To The Core

# FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of the Intel Core i7-14700F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 in To The Core?

A: This specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 32nd out of 1756 tested combos in the game, placing it in the top 1.8% of all configurations measured.

Q: How does the i7-14700F compare to its closest rival in general CPU benchmarks?

A: The i7-14700F scores 54,097 in average benchmark scores, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (54,450) and 1.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54,681). Against the Intel Xeon Phi 7290, it is 1.2% higher, and 1.7% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P.

Q: What is the peak average FPS achievable with this combo in To The Core?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 610.9, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This drops to 447.5 at High settings and 361.7 at Ultra at the same resolution.

Q: Does this combo maintain high frame rates at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 137.4 at Ultra settings to 235.4 at Low settings. The High preset delivers 173.5 FPS, and Medium produces 200.7 FPS.

Q: What are the key specifications of the RTX 4090 in this configuration?

A: The GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. Its boost clock is 2520 MHz, and it has 16,384 shading units with 128 RT cores.

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread configuration?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It includes 33 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory.

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GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the high frame rates observed in To The Core. The GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit interface provides a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which is more than sufficient for the game's data streaming demands, even at 4K resolution. The boost clock of 2520 MHz, combined with 16,384 shading units, allows for massive parallel throughput, reflected in the measured FPS values.

The GPU's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a key indicator of its raw compute capability. In To The Core, an idle game, this level of horsepower ensures that even at Ultra settings, the frame rate remains well above refresh-rate thresholds for most displays. For instance, at 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo still produces 137.4 FPS, which is playable on high-refresh 4K monitors.

The RTX 4090's 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are less relevant for an idle game, but the sheer rasterization throughput (443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate) ensures no bottlenecks at lower resolutions. The data confirms this: at 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS jumps to 610.9, indicating the GPU is not the limiting factor at lower settings.

Interestingly, the GPU's percentile rank is 91 among all GPUs, yet its average benchmark score of 66,473 places it near rivals like the Tesla T4 (66,733, -0.4%) and the Quadro P6000 (67,320, -1.3%). These professional-grade cards are not gaming-focused, so the RTX 4090's gaming performance in To The Core is clearly superior, as evidenced by the measured FPS.

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Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance depends on the target refresh rate and resolution. At 1920x1080, all settings exceed 360 FPS, with Low at 610.9, Medium at 520.3, High at 447.5, and Ultra at 361.7. For 1080p users on high-refresh monitors (e.g., 240Hz or 360Hz), High settings provide a 447.5 FPS average, which is more than enough, while Ultra still delivers 361.7 FPS, making it a viable choice for maximum fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low yields 413.4 FPS, Medium 349.5 FPS, High 299.6 FPS, and Ultra 241.7 FPS. For 1440p gaming, Ultra settings are recommended for users with 240Hz displays, as the 241.7 FPS average exceeds the refresh rate. Those with 360Hz monitors can still use High settings at 299.6 FPS without sacrificing much visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a wider spread: Low 235.4 FPS, Medium 200.7 FPS, High 173.5 FPS, and Ultra 137.4 FPS. For 4K, High settings (173.5 FPS) are the sweet spot for 144Hz displays, while Ultra (137.4 FPS) remains viable for 120Hz panels. Low settings are unnecessary at this resolution, as even Ultra clears the 120 FPS threshold.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is 2560x1440 Ultra, which delivers 241.7 FPS while retaining the highest visual preset. This resolution provides a significant pixel density upgrade over 1080p without the performance penalty seen at 4K.

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How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 32nd out of 1756 tested combos in To The Core. This places the pairing in the top 2% of all configurations, which is consistent with the hardware's high-end positioning. The CPU's percentile rank is 94 among all CPUs, and the GPU's is 91, so the combo's rank reflects the synergy of two top-tier components.

The combo's rank of 32 suggests that 31 other configurations outperform it, likely involving newer or more specialized hardware. However, the data does not specify which combos rank higher, so a direct comparison is not possible from the provided facts. What is clear is that the i7-14700F + RTX 4090 pairing delivers exceptional performance, as evidenced by the measured FPS values across all resolutions.

The CPU's general benchmark performance (avg 54,097) is just 0.6% below the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, indicating that the i7-14700F is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. The GPU's benchmark score (66,473) is similarly close to its nearest rivals, yet the gaming performance in To The Core is far superior to those professional cards, which are not optimized for gaming workloads.

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CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F provides 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This configuration is more than adequate for To The Core, an idle game that typically relies on single-thread performance for game logic and UI updates. The CPU's single-core benchmarks are strong: Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,003, Geekbench single-core of 2,711, and Passmark single-thread of 4,261.

The 33 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for the game's asset streaming. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the measured FPS data does not specify which memory type was used. The 65 W TDP is notably low for a 20-core processor, indicating efficient power management, which is sufficient for an idle game that does not heavily stress the CPU.

In multi-threaded workloads, the i7-14700F scores 35,443 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 41,765 in Passmark multithread. These scores are competitive, but To The Core's performance is more dependent on the GPU, as shown by the minimal FPS differences between CPU-heavy scenarios. The CPU's percentile rank of 94 confirms it is a top-tier processor, and its nearest rivals (Ryzen 9 9900X, Ryzen 9 9900X3D) are within 1.1% in average scores, meaning the i7-14700F does not hold back the RTX 4090 in this game.

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Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals consistent scaling across resolutions and settings, with no anomalies. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 361.7 (Ultra) to 610.9 (Low). The difference between Low and Medium is 90.6 FPS (610.9 to 520.3), while High is 447.5 and Ultra is 361.7. This represents a 40.8% drop from Low to Ultra, which is expected for an idle game with high frame ceilings.

At 2560x1440, the values are 413.4 (Low), 349.5 (Medium), 299.6 (High), and 241.7 (Ultra). The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 41.5% reduction, similar to 1080p. The High preset at 1440p (299.6 FPS) is nearly identical to the Medium preset at 1080p (520.3 FPS), showing that resolution has a significant impact but the GPU handles it well.

At 3840x2160, the data shows 235.4 (Low), 200.7 (Medium), 173.5 (High), and 137.4 (Ultra). The drop from Low to Ultra is 41.6%, consistent with the other resolutions. Notably, 4K Ultra (137.4 FPS) is still higher than 1080p Ultra on many lower-end systems, indicating the sheer power of this combo.

Across all resolutions, the FPS decreases by roughly 10-15% per settings tier (Low to Medium, Medium to High, High to Ultra), which is a predictable pattern. The highest measured average FPS is 610.9 at 1080p Low, while the lowest is 137.4 at 4K Ultra. This range of 473.5 FPS demonstrates the combo's flexibility: it can push extreme frame rates at lower settings or maintain high refresh rates at maximum fidelity in 4K.