To The Core

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a mid-pack configuration in the To The Core benchmark database, ranking 1094th out of 1756 tested combos. This places the combo in the 38th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is capable of smooth frame rates, a substantial portion of the test pool outperforms it. The CPU is a strong contributor, sitting in the 93rd percentile against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 47282 that puts it nearly level with the Intel Core i7-13700KF (deltaPct -0.1) and the AMD EPYC 4364P (deltaPct 0.3). Conversely, the GPU is the limiting factor, ranking in the 65th percentile against all graphics cards with an average score of 22206, trailing the NVIDIA RTX A400 by 0.5% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile by 2.3%. The data suggests that the processor has headroom that the graphics card cannot fully exploit, a dynamic that becomes more apparent at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s overall position at 1094 out of 1756 tested configurations underscores a system that is balanced toward CPU-bound workloads rather than graphics-heavy scenarios. In To The Core, an idle genre title, this balance is less critical than in fast-paced shooters, but the ranking still reflects the GPU’s relative weakness. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 22206 is only 0.9% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z and 2.5% above the AMD Radeon RX 5700, showing that it sits in a crowded tier of mid-range graphics hardware. Meanwhile, the i7-13700K’s nearest rival, the Core i7-13700KF, scores nearly identically at 47334 (deltaPct -0.1), confirming that the processor is not the bottleneck in this pairing. In practical terms, the combo’s rank indicates that users can expect solid 1080p performance but will see diminishing returns as resolution increases, with the GPU consistently capping frame rates below what the CPU could theoretically deliver.

Settings Recommendations

Benchmark results across all measured resolutions show a clear hierarchy in To The Core: Low settings provide the highest average frame rates, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves an average of 289.9 FPS, which is 46.4% faster than the High preset’s 210.8 FPS and 68.6% faster than Ultra’s 171.9 FPS. For users prioritizing maximum smoothness, Low is the only setting that pushes beyond the 240 Hz refresh rate territory at 1080p. However, the step from Low to Medium costs only 16.0% of performance (289.9 to 243.4 FPS), while the visual quality gain is substantial. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 162.7 FPS, which remains well above the 144 Hz threshold, making it the optimal balance for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K, the High preset drops to 80.8 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive play. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for most users, as it maintains high frame rates across all resolutions while preserving enough detail to avoid the visual penalties of Low settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU as the primary performance limiter in this combo. At 1080p High settings, the system averages 210.8 FPS, which falls to 144.1 FPS at 1440p (a 31.6% reduction) and then to 80.8 FPS at 4K (a 61.7% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is consistent with a graphics-card-bound scenario, where the CPU’s ample single-threaded performance (3dmark single-thread score of 1136) is not the constraint. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p, but the pixel throughput requirement at 4K (3840x2160) quadruples the workload relative to 1080p, causing the steep decline. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases: at 1080p, the difference is 118.0 FPS (289.9 vs 171.9), while at 4K, it narrows to 46.5 FPS (113.9 vs 67.4). This narrowing indicates that at 4K, even the Low preset is pushing the GPU close to its limits, whereas at 1080p, the CPU has sufficient headroom to render more frames when settings are lowered.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 2070 SUPER and i7-13700K combination delivers its strongest results. The Low preset averages 289.9 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure across all configurations. Medium follows at 243.4 FPS, High at 210.8 FPS, and Ultra at 171.9 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 118.0 FPS, indicating that the GPU is not overwhelmed at this resolution and that settings adjustments have a linear impact on frame rates. At 2560x1440, the same pattern persists but with a compressed range: Low averages 194.0 FPS, Medium 162.7 FPS, High 144.1 FPS, and Ultra 114.8 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at 1440p costs 29.3 FPS, which is a 20.3% reduction, making Ultra less appealing for competitive play. At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become pronounced. Low averages 113.9 FPS, which is still smooth for an idle game, but Medium drops to 96.3 FPS, High to 80.8 FPS, and Ultra to 67.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is 60.5% slower than the Low preset at the same resolution, and it is the only configuration that falls below the 70 FPS threshold. The data shows that the combo is most effective at 1080p and 1440p, where even Ultra settings remain playable, while 4K requires Low or Medium settings for a consistently smooth experience.

FAQ

*Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems in To The Core?*

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1094th out of 1756 tested combos, placing it in the 38th percentile. This is a mid-tier position, with the CPU contributing a 93rd percentile ranking against all processors and the GPU sitting in the 65th percentile.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 162.7 FPS, which is 13.6% faster than High (144.1 FPS) and remains above the 144 Hz refresh rate mark. Ultra drops to 114.8 FPS, making Medium the recommended choice for balancing frame rate and visual quality.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, placing it in the 65th percentile, while the i7-13700K scores 47282 and sits in the 93rd percentile. Frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K follow a GPU-bound pattern, with a 61.7% reduction from 210.8 FPS to 80.8 FPS at High settings.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K, the Low preset averages 113.9 FPS and Medium averages 96.3 FPS, both of which are playable. High drops to 80.8 FPS and Ultra to 67.4 FPS, which are less ideal for fast-paced action but acceptable for an idle genre game.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER’s average score of 22206 is 0.5% below the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307) and 0.9% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (22006). It trails the RTX 4060 Mobile by 2.3% and leads the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 2.5%, showing it is competitive with older mid-range cards.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 289.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The same resolution with Ultra settings yields 171.9 FPS, and the lowest measured frame rate is 67.4 FPS at 4K Ultra.