To The Core

Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing delivers a surprisingly robust experience in To The Core, an idle game that clearly favors high refresh rates. The data shows a combo that sits in the 53rd percentile of all tested combinations, suggesting a balanced partnership where neither component dramatically bottlenecks the other, though the scaling patterns reveal distinct roles for each part.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This is a desktop part with a 65 W TDP, and it ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs in the database, indicating strong general-purpose performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 25,891 in multi-core and 3,655 in single-core, which positions it well for a game that likely has modest threading requirements given its idle genre.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with a delta of 0%, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at -0.2%, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at -0.4%. This tight clustering means the Ultra 5 225 is essentially on par with these alternatives, yet the data shows its performance in To The Core is not the primary limiter at lower resolutions. With 3 MB of L2 cache per core and 20 MB of shared L3 cache, the processor has ample on-chip memory for a game that likely involves simple logic loops rather than complex physics.

What stands out is the single-thread performance. A Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655 is substantial, and for an idle game where a single main thread often drives the simulation tick rate, this matters. PassMark’s single-thread score of 4,412 reinforces this strength. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz is high, and the data suggests that at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough frames to hit 313 FPS average. However, the question arises: does the CPU’s 10-thread count create any ceiling? PassMark multi-thread score sits at 30,459, but for this game, the evidence points to the GPU becoming the constraint before the CPU, especially as resolution increases.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225’s 17,800 million transistors on a 3 nm process from TSMC indicate a modern, efficient design. Memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s on dual-channel DDR5 should be sufficient for an idle game’s data streams. The data implies that this CPU is not the bottleneck in most scenarios measured, as FPS scales inversely with resolution, which is a classic GPU-limited pattern.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1830 MHz, boosting to 2460 MHz, and it has a 115 W TDP. The GPU ranks in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 17,639 places it near the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (deltaPct -0.2%) and AMD Radeon 780M (deltaPct 0.3%). This positioning suggests mid-range capability, but the measured FPS in To The Core tells a different story — extremely high performance relative to its general benchmark standing.

With 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, the RTX 4060 has enough compute for a game that appears to be light on traditional rendering demands. The 8 GB VRAM is a key consideration; at 4K Ultra, the game only achieves 71 FPS average, which could be a VRAM capacity or bandwidth limit, though the game’s idle nature suggests texture sizes are modest. The memory clock of 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) provides 272.0 GB/s, which is not high by modern standards, but for this title, it seems adequate until 4K resolution.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the database are all significantly older or lower-tier parts, which is curious. The RTX 4060’s PassMark G3D score of 19,545 is strong, but its direct rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 560 and Radeon Pro 460, both with positive deltaPct values (0.5% and 0.7% respectively), meaning the RTX 4060 sits slightly below them in aggregate benchmarks. Yet in To The Core, the GPU delivers 313 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that the game either does not stress the GPU’s compute units heavily or that the driver optimization is exceptional. The pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s suggest fill-rate capabilities that should handle idle-game graphics without issue.

The critical observation is how the GPU’s performance degrades as resolution climbs. At 1080p Ultra, it hits 185 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 71 FPS, a 61.6% reduction. This pattern strongly implies the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, which is expected, but the fact that it still maintains playable framerates at 4K is notable for a game of this genre.

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

Examining the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset at each resolution appears to offer the most balanced experience when considering both average and minimum framerates. At 1080p, Medium delivers 265 FPS average with a minimum of 225 FPS, which is only slightly below the High preset’s 229 FPS average but with a higher floor. The Low preset at 313 FPS is the fastest, but the jump from Low to Medium only costs 48 FPS, suggesting that Medium provides a significant visual uplift for a modest performance penalty.

At 1440p, Medium averages 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 FPS, while High and Ultra average 154 and 124 FPS respectively. The Medium preset’s minimum of 151 FPS means it never drops below 144 Hz, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Ultra at 1440p averages 124 FPS, which is still smooth but noticeably lower. The data indicates that Medium is the sweet spot for this resolution.

At 4K, the choice becomes more nuanced. Medium averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS, while High averages 88 FPS and Ultra drops to 71 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 87 FPS is above 60, so it remains playable, but the Low preset at 120 FPS average is tempting for those prioritizing smoothness. However, the visual fidelity loss from dropping to Low is likely significant for an idle game where users stare at the screen for extended periods. The data suggests Medium at 4K is the best compromise, as it stays above 60 FPS at all measured points.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently shows the tightest min-max range relative to its average, indicating stable frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the range is 225 to 304 FPS; at 1440p, it is 151 to 205; and at 4K, it is 87 to 117. This consistency makes Medium the recommended preset for a smooth experience, with the understanding that Low is available for competitive or high-refresh scenarios where maximum FPS is the priority.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and RTX 4060 combination ranks 1,586 out of 2,991 tested combos in To The Core, placing it in the 53rd percentile. This is a middle-of-the-pack result, which is surprising given the high FPS numbers. The rank suggests that many other combinations, likely with higher-end GPUs or CPUs, achieve even more extreme framerates in this title, but for a mid-range pairing, this result is respectable.

The percentile rank of 53% means that roughly half of the tested combos outperform this one, but the measured FPS data shows no scenario where the game becomes unplayable. The combo’s position is likely dragged down by the CPU’s relatively modest multi-thread performance compared to higher-tier parts, even though the game may not need all those threads. Alternatively, the GPU’s 61st percentile ranking versus all GPUs could be the limiting factor, as combos with stronger GPUs would push higher.

Looking at the CPU’s rivals, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has nearly identical aggregate performance (deltaPct 0%), suggesting that a combo with that CPU would likely rank similarly. The Intel Core i9-12900T, with a deltaPct of -0.5%, is slightly slower in aggregate benchmarks, meaning this Ultra 5 225 combo might actually edge out i9-12900T-based systems in CPU-bound scenarios. However, the combo rank of 1,586 indicates that the pairing is not exceptional, but rather solidly average, which aligns with the expectation that an idle game rewards higher-end hardware disproportionately.

The data implies that this combo is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K Ultra result of 71 FPS shows its limits. For a user with a 60 Hz 4K monitor, this is fine, but for high-refresh 1440p, the combo delivers excellent results. The rank suggests that better options exist for extreme performance, but for the price point (launch MSRP of $246 for the CPU and $299 for the GPU), the combination is adequate.

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

The FPS drops across resolutions reveal the classic signs of GPU-limited performance. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 229 at 1080p to 154 at 1440p (a 32.8% drop) and then to 88 at 4K (a 42.9% drop from 1440p). This exponential decline is characteristic of a GPU that is increasingly burdened by pixel count. The RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are likely the culprits, as 4K resolution demands more memory bandwidth and capacity.

At Low settings, the drop is even more pronounced: 313 FPS at 1080p, 210 at 1440p (down 32.9%), and 120 at 4K (down 42.9%). The percentage drops are nearly identical across settings, which indicates that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, not the CPU or driver overhead. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain flat or drop less percentage-wise at higher resolutions, but the data shows consistent proportional declines.

The Medium preset’s minimum FPS values tell a similar story. At 1080p, the minimum is 225; at 1440p, it is 151; at 4K, it is 87. The minimum FPS drops by 32.9% from 1080p to 1440p, then by 42.4% from 1440p to 4K, mirroring the average FPS trends. This consistency suggests that the limiting component is the GPU’s raw pixel throughput, which scales with resolution.

What about the CPU’s role? At 1080p Low, the 313 FPS average suggests the CPU can still push more frames, as the RTX 4060 is not fully saturated. If we extrapolate, the CPU might be capable of 350+ FPS in this scenario, but the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth become the wall at 4K. The data does not show any resolution where the FPS plateaus due to CPU limits, which would manifest as similar FPS across 1080p and 1440p. Instead, the monotonic decline confirms a GPU-bound workload.

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

At 1080p, the measured average FPS across settings are as follows: Low delivers 313 FPS, Medium delivers 265 FPS with a minimum of 225 and maximum of 304, High delivers 229 FPS, and Ultra delivers 185 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 128 FPS, indicating that settings have a substantial impact even at this resolution. The Medium preset’s minimum of 225 FPS is the highest floor among the settings with recorded minimums, making it the most consistent option.

At 1440p, the averages are: Low at 210 FPS, Medium at 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 and maximum of 205, High at 154 FPS, and Ultra at 124 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 33% across all settings, which is a significant but expected reduction. The Medium preset’s minimum of 151 FPS means it stays above 144 Hz, while Ultra’s 124 FPS average is still above 120 Hz.

At 4K, the averages are: Low at 120 FPS, Medium at 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117, High at 88 FPS, and Ultra at 71 FPS. This is where the RTX 4060’s limitations become apparent. The Ultra preset’s 71 FPS is the only measured average below 88 FPS, and it falls below the 75 Hz threshold that some monitors use. The Medium preset’s minimum of 87 FPS keeps the experience smooth, but the Low preset’s 120 FPS shows that even at 4K, the game can be pushed to high refresh rates if visual fidelity is sacrificed.

The data shows that the RTX 4060 is capable of 120 FPS at 4K Low, which is remarkable for a mid-range GPU, but the jump to Medium costs 18 FPS, and Ultra costs 49 FPS from Low. This suggests that the game’s Ultra preset likely enables heavy post-processing or shadow effects that disproportionately tax the GPU’s 48 ROPs and 8 GB VRAM.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in To The Core?*

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Medium, it averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS, while 4K Ultra drops to 71 FPS. For a 60 Hz display, all settings are playable, but for 120 Hz+, you would need to use Low settings, which average 120 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for maximum frame rate?

A: Low settings at any resolution yield the highest average FPS. At 1080p, this is 313 FPS; at 1440p, 210 FPS; and at 4K, 120 FPS. The data shows Low settings consistently outperform the next preset (Medium) by 48 to 18 FPS depending on resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter, especially at higher resolutions. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are proportional (around 33% per step), which is a GPU-bound signature. The CPU’s single-thread score of 3,655 in Cinebench R23 appears sufficient to avoid bottlenecking at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo rank against others in this game?

A: It ranks 1,586 out of 2,991 tested combos, placing it in the 53rd percentile. This is a middle-of-the-pack result, indicating that while performance is solid, many higher-end combinations achieve better results.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 225 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 151 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 87 FPS. These minimums are all above 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance?

A: The 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 4060 is likely a contributing factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 71. The 272.0 GB/s bandwidth on a 128-bit bus may also constrain performance at high resolutions, as the FPS drops are consistent with memory bandwidth limitations.