To The Core

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers exceptional performance in To The Core, an Idle game where the measured data shows frame rates that far exceed display refresh rate requirements across all tested configurations. This combination ranks in the top tier of tested systems, making it a high-performance choice for this title, though the game's simple genre means the hardware is heavily underutilized at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings for this combo?

A: The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with High settings is 318 FPS. This is a very high result, indicating that the system is far from being stressed at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104, which is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-14700K. The data shows a deltaPct of 0, meaning they perform identically in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: What is the GPU's memory capacity and type?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus. This provides a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is more than ample for the demands of To The Core.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core i7-14700KF?

A: The launch MSRP for the Intel Core i7-14700KF is $384. This processor features 20 cores and 28 threads, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 99.9 at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. Even this "lowest" result is still well above 60 FPS, showing the combo's capability at 4K.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56?

A: The RTX 4070's average benchmark score is 37283, which is slightly lower than the RX Vega 56's score of 37507. The deltaPct is -0.6, indicating a marginal difference in raw compute benchmarks, though gaming performance in this title is excellent.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows a clear progression of performance across settings presets, and the optimal choice depends on the user's display and preference for visual fidelity. At 1080p, the game runs at absurdly high frame rates across all presets, from 254.6 FPS on Ultra to 430.4 FPS on Low. Given that most displays are capped at 144Hz or 240Hz, the High preset at 318 FPS provides a massive headroom, making it a sensible default that balances quality and performance. The Medium preset at 366.4 FPS offers even more headroom but with minimal visual gain over High in an Idle game.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 210.6 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The Ultra preset drops to 171.8 FPS, which remains excellent for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays. For users with a 144Hz 1440p monitor, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers the highest visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds the display's capability. The Medium preset at 245.1 FPS is also a strong option for those prioritizing frame rate above all else.

At 4K, the situation changes slightly. The High preset yields 120.4 FPS, which is ideal for a 120Hz 4K display. The Ultra preset drops to 99.9 FPS, which is still playable and smooth on a 100Hz or 120Hz display, but the High preset is recommended for a locked 120 FPS experience. The Medium preset at 140.6 FPS is the best overall value at 4K, offering a significant frame rate advantage over High while likely showing minimal visual differences in an Idle game's static or simple scenes. The Low preset at 167.1 FPS is only necessary for the most extreme refresh rate displays, which are rare at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 plays a central role in the measured results, though its capabilities are only partially tested by To The Core. The GPU features a boost clock of 2475 MHz and a base clock of 1920 MHz, built on the AD104 chip with 5888 shading units. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are substantial, but the game's idle genre likely does not heavily tax these resources, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark data shows a percentile ranking of 81, meaning it outperforms 81% of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 37283, which is within 2.5% of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M and within 2.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile. This indicates that the desktop RTX 4070 is a solid mid-to-high-range performer. In To The Core, the GPU is the primary driver of the FPS differences between settings presets, as the CPU is clearly not a bottleneck at any resolution. The data shows that from Low to Ultra settings, the frame rate scales consistently, suggesting that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are being utilized to render the scene's details, even if the game is not graphically intensive.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 435 out of 1756 tested combos in To The Core. This places it in the top 25% of all systems tested, which is a strong result given that the game is not demanding. The rank reflects the high performance of both components, but also suggests that many other combos with newer or more powerful parts achieve even higher frame rates, particularly at 1080p where the game becomes CPU-bound.

The combo's rank of 435 is likely influenced by the fact that the RTX 4070, while capable, is not a flagship GPU. The CPU's performance, however, is exceptional, with a percentile rank of 96 against all CPUs. The i7-14700KF's average benchmark score of 70104 places it just 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115 and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. This indicates that the CPU is a top-tier part that can drive high frame rates in any game, but in To The Core, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a powerhouse processor that provides more than enough compute headroom for To The Core. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it offers exceptional multi-threaded performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and Geekbench multi-core score of 19287. Its single-thread performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6290, which is crucial for games that rely on a few fast cores.

In To The Core, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high (430.4 FPS on Low), which indicates that the CPU can handle the game's single-threaded load without breaking a sweat. The CPU's base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide the necessary speed for such high frame rates. The data also shows a clear scaling from 1080p to 4K, where the average FPS drops significantly (e.g., from 318 FPS at 1080p High to 120.4 FPS at 4K High). This pattern indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck; instead, the GPU's rendering workload increases with resolution, and the CPU is able to keep up with the increased demand. The CPU's 33 MB of L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory further ensure that it does not impede the RTX 4070's performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are remarkably high: 430.4 FPS on Low, 366.4 FPS on Medium, 318 FPS on High, and 254.6 FPS on Ultra. This shows a consistent drop of roughly 15-20% per settings tier, with the Ultra preset still delivering over 250 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent but scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 291 FPS, Medium averages 245.1 FPS, High averages 210.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 171.8 FPS. The relative difference between settings is similar to 1080p, indicating that the GPU is handling the increased pixel count proportionally.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are still very playable but show a more pronounced impact from the settings. The Low preset averages 167.1 FPS, Medium averages 140.6 FPS, High averages 120.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 99.9 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, with the High preset falling from 318 FPS to 120.4 FPS, a reduction of over 60%. This confirms that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU is clearly capable of driving higher frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a clear pattern of frame rate scaling as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound workload. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 30-35% across all settings. For example, the High preset falls from 318 FPS at 1080p to 210.6 FPS at 1440p, a 34% reduction. This is a moderate drop, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading units are being utilized more heavily but still have headroom.

From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more severe, with the High preset falling from 210.6 FPS to 120.4 FPS, a 43% reduction. The Ultra preset sees an even larger relative drop, from 171.8 FPS at 1440p to 99.9 FPS at 4K, a 42% reduction. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4070 is becoming increasingly stressed at 4K, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p, requiring significantly more GPU processing power.

The scaling behavior confirms that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component in this combo, particularly at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is consistent across resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rates at 1080p are so high that they are likely capped by the game engine or the GPU's rendering speed. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver frame rates far beyond any display's refresh rate. At 4K, it still provides a smooth experience, but the GPU's limitations become apparent, especially on the Ultra preset where the frame rate dips below 100 FPS.