To The Core

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers exceptional performance in To The Core, an idle game that scales aggressively with hardware. The data shows this combination produces triple-digit frame rates at 4K and surpasses 450 FPS at 1080p, placing it in the top tier of tested systems. The following analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU contributions, resolution scaling behavior, and optimal settings based strictly on measured results.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. This flagship desktop part features a 36 MB shared L3 cache, 3 MB L2 per core, and 192 KB L1 per core, alongside DDR5 dual-channel memory support with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth. Its 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs indicates it sits near the very top of the performance hierarchy.

In To The Core, the CPU’s influence is most apparent at lower resolutions where frame rates are extremely high. At 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 461 FPS average, which is a 60% increase over the 4K Low result of 177 FPS. This massive scaling gap suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiter preventing even higher frame rates, whereas at 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 5.80 GHz boost clock and high single-thread performance (7,303 in Cinebench R23 single-core) are critical for maintaining these high frame rates, as idle games often rely on rapid simulation ticks that benefit from strong per-core performance.

The 24 cores provide substantial multi-threaded headroom, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 and a Passmark multithread score of 60,860. While To The Core may not fully utilize all 24 threads, the processor’s overall throughput ensures that background tasks and game logic never starve the main render thread. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking, with an average benchmark score of 84,003, places it just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX in aggregate performance, but the 290K Plus's high boost clock gives it a distinct edge in latency-sensitive workloads that directly translate to higher minimum frame rates in gaming scenarios.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, featuring the GB205 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process. It comes with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). With 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs, the card is well-equipped for high-resolution rendering. Its 82nd percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40,377, places it in the upper mid-range tier.

In To The Core, the GPU’s role becomes dominant at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 105 FPS, which is a 61% reduction from the 272 FPS achieved at 1080p Ultra. This steep decline is primarily due to the increased pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth demands at 4K. The RTX 5070’s 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game at all tested settings, as indicated by the stable performance without any frame rate anomalies that would suggest memory swapping. The 672.0 GB/s bandwidth and 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are the key specifications driving 4K performance, allowing the card to maintain 130 FPS at 4K High and 150 FPS at 4K Medium.

The GPU’s 82nd percentile ranking puts it in a competitive position, though its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks are notably different in character. The RTX 5070 is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 0.8% ahead of the Radeon Pro WX 7100 in average score, but it trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2%. These delta values indicate that synthetic benchmarks do not fully capture the RTX 5070’s gaming strengths, as the measured FPS in To The Core demonstrates far more capability than the modest benchmark deltas suggest.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that identifies the bottleneck at each setting level. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 461 FPS at 1080p to 310 FPS at 1440p (a 33% reduction) and further to 177 FPS at 4K (a 62% reduction from 1080p). This progressive decline indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU begins to struggle as resolution increases, though the absolute numbers remain high enough to suggest the CPU is still handling the game logic efficiently.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 390 FPS at 1080p, 262 FPS at 1440p (a 33% drop), and 150 FPS at 4K (a 62% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium settings suggests a balanced workload where both CPU and GPU contribute meaningfully. The minimum FPS figures at Medium settings also scale proportionally: 331 FPS minimum at 1080p, 223 FPS at 1440p, and 127 FPS at 4K, maintaining roughly a 62% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

At High settings, the scaling becomes more pronounced: 338 FPS at 1080p drops to 227 FPS at 1440p (33% reduction) and then to 130 FPS at 4K (62% reduction from 1080p). At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 272 FPS at 1080p, 183 FPS at 1440p (33% reduction), and 105 FPS at 4K (61% reduction). The remarkably consistent 33% and 62% reductions across all settings indicate that the GPU is the scaling bottleneck, as resolution increases the pixel workload proportionally while the CPU’s contribution remains constant. The 4K results, ranging from 105 FPS at Ultra to 177 FPS at Low, show that the GPU has sufficient headroom to deliver playable frame rates even at the highest resolution, but the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor at 4K given the steep drop-off from 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 achieves a rank of 585 out of 2,991 tested combos in To The Core. This places the system in the top 19.6% of all configurations tested, which is impressive given the game’s relatively low system requirements and the wide variety of hardware combinations in the database. The rank reflects the balanced performance of this pairing, where neither component holds the other back significantly.

The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 82nd percentile ranking contribute to this strong combined position. The CPU’s aggregate score of 84,003 is 0.2% higher than the Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135, while the GPU’s average score of 40,377 is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580. However, the combo rank of 585 suggests that many other configurations with different CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher frame rates in this specific game, likely due to the game’s ability to leverage GPU features that the RTX 5070 offers at lower resolutions.

The rank of 585 out of 2,991 combos indicates that while this system is well above average, it is not at the absolute top. The 4K Ultra result of 105 FPS, while smooth, is lower than what top-tier GPUs would produce, and the 1080p Low result of 461 FPS, while extremely high, is not the maximum achievable. This ranking contextualizes the system as a high-performance enthusiast build that excels at 1440p and 4K gaming but leaves some headroom for more powerful GPUs to outperform it at lower resolutions where the CPU’s capabilities are the primary constraint.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in To The Core?*

A: The data shows that 1440p provides the best balance of performance and visual quality, with frame rates ranging from 183 FPS at Ultra to 310 FPS at Low. The 4K results are still excellent, ranging from 105 FPS at Ultra to 177 FPS at Low, but the 60% reduction from 1080p indicates diminishing returns at the highest resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 5070’s 12 GB VRAM affect performance in this game?

A: The 12 GB GDDR7 memory is sufficient for all tested settings, as evidenced by stable frame rates with no anomalies indicating memory limitations. The 4K Ultra result of 105 FPS demonstrates that the VRAM capacity does not bottleneck performance, even at the highest settings and resolution.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The CPU is the primary bottleneck at 1080p, as indicated by the 461 FPS result at Low settings. The GPU has more than enough headroom at this resolution, and the frame rate is limited by the CPU’s ability to process game logic and issue draw calls.

Q: How does this combo compare to the Core Ultra 9 285K in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the Core Ultra 9 285K’s score of 83,807. This marginal difference indicates nearly identical CPU performance, with the 290K Plus holding a slight edge.

Q: Is the RTX 5070 a good match for the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus in this game?

A: Yes, the combination is well-balanced, as evidenced by the consistent 33% frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p across all settings. The GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU handles lower resolutions efficiently, resulting in a rank of 585 out of 2,991 combos.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 331. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 223 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 127 FPS. These figures show that the system maintains smooth frame rates even in demanding scenes, with the 4K minimum still exceeding 120 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in To The Core, the data suggests that Medium settings at 4K provide the optimal balance between visual quality and performance, with an average of 150 FPS and a minimum of 127 FPS. This configuration delivers smooth gameplay without sacrificing detail, and the minimum frame rate remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for a fluid experience. At 1440p, High settings are recommended, offering 227 FPS average with no reported minimum FPS issues, providing an excellent balance for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 1080p, the system is capable of exceeding 300 FPS even at High settings (338 FPS average), making this resolution ideal for competitive play where maximum frame rates matter. The Ultra preset at 1080p still delivers 272 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display. The Low preset, while offering the highest frame rates (461 FPS at 1080p), sacrifices visual fidelity unnecessarily given the system’s performance headroom. Therefore, the recommended settings are Medium at 4K for visual quality, High at 1440p for a balance of quality and speed, and High at 1080p for maximum performance without compromising visuals.

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

At 1080p, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 461 FPS, Medium settings average 390 FPS with a minimum of 331 FPS and maximum of 448 FPS, High settings average 338 FPS, and Ultra settings average 272 FPS. The frame rate progression from Low to Ultra shows a 41% reduction, indicating that the Ultra preset adds significant visual effects but still maintains high performance.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show the expected scaling. Low settings average 310 FPS, Medium settings average 262 FPS with a minimum of 223 FPS and maximum of 302 FPS, High settings average 227 FPS, and Ultra settings average 183 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is consistently 33% across all settings, demonstrating a predictable resolution scaling pattern. The Medium setting’s minimum FPS of 223 ensures smooth gameplay even during intense moments.

At 4K, the system still delivers playable frame rates across the board. Low settings average 177 FPS, Medium settings average 150 FPS with a minimum of 127 FPS and maximum of 172 FPS, High settings average 130 FPS, and Ultra settings average 105 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 4K is 62% across all settings, which is consistent and indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor. The 4K Medium setting provides the best balance with a minimum FPS of 127, ensuring a smooth experience at the highest resolution. The 4K Ultra result of 105 FPS is still highly playable and demonstrates the system’s capability to handle demanding resolutions without compromising frame rates.