To The Core

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with the Intel Arc B390 in To The Core?

A: The combo ranks 2643 out of 2991 tested combinations in To The Core, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This rank reflects the pairing's overall performance across all tested resolutions and settings.

Q: Which resolution delivers the highest average frame rate for this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 147 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all tested configurations. The same resolution at Ultra still delivers a playable 86 FPS average.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. The GPU sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 99 FPS, while Ultra averages 58 FPS. That is a 41 FPS drop when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset at this resolution.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 have integrated graphics that could influence this game's performance?

A: Yes, the CPU includes Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units. However, the measured FPS data in this benchmark uses the discrete Intel Arc B390, which is an IGP-class part itself with a 300 MHz base clock and 2500 MHz boost clock.

Q: What are the CPU's core and thread counts, and how do they relate to its benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has 14 cores and 14 threads. In Cinebench R23, it scores 32924 in multi-core and 4648 in single-core, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the graphics engine in this combination, and its specifications paint a clear picture of its intended role. Based on the Panther Lake chip with the Xe3-LPG architecture, this GPU operates at a 300 MHz base clock and boosts to 2500 MHz. Its memory is system-shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM pool; instead, the GPU draws from the system's DDR5 memory, with bandwidth described as system dependent. This architecture choice directly impacts performance in To The Core, an idle game that is not graphically demanding.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are modest. It delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 15.36 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1). With 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs, the B390 is designed for lightweight workloads rather than high-end gaming. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. These figures align with the measured frame rates, which show that the GPU can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming at playable speeds but struggles at 4K with higher settings.

The synthetic benchmark score for the B390 is 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts, with the GT 520MX scoring 1463, the GeForce 800M scoring 1460, the GT 625 OEM scoring 1446, and the GT 710 scoring 1443. The B390 leads all of these by small margins, ranging from 1.3% to 2.7%. This positioning suggests that the GPU is competitive with entry-level hardware from previous generations, but it is far from a performance leader.

In the context of To The Core, the GPU's shared memory architecture means that system RAM speed and capacity can influence results. The measured data shows that the combo achieves a 41 FPS average at 3840x2160 on High settings, which drops to 33 FPS on Ultra. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate declines sharply when pixel count increases. At 1920x1080, the GPU has more headroom, delivering 107 FPS on High and 86 FPS on Ultra, which are perfectly playable for an idle game.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2643 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. This puts the combination in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU's low percentile ranking. The CPU, by contrast, is a strong performer, sitting in the 90th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 48995. This disparity between CPU and GPU capability is a key characteristic of this pairing.

The combo's rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's limitations. While the CPU can handle the game's logic and simulation demands with ease, the GPU constrains the visual output. The data shows that the combo performs best at 1920x1080, where it achieves an average of 147 FPS on Low settings. At 3840x2160, the highest tested resolution, the same combo drops to 33 FPS on Ultra, which is below the 40 FPS threshold that many players consider acceptable.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits near the bottom, but the context matters. To The Core is an idle game, which typically does not require high-end graphics hardware. The measured frame rates at 1080p and 1440p are all above 58 FPS, which is smooth for the genre. The low rank is more a reflection of the GPU's absolute performance rather than its suitability for this specific game. The CPU's single-thread score of 4648 in Cinebench R23 and multi-thread score of 32924 indicate that the processor is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data.

The delta percentages between the CPU and its nearest rivals are minimal. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, which is 0.4% higher than the Core Ultra 5 245's 48995. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, 0.5% higher. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, 0.6% lower, and the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618, 0.8% lower. This means the CPU is effectively a peer of these other processors, and any performance differences in To The Core are more likely attributable to the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting at 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the combo averages 41 FPS on High settings. Dropping to Medium yields 48 FPS with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 55. Low settings improve the average to 56 FPS, while Ultra drops to 33 FPS. This pattern shows that the GPU struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K, even on Low settings.

At 2560x1440, performance improves significantly. High settings average 72 FPS, Medium averages 83 FPS with a range of 71 to 96, Low averages 99 FPS, and Ultra averages 58 FPS. The 1440p results are all playable, with even the most demanding preset staying above 55 FPS. The jump from 4K to 1440p yields a 75% increase in frame rate on High settings, from 41 to 72 FPS, which highlights how resolution scaling affects this GPU.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings average 147 FPS, Medium averages 124 FPS with a range of 105 to 143, High averages 107 FPS, and Ultra averages 86 FPS. All of these results are above 85 FPS, which is more than adequate for smooth gameplay in an idle title. The 1080p results show that the combo can handle the game at high refresh rates, particularly on lower settings.

The scaling between settings is consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 61 FPS, from 147 to 86. At 1440p, the same transition costs 41 FPS, from 99 to 58. At 4K, the transition costs 23 FPS, from 56 to 33. This diminishing impact of settings at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes pixel-bound at 4K, where the resolution itself is the bottleneck rather than the quality settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and the player's preference for visual quality versus frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers a strong balance, averaging 107 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides better visual fidelity than Low or Medium. For players with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 147 FPS is the best choice for maximum smoothness, though the visual difference in an idle game may not justify the frame rate gain.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, averaging 83 FPS with a minimum of 71. This provides a smooth experience while maintaining reasonable visual quality. The High preset at 72 FPS is also viable, and the Ultra preset at 58 FPS is acceptable for players who prioritize visuals over frame rate. The Low preset at 99 FPS is the best option for competitive play or for systems with lower refresh rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 56 FPS is the only setting that approaches 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 4K play. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth, while High at 41 FPS and Ultra at 33 FPS are best avoided unless the player can tolerate lower frame rates. For an idle game, 4K at Low settings is a reasonable compromise, as the game's visual demands are modest.

The data shows that the combo's sweet spot is 1440p Medium or 1080p High, where the frame rates are comfortably above 60 FPS and the visual quality is sufficient for the genre. Players with 4K displays should expect to use Low settings to maintain playability, while those with 1080p displays can enjoy high refresh rates on any preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is the computational backbone of this combo, and its specifications are well-suited for an idle game like To The Core. The CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads, based on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node from TSMC. It operates at a 3.50 GHz base clock and boosts to 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, and it includes ECC memory support.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates strong performance. Cinebench R23 scores are 32924 in multi-core and 4648 in single-core. Cinebench R20 scores are 13828 and 1952, respectively, and Cinebench R15 scores are 3318 and 468. PassMark results show a multi-thread score of 38706 and a single-thread score of 4394. These figures place the CPU in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all within 1% of its average score. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, and the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618. This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 245 is a well-rounded processor that competes with a range of desktop and workstation parts.

For To The Core, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, simulation, and background tasks. An idle game typically involves incremental calculations and state management, which benefit from strong single-thread performance. The Core Ultra 5 245's single-core score of 4648 in Cinebench R23 is robust, ensuring that the game's logic runs smoothly regardless of the GPU's frame rate output. The multi-core performance is also ample, with a PassMark multi-thread score of 38706, which can handle any auxiliary tasks the game might spawn.

The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration provides fast access to frequently used data, which is beneficial for games that iterate on the same datasets. The 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die size indicate a dense and efficient design. The launch MSRP is $270, and the CPU is unlocked for overclocking, though the multiplier is locked.

In the context of this combo, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU has the most headroom, the combo achieves 147 FPS, suggesting that the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. The CPU's high percentile ranking relative to the GPU's 9th percentile creates an imbalance, but for To The Core, this is not a problem, as the game's requirements are modest.