To The Core

To The Core is an idle game, yet the benchmark results for the Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D reveal a configuration that is overwhelmingly powerful for its demands. The data shows this combo achieves the top rank among 2,991 tested combinations, delivering frame rates that are not just playable but excessive for the genre. The measured FPS indicates that this pairing is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions, while the sheer headroom at 4K suggests that users are far more likely to be limited by their display's refresh rate than by this hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, but the absolute numbers remain staggeringly high. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 667, which drops to 448 at 1440p, and further down to 256 at 4K. This represents a 33% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent across all settings, indicating a predictable workload curve rather than a sudden bottleneck.

The data reveals a clear pattern: the gap between 1080p and 1440p is larger in percentage terms than the gap between 1440p and 4K. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is keeping the GPU well-fed, but the GPU is still the primary limiter. Moving to 4K, the incremental load on the GPU increases, yet the RTX 5090 D still manages an average of 151 FPS at Ultra settings. This is a critical finding—even at maximum quality and highest resolution, the frame rate exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

The scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component shifts as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system is likely constrained by the game's engine or CPU single-thread performance, as the GPU is not being fully utilized. At 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, but it is a bottleneck at 188 FPS for High settings, which is not a practical limitation. The measured data shows that the performance envelope is so broad that users could effectively choose any resolution and settings combination without worrying about playability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a monster of a graphics card, and its specs confirm why it performs so well here. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This massive memory allocation is far beyond what an idle game like To The Core requires, but it eliminates any possibility of a VRAM bottleneck, even at 4K with Ultra settings. The GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz, boosting to 2407 MHz, and it offers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The benchmark results show this GPU is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77,712. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, which is 1.1% ahead, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which is 1.6% behind. These deltas are negligible, suggesting that the RTX 5090 D sits in a performance tier where small percentage differences are common. However, in this specific game, the GPU's raw power is the dominant factor, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scales almost linearly with resolution.

The GPU's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is built on a 5 nm process by TSMC, with a die size of 750 mm² containing 92,200 million transistors. The sheer size and complexity of the chip are reflected in its 21,760 shading units and 176 ROPs. For To The Core, which is not graphically intensive, this GPU is overkill, but the data shows that it still delivers consistent performance without any thermal or power throttling concerns. The TDP is 575 W, and the suggested PSU is 950 W, indicating that the system requires substantial power delivery, but the measured FPS suggests that this is a worthwhile trade-off for users seeking maximum frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It has an L3 cache of 33 MB shared, and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In the CPU benchmark database, it scores in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69,355. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.1% ahead), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.2% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.7% behind). These are all high-end processors, and the i7-14700K holds its own within this group.

For To The Core, the CPU's role is to provide enough single-thread performance to feed the GPU at high frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 667 FPS, which is a scenario where the CPU is likely the limiting factor. The i7-14700K's boost clock of 5.60 GHz is crucial here, as it allows the processor to handle the game's logic and draw calls without bottlenecking the GPU. The 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient for an idle game, which typically does not scale well across many threads.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are demonstrated in its Cinebench R23 score of 33,440.5, while its single-core score is 2,160. These numbers indicate that the processor is balanced, but for gaming, the single-core performance is what matters most. The data suggests that the i7-14700K is not a limiting factor in this configuration, even at 1080p where frame rates are highest. The fact that the FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 1440p (e.g., from 489 to 329 at High settings) indicates that the GPU is taking over as the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, which is the expected behavior for a well-balanced system.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks first out of 2,991 tested combos in To The Core. This is a top-tier result, placing it ahead of every other configuration in the database. The rank is based on the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions, and the data shows that this combo consistently delivers the highest frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

The closest competitors in the CPU benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which are within 1% of the i7-14700K's average score. However, in this game, the GPU is the dominant factor, and the RTX 5090 D's performance is what pushes this combo to the top. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, are 2.4% behind in average benchmark score, but in real-world gaming, the RTX 5090 D's architecture and features provide a decisive advantage.

The rank of 1 out of 2,991 is a strong statement about the hardware's capabilities, but it also highlights the diminishing returns of such a powerful setup for an idle game. The data shows that the combo is not just winning by a small margin; it is delivering frame rates that are two to three times higher than what is needed for a smooth experience. This suggests that users with this combo are future-proofed for any game, but for To The Core specifically, they are unlikely to see any benefit from the extra performance beyond the ability to run at maximum settings with a high refresh rate monitor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the best experience in To The Core is achieved at 4K with High settings, which yields an average of 188 FPS. This provides a balance between visual quality and performance, as the frame rate is high enough to take advantage of a 144 Hz or even a 165 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 151 FPS, which is still playable but may not be worth the additional graphical fidelity for an idle game where the visuals are not the focus.

At 1440p, the Medium preset offers an average of 379 FPS, which is excessive for any display, but it provides a smoother experience than High (329 FPS) without the visual compromise of Low (448 FPS). The Ultra preset at 1440p (265 FPS) is also a viable option, but the performance difference between Medium and Ultra is not as pronounced as the jump from Low to Medium. For users with a 1080p monitor, the Low preset (667 FPS) is the fastest, but it is not recommended because the visual quality is significantly reduced. The Medium preset at 1080p (564 FPS) is the sweet spot, offering a high frame rate with better visuals.

The data suggests that the optimal setting is High at 4K, as it provides the best combination of image quality and frame rate. The Medium preset is the best value for users who want to maximize frame rates without sacrificing too much visual fidelity, but the differences are marginal given the hardware's capabilities. The Ultra preset is only recommended for users with a 240 Hz monitor who want to push the system to its limits, but the 151 FPS at 4K Ultra is still below the refresh rate of most high-end displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, with Low settings achieving 667 FPS, Medium 564 FPS, High 489 FPS, and Ultra 393 FPS. The Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 479 and a maximum of 648, indicating some variability, but the average is stable. The Low and High presets do not have recorded min/max values, but the averages are consistent.

At 1440p, the performance is still remarkable, with Low settings at 448 FPS, Medium at 379 FPS, High at 329 FPS, and Ultra at 265 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 322 FPS and a maximum of 436 FPS, which is a wider range than at 1080p, but still well within playable territory. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly a 30% drop in FPS across all settings, which is expected as the number of pixels increases.

At 4K, the frame rates are lower but still impressive, with Low settings at 256 FPS, Medium at 217 FPS, High at 188 FPS, and Ultra at 151 FPS. The Medium preset has a minimum of 184 FPS and a maximum of 249 FPS, showing that even at the highest resolution, the combo maintains a high level of consistency. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding, but 151 FPS is still a very high frame rate for any game, let alone an idle title. The data shows that the combo is capable of handling any resolution and settings combination with ease, making it a top-tier choice for users who demand the best performance possible.