To The Core

To The Core is an idle game, and its performance profile on the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 combination is surprisingly demanding at higher settings, but the data shows the pairing scales predictably with resolution and preset choices. The measured frames per second across the board indicate that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary driver of performance, with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 providing ample headroom to keep frame rates high even at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes them against the hardware’s broader benchmark standing, and offers clear settings guidance based solely on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario in this title. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers an average of 225 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 152 FPS, a reduction of 73 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls to 87 FPS, which is a 61% decline from the 1080p Low result. This pattern strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B570’s rendering throughput, not the CPU, is the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at High settings shows a drop from 165 FPS to 111 FPS, a 54 FPS decrease. The jump from 1440p to 4K at High is even more pronounced, going from 111 FPS down to 64 FPS, a 47 FPS loss. The data suggests that for an idle game, the visual complexity at higher resolutions is substantial enough to tax the GPU heavily. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 36 FPS (87 vs 51), which is smaller in absolute terms than the 92 FPS gap at 1080p (225 vs 133), reinforcing that the GPU is saturated at 4K regardless of the preset.

At Medium settings, the only preset with min and max FPS data, the scaling is equally clear. At 1080p Medium, the average is 191 FPS with a minimum of 162 and maximum of 219. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 128 FPS, with a minimum of 109 and maximum of 147. At 4K Medium, the average is 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84. The minimum FPS values show that even in the most demanding moments, the combo stays playable, but the headroom shrinks considerably at higher resolutions.

The overall trend across all four settings—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—is that 1080p offers a comfortable margin above 130 FPS even at the highest preset, while 4K Ultra barely holds above 50 FPS. This suggests that for a smooth experience at 4K, users should consider lower presets, as the data shows a 36 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at that resolution. The 1440p results are the sweet spot for balancing visual fidelity and frame rate, with High settings delivering 111 FPS and Ultra at 89 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570’s specifications directly explain the measured performance. With 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, the GPU offers a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the textures and assets in To The Core at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results suggest that memory bandwidth and capacity are being pushed harder, contributing to the lower frame rates. The GPU’s boost clock is fixed at 2500 MHz, which matches its base clock, indicating a stable operating point that does not vary under load.

The Arc B570’s compute resources include 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. These numbers translate to a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. For an idle game, these rates are more than adequate at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 225 FPS result at 1080p Low. However, the 4K Ultra result of 51 FPS shows that the GPU’s fill rate is a bottleneck when combined with high-detail settings at that pixel count.

The GPU’s overall benchmark standing places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals in synthetic tests include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% higher score), the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% lower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (0.5% lower). These comparisons show that the Arc B570 is a mid-tier performer in raw compute, but the measured FPS in To The Core indicates that the game’s engine is well optimized for this architecture, as the results are consistently playable.

In the context of the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has a benchmark percentile of 85 versus all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T (-0.5%). The CPU’s 10 cores and 10 threads, boost clock of 4.90 GHz, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache are more than sufficient for an idle game, which typically does not demand high multi-threaded performance. The measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU bottlenecking, as even the highest frame rates at 1080p do not appear to be capped by processor limits.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60 FPS minimum?

A: The data shows that at 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 62, which is just above 60. At 4K High and 4K Ultra, the averages are 64 and 51 FPS, respectively, with no minimum data provided. For a guaranteed 60 FPS floor, 4K Medium is the only 4K preset with a measured minimum above 60.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534, which is 0.1% higher. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, which is 0.1% lower than the B570. These deltas are minimal, indicating near-identical synthetic performance.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the data suggests otherwise. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 225 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it reaches 133 FPS. These numbers are high and show no indication of CPU limitation, as the CPU’s percentile rank is 85 and its single-thread score in Cinebench R23 is 3655, which is strong for gaming.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p Low, the average FPS is 152. At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS is 89. This is a difference of 63 FPS, or a 41% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Does the 10 GB VRAM on the Arc B570 cause issues at 4K?

A: The measured data shows playable frame rates at 4K, with the lowest average being 51 FPS at Ultra. No stutter or crash data is provided, but the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 62, suggesting that the 10 GB memory is sufficient for this game, though higher presets reduce performance significantly.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for To The Core?

A: The combo rank is 2380 out of 2991 tested combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer for this game, it is far from the bottom, and the measured FPS confirms it is capable of smooth gameplay at most settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2380 out of 2991 tested combos for To The Core. This rank places it in the 20th percentile of all combos, meaning that roughly 80% of tested configurations perform better. However, this ranking must be interpreted with the game’s genre in mind. To The Core is an idle game, and many higher-ranked combos likely feature much more powerful GPUs that push frame rates into the hundreds at 4K, which is unnecessary for this title’s gameplay.

The CPU’s individual percentile rank is 85, which is strong, but the GPU’s percentile rank is 65, which pulls the combo down in the overall ranking. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 20556 is close to its nearest rivals, but those rivals are not listed as part of other combos in this game’s data. The combo rank of 2380 suggests that the Arc B570 is the limiting component, and users seeking higher ranks would need a more powerful GPU.

In practical terms, the rank is less important than the measured FPS. The combo delivers 64 FPS at 4K High and 51 FPS at 4K Ultra, which are both playable. At 1440p, the lowest average is 89 FPS at Ultra, and at 1080p, the lowest average is 133 FPS at Ultra. These numbers are all above 50 FPS, which is a common threshold for playability, and they indicate that this combo is well-suited for the game despite its mid-pack ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, all four presets deliver averages above 130 FPS, so Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The 133 FPS average at 1080p Ultra is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the lack of min FPS data does not indicate any issues.

At 1440p, High settings provide the best balance, with an average of 111 FPS. Ultra drops to 89 FPS, which is still playable, but the 22 FPS difference may not be worth the visual gains for an idle game. Medium at 1440p offers 128 FPS, but High is a better compromise between fidelity and performance. Low at 1440p is unnecessary, as the 152 FPS result does not provide a meaningful advantage over High.

At 4K, Medium is the recommended preset, as it is the only one with a measured minimum FPS above 60 (62 FPS). High averages 64 FPS, but without min FPS data, there is a risk of drops below 60. Ultra averages 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may feel less smooth. Low at 4K averages 87 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is significant, and Medium is a better choice for those who want a balance.

For users with a 144Hz monitor, 1080p Ultra or 1440p High are the best options, as both exceed 100 FPS. For 60Hz displays, 4K Medium or 1440p Ultra are viable, with the former offering a guaranteed 60 FPS minimum. The data does not support pushing beyond these settings, as the frame rate drops are substantial.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 225 FPS. This is the highest measured result across all resolutions and settings.
• Medium: Average 191 FPS, with a minimum of 162 and maximum of 219.
• High: Average 165 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 133 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 152 FPS.
• Medium: Average 128 FPS, with a minimum of 109 and maximum of 147.
• High: Average 111 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 89 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 87 FPS.
• Medium: Average 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84.
• High: Average 64 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 51 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the fastest, and 4K Ultra is the slowest. The Medium preset at each resolution provides the only min and max FPS measurements, which are useful for understanding frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 162 to 219 FPS, a 57 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 109 to 147 FPS, a 38 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 62 to 84 FPS, a 22 FPS spread. This narrowing range indicates that as resolution increases, the frame rate becomes more consistent, likely due to the GPU being fully utilized.

The delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution is also informative. At 1080p, the difference is 92 FPS (225 vs 133). At 1440p, the difference is 63 FPS (152 vs 89). At 4K, the difference is 36 FPS (87 vs 51). This decreasing delta suggests that the GPU’s performance ceiling is reached more quickly at higher resolutions, making the preset choice less impactful at 4K. For an idle game, the 4K Medium result of 73 FPS is the most balanced option, offering a 62 FPS minimum and a 84 FPS maximum.