To The Core

To The Core is an idle game, but its demands on the hardware are far from idle. The measured data for the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination reveals a system that is entirely playable at 4K, exceptionally fast at 1440p, and nearly overkill at 1080p. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary bottleneck for pushing frame rates higher, but the i7-13700K provides enough headroom to keep the experience smooth across all tested settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and clearly shows the GPU’s workload increasing. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 154.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 103.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 33%. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 58.1 FPS, which is a 62% decrease from the 1080p result. This steep decline is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

The trend holds across all settings. At High settings, the system delivers 192.9 FPS at 1080p, drops to 130.6 FPS at 1440p, and then settles at 71.7 FPS at 4K. Similarly, at Low settings, the frame rate scales from 265.1 FPS at 1080p down to 99.7 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that while the CPU is strong enough to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, the RTX 2060 SUPER’s rendering capabilities are the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the component determining the ceiling for performance. The fact that the 4K Ultra result of 58.1 FPS is the only sub-60 FPS result in the entire dataset reinforces that this resolution and settings combination is the edge of what this hardware can handle. For gamers targeting 4K, the data shows that dropping to High settings recovers the frame rate to a very playable 71.7 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its benchmark scores are exceptionally high, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505. This processing power places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, directly competing with the Intel Core i7-13700KF, which is only 0.1% faster on average. This headroom is crucial for an idle game, which may have background simulation threads that can benefit from the high core count.

In the context of To The Core, the CPU’s role appears to be ensuring that frame rates do not collapse when the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 265.1 FPS, which is likely near the game’s engine limit or the point where the CPU can no longer issue draw calls fast enough. The high boost clock of 5.40 GHz and the 30 MB of shared L3 cache help maintain this performance in lighter scenes.

The data indicates that the i7-13700K is not the limiting factor in this pairing. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly struggling, the CPU’s performance is more than sufficient to support the 58.1 FPS result. The processor’s 3DMark 16-thread score of 10717 and max-thread score of 12412 show that it has plenty of multi-threaded capability for any background tasks or game logic that might run concurrently.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the data points to High settings as the optimal choice for this hardware configuration. At 4K, High settings deliver 71.7 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while Medium settings only provide a modest increase to 85 FPS. The jump to Ultra, however, costs a significant 19% performance drop to 58.1 FPS, which dips below the ideal refresh rate for many monitors.

At 1440p, High settings are also the sweet spot, producing 130.6 FPS. This is well above the 120 FPS mark for high-refresh monitors, and the difference between High and Ultra (103.7 FPS) is noticeable enough that players with 144Hz displays would likely prefer the higher frame rate. The data shows that Medium settings at 1440p offer 148.2 FPS, but the visual fidelity trade-off is usually not worth it when High is so close in performance.

For 1080p users, the choice is less critical. All settings produce frame rates above 154 FPS, meaning that even Ultra settings will saturate a 144Hz monitor. However, the data indicates that High settings at 192.9 FPS provide a buffer for demanding scenes, while Low settings at 265.1 FPS are only useful for competitive play where maximum frame rate is the sole priority. The recommendation is to use High settings across all resolutions for a consistent experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run To The Core at 4K?

A: Yes, it can. The measured data shows an average of 58.1 FPS at 4K Ultra, 71.7 FPS at 4K High, and 99.7 FPS at 4K Low. For a stable 60 FPS experience, High settings are recommended.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The benchmark results show that higher resolutions cause significant frame rate drops, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 265.1 FPS, which is more likely constrained by the game engine or CPU, but this is still an extremely high frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER’s average benchmark score is 19774, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and 0.5% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, making it effectively tied with those models in raw compute performance.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p 144Hz monitor?

A: The data suggests using High settings, which produce an average of 130.6 FPS. This is above the 120 FPS threshold for most 144Hz displays. Ultra settings drop to 103.7 FPS, which is still playable but may not fully utilize the monitor’s refresh rate.

Q: Does the CPU’s high core count matter for an idle game like To The Core?

A: The data shows that the CPU has massive multi-threaded performance (39000 in Cinebench R23 multicore), which provides headroom for background tasks. However, the frame rate scaling with resolution strongly suggests that game performance is more dependent on the GPU’s rendering speed.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded for this hardware combination?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 58.1 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 1650 MHz and 2176 shading units contribute to a Passmark G3D score of 16462, which places it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that this GPU is the definitive performance limiter in this pairing.

The VRAM capacity is not shown to be a constraint in the measured data, as even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate is limited by compute throughput rather than memory. The GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 105.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are the likely determining factors for the frame rates seen in the benchmark results. The fact that the RTX 2060 SUPER is only 0.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and 0.5% slower than the RTX 2070 means it sits in a well-established performance tier.

The GPU’s role is clear when examining the resolution scaling. The performance drops are consistent with a GPU that is being pushed to its limits at higher pixel counts. The GeForce 20-series card, with its 175 W TDP and dual-slot design, is a capable air-cooled solution that delivers playable frame rates up to 4K High settings. The data suggests that for users seeking higher frame rates at 4K Ultra, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, but for the vast majority of gaming scenarios, this card holds its own.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the hardware provides a wide range of performance depending on the preset. Low settings yield an average of 265.1 FPS, which drops to 222.1 FPS at Medium and 192.9 FPS at High. The most demanding Ultra preset still produces a very high 154.3 FPS, indicating that the CPU and GPU combination is never strained at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the data shows a clear step down in performance. Low settings deliver 178.6 FPS, Medium produces 148.2 FPS, and High settings manage 130.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 103.7 FPS, which is still a solid result for high-refresh gaming but shows the GPU starting to feel the load.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve flattens considerably. Low settings produce 99.7 FPS, Medium drops to 85 FPS, and High settings yield 71.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS mark, averaging 58.1 FPS. This breakdown shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER can handle 4K gaming, but only if the visual settings are managed appropriately. The data confirms that High settings at 4K is the highest quality preset that maintains a smooth frame rate, while 1440p and 1080p users have the luxury of pushing to Ultra without compromising playability.