To The Core

The measured data for To The Core — an Idle game — shows the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivering 355 FPS at 1080p Low and falling to 81 FPS at 4K Ultra. This combination ranks 1601 out of 3725 tested in this game. The CPU and GPU both bring substantial benchmark credentials: the processor sits at the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and the graphics card at the 61st percentile. Across every preset, the frame rate scales inversely with resolution, and the gap between Low and Ultra narrows as pixels increase. The data is measured, not extrapolated, and covers 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is an Arrow Lake Refresh desktop processor with 24 cores and 24 threads running at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its 125 W TDP is modest for a 24-core chip, but the architecture is a 3 nm TSMC design with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 ㎜² die. Cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The chip uses the Intel Socket 1851, supports DDR5 dual‑channel memory with a 115.2 GB/s bus, and carries 20 PCIe 5.0 lanes. It also integrates Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU, though the RTX 3070 handles all rendering duties here.

The CPU’s raw compute output is well documented. In Cinebench R23, it scores 51731 multi-core and 7303 single-core; in Cinebench R20 the values are 21727 and 3067, while Cinebench R15 yields 5214 multi and 736 single. PassMark multi-thread shows 60860, integer math 166194, floating point math 214760, and extended instructions 52338 — all strong figures for a desktop part. Data compression this CPU is 698346, encryption 52563, and find prime numbers 503. These scores place it at the 96th CPU percentile overall.

For a game, the relevant factor is that the single-thread performance (a score of 4823 in PassMark’s single-thread test) is high enough to feed the fast frames seen at 1080p. The measured 1140p Low result of 355 FPS suggests the CPU is not a limiting component at that resolution. Since the CPU’s average benchmark score is 84003, the nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with 83807 — a difference of 0.2%. This means the 290K Plus is, on aggregate, essentially as powerful as its immediate predecessor. The AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090) sits 1.1% behind, the AMD EPYC 9135 (82980) is 1.2% behind, while the AMD EPYC 7F72 with 85072 is 1.3% faster. In no measured FPS row does the CPU appear to bottleneck the RTX 3070; rather, the pattern of results follows the GPU’s load.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is a GA104 Ampere card with 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. It runs at a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost of 1725 MHz, and its 8 GB GDDR6 memory is wired to a 256‑bit bus giving 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth — the memory clock is 1750 MHz, effective 14 Gbps. The pixel rate is 165.6 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 317.4 GTexel/s. With 20.31 TFLOPS FP32, the card hits a typical Ampere figure. The GPU’s time is further supported by passes; PassMark G3D score is 22214, and PassMark GPU Compute is 11195. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test it earns 3162; GeekBench OpenCL 112821, Vulkan 21022, and this places the RTX 3070 at the 61st percentile among all GPUs. The RTX 3070 sits between the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (which has an average score of 17083 and is 0.7% behind) and the NVIDIA GTX 690 (17037, 1% behind) while being 1.1% above the AMD Radeon HD 7970M and 1.5% above the NVIDIA Tesla K40c.

In gameplay, the GPU’s influence becomes clear as resolution increases. At 1080p, the Low preset produces 355 FPS; the Ultra preset pulls the output down to 209 FPS — a 146 FPS difference purely from the GPU workload. At 4K, the spread reduces: Low gives 131 FPS, Ultra is 81 FPS, a 50 FPS difference. This trend implies that per-pixel work is actually less demanding on the RTX 3070 at 4K, because the GPU is more responsive to the higher compute requirement. Since the game is an Idle title, the geometry and particle effects may not tax the ROPs or bandwidth as much as a first-person shooter, but the resolution dependence still shows the RTX 3070 as the primary scaling factor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data covers three resolutions: 1080p (1920x1080), 1440p (2560x1440), and 4K (3840x2160). For each setting, the average FPS drops consistently:

• Low : 355 FPS at 1080p, 239 at 1440p, and 136 at 4K.
• Medium : 300, 202, and 115.
• High : 260, 175, and 100.
• Ultra : 209, 141, and 81.

The drop from 1080p to 4K for Low is dramatic—355 drops to 136—while for Ultra it goes from 209 to 81. This is typical of a GPU‑bound workload at high resolutions. The CPU at 1080p Low pushes 355 FPS, but at 4K Low it falls to 136, meaning the RTX 3070 is unable to maintain the same frame rate when pixel count quadruples. The same pattern is reflected in every preset, indicating that the limiting factor is the graphics card, not the CPU.

Interestingly, the 1080p Low result of 355 FPS is above that of 1080p Medium (300) and Ultra (209), so the GPU’s compute load rises as the preset increases. The minimal FPS recorded among all measurements is at 4K Ultra (81), while the maximum is 355 (1080p Low). There is no frame data for min or max for the Low, High, and Ultra rows — only for Medium. For Medium, at 1080p, min FPS is 255, max 345; at 1440p, min 172, max 232; and at 4K, min 98, max 133. This min/max data is the only recorded for any setting, which may indicate that the benchmark tool captured frame time for Medium only.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows give a clear picture for each preset:

• Low yields the highest frame rates; at 1080p it is 355, at 1440p 239, and 4K 136.
• Medium gives 300/202/115 respectively, with a recorded min and max for each resolution.
• High gives 260/175/100.
• Ultra gives 209/142/81.

Because the game is an idler, the need for maximum rendering is lower, but the data shows that Medium not only offers a 37.5% increase in FPS over Low at 1080p (300 vs 355 is a 55 FPS increase), but also has recorded frame time bands: 255–345 at 1080p. Medium also drops the least steadily—losing about 60 FPS between 1080p and 1440p, and another 87 from 1440p to 4K. Low and Ultra both lose a proportionally larger share per resolution jump.

The recommendation from the measured rows is to use the Medium preset. It balances the highest measured stability (provides in min/max numbers) with the second‑best performance at each resolution. At 4K, Medium’s 115 average is above High’s 100 and Ultra’s 81, and its minimum of 98 ensures the frame time stays within acceptable variance. If you prioritize absolute smoothness, the Low preset produces the largest numbers, but the missing min/max data for Low means we cannot verify its frame‑time stability. Medium stands as the only rows with documented floor and ceiling, making it the verified safe choice.

FAQ

Q: What is the rank of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + RTX 3070 combination in To The Core?

A: The combination ranks 1601 out of 3725 tested combinations in this game.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU’s performance average of 84003 is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807), 1.1% than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090), and 1.2% than the AMD EPYC 9135 (82980). It sits 1.3% below the AMD EPYC 7F72, which scored 85072.

Q: What is the maximum measured FPS at any resolution and preset?

A: The maximum measured FPS is 355 at 1080p with the Low preset.

Q: Which preset is the only one to have min and max recorded?

A: Medium is the only preset with min and max values; for 1080p it is 300 (min 255, max 345), 1440p 202 (min 172, max 232), and 4K 115 (min 98, max 133).

Q: What GPU percentile does the RTX 3070 fall under?

A: The GPU sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs.

Q: What is the RTX 3070’s average benchmark score?

A: Its average across suite is 17208.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080

• Low : 355 FPS (avg), min/max not recorded
• Medium : 300 avg, min 255, max 345
• High : 260 avg
• Ultra : 209 avg

2560x1440

• Low : 239 FPS
• Medium : 202 avg, min 172, max 232
• High : 175 avg
• Ultra : 141 avg

3840x2160

• Low : 136 FPS
• Medium : 115 avg, min 98, max 133
• High : 100 avg
• Ultra : 81 avg

These are the exact measured values from the dataset. The distribution shows a consistent downward trend when the resolution rises. The delta between low and ultra is also consistent: at 1080p it is 355 to 209, at 1440p it is 239 to 141, and at 4K it is 136 to 81. This indicates that the render workload scales almost linearly with pixel count, with the GPU as the primary limit at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the whole test pool of 3725 configurations, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with the RTX 3070 sits at rank 1601. This is above the midpoint of the range, though not in the top tier. The CPU’s high average score of 83634 (the 96th percentile) does not automatically propel the combo to a top position, because the GPU’s performance and its interaction with the game’s engine are more important. The rank of 1601 suggests that many combinations with stronger GPUs or better memory bandwidth achieve higher FPS.

The RTX 3070 itself has a mean score of 17208, which is running a medium GPU levels. However, the measured frame data indicates that the game’s rendering mode scales smoothly across the 1080p to 4K, so the rank is likely determined by the GPU’s lower compute density at 4K. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 81 FPS, which is a playable frame for most, but many higher-tier GPUs would outperform that figure. The result is a ranking close to the mid-field of tested skeletons, where many modern mid-range builds congregate.

The CPU-specific advantage in this game is minimal — remember that the pack’s measured FPS does not show a 355 at 1080p, and the CPUs can drive 4K. With the 1080p Low at 355 FPS, the CPU shows a high headroom. In fact, the hardrank is the GPU. The combination of a 96th‑percentile CPU and a 61st‑percentile GPU results in a harmonic that lands at rank 1601. For an idle title, this is a comfortable position, especially given that the game’s visual and performance characteristics are far from the most demanding. However, the rank still places it below nearly 40% of tested systems, confirming that _To The Core_ relies more heavily on the graphics card than on the central processor in higher settings.