To The Core

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 occupies a highly specific position in the database for "To The Core," placing at rank 2643 out of 2991 tested combos. This places the configuration in the bottom 12th percentile of all tested systems, a position driven almost entirely by the graphics solution. While the processor is a high-end desktop part, the combo’s overall standing is constrained by the integrated GPU’s performance envelope. The data indicates that this pairing is not competitive for high-refresh-rate or high-fidelity gaming, but it provides a functional baseline for an idle game. The rank reflects a system where the CPU’s substantial compute headroom is largely left untapped by the demands of the title, leaving the Arc B390 as the definitive bottleneck in every measured scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2643 out of 2991 tested combinations places it in the lower tier of the database’s performance hierarchy for "To The Core." This position is a direct consequence of the GPU’s benchmark percentile, which sits at just 9th percentile among all tested graphics cards. In contrast, the CPU holds an 89th percentile ranking among all processors, creating a stark imbalance. The data shows that the system’s overall capability is not a blend of the two components but is instead capped by the weakest link. In practical terms, this means that while the processor can handle complex background tasks or streaming, the frame rate in this game will never exceed what the Arc B390 can physically render. The rank suggests that users of this combo will experience playable, though not exceptional, performance, with the system landing closer to entry-level integrated graphics solutions than to dedicated gaming rigs.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on Intel’s Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it draws from the main system RAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical factor, as the GPU’s performance is directly tied to the speed and configuration of the host system’s memory, which in this case is supported by the CPU’s dual-channel DDR4 or DDR5 controller. The GPU’s clock speeds are listed with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. The shading units number 1536, with 48 texture mapping units and 24 render output units, alongside 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU’s compute capabilities are rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1 ratio). In the context of "To The Core," an idle game, these specifications are more than sufficient for rendering simple 2D or low-polygon 3D scenes. The benchmark results confirm this, as the GPU achieves its highest average frame rates at lower settings, indicating that the bottleneck shifts to the CPU or memory system only when the graphical load is minimal.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 147 FPS, which drops to 99 FPS at 1440p and further to 56 FPS at 4K. This represents a 62% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings. The trend is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the average FPS goes from 107 at 1080p, to 72 at 1440p, and finally to 41 at 4K, a 62% drop as well. This uniform scaling pattern is a strong indicator that the limiting component is the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat regardless of resolution, as the CPU’s workload does not increase significantly with higher pixel counts. The data shows that the Arc B390’s rendering throughput is the primary constraint, as its workload scales directly with the number of pixels. The fact that the frame rate does not halve when pixel count quadruples suggests that the GPU is not entirely saturated, but the consistent percentage drop points to a system where the integrated GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading power are the defining factors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a complete matrix of average frame rates across four resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the performance ranges from a low of 86 FPS on Ultra to a high of 147 FPS on Low. The Medium preset yields an average of 124 FPS, with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 143, while High sits at 107 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 58 FPS on Ultra, 72 FPS on High, 83 FPS on Medium (with min/max of 71/96), and 99 FPS on Low. At 3840x2160, the results are more modest: Ultra averages 33 FPS, High averages 41 FPS, Medium averages 48 FPS (with min/max of 41/55), and Low averages 56 FPS. The data reveals that the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 61 FPS (147 vs 86). At 1440p, the gap is 41 FPS (99 vs 58). At 4K, the gap is only 23 FPS (56 vs 33). This trend suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes so pixel-bound that the additional work required by higher quality settings has a diminishing absolute impact on frame rate. The Medium preset consistently provides a balanced middle ground, offering a significant step up from Low without the steep penalty of Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 107 FPS offers a smooth experience that is only 17% slower than the Low preset’s 147 FPS, while providing a substantial visual upgrade. The Ultra preset at 86 FPS is still playable but offers diminishing returns for the 20% performance loss compared to High. Therefore, High is the recommended preset for 1080p, as it balances visual fidelity with a frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most standard monitors. At 1440p, the High preset at 72 FPS is the sweet spot, as it maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS, which is the threshold for smooth gameplay in most titles. The Medium preset at 83 FPS is also viable if the user prefers higher frame rates, but the drop to Low at 99 FPS is not necessary for an idle game. For 4K, the data recommends the Low preset at 56 FPS, as it is the only preset that approaches a playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is borderline, and High at 41 FPS or Ultra at 33 FPS would result in a noticeably less fluid experience. In summary, the data suggests that High settings at 1080p and 1440p provide the best experience, while 4K users should stick to Low settings to maintain acceptable performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It features 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per core of L2 cache, with 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The processor’s benchmark scores are robust, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a single-core score of 2116, as well as a Geekbench multi-core score of 19429 and single-core score of 2529. In the context of "To The Core," an idle game, the CPU’s massive parallel processing power is largely irrelevant. The game’s workload is unlikely to utilize more than a few threads, and the single-thread performance, which is excellent, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU with draw calls. The data shows that the CPU is never the bottleneck, as the frame rates scale with resolution and settings, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s 125W TDP and support for DDR4/DDR5 memory are relevant for system stability, but the processor’s 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it will not be the source of any performance issues in this title. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, has an average benchmark score of 46971, which is a 0.2% difference from the i7-13700K’s 46881, confirming that the CPU’s performance is competitive even if it is not fully utilized here.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play "To The Core" with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest average frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 147 FPS and the High preset at 107 FPS. 2560x1440 is also viable, with High at 72 FPS, but 3840x2160 drops below 60 FPS on all presets except Low, which averages 56 FPS.

Q: Why does the combo rank so low in the database?

A: The combo ranks 2643 out of 2991, which is driven by the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking among all graphics cards. The CPU is in the 89th percentile, but the integrated Arc B390 limits the system’s overall performance, as it is the primary bottleneck in all measured scenarios.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: The average frame rate drops by approximately 62% across all settings. For example, on High settings, the frame rate goes from 107 FPS at 1080p to 41 FPS at 4K, and on Low settings, it goes from 147 FPS to 56 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 58 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 72 FPS or Medium at 83 FPS provides a better experience, as the visual difference between High and Ultra is not worth the 20% performance penalty.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390’s average benchmark score is 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460). It also outperforms the GT 625 OEM by 2.5% and the GT 710 by 2.7%.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance affect the frame rate in this game?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, which is a characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The i7-13700K’s single-thread score of 2116 in Cinebench R23 is more than sufficient for an idle game’s demands.