To The Core

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates in To The Core, an idle game that clearly favors raw throughput over complex rendering. The data shows a system capable of triple-digit performance at every tested resolution and setting, positioning it well within the top quartile of tested configurations.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture. This represents a notable shift from Intel’s previous hybrid designs, as the chip features 14 full cores with no hyper-threading, meaning each core handles a single thread. The processor operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and can reach a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, providing substantial single-thread headroom that is critical for the logic-heavy simulations typical of idle games. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache further supports rapid access to frequently used data, while the dual-channel DDR5 memory interface offers a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In the context of To The Core, the CPU’s role appears primarily focused on game logic, resource accumulation, and background simulation rather than graphical rendering. The benchmark results support this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 414 FPS, a figure that is unlikely to be constrained by the GPU given its performance ceiling. Even at the highest tested setting (Ultra), the system maintains 244 FPS at 1080p, suggesting the CPU has ample headroom to feed the graphics card. The processor’s benchmark scores reinforce its capability: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, placing it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs.

The Core Ultra 5 245’s nearest rivals in general computing benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, with the Intel chip trailing those two by 0.4% and 0.5% respectively in average benchmark score. It also sits marginally ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%. These tight margins indicate that the processor is competitive with high-end mainstream parts, though none of these rivals appear directly in the game’s measured FPS data. For an idle game like To The Core, the boost clock of 5.10 GHz is likely the more relevant specification, as it ensures that the primary simulation thread can execute rapidly, preventing slowdowns as the game state expands.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved by this combo in To The Core?*

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 414 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 94 (Ultra settings) to 159 (Low settings), with High settings producing 117 FPS and Medium settings producing 135 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the system shows a wide spread between Low and Ultra settings (414 FPS vs 244 FPS), indicating that graphical settings still influence performance, but the high absolute numbers suggest the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 801st out of 2991 tested combinations in To The Core, placing it in the top 26.8% of all tested systems.

Q: Does the game favor higher core counts or faster clock speeds?

A: The data indicates that the CPU’s 5.10 GHz boost clock is sufficient for high performance, but the 14-core configuration provides strong multi-threaded throughput (Cinebench R23 multi-core: 32924), which is likely beneficial for managing the game’s background simulation layers.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate drops below 100 FPS?

A: Yes, at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 94, which is the only measured configuration below 100 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how each preset affects performance. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 414 FPS, while Medium produces 350 FPS and High produces 303 FPS. The Ultra preset still maintains 244 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Given that To The Core is an idle game, where visual fidelity may be less critical than smooth, uninterrupted progression, the High preset at 1080p (303 FPS) appears to offer the best balance between visual quality and performance, providing a substantial margin over 240 Hz displays.

At 1440p, the same pattern holds. High settings yield 204 FPS, while Ultra drops to 164 FPS. For users with 1440p monitors, the High preset is recommended, as it comfortably exceeds 200 FPS and likely provides a more stable experience than the Ultra preset, which may dip under 200 FPS during complex scenes. The Medium preset at 1440p (235 FPS) is also a strong option for those seeking extra headroom, though the visual difference between Medium and High is typically minimal in idle games.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Ultra preset drops to 94 FPS, which is the only measurement below the 100 FPS threshold. The High preset at 4K (117 FPS) is playable but leaves little margin for frame time spikes. The Medium preset (135 FPS) is the recommended choice for 4K displays, as it provides a solid balance between visual quality and performance, avoiding the steep cost of the Ultra preset while delivering a smoother experience than High. The Low preset (159 FPS) is viable for users prioritizing maximum frame rates, but the Medium preset offers a more visually complete experience without sacrificing playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 achieves a rank of 801 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core. This places the system in the 73rd percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly 73% of all other CPU-GPU pairings in this specific game. Given the game’s idle genre, which typically does not stress high-end graphics hardware as heavily as action titles, this ranking suggests that the combination is well-matched for the workload, though there is significant headroom above it.

The RTX 3080 itself is a high-end Ampere-generation GPU with 8704 shading units and 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus. Its benchmark scores show a percentile rank of 68 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. The GPU’s nearest rivals in general benchmarks include the NVIDIA P106-100 (0.3% lower score) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (0.3% lower), indicating that the RTX 3080 sits near the lower edge of its performance class in synthetic tests. However, in To The Core, the combo’s rank suggests that the game’s workload is not heavily GPU-dependent, as the GPU’s relative standing (68th percentile) is lower than the combo’s overall standing (73rd percentile), implying the CPU is pulling its weight.

The CPU’s percentile rank of 90 among all processors further supports this interpretation. The Core Ultra 5 245 is a top-tier processor in general computing tasks, and its strong multi-threaded performance (PassMark multi-thread score: 38706) likely contributes to the combo’s above-average ranking in this game. The data suggests that the CPU is the stronger component in this pairing, which is typical for idle games where simulation logic often dominates over graphical rendering.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how performance scales from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p, the average FPS across all settings is approximately 328 FPS (calculated from the four settings). At 1440p, the average drops to 220 FPS, representing a 33% reduction. At 4K, the average falls to 126 FPS, a further 43% reduction from 1440p.

This scaling pattern provides insight into the limiting component. From 1080p to 1440p, the frame rate drops by about 33%, which is consistent with an increase in pixel count of 78%. The less-than-proportional drop suggests that the GPU is not fully saturated at 1080p, as the CPU is capable of feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions. From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases by 125%, but the frame rate drops by only 43%, indicating that the GPU is beginning to become the primary bottleneck at 4K.

The specific settings data confirms this. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 170 FPS (414 vs 244), a 42% improvement from lowering settings. At 4K, the same comparison yields a difference of 65 FPS (159 vs 94), a 41% improvement. The similar relative improvements across resolutions suggest that the GPU is not completely saturated even at 4K, as lowering settings still provides a meaningful frame rate boost. However, the absolute numbers at 4K (94-159 FPS) indicate that the GPU is handling a significant rendering load, while the CPU remains capable of sustaining high frame rates even at the lowest settings.

The data indicates that the CPU is the dominant limit at 1080p and 1440p, where the system achieves frame rates well above what most displays can show. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, but the system still delivers playable performance at all settings, with even the Ultra preset maintaining an average of 94 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates. The Low setting produces an average of 414 FPS, Medium produces 350 FPS (with a minimum of 297 and maximum of 402), High produces 303 FPS, and Ultra produces 244 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 170 FPS, indicating that graphical settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down accordingly. Low settings deliver 278 FPS, Medium delivers 235 FPS (minimum 200, maximum 271), High delivers 204 FPS, and Ultra delivers 164 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 114 FPS, showing that the GPU begins to exert more influence on frame rates as resolution increases, though the CPU still provides enough headroom for high performance.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are the lowest but remain highly playable. Low settings achieve 159 FPS, Medium achieves 135 FPS (minimum 114, maximum 155), High achieves 117 FPS, and Ultra achieves 94 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 65 FPS, the smallest absolute spread across all resolutions. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, and changing settings has a more limited impact on overall performance.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that frame pacing is consistent. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 297 FPS against an average of 350 FPS, indicating a 15% variance. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 200 FPS against an average of 235 FPS, a variance of 15%. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 114 FPS against an average of 135 FPS, a variance of 16%. This consistent variance suggests that the system maintains stable frame delivery without significant stuttering, which is crucial for an idle game where background progression continues regardless of player input.