To The Core

# To The Core with Intel Core i7-13700K + Intel Arc B370

This combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3,439th out of 3,725 tested combos in To The Core, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems evaluated. The pairing is heavily bottlenecked by the graphics solution, as the CPU is a top-tier desktop processor while the GPU sits at the 5th percentile among all tested graphics cards. Benchmark results indicate that this system is best suited for lower resolutions and medium settings, where it can produce playable frame rates, but it struggles to maintain smooth performance at higher resolutions or maximum quality presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 3,439 out of 3,725 is a clear indicator of where this system stands in the broader landscape of tested configurations. This places the Intel Core i7-13700K + Intel Arc B370 pairing in the bottom tier of performance for To The Core, which is an idle genre game that typically does not demand extreme hardware resources. The ranking is primarily dragged down by the GPU, which scores at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1,184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12.

The CPU side of this equation is not the limiting factor. The Intel Core i7-13700K sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46,881. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (average score 46,971, delta -0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (average score 47,022, delta -0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (average score 46,654, delta 0.5%), and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 (average score 46,653, delta 0.5%). These deltas are all within half a percent, indicating that the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class.

In contrast, the GPU's nearest rivals are dramatically older and less capable parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (average score 1,186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (average score 1,190, delta -0.5%), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (average score 1,192, delta -0.7%), and AMD FirePro M2000 (average score 1,168, delta 1.4%) are all within 1.4% of the Arc B370's performance. This places the GPU in territory occupied by hardware from roughly a decade and a half ago, which explains why the overall combo ranking is so low despite having a modern flagship-class CPU.

The measured FPS data confirms this imbalance. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 132 FPS average, but at 4K with Ultra settings, it drops to 30 FPS average. This wide spread of performance across resolutions and settings indicates that the system is GPU-limited in almost every scenario, with the CPU having ample headroom to spare.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU+GPU combo in To The Core?

A: The combo ranks 3,439th out of 3,725 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-13700K compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 46,881, with its closest rival being the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 at 46,971 (0.2% faster), followed by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 at 47,022 (0.3% faster), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX at 46,654 (0.5% slower).

Q: What is the best performance this system can achieve in To The Core?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 132 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The system can also reach 97 FPS at 1080p High, 112 FPS at 1080p Medium, and 78 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 1,184, with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scoring 1,186 (0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scoring 1,190 (0.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scoring 1,192 (0.7% faster).

Q: Is this system better suited for 1080p or 4K gaming in To The Core?

A: The data shows a clear preference for 1080p. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 112 FPS, while at 4K Medium it drops to 43 FPS. Even at 4K Low, the system only manages 51 FPS, which is below what most users would consider smooth.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at different settings?

A: Only the Medium settings have recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the range is 95 to 129 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the range is 64 to 87 FPS; and at 4K Medium, the range is 37 to 50 FPS. This indicates tighter frame pacing at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at Low settings, the average FPS falls from 132 to 51, representing a 61% reduction in frame rate. At High settings, the drop is from 97 FPS at 1080p to 37 FPS at 4K, a 62% decrease. Medium settings show a similar pattern, with 112 FPS at 1080p falling to 43 FPS at 4K, a 62% reduction.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less punishing but still substantial. At Low settings, the system drops from 132 FPS to 89 FPS, a 33% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 97 FPS to 65 FPS, a 33% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 112 FPS to 75 FPS, also a 33% reduction.

These consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions. A CPU-bound scenario would show minimal FPS changes when resolution increases, as the processor would be the bottleneck regardless of pixel count. Instead, the linear scaling with pixel count strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B370's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors.

The GPU's specifications support this conclusion. With a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s, a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS, the GPU has limited raw throughput for higher resolutions. The system-shared memory architecture, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent," means that memory performance is tied to the host system's RAM, which can introduce variability at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in To The Core with this hardware, the data points to 1080p Medium as the optimal configuration. This setting delivers 112 FPS average with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, providing both smooth average performance and acceptable frame time consistency. The minimum FPS of 95 ensures that the system rarely drops below the 60 FPS threshold that most users consider the floor for playable performance.

At 1080p Low, the system achieves 132 FPS average, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the 20 FPS gain over Medium. At 1080p High, the average drops to 97 FPS, which is still playable but offers diminishing returns for the visual upgrade. At 1080p Ultra, the average falls to 78 FPS, which is playable but represents a 30% reduction from Medium.

For users with 1440p displays, Medium settings at 75 FPS average with a minimum of 64 FPS is the recommended choice. This keeps the system above 60 FPS in most scenarios. At 1440p High, the average drops to 65 FPS, which is borderline, and at 1440p Ultra, the average falls to 53 FPS, which may result in noticeable stuttering.

At 4K, the system is generally not recommended for smooth gameplay. The best 4K result is 51 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K Medium, the average is 43 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS, and at 4K High, the average is 37 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the system only manages 30 FPS average, which is below the playability threshold for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 resolution, the system delivers its strongest performance. Low settings produce an average of 132 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum values. Medium settings produce 112 FPS average with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. High settings produce 97 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 78 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline of roughly 20 FPS per quality tier, with the step from Medium to High being the smallest at 15 FPS.

At 2560x1440 resolution, performance drops noticeably. Low settings produce 89 FPS average, Medium settings produce 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS, High settings produce 65 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 53 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 36 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the 54 FPS gap at 1080p.

At 3840x2160 resolution, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings produce 51 FPS average, Medium settings produce 43 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS, High settings produce 37 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 30 FPS average. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 21 FPS, indicating that the GPU is hitting its absolute performance ceiling regardless of quality settings.

The Medium settings at each resolution provide the only complete FPS data with minimum and maximum values. At 1080p, the range is 95 to 129 FPS; at 1440p, the range is 64 to 87 FPS; at 4K, the range is 37 to 50 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K brings substantial processing power to this combination. With 16 cores and 24 threads, it offers high parallel throughput that is reflected in its benchmark scores: 30,745 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 16,292 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, and 4,507.5 in Cinebench R15 multi-core. Single-core performance is also strong, with scores of 2,116 in Cinebench R23, 2,299 in Cinebench R20, and 303 in Cinebench R15.

The CPU's clock speeds range from a base of 3.40 GHz to a boost of 5.40 GHz, with a 125W TDP. This allows for rapid frequency scaling when workloads demand it, which is beneficial for games that have variable thread utilization. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache, providing ample fast storage for frequently accessed game data.

In To The Core, an idle genre game, the CPU's role is likely minimal. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales linearly with resolution, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all processors means it is far more capable than what this game requires. The nearest CPU rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, all perform within 0.5% of the i7-13700K, confirming that this processor is at the top of its class and is not the bottleneck in this system.

The 3DMark thread scaling scores are informative. The CPU scores 1,136 in single-thread, 2,262 in 2-thread, 4,469 in 4-thread, 8,193 in 8-thread, 10,717 in 16-thread, and 12,412 in max-thread tests. This shows excellent scaling up to 8 threads, with diminishing returns beyond that point. For an idle game that likely uses few threads, the CPU has more than enough headroom.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear bottleneck in this configuration. Its average benchmark score of 1,184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 places it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all ATI and AMD parts from previous generations. The GPU's architecture is Xe3-LPG based on a 3nm process, with a chip codenamed Panther Lake, but its performance characteristics are modest.

The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. It has 1,280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1). The TDP is 25W, and it uses system-shared memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

In To The Core, the GPU's limitations are evident across all resolutions. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (132 FPS) is the only result above 120 FPS, and even this drops to 51 FPS at 4K Low. The GPU's memory architecture, which relies on system RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, likely contributes to the performance degradation at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth demands increase.

The GPU's benchmark rival data shows just how far behind modern hardware it is. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1,186 (0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1,190 (0.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1,192 (0.7% faster). These are all legacy parts, indicating that the Arc B370 is positioned at the entry level of GPU performance.

For To The Core, the GPU's role is to render the game's visuals, and the data shows it can handle the game at 1080p with reasonable quality settings. However, the system-shared memory and low pixel rate mean that 1440p and 4K resolutions push the GPU beyond its comfortable operating range, resulting in sub-60 FPS performance at most settings above Low.