To The Core

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of the Intel Core i9-14900K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in To The Core?

A: This combination ranks 2004 out of 3725 tested combos in the game, placing it in the 54th percentile of all tested configurations.

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

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, which is 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79371), 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79574), and 1.2% lower than the AMD EPYC 7413 (80041). It is 1.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77740).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4060 sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, which is 0.2% higher.

Q: What are the measured FPS numbers at 1080p with Low settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 313 FPS. This is the highest measured FPS across all resolutions and settings in the dataset.

Q: Is there a significant FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 210 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 124 FPS average. This represents a 86 FPS gap, or roughly a 41% reduction in performance when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for each component in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has a launch MSRP of $589, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has a launch MSRP of 299 USD.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 36 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU excels in multi-threaded workloads, scoring 39399.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 20793 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Single-core performance is equally strong, with 2262.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 324.5 in Cinebench R15 single-core.

For an idle game like To The Core, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining high frame rates without bottlenecking the GPU. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 313 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames far beyond typical display refresh rates. The 14900K's 32 threads and 6.00 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom for any background tasks or game logic that might run alongside the rendering pipeline.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 95 versus all CPUs indicates it is in the top 5% of processors tested, but its nearest rivals show how tight the competition is. The 14900KF is only 0.3% faster, and the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 0.6% faster, meaning the 14900K is effectively at parity with the best available options. In To The Core, where frame rates are already very high, this small CPU performance delta is unlikely to translate into meaningful FPS differences.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1830 MHz with a boost clock of 2460 MHz, and memory runs at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). The card features 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 24 RT cores, and 96 tensor cores, delivering 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In To The Core, the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are sufficient for the game's requirements, as evidenced by the measured frame rates. The GPU's percentile ranking of 61 places it in the upper-middle tier of graphics cards. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores only 0.2% higher on average, while the AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics score 0.3% lower. This clustering suggests the RTX 4060 is positioned in a competitive segment where small performance differences are common.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 71 FPS, indicating that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor at that extreme setting. However, at 1080p Low, the GPU produces 313 FPS, showing it can handle the game's lighter loads with ease. The 115 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate this is a power-efficient card that can sustain high clock speeds without thermal throttling in most chassis.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in To The Core covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160) and four settings levels (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra). At 1080p, the performance scales predictably: Low averages 313 FPS, Medium averages 265 FPS with a minimum of 225 and maximum of 304, High averages 229 FPS, and Ultra averages 185 FPS. The jump from Ultra to Low at 1080p represents a 128 FPS increase, or roughly a 69% performance uplift.

Moving to 1440p, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 210 FPS, Medium averages 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 and maximum of 205, High averages 154 FPS, and Ultra averages 124 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 86 FPS, which is smaller in absolute terms than at 1080p but proportionally similar.

At 4K, the performance drops further. Low averages 120 FPS, Medium averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117, High averages 88 FPS, and Ultra averages 71 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 49 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference across all resolutions. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is becoming the primary constraint, and settings changes have a more muted effect on frame rates compared to lower resolutions.

The Medium settings at all three resolutions include minimum and maximum FPS data, allowing for a more complete picture of frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the 225-304 FPS range indicates good consistency. At 1440p Medium, the 151-205 FPS range shows similar stability. At 4K Medium, the 87-117 FPS range is tighter, but still represents a 30 FPS swing between minimum and maximum.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 2004 out of 3725 tested combinations in To The Core, placing it in the 54th percentile of all configurations evaluated. This mid-pack ranking is interesting given the individual component strengths: the CPU is in the 95th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 61st percentile of all graphics cards. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that is neither a top performer nor a weak one in this specific game.

The rank suggests that in To The Core, the GPU is the more significant determinant of overall performance, since the combo's ranking (54th percentile) is closer to the GPU's percentile (61st) than the CPU's (95th). This aligns with the FPS data, which shows that resolution and settings changes have a substantial impact on frame rates, while the CPU's high single-core and multi-core scores provide sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

Compared to other combos, this pairing is likely outperformed by those with higher-tier GPUs (like RTX 4070 or above) paired with mid-range CPUs, but it would outperform combos with lower-tier GPUs paired with high-end CPUs. The exact FPS numbers in the measured data confirm that this combo can handle To The Core at high frame rates across most settings, but it falls short of the top-performing combinations that likely achieve over 400 FPS at 1080p Low.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo depends on the target refresh rate and resolution. At 1080p, all settings levels produce average FPS above 185, meaning even Ultra settings are playable on a standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz display. However, for maximum smoothness on a 240 Hz monitor, High settings at 229 FPS or Low settings at 313 FPS would be preferable. Medium settings at 265 FPS offer a good balance between visual quality and performance.

At 1440p, the situation changes slightly. Ultra settings at 124 FPS are still above 60 FPS, but High settings at 154 FPS provide more headroom for 144 Hz displays. Medium settings at 178 FPS are well-suited for 165 Hz monitors, and Low at 210 FPS can drive 200 Hz panels. For most users at 1440p, High or Medium settings would be the sweet spot, offering high frame rates without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

At 4K, the recommendations shift toward lower settings. Ultra at 71 FPS is barely above 60 FPS, which some users may find acceptable, but the 87 FPS minimum on Medium settings offers more consistent performance. High at 88 FPS is nearly identical to Medium, suggesting that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution regardless of settings. Low at 120 FPS is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making it the safest choice for 4K gaming. For a 4K 120 Hz display, Low settings would be the only option that can consistently hit that target.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about which component limits performance at each resolution. At Low settings, the average FPS decreases from 313 at 1080p to 210 at 1440p and 120 at 4K. This represents a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 43% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 193 FPS, or roughly 62%.

At High settings, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute numbers: 229 FPS at 1080p, 154 FPS at 1440p, and 88 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 33% (1080p to 1440p) and 43% (1440p to 4K), matching the Low settings pattern. This consistency suggests that the scaling behavior is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

At Ultra settings, the pattern holds: 185 FPS at 1080p, 124 FPS at 1440p, and 71 FPS at 4K. The drops are 33% and 43% respectively, again aligning with the other settings levels. This uniform scaling across all settings indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter when moving to higher resolutions, since the CPU's performance headroom does not change with resolution.

The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all settings levels is noteworthy. It suggests that To The Core's rendering workload scales linearly with pixel count, and the RTX 4060's performance degrades proportionally as resolution increases. The CPU's role remains constant, providing enough frame generation capability to avoid becoming a bottleneck even at 1080p Low where the GPU is producing 313 FPS.