To The Core

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers an exceptionally high-performance experience in To The Core, an Idle game released on 2024-02-14. The data shows this combination is capable of pushing frame rates well beyond the refresh rates of most displays, even at 4K with high settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, how the CPU and GPU contribute, and what settings provide the best experience.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 25 MB L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. This processor is unlocked, meaning its multiplier can be adjusted for overclocking.

In the context of To The Core, an Idle game, the CPU's role is interesting. Idle games typically do not demand extreme multi-threaded performance, but the data shows this processor is more than capable. The i7-12700KF scores 28,838 points in Cinebench R23 multicore and 4,071 points in the single-core test. In Passmark's multithread test, it scores 34,092, and in single-thread it scores 3,984. These scores place the CPU in the 85th percentile compared to all CPUs in the database.

The benchmark results for this specific game indicate that the processor is not a bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the system averages 432 FPS. This extremely high frame rate suggests that the CPU is feeding the GPU effectively, even with the game running at a lighter graphical load. The processor's 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom for the game's logic and any background tasks. The 3DMark scores are also telling: 9,983 in the max threads test and 1,043 in single-thread, showing strong scaling across core counts. This helps maintain smooth frame pacing, as no single thread becomes a bottleneck.

The CPU's performance relative to its direct rivals is tight. Its average benchmark score of 35,365 is virtually identical to the Intel Core i7-13700T (35,403, a -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core 5 213PE (35,428, a -0.2% delta). It is 0.2% ahead of both the Intel Core i5-13600T (35,305) and the Intel Core i7-12700K (35,287). This indicates that the 12700KF is a well-balanced processor that performs on par with its immediate peers.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-12700KF compare to the Intel Core i7-12700K?

A: The benchmark data shows these two processors are nearly identical in average score. The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35,365, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-12700K's score of 35,287.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration, and how does it affect performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 comes with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient to handle the demands of To The Core at high resolutions and settings, as demonstrated by the 122 FPS average at 4K High.

Q: Is the RTX 4070's performance in this game closer to a mobile or a desktop part?

A: The GPU's nearest rival by average benchmark score is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, which scores 38,135, a -1.3% delta from the RTX 4070's 37,648. This indicates that the RTX 4070's performance is within a very close range of that mobile flagship.

Q: Does the CPU's core count matter for this game's frame rates?

A: The data suggests that the 12 cores and 20 threads of the i7-12700KF are more than sufficient. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 432 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not a limiting factor. The processor's strong multi-threaded score of 34,092 in Passmark and 28,838 in Cinebench R23 ensures the game logic has plenty of processing headroom.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates like at Medium settings?

A: The measured data includes minimum FPS only for Medium settings. At 4K Medium, the min FPS is 119, at 1440p Medium it is 209, and at 1080p Medium it is 310. These minimums are high, indicating stable performance without significant frame drops.

Q: What are the key specifications of the RTX 4070's architecture?

A: The RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 35,800 million transistors. It has 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores.

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

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience in To The Core. The goal is to achieve high frame rates without sacrificing visual quality, and the data shows that even at the highest settings, this combo is incredibly fast.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 255 FPS. While this is high, the High preset averages 316 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 432 FPS. The Medium preset averages 365 FPS. For most users with a 1080p display (typically 60Hz, 144Hz, or 240Hz), the High preset at 316 FPS is an excellent choice. It provides a significant jump from Ultra while ensuring the frame rate is high enough to fully utilize any high-refresh-rate monitor. The Low preset's 432 FPS is only useful for competitive play where every frame matters, but the visual hit is likely not worth it in an Idle game.

Moving to 1440p, the situation is similar. Ultra averages 171 FPS, High averages 213 FPS, Medium averages 245 FPS, and Low averages 290 FPS. The High preset at 213 FPS is the sweet spot for 1440p. It delivers a substantial visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 144Hz refresh rate common on many 1440p monitors. The Ultra preset, at 171 FPS, is still above 144Hz, so it is also a viable choice for those who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rates.

At 4K, the trade-offs become more apparent. The Ultra preset averages 98 FPS, which is still very smooth and suitable for a 60Hz or even a 100Hz display. The High preset averages 122 FPS, which is an excellent result for 4K and provides a 24 FPS improvement over Ultra. The Medium preset averages 140 FPS, and the Low preset averages 166 FPS. For a 4K experience, the High preset at 122 FPS is the best balance. It offers a considerable performance boost over Ultra (24.5% faster) while still maintaining a high level of visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 140 FPS is also a strong option if you prefer even higher frame rates, as it only represents a drop from the High preset's visual quality.

The data shows that the High preset is the best overall choice across all resolutions, providing the best balance between visual quality and performance. The minimum FPS data, available for Medium settings, shows stability: 119 FPS at 4K, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 310 FPS at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations for To The Core, the pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks at number 860 out of a total of 3,725 tested combos. This places it in the top 23% of all configurations tested for this game.

This ranking is a strong indicator of the combo's overall capability. While it is not in the top tier of absolute performance, it outperforms the vast majority of other systems. The high percentile ranking (85th for the CPU and 81st for the GPU) supports this, showing that both components are well above average. In practical terms, a rank of 860 out of 3,725 means this setup is faster than roughly 2,865 other tested combinations, making it a high-end configuration.

The ranking should be considered in the context of the game's genre. Since To The Core is an Idle game, it may not be as demanding on the GPU as graphically intensive AAA titles. However, the measured FPS numbers are exceptionally high across all settings and resolutions, suggesting that this combo provides a top-tier experience in this specific game. The rank indicates that while some combinations (likely featuring higher-end CPUs like the i9 series or GPUs like the RTX 4080/4090) will be faster, the 12700KF + RTX 4070 combo is far from a compromise, offering performance that will satisfy even the most demanding players.

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

Analyzing the frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals the balance between the CPU and GPU in this system. The data shows how performance degrades as the pixel count increases, which helps identify which component is the primary bottleneck.

At Low settings, the FPS drops from 432 at 1080p to 290 at 1440p, a decrease of 32.9%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the FPS drops from 290 to 166, a decrease of 42.8%. This steep drop indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as the resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the CPU is able to feed the GPU enough data to achieve 432 FPS, but the GPU cannot maintain that rate when the resolution demands more shading and pixel work.

At High settings, the pattern is consistent. The FPS drops from 316 at 1080p to 213 at 1440p (a 32.6% decrease) and then from 213 to 122 at 4K (a 42.7% decrease). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the scaling is resolution-bound, not setting-bound. This is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is more balanced, with the CPU having enough headroom to push very high frame rates. However, at 4K, the GPU's workload increases significantly. The RTX 4070, with its 12 GB of memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, is still very fast, but the sheer number of pixels at 3840x2160 is taxing. The drop from 1440p to 4K is consistently around 42-43%, which is a significant performance hit, confirming that the graphics card is the primary constraint at this resolution.

The CPU, with its high single-thread score of 4,071 in Cinebench R23 and 1,043 in 3DMark single-thread, is not the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see a smaller FPS difference between resolutions, as the CPU would cap the frame rate regardless of resolution. Instead, the data shows a clear and expected scaling pattern where the GPU's performance dictates the frame rates at higher resolutions.

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

This section provides the exact measured average frame rates for the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination in To The Core.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 432 FPS average
• Medium: 365 FPS average, with a minimum of 310 and a maximum of 420
• High: 316 FPS average
• Ultra: 255 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 290 FPS average
• Medium: 245 FPS average, with a minimum of 209 and a maximum of 282
• High: 213 FPS average
• Ultra: 171 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 166 FPS average
• Medium: 140 FPS average, with a minimum of 119 and a maximum of 161
• High: 122 FPS average
• Ultra: 98 FPS average

These numbers illustrate the performance headroom of this hardware. Even at the most demanding setting (4K Ultra), the system maintains an average of 98 FPS, which is well above the standard 60 FPS target. The data confirms that this combo delivers a high-refresh-rate experience at 1080p and 1440p, and a smooth, high-quality experience at 4K. The minimum FPS figures recorded for Medium settings are also high, showing that the system maintains stable frame rates without noticeable stutter or drops.