To The Core

The pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700KF with the Intel Arc B580 in To The Core presents a study in contrasts: a 20-core, 28-thread desktop processor designed for heavy throughput, paired with a 12 GB graphics card that targets mainstream 1080p and 1440p gaming. The benchmark data shows this combination hitting a broad range of frame rates, from 56.6 FPS at 4K Ultra to 255.3 FPS at 1080p Low, which suggests the game is highly scalable across both components. The CPU, with a 96th percentile ranking among all processors, provides a massive computational headroom that the Arc B580, with its 66th percentile GPU ranking, does not always need to exploit. This imbalance in capability is the central theme of the measured results, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, but the CPU's headroom ensures that frame pacing remains consistent even at lower resolutions where the graphics card is less stressed.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a Raptor Lake-R architecture processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, running on a 10 nm process node. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory across a dual-channel bus. The processor's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 33 MB L3 cache. For an idle game like To The Core, which typically involves managing incremental resource generation rather than complex physics or AI, the CPU's raw throughput is not the primary constraint. However, the data from the benchmark suite shows this processor is exceptionally strong: it scores 44,557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,290 in single-core, with a Passmark multi-thread score of 52,425 and a single-thread score of 4,480.

The relevance of these CPU scores to To The Core is indirect but measurable. The game's load is likely light on the CPU, as evidenced by the fact that the measured FPS at 1080p Low (255.3 FPS) is almost triple the 4K Ultra result (56.6 FPS). This scaling indicates that the graphics workload, not the CPU, is the limiting factor. The processor's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest it is built for sustained performance, which is useful for maintaining consistent frame times in an idle game that may have background simulation elements. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, has an average benchmark score of 70,074, which is nearly identical to this chip's 70,104 average, showing that the "KF" suffix (no integrated graphics) does not hamper computational results. The AMD EPYC 9115 sits 0.3% higher, while the Ryzen 9 9950X is 0.4% lower, placing this CPU in a very tight performance band at the top of the desktop stack.

In practice, for To The Core, the CPU's 20 cores are overkill for most idle game logic, but the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that any single-threaded tasks, such as UI updates or save game serialization, run with minimal latency. The benchmark results indicate that this processor is not the bottleneck in any measured configuration, which is a crucial finding. The data suggests that a weaker CPU could likely deliver similar FPS in this title, but the i7-14700KF's headroom means that even if the game's background processing becomes more complex, the system will not stutter.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in To The Core, and at what settings?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 255.3, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed closely by 216.1 FPS at 1080p Medium and 187.8 FPS at 1080p High, showing that even at 1080p, the graphics settings significantly impact performance.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70,104, while the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 70,074. The delta percentage between them is 0%, indicating that they are statistically identical in overall processing performance, despite the KF lacking integrated graphics.

*Q: Is this combo more likely to be limited by the CPU or the GPU in To The Core?*

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU ranks in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Furthermore, the FPS scales dramatically with resolution and settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation; a CPU bottleneck would show less variation across these changes.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low setting produces an average of 169.7 FPS, while the Ultra setting drops to 101.6 FPS. This is a difference of 68.1 FPS, or approximately 40% lower performance for Ultra compared to Low, highlighting the heavy cost of the Ultra preset.

Q: Does the GPU's performance relative to its rivals suggest it is a strong or weak choice for this game?

A: The Intel Arc B580's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, has an average benchmark score of 23,181, which is 0.7% higher than the B580's 23,021. This places the B580 in the same performance class as the RTX 4060, suggesting it is a capable mid-range choice, though not a top-tier one.

*Q: How many combinations of CPUs and GPUs does this specific pairing rank against in To The Core?*

A: This combo ranks 1,350th out of 1,756 total tested combinations in the game. This ranking, combined with the high FPS numbers, suggests that many other combos with more powerful GPUs achieve higher frame rates, but this pairing is still well within playable territory.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B580 ranks 1,350th out of 1,756 tested combinations in To The Core. This position, in the lower third of all combos, might seem underwhelming given the CPU's high 96th percentile ranking. However, the context is crucial: the ranking is dominated by the GPU's performance, as the Arc B580 sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that this combo is not optimized for maximum FPS; instead, it represents a balanced mid-range setup where the CPU far exceeds the GPU's needs. The 1,350th rank means there are 406 other combos that achieve higher average FPS, likely featuring higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4060 or better, which is the B580's direct rival with a 0.7% higher average score.

What is more telling is the delta between this combo and the top performers. The FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, this combo hits 255.3 FPS, which is already very high, but other combos with stronger GPUs likely push past 300 FPS or more. The rank is a composite measure, and for this idle game, the 1,350th position indicates that while the system is fully playable, it does not leverage the CPU's full potential. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, would likely produce the same rank if paired with the same GPU, as their benchmark scores are identical. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which is 0.4% lower in CPU score, would also not change the ranking materially. This suggests that the combo rank is almost entirely a function of the GPU, and the CPU choice has negligible impact on the final FPS in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for this combo in To The Core is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 255.3 FPS, Medium 216.1 FPS, High 187.8 FPS, and Ultra 146.7 FPS. This shows a consistent drop of roughly 40-50 FPS for each step up in settings, with Ultra being 42.5% slower than Low. At 2560x1440, the numbers are: Low 169.7 FPS, Medium 142.4 FPS, High 126.4 FPS, and Ultra 101.6 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows a decrease of about 33-34% across the board, which is expected for a resolution increase of 77% in pixel count. At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 99.0 FPS, Medium 81.3 FPS, High 73.8 FPS, and Ultra 56.6 FPS.

The 4K results are particularly telling. The jump from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings brings the FPS down from 101.6 to 56.6, a 44.3% reduction. This is a significant drop that pushes the system below the 60 FPS threshold at 4K Ultra, which is a common target for smooth gameplay. At 4K Low, the system still achieves 99.0 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough headroom to handle 4K if settings are lowered. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 42.4 FPS, which is a larger absolute difference than at 1080p (108.6 FPS difference between Low and Ultra). This indicates that the GPU's fill rate and shading capabilities are heavily taxed at 4K Ultra, and the 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus is likely a factor, though the bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s is sufficient for most textures.

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

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the FPS drops from 187.8 at 1080p to 126.4 at 1440p, and then to 73.8 at 4K. This represents a 60.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is less than the 400% increase in pixel count (from ~2 million pixels to ~8.3 million). The fact that the FPS does not drop proportionally to the pixel count suggests that the game is not purely fill-rate limited; other factors like memory bandwidth and shading complexity play a role. The GPU's pixel rate is 213.6 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 427.2 GTexel/s, which are moderate figures for a mid-range card.

The data implies that the limiting component is the GPU, not the CPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change with resolution. Instead, the FPS scales consistently with resolution, which is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU, with its 96th percentile ranking, has more than enough headroom to feed the GPU at any resolution. The drop from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is the steepest, from 101.6 to 56.6 FPS, a 44.3% decrease. This steep drop at higher settings and resolutions points to the GPU's 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 12 GB memory buffer being the primary constraints. The memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s is adequate, but the 19 Gbps effective memory speed on a 192-bit bus may cause bottlenecks with high-resolution textures at Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target refresh rate and resolution. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 187.8 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p still delivers 146.7 FPS, which is also above 144 Hz, so the visual fidelity of Ultra can be enjoyed without sacrificing smoothness on standard high-refresh displays. For 1440p, the High preset at 126.4 FPS is the sweet spot for 120 Hz monitors, while the Ultra preset at 101.6 FPS is still playable on 100 Hz displays but may not fully utilize a 144 Hz panel. The Medium preset at 142.4 FPS offers a better trade-off for higher refresh rates, providing a 12.7% increase over High while only dropping visual quality one step.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The High preset at 73.8 FPS is the best option for a 60 Hz display, as it provides a smooth experience without the 16.9% FPS hit from Ultra (which drops to 56.6 FPS). The Medium preset at 81.3 FPS offers a slight advantage over High for those who prefer smoother motion over visual fidelity. For the best overall experience, the data suggests using High settings at 1080p or 1440p, as this balances the GPU's capabilities with the CPU's headroom. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p, where the FPS remains above 140, or for 4K users who prioritize visuals over frame rate and are willing to accept sub-60 FPS. The Low preset, while providing the highest FPS, is not recommended for this idle game, as the visual downgrade is unnecessary given the strong performance at Medium and High.

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

The Intel Arc B580 is the bottleneck in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured FPS patterns. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s and a memory clock of 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The chip, named BMG-G21, is built on a 5 nm process by TSMC and features 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. It has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with 20 ray tracing cores. The base and boost clocks are both 2670 MHz, which is a relatively high clock speed for a mid-range card, contributing to its 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The card's TDP is 190 W, and it connects via PCIe 4.0 x8.

In To The Core, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's assets, even at 4K Ultra, so memory capacity is not the limiting factor. Instead, the GPU's compute throughput and memory bandwidth are the constraints. The 73.8 FPS at 4K High and 56.6 FPS at 4K Ultra show that the card struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher settings. The GPU's percentile ranking of 66th places it below many rivals, but its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, is only 0.7% faster in average benchmark score, indicating that this is a competitive card for its class. The Passmark G3D score of 15,748 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,068 reflect its mid-range positioning. The data shows that the GPU is the primary determinant of FPS in this game, and the CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data, which it does admirably given its high benchmark scores. The GPU's 66th percentile ranking means it is a capable performer for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not designed for 4K Ultra settings, as the FPS data confirms.