To The Core

To The Core is an idle game that scales unusually well with high-end hardware, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 produces a dataset that reveals distinct performance ceilings depending on resolution. The measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four settings presets show a system that can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p gaming, but begins to show measurable strain at 4K. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, the individual roles of the CPU and GPU, how this specific combination ranks among other tested setups, and provides detailed settings recommendations based strictly on the measured data.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160 demonstrates a clear and predictable drop in average FPS across all settings presets. At the High preset, the system delivers 176 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 119 FPS at 1440p, and further down to 68 FPS at 4K. This represents a 32% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 43% reduction from 1440p to 4K, based on the measured averages. The scaling pattern suggests that the GPU becomes increasingly the limiting factor as pixel count rises, since the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions.

Looking at the Low preset, the data shows 241 FPS at 1080p, 162 FPS at 1440p, and 93 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p here is 79 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 69 FPS. This near-linear drop indicates that even at the lowest graphical settings, the rendering load at higher resolutions overwhelms the RTX 2060’s capabilities. The Medium preset follows the same trajectory, with 204 FPS at 1080p, 137 FPS at 1440p, and 78 FPS at 4K, while the Ultra preset shows 142 FPS at 1080p, 95 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound or at least balanced, because the FPS differences between Low and High are relatively modest (241 vs 176). At 4K, however, the differences between settings become more pronounced, with Ultra dropping to 55 FPS compared to Low’s 93 FPS. This widening gap indicates that the GPU’s pixel processing and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s 20 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient to feed the graphics card at lower pixel counts. The measured minimum FPS values, available only for the Medium preset, reinforce this: 173 FPS at 1080p, 116 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K, showing that even the worst-case frames at 4K dip below the 60 FPS threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process, featuring 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. Its memory configuration includes 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The base clock runs at 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, and the memory operates at 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective. These specifications place the GPU in the 58th percentile of all GPUs according to benchmark data, with an average benchmark score of 15290.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU’s limitations become evident at 4K resolution. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 55, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 4K manages 68 FPS, while Medium reaches 78 FPS and Low achieves 93 FPS. This scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 38 FPS difference, highlighting how much headroom the settings adjustments provide when the GPU is the bottleneck. At 1440p, the same settings range from 162 FPS on Low to 95 FPS on Ultra, a 67 FPS spread, while at 1080p the spread is 99 FPS (241 Low vs 142 Ultra).

The GPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 with a delta of 0%, the AMD Radeon 680M with a delta of 0.1%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM with a delta of 0.6%, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 with a delta of 0.8%. These nearly identical scores suggest that the RTX 2060’s performance is well understood, and the measured FPS in To The Core aligns with expectations for this class of GPU. The 6 GB VRAM capacity, while adequate for this idle game, could be a limiting factor in more demanding titles, but the data here shows no indication of VRAM-related stuttering, with minimum FPS values remaining relatively stable across resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a thermal design power of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is limited to DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The processor supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes and includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 32 execution units.

The CPU’s benchmark scores are substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42216 and a single-core score of 5960. Passmark tests show a multithread score of 49682 and a single-thread score of 4689. The processor sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64640. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P with a delta of -0.3%, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F with a delta of 0.3%, the AMD EPYC 7343 with a delta of 0.7%, and the AMD EPYC 9124 with a delta of -0.7%. These small deltas indicate that the 265 performs nearly identically to its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks.

In the context of To The Core, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary at higher resolutions but crucial for achieving the high frame rates seen at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 241 FPS, which suggests the CPU can drive the GPU to its maximum output without becoming a bottleneck. The fact that the 1080p High preset drops to 176 FPS, while the 1440p Low preset hits 162 FPS, indicates that the CPU maintains consistent performance across these scenarios, and the FPS differences are attributable to GPU load rather than CPU limitations. The 20 cores and 20 threads are likely overkill for an idle game, but they ensure that background tasks and game logic do not interfere with frame delivery, as evidenced by the stable minimum FPS values at Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2339 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the high percentile rankings of the individual components, but it reflects the fact that To The Core is an idle game that may not heavily utilize multi-threaded CPU performance or advanced GPU features. The CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking and the GPU’s 58th percentile ranking suggest that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing, which is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis showing GPU-bound behavior at 4K.

The combo’s rank suggests that many other tested systems achieve higher FPS in this game, likely due to more powerful GPUs or better-balanced configurations. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combo still delivers playable performance at most settings and resolutions, with the only sub-60 FPS result being 55 FPS at 4K Ultra. The rank of 2339 out of 2991 means that this combo outperforms roughly 22% of tested configurations, which is lower than the individual component percentiles might suggest. This discrepancy highlights the importance of GPU selection for this particular game, as the CPU’s capabilities are not fully utilized when paired with a mid-range GPU from 2019.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 241, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at certain settings. At 4K, the average FPS is 93 on Low, 78 on Medium, and 68 on High, all above 60. The Ultra preset drops to 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640, while its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, scores 64823, resulting in a delta of -0.3%. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64438, a 0.3% positive delta.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, based on the benchmark data.

Q: Are there any measured minimum FPS values available?

A: Yes, minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium settings preset. At 1080p, the min FPS is 173; at 1440p, it is 116; and at 4K, it is 67.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 2339 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance distribution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver average FPS well above 60, with Low at 241, Medium at 204, High at 176, and Ultra at 142. The Medium preset offers a good balance with a minimum FPS of 173, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. For players seeking the highest visual quality at 1080p, Ultra at 142 FPS is still highly playable, though the lack of minimum FPS data for Ultra means there is no guarantee of consistent frame pacing.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 162 FPS, Medium at 137 FPS, High at 119 FPS, and Ultra at 95 FPS. All of these are above 60 FPS, and the Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 116 suggests a stable experience. The Ultra preset at 95 FPS is recommended for those prioritizing visual fidelity, as it remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the situation changes: Low delivers 93 FPS, Medium 78 FPS, and High 68 FPS, all above 60. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS falls below the 60 FPS target, so it is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 4K, with a minimum FPS of 67, provides the best balance between visual quality and performance, ensuring that frame rates never dip below 60.

For the overall best experience across all resolutions, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, as it is the only settings level with measured minimum FPS values, providing assurance of stable performance. At 1080p and 1440p, Medium offers high frame rates with a comfortable margin above the minimum, while at 4K, it remains the highest settings level that guarantees a minimum FPS above 60. Players with 4K displays should avoid Ultra settings to prevent sub-60 FPS drops, while those on 1080p or 1440p can safely use Ultra for maximum visual quality without sacrificing playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are 241 for Low, 204 for Medium, 176 for High, and 142 for Ultra. The Medium preset also includes a minimum FPS of 173 and a maximum of 234, indicating a tight frame delivery with only a 61 FPS range between minimum and maximum. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 162 for Low, 137 for Medium, 119 for High, and 95 for Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157, resulting in a 41 FPS range, which suggests slightly more variance than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 93 for Low, 78 for Medium, 68 for High, and 55 for Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 67 and a maximum of 90, representing a 23 FPS range, which indicates tighter frame pacing than at lower resolutions, likely due to the GPU being consistently saturated. Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset consistently shows the lowest average FPS, while the Low preset shows the highest. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the absolute FPS values decrease, and the relative differences between settings presets narrow, confirming that the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck at higher pixel counts. The measured FPS for High and Ultra settings at 4K (68 and 55 FPS respectively) demonstrate that even with a capable CPU like the Core Ultra 7 265, the RTX 2060 cannot maintain high frame rates at maximum settings in this resolution.