To The Core

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a fascinating, if lopsided, performance profile in To The Core. This is a classic case where the processor is operating in a completely different league than the graphics solution, and the frame rate data reflects that bottleneck clearly. The combination ranks near the bottom of the database, but the actual gameplay experience varies wildly depending on how much you ask the GPU to do.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a severe penalty as resolution increases, which is a textbook indicator that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor in this system. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings drops the average frame rate from 97 FPS to 65 FPS, a reduction of 32 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 at High settings cuts the average down to 37 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p figure. This steep decline is not typical of a system where the CPU is the primary constraint; it points directly to the GPU struggling to fill an increasing number of pixels.

The scaling pattern remains consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the drop from 132 FPS at 1080p to 89 FPS at 1440p is a 43 FPS loss, and then it falls to 51 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory, going from 112 FPS at 1080p to 75 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 43 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, starting at 78 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 53 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 30 FPS at 4K. The consistent pattern of roughly halving the frame rate for every doubling of pixel count confirms that the Arc B370’s rendering throughput is the wall this combo hits.

The fact that the 4K results fall into the 30–51 FPS range across all settings is telling. Even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the GPU cannot maintain a smooth 60 FPS at 4K. This suggests that the Arc B370’s compute and memory resources are simply too limited for 4K gaming in this title. The 1440p results are more playable, hovering in the 53–89 FPS range depending on the preset, but they still show a significant performance cost compared to 1080p. For this specific pairing, 1080p is the only resolution where the GPU can consistently deliver high frame rates across all settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear performance ceiling in this configuration. Its benchmark data shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is an extremely low ranking, and its nearest rivals in the database are all legacy parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000. The delta percentages between these parts are minimal, with the Arc B370 trailing the HD 5770 by 0.5% and the HD 7650M by 0.7%, while leading the FirePro M2000 by 1.4%. This places the Arc B370 in the same performance tier as graphics cards from over a decade ago, which aligns with its low 5th percentile ranking.

The GPU’s architecture is Xe3-LPG on a 3 nm process, but its specifications reveal its limited scope. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. The clock speeds are listed with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz. Critically, the memory configuration is "System Shared" for size, type, and bus width, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the system’s main memory rather than having its own dedicated VRAM pool. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, but the shared memory architecture likely hampers performance in memory-intensive scenarios.

The measured FPS data corroborates the GPU’s role as the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 132 FPS, which is high, but the performance degrades rapidly as the workload increases. The fact that the 4K Ultra setting produces only 30 FPS average shows that the GPU is saturated. The Arc B370’s FP32 compute of 6.144 TFLOPS is respectable on paper, but the shared memory bandwidth is the likely culprit for the severe scaling losses. The GPU’s 25 W TDP and IGP slot width suggest it is designed for low-power integrated use, not as a discrete gaming workhorse, which explains its performance tier.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i7-12700KF and Arc B370 ranks 2750 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. This places it in the lower 8% of all systems in the database, which is a poor showing for a CPU that is otherwise well-regarded. The ranking is directly attributable to the GPU dragging down the overall performance, as the CPU’s own benchmark scores are far more competitive.

The Intel Core i7-12700KF itself ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T, which scores 35403 and is 0.1% ahead, and the Intel Core 5 213PE at 35428, which is 0.2% ahead. The Core i5-13600T scores 35305 and is 0.2% behind, while the Core i7-12700K scores 35287, also 0.2% behind. These deltas are minuscule, meaning the 12700KF is statistically tied with these parts in raw CPU performance. This shows that the processor is not the weak link in this combo.

The stark contrast between the CPU’s 85th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking highlights the imbalance. The combo rank of 2750 out of 2991 reflects the GPU’s dominance in determining gaming performance. A system with this CPU but a stronger GPU would likely rank much higher, as the CPU’s headroom is substantial. The data clearly shows that the Arc B370 is the anchor that sinks the combo’s standing in the benchmark charts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s capabilities across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the performance is generally acceptable for most presets. The Low setting yields an average of 132 FPS, which is excellent. The Medium setting averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. The High setting drops to an average of 97 FPS, still very playable. The Ultra setting is the only one at 1080p that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 78 FPS, which is still decent but shows the GPU beginning to struggle.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. The Low setting averages 89 FPS, which is good. The Medium setting averages 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS, keeping most of the experience above 60 FPS. The High setting averages 65 FPS, which is borderline but playable. The Ultra setting averages 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and indicates a compromised experience for a 1440p monitor.

At 3840x2160, the performance is generally poor. The Low setting averages 51 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 50 FPS. The Medium setting averages 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. The High setting averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra setting averages 30 FPS. These numbers are all below the 60 FPS target and are likely to feel choppy in fast-paced scenes. The data shows that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo, as even the lowest settings cannot maintain a smooth frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a high-end desktop processor that is severely underutilized in this pairing. It features 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071. The Geekbench multi-core score is 14367, and the single-core score is 2255. These figures place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it has ample processing power.

In To The Core, an Idle genre game, the CPU’s role is likely minimal, as such games are not typically demanding on processing power. The measured FPS data supports this, as the frame rates are primarily dictated by resolution and settings, which are GPU-side variables. The CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads are far more than the game likely requires, meaning the processor is never the limiting factor. The 3DMark scores for the CPU, such as 9282 for 16 threads and 9983 for max threads, further demonstrate its capability to handle heavy multi-threaded workloads, which this game does not appear to present.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the database are all within 0.2% of its average score, which shows that the 12700KF is a well-balanced part in its class. The Passmark multi-thread score of 34092 and single-thread score of 3984 confirm that it is a strong performer. However, in this combo, the CPU’s potential is wasted because the GPU cannot keep up. The data indicates that the CPU is effectively waiting on the GPU to render frames, especially at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the best choice for a balanced experience. It delivers an average of 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive feel. The High preset is also viable at 97 FPS average, but the Medium preset offers a better margin for dips. The Low preset at 132 FPS is overkill for most displays, and the Ultra preset at 78 FPS average is acceptable but not ideal.

For 2560x1440, the Low preset is the safest recommendation, with an average of 89 FPS. The Medium preset averages 75 FPS, but its minimum of 64 FPS could dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes, making it a riskier choice. The High preset at 65 FPS average is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 53 FPS average is not recommended for a smooth experience. If visual fidelity is a priority, Medium is acceptable, but Low provides the most consistent frame pacing.

For 3840x2160, no setting is truly recommended for serious gaming. The Low preset at 51 FPS is the best case, but it is still below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 43 FPS, High at 37 FPS, and Ultra at 30 FPS are all likely to feel sluggish. Users with a 4K display should strongly consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or 1080p to achieve playable frame rates. The data shows that the Arc B370 is not capable of delivering a satisfying 4K experience in this title, so the best advice is to avoid 4K altogether with this combo.