To The Core

This analysis covers the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in To The Core, an Idle game released on 2024-02-14. The data is measured, not estimated, and the following breakdown uses only the provided benchmark results.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in To The Core?*

A: This combo ranks 1009th out of 1756 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-mid range of all tested systems for this specific title.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Core i7-14700F scores an average of 54097 across all benchmark suites. It is about 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and 1.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, while being 1.2% ahead of the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 and 1.7% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7313P.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest competitors in synthetic tests?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181. This places it roughly 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, while being 0.7% ahead of the Intel Arc B580 and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon 760M.

Q: What is the best performance setting at 1080p according to the measured FPS?

A: The Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 1920x1080 with 311.6 FPS, followed by Medium at 262.7 FPS, High at 232.4 FPS, and Ultra at 182.7 FPS.

Q: Does the game scale well from 1080p to 4K with this hardware?

A: Yes, the game remains highly playable at 4K. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 232.4 at 1080p to 153.5 at 1440p and finally to 89.5 at 2160p, showing a clear but manageable performance curve as resolution increases.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the CPU and GPU?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has a launch MSRP of $359, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has a launch MSRP of 299 USD.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output pipelines. The card operates with a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. Memory duties are handled by 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s and an effective memory clock of 17 Gbps.

In To The Core, the GPU's role is significant but not overwhelming. The measured frame rates indicate that the RTX 4060 is more than capable of driving this idle-genre title. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 232.4 FPS, which suggests the GPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. The card's FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s provide ample raw throughput for the game's rendering demands. The 8 GB VRAM appears sufficient for all tested settings, as even at 4K Ultra the game maintains a playable 71.4 FPS, indicating no memory capacity wall is hit. The GPU's 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with its nearest rivals being within 1% of its score, shows it sits in a competitive mid-range tier that aligns well with the performance observed here.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable drop as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop reveals the system's balance. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 311.6 FPS at 1080p to 209.8 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of about 33%. Moving to 4K Low yields 121.8 FPS, which is another 42% drop from 1440p. This steep decline at 4K indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

At High settings, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute numbers: 232.4 FPS at 1080p, 153.5 FPS at 1440p, and 89.5 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is still well above 60 FPS, confirming that the RTX 4060 handles the resolution jump without collapsing. The Ultra preset shows the most significant strain, dropping from 182.7 FPS at 1080p to 123.3 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 71.4 FPS at 4K.

The pattern across all settings suggests that at 1080p, the Intel Core i7-14700F with its 20 cores and 28 threads is likely providing headroom, as the FPS counts are extremely high. The transition to 1440p and 4K shifts the workload onto the RTX 4060, and the frame rate drops become proportionally larger. This is classic GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. The data implies that for maximum frame rates, 1080p is the sweet spot, but the system remains fully playable at 4K with any preset, making it a versatile combo for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 1756 tested combinations, this pairing of the Core i7-14700F and RTX 4060 lands at rank 1009. This position places it slightly below the median of all tested systems, which is interesting given the strong individual component benchmarks. The CPU itself scores in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU sits in the 66th percentile among all GPUs. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU skews the overall ranking lower than the CPU's individual standing.

The CPU's nearest rivals in general benchmarks are all within a 1.7% delta, meaning the processor is essentially tied with several high-end AMD and Intel parts in raw compute. However, for gaming in To The Core, the ranking reflects the GPU's influence more heavily at higher resolutions. The 1009th rank suggests that while the CPU offers exceptional multi-threaded performance, the RTX 4060's mid-range standing caps the system's overall position relative to combos featuring stronger GPUs. In practical terms, this combo outperforms many systems with weaker CPUs but falls behind those pairing the same tier of CPU with higher-end graphics cards. For an idle game like To The Core, the ranking is more than adequate, as the measured FPS is consistently high across all settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the display resolution and the user's preference for visual fidelity versus raw frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 311.6 FPS, which is far beyond what any display can show, making it a waste of potential visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1080p still produces 182.7 FPS, which remains exceptionally smooth and offers the best visual experience without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 153.5 FPS, which is an excellent balance of quality and speed. The Medium preset at 179.2 FPS is also viable, but High offers better visuals for only a 15% drop in frame rate. The Ultra preset at 123.3 FPS is still very playable and is recommended for users who prioritize image quality, as it remains above the 120 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the High preset yields 89.5 FPS, which is the recommended choice for a smooth 4K experience. The Medium preset at 103 FPS is slightly faster, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often noticeable. The Ultra preset at 71.4 FPS is playable but dips closer to 60 FPS territory, making High the better trade-off. The Low preset at 121.8 FPS is only useful for competitive play where maximum frame rate is critical, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a game like this.

Overall, High settings at 1440p or 4K offer the best combination of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, Ultra is the clear choice since the hardware has ample headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are uniformly high across all presets. The Low preset produces an average of 311.6 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset follows at 262.7 FPS, then High at 232.4 FPS, and finally Ultra at 182.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is about 129 FPS, indicating that the GPU settings have a moderate impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the scaling shows a clear step-down. Low delivers 209.8 FPS, Medium drops to 179.2 FPS, High comes in at 153.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 123.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is roughly 86 FPS, showing that the resolution increase tightens the performance band. All presets remain above 120 FPS, making 1440p a very comfortable resolution for this combo.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve becomes more pronounced. Low achieves 121.8 FPS, Medium reaches 103 FPS, High drops to 89.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 71.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is about 50 FPS, and every preset stays above 70 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience even at 4K. The data shows that this system can handle 4K gaming in To The Core without needing to compromise on settings, as even the Ultra preset maintains a playable frame rate. The measured results confirm that the combination of the Core i7-14700F and RTX 4060 is well-suited for this title across all tested configurations.