To The Core

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER pairing delivers a surprisingly robust experience in To The Core, an Idle genre title that clearly favors high-frequency CPU performance over raw GPU throughput. The benchmark data shows this combo achieving triple-digit frame rates at 1440p and even playable 4K performance, though the scaling patterns reveal a system that becomes increasingly CPU-bound as resolution drops. This analysis breaks down the component roles, resolution behavior, and exact measured results.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake-R generation, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock sits at 2.10 GHz, but the boost clock reaches 5.40 GHz, which is the critical figure for an Idle game like To The Core. The benchmark results in the data show this CPU sitting at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54097. This places it in the top tier of desktop processors, though its nearest rivals show how tight the competition is at this level. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X scores 54450, putting the i7-14700F just 0.6% behind, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is 1.1% ahead at 54681. On the other side, the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 trails by 1.2% and the AMD EPYC 7313P is 1.7% behind.

For To The Core, the CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help maintain high instruction throughput in a genre that often involves numerous simultaneous calculations. The single-core performance is particularly relevant here — the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5003 and Geekbench single-core score of 2711 indicate strong per-thread capability. The multi-threaded scores are equally impressive, with Cinebench R23 multi-core hitting 35443 and Passmark multi-thread reaching 41765. Given that Idle games typically scale well with single-thread speed, the 5.40 GHz boost clock is likely the primary driver behind the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. The CPU's 65 W TDP suggests efficient operation, and its DDR4/DDR5 dual-channel memory support provides flexibility for system builders.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card from the GeForce 20-series, built on TSMC's 12 nm process. It carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective, while the GPU boost clock reaches 1650 MHz from a 1470 MHz base. This card has 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.181 TFLOPS.

In the benchmark landscape, this GPU sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19774. Its nearest rivals show a very tight cluster: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN scores 19706 (0.3% behind), the RTX 2070 scores 19680 (0.5% behind), the Quadro K5200 scores 19623 (0.8% behind), and the Tesla K40m scores 19519 (1.3% behind). This means the RTX 2060 SUPER is statistically indistinguishable from the RTX 2070 in general compute workloads, which explains why it can push high frame rates in To The Core despite being an older card. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for an Idle game of this type, and the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures texture streaming is not a bottleneck. The card's 175 W TDP and dual-slot form factor make it a practical choice for most systems.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 264.8 FPS, which drops to 194.5 FPS at High and 155.6 FPS at Ultra. Moving to 1440p, the same settings produce 175.3 FPS (Low), 127.9 FPS (High), and 106 FPS (Ultra). At 4K, the numbers fall to 100.4 FPS (Low), 72.7 FPS (High), and 60.8 FPS (Ultra). The Medium settings sit between these extremes at each resolution: 221.6 FPS at 1080p, 151.8 FPS at 1440p, and 85.6 FPS at 4K.

The percentage drops tell an important story about which component is the limiting factor. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the frame rate falls by approximately 33.8%, while from 1440p Low to 4K Low, it drops another 42.7%. This consistent reduction across resolution tiers indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases. However, the fact that 4K Low still produces over 100 FPS suggests the CPU is doing its part to feed the GPU efficiently. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution — roughly 41.2% at 1080p, 39.5% at 1440p, and 39.4% at 4K — shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER has headroom to handle higher quality presets without catastrophic frame loss. The data indicates a balanced pairing where the i7-14700F provides ample compute power to avoid leaving the GPU idle, while the RTX 2060 SUPER delivers enough graphics throughput to keep frame rates playable even at 4K.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in To The Core?*

A: Yes, the measured data shows 4K Ultra achieving 60.8 FPS average, with 4K High at 72.7 FPS and 4K Low at 100.4 FPS. This makes 4K playable across all settings, though Ultra dips close to the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X?

A: The i7-14700F scores 54097 on average benchmarks, which is 0.6% behind the Ryzen 9 9900X's 54450. This difference is negligible in real-world terms, making the two effectively equivalent in compute performance.

Q: What is the GPU's standing relative to the RTX 2070?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER scores 19774 on average, which is 0.5% above the RTX 2070's 19680. The two cards are essentially tied in benchmark performance, with the 2060 SUPER holding a slight edge.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p High settings?

A: The measured data shows 127.9 FPS average at 1440p High. This remains well above 100 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the system reaches 264.8 FPS, which is extremely high. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking and 5.40 GHz boost clock suggest it can keep up with the GPU even at these elevated frame rates, though the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases.

Q: How much slower is the 4K Ultra preset compared to 1080p Ultra?

A: The 4K Ultra average of 60.8 FPS is 60.9% lower than the 1080p Ultra average of 155.6 FPS. This substantial drop confirms the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1289th out of 1756 tested combos in To The Core. This places it in the lower-mid tier of all possible pairings, which is surprising given the individual component strengths. The CPU alone ranks in the 94th percentile, and the GPU sits in the 63rd percentile, yet the combined performance ranking suggests that many other combinations achieve higher frame rates in this specific title. This discrepancy likely reflects the genre's unique demands — an Idle game may not fully stress the CPU's multi-threading capabilities, allowing weaker CPUs paired with stronger GPUs to outperform this setup at higher resolutions. The ranking also indicates that while this combo is competent, there are 467 other tested configurations that deliver better results in To The Core. For context, the combo's position in the middle of the pack means it offers solid but not exceptional performance relative to the full tested spectrum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo in To The Core is as follows:

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 264.8 FPS average
• Medium: 221.6 FPS average
• High: 194.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 155.6 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 175.3 FPS average
• Medium: 151.8 FPS average
• High: 127.9 FPS average
• Ultra: 106 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 100.4 FPS average
• Medium: 85.6 FPS average
• High: 72.7 FPS average
• Ultra: 60.8 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern where each resolution step down reduces frame rates by roughly 35-45%, and each settings tier from Low to Ultra costs approximately 10-15% performance at a given resolution. At 1080p, even Ultra settings push past 155 FPS, making this combo excellent for competitive play or high-refresh displays. At 1440p, the system remains above 100 FPS for all settings, which is the sweet spot for this pairing. At 4K, only Low settings stay above 100 FPS, with Ultra barely maintaining 60 FPS — playable but not ideal for those seeking maximum visual fidelity. The 4K Medium result of 85.6 FPS offers a good compromise between quality and performance. Overall, this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K as a viable but more demanding option.