To The Core

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a striking contrast in capabilities. The processor is a high-end desktop part with a 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the graphics solution is an integrated component that falls into the 9th percentile among GPUs. This pairing yields a combo rank of 2643 out of 2991 tested combinations in To The Core, placing it in the lower tier of systems. The benchmark data reveals a system where the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded power is almost entirely untapped by an idle game, leaving the integrated GPU as the definitive bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best average frame rate achieved by this combo in To The Core?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 147, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data to exceed 144 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower. The GeForce 800M is 1.5% lower, and the GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5% lower.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark percentile ranking, and who is its closest competitor?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival is the Intel Xeon 6505P, which has a slightly higher average score of 53701, representing a -0.2% delta, meaning the i7-14700F is essentially tied with it.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 33, which occurs at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with Ultra settings. This is the most demanding configuration tested and shows a significant performance drop from 1080p.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B390 have its own dedicated video memory?

A: No. The memory configuration for the Intel Arc B390 is listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than a dedicated VRAM pool. Its memory bandwidth is also listed as "System Dependent."

Q: What is the core and thread configuration of the Intel Core i7-14700F?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F features 20 cores and 28 threads. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This configuration is clearly designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads, as evidenced by its strong synthetic benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a PassMark multithread score of 41317. The CPU’s 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs underscores its position as a top-tier desktop processor.

In the context of To The Core, an idle game, this processing power is immense overkill. The game's mechanics do not appear to stress the CPU in a way that leverages its 28 threads or high boost clocks. The data supports this interpretation; even at 1080p with Low settings, the system only achieves 147 FPS, a figure that is more likely constrained by the GPU than the CPU. The CPU’s single-thread performance, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2429 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958, is also strong, but it is not the limiting factor here. The benchmark results indicate the CPU is effectively idle, waiting on the graphics subsystem to render each frame. The high core count and cache hierarchy (33 MB of shared L3 cache) provide no tangible benefit in this specific title, as the workload is not CPU-bound.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B390 is ranked 2643 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. This places the system in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations, a surprisingly low position given the CPU's strength. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling. The data suggests that the integrated Arc B390, with its 9th percentile GPU ranking, holds the entire system back. While the CPU is a top-tier part, its contribution to the overall gaming score is minimal in this title, as the frame rates are consistently limited by the graphics processor.

This pairing illustrates a classic bottleneck scenario. The CPU is capable of far more, but the GPU cannot translate that potential into higher frame rates. The delta between the combo's rank and the CPU's individual percentile is stark, highlighting that the graphics solution is the primary determinant of performance in this game. The fact that the i7-14700F is in the 91st percentile while the combo is in the 12th percentile of its own ranking shows a massive imbalance. In a game like To The Core, the user is essentially paying for CPU performance that goes unused.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's performance scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable frame rates. With Low settings, it averages 147 FPS, which drops to 124 FPS on Medium, 107 FPS on High, and 86 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a steady decline as graphical fidelity increases, but all remain within a smooth range for typical displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The average FPS at Low settings is 99, which falls to 83 on Medium, 72 on High, and 58 on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is 41 FPS, a larger absolute difference than at 1080p, where the gap is 61 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as resolution increases. At 4K (3840x2160), the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. The average FPS at Low settings is 56, dropping to 48 on Medium, 41 on High, and 33 on Ultra. These figures are noticeably lower and indicate that 4K gaming is only viable at the lowest settings for a smooth experience.

The data also includes min and max FPS values for the Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the system ranges from 105 to 143 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it ranges from 71 to 96 FPS. At 4K Medium, it ranges from 41 to 55 FPS. These ranges show a consistent pattern where the variance narrows as resolution increases, further confirming the GPU bottleneck. The benchmarks show that the system is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being a compromise, and 4K being a significant challenge.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's RAM instead of dedicated VRAM. This setup is a critical weakness for gaming performance, as memory bandwidth is "System Dependent" and cannot match the speeds of dedicated graphics memory.

The GPU's benchmark score is 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are older, low-end discrete GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GT 710, which it slightly outperforms by 1.3% and 2.7%, respectively. This context is crucial; the Arc B390 is not a gaming powerhouse. In To The Core, its 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs are sufficient for an idle game, but the data shows that its performance is the hard ceiling for this system. The GPU's low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are indicative of its limited fillrate, which becomes the primary constraint as resolution and settings increase.

The GPU's 80 W TDP and "IGP" slot width further clarify its role as a power-efficient, integrated solution. It is not designed for high-end gaming, and the measured FPS data confirms this. The system's performance scales almost entirely with the GPU's ability to render frames, and the results show a clear degradation from 1080p to 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For a standard 60 FPS experience, the system can handle High settings at 1920x1080, where it averages 107 FPS. It can also manage Medium settings at 2560x1440, averaging 83 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and smoothness.

For users with a 4K display, the options are limited. The data shows that only Low settings at 3840x2160 achieve an average FPS above 50, with a score of 56. Medium settings at 4K drop to 48 FPS, which may be acceptable for some but is below the 60 FPS target. High and Ultra settings at 4K result in averages of 41 and 33 FPS, respectively, which are likely to feel choppy.

The most balanced experience is found at 1080p with High settings. It offers a significant visual upgrade over Low and Medium while maintaining an average FPS of 107, well above the 60 FPS threshold. For those prioritizing maximum smoothness, Low settings at 1080p provide 147 FPS. The data suggests that High settings at 1080p represent the best overall experience, as it provides a high frame rate without sacrificing too much visual detail. At 1440p, Medium settings are the recommended compromise, as they are the highest settings that maintain an average FPS above 80.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 147 at 1080p, to 99 at 1440p, and then to 56 at 4K. This represents a 61.9% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K. A similar trend is seen at High settings, where the average FPS drops from 107 at 1080p, to 72 at 1440p, and 41 at 4K, a 61.7% reduction.

This scaling pattern is typical of a system where the GPU is the limiting component. As resolution increases, the number of pixels that the GPU must render grows exponentially, and the integrated Arc B390's limited fillrate and bandwidth are quickly overwhelmed. The CPU's performance is not affected by resolution in the same way, so the frame rate drop is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The data implies that if the system were CPU-bound, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions. Instead, the steep decline confirms that the Intel Arc B390 is the definitive performance limiter in To The Core. The fact that the FPS almost halves from 1440p to 4K at all settings is a strong indicator that the GPU is running out of processing power, not that the CPU is struggling. This system is best suited for 1080p gaming, where the GPU can keep up with the CPU's output, but it is not capable of delivering a smooth high-resolution experience.