To The Core

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers extraordinary frame rates in To The Core, an Idle genre title. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily overqualified for standard display refresh rates, consistently exceeding 120 FPS even at 4K Ultra settings. This combination ranks 107th out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the top 6% of all configurations for this specific game. The benchmark results show a system where the GPU is the primary scaling factor across resolutions, while the CPU provides a robust foundation that never appears to bottleneck the frame output.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data demonstrates a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 403 FPS, which drops to 273.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 155.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 32% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a significant 61% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling curve is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, where the number of pixels rendered directly impacts the frame rate.

The pattern across all settings reveals that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the limiting component in this configuration. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 549.7 FPS at 1080p to 372.1 FPS at 1440p (a 32% decrease), and then to 208.9 FPS at 4K (a 62% decrease from 1080p). These proportional drops align with the pixel count increases, indicating that the CPU is not constraining performance even at the highest frame rates observed. The data suggests that To The Core is not particularly demanding on the processor, allowing the GPU to work as the primary performance determinant.

The transition from 1440p to 4K shows the steepest relative decline across all settings. For Ultra settings, the drop from 220.3 FPS at 1440p to 122 FPS at 4K represents a 45% reduction. This steeper decline at higher resolutions reinforces that the rendering workload is scaling with pixel density, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth appear sufficient to handle the 4K texture loads without introducing memory-related stutters, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings substantial processing power to this pairing, featuring 12 cores and 20 threads based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide the single-thread performance necessary for game logic and physics calculations. The processor's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091, demonstrate strong computational capability that far exceeds the requirements of an Idle genre game.

The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache likely contribute to the smooth frame delivery observed in the measured data. The processor ranks at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, scores 35336, which is only 0.1% lower, indicating that the i7-12700KF sits in a highly competitive performance tier. The 3dmark single-thread score of 1043 and 16-thread score of 9282 suggest that the CPU can handle both lightly-threaded game tasks and more demanding background workloads without impacting frame rates.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this configuration. Even at 1080p Low settings where the GPU is producing 549.7 FPS, the processor maintains the frame delivery without any apparent limitation. The 20 threads provide ample headroom for the game's idle mechanics and any background processes, while the 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures rapid response times for single-threaded tasks. The PassMark single-thread score of 3984 confirms the CPU's ability to handle the core game loop efficiently.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus providing 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process by TSMC, includes 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores. The boost clock of 2550 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz enable the card to deliver the exceptional frame rates observed in the benchmark data. The GPU ranks at the 88th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 53610.

The RTX 4080 SUPER's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489, which is only 0.2% lower, indicating that this NVIDIA card is at the top of its performance class. The PassMark G3D score of 34245 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 reflect the card's strong rasterization capabilities. With a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s, the GPU has the raw throughput to handle the pixel-pushing demands of 4K rendering at high frame rates.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 52.22 TFLOPS and 320 tensor cores provide additional computational resources that may benefit the game's visual effects. The 112 ROPs ensure efficient pixel output, which is critical for maintaining the high frame rates observed in the data. The card's 320 W TDP and triple-slot design indicate it is a high-power component, but the measured performance justifies this configuration. The GPU's role is clearly the primary driver of frame rates, as evidenced by the resolution scaling patterns.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce 549.7 FPS, Medium settings yield 466.9 FPS, High settings achieve 403 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage 324.1 FPS. These figures represent the highest frame rates in the entire dataset, with the Low setting exceeding 500 FPS, which would be imperceptible on most displays. The spread from Low to Ultra is 225.6 FPS, showing that visual quality settings have a substantial impact on performance even at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain extremely high. Low settings produce 372.1 FPS, Medium settings yield 311 FPS, High settings achieve 273.6 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 220.3 FPS. The performance gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 151.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming more constrained at this resolution. The 1440p results show that even the most demanding settings maintain frame rates well above 200 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers impressive results. Low settings produce 208.9 FPS, Medium settings yield 177.7 FPS, High settings achieve 155.6 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 122 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is 86.9 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference across all resolutions. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the primary limiting factor, and the impact of individual settings diminishes as the resolution increases. The 4K Ultra result of 122 FPS remains above the 120 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate 4K displays.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 107th out of 1756 tested configurations in To The Core. This places the combo in the top 6.1% of all tested systems, demonstrating that it is among the most capable configurations for this game. The high ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows the system outperforming the vast majority of other combos across all resolutions and settings.

The ranking is particularly impressive considering the CPU's position relative to its rivals. The i7-12700KF's average benchmark score of 35355 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-14400's 35336 (0.1% difference) and the Intel Core i7-13800H's 35416 (0.2% difference). This indicates that the CPU is performing at the expected level for its class, and the high game ranking is likely attributable to the GPU's strong performance. The RTX 4080 SUPER's average score of 53610 is 2.9% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti's 52086, showing that this GPU remains competitive with newer hardware.

The top-tier ranking suggests that To The Core benefits from the combination of strong single-thread CPU performance and high GPU throughput. The game's Idle genre likely features simple game logic that does not heavily utilize the CPU's 20 threads, allowing the GPU to dominate the rendering workload. The combo's performance is consistent with the GPU's 88th percentile ranking, indicating that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the main contributor to the system's excellent game performance.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate does this combo achieve at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The system delivers 122 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is the lowest result in the dataset but still above the 120 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i5-14400's score of 35336, and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-13800H's score of 35416.

Q: Is the GPU limited by the CPU at 1080p?

A: The data indicates no CPU bottleneck, as the system achieves 549.7 FPS at 1080p Low settings, suggesting the processor can handle even the highest frame rates without constraint.

Q: What is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the system produces 372.1 FPS on Low settings and 220.3 FPS on Ultra settings, representing a 151.8 FPS difference between the two extremes.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 107th out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the top 6.1% of all systems tested in To The Core.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 736.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings configuration for this combo. At 4K resolution, the Ultra preset delivers 122 FPS, which is the only setting that brings the system close to the 120 FPS threshold. For users with 4K displays capable of 120 Hz or higher refresh rates, the High preset at 155.6 FPS offers a better balance, providing a 28% performance increase over Ultra while maintaining high visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 177.7 FPS provides additional headroom for those seeking maximum smoothness, while Low at 208.9 FPS is reserved for competitive play or extreme refresh-rate displays.

For 1440p displays, all settings provide frame rates well above 200 FPS, making the choice purely aesthetic. The Ultra preset at 220.3 FPS is the recommended option, as it delivers the best visual quality while still exceeding the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors. The High preset at 273.6 FPS provides additional headroom for users with 240 Hz or higher refresh-rate displays, while the Low setting at 372.1 FPS is unnecessary for most use cases.

At 1080p, the system's performance is so high that the Ultra preset at 324.1 FPS is the clear recommendation. This setting provides the best visual experience while still delivering frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of virtually all consumer displays. The High preset at 403 FPS may be preferred by esports players seeking maximum responsiveness, but the visual quality trade-off is minimal given the game's Idle genre. The Medium and Low presets offer diminishing returns at this resolution, as the frame rates become imperceptible to the human eye and provide no tangible gameplay benefit.