefer maximum detail over raw frame rate. The RTX 4070 SUPER is so powerful that even the most demanding configuration produces frame rates that are the envy of most systems.