Minecraft

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance percentile of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X?

A: The CPU sits at the 84th percentile when compared against all processors in the database, indicating it outperforms the majority of CPUs tracked.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad places it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, achieving an average of 71 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 56 FPS average.

Q: Which setting at 1440p provides the highest frame rate that still maintains 60 FPS?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 86 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that stays above the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution.

Q: Can this combination run Minecraft at Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 the Ultra preset achieves an average of 85 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22458 in PassMark multithread testing, and its average benchmark score of 34260 is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, which sits just 0.1% behind.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a fascinating split in how this combination handles Minecraft across resolutions. At 1080p, the system delivers frame rates that suggest the CPU is doing substantial work to feed the GPU. The jump from Ultra (85 FPS) to Low (216 FPS) at 1920x1080 shows a 2.5x scaling, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor even at this lower resolution. The Arc B390's modest compute resources, 1536 shading units and 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, become the bottleneck as settings increase.

When moving to 1440p, the pattern shifts. The High preset drops from 136 FPS at 1080p to 86 FPS, a 37% reduction, while Low drops from 216 to 136 FPS, a 37% reduction as well. This consistent scaling suggests the GPU is now the primary constraint, with the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads providing ample headroom. The Ryzen 7 3700X's strong single-thread score of 2656 in PassMark single-thread testing helps maintain high minimum frame rates, though the recorded data only shows min/max values for the Medium preset.

At 4K, the GPU's limitations become stark. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 65, while the Ultra preset collapses to 28 FPS average. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Medium shows a 48% performance drop (108 to 56 FPS), which aligns with the pixel count increase of 2.25x, though not perfectly linear due to other factors. The CPU's role diminishes at this resolution, as the Arc B390's 24 ROPs and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate simply cannot keep up with the rendering demands.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is clear: the Ryzen 7 3700X is more than capable, while the Intel Arc B390 dictates the playable settings. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 9th percentile ranking tells the complete story.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3282 out of 3710 tested combos in Minecraft, placing it in the bottom 11.5% of all configurations in the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's severe performance limitations rather than any CPU deficiency.

To contextualize this rank, consider that the Arc B390's nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts from over a decade ago. The GeForce GT 710, which the Arc B390 beats by just 2.7% in 3DMark Steel Nomad, was never considered a gaming GPU even at its launch. The Arc B390's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs means it sits below 91% of the graphics cards tracked in the database.

The CPU, meanwhile, keeps this combo from ranking even lower. The Ryzen 7 3700X's 84th percentile ranking and its average benchmark score of 34260, which is within 0.2% of the Intel Core i5-13450HX and 0.5% of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, ensure that CPU-bound scenarios are handled competently. In a game like Minecraft, which has historically been sensitive to single-thread performance, the CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 2656 provides a solid foundation.

The rank of 3282 out of 3710 means there are 428 tested combos that perform worse, but the overwhelming majority of systems in the database deliver better Minecraft performance. This is a case where the GPU choice fundamentally limits what would otherwise be a capable CPU platform.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Minecraft? The answer depends entirely on the resolution and settings you target.

At 1920x1080, this system runs the game well across all settings. The Ultra preset achieves 85 FPS average, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold with a comfortable margin. The High preset delivers 136 FPS, Medium reaches 171 FPS, and Low hits 216 FPS. Any player at 1080p can enable maximum settings and enjoy smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable but with restrictions. The High preset averages 86 FPS, Medium averages 108 FPS, and Low averages 136 FPS, all above 60 FPS. However, the Ultra preset drops to 54 FPS average, which falls below the playable threshold. Players at 1440p should stick to High or lower for a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 71 FPS. Medium drops to 56 FPS average, High falls to 45 FPS, and Ultra collapses to 28 FPS. The verdict by resolution confirms this: 4K gamers must use Low settings, and even then the frame rate is only marginally above the threshold.

The recorded data shows that this combination is fundamentally a 1080p gaming system, with 1440p possible at reduced settings and 4K limited to minimal presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 28 FPS average (not playable)
• High: 45 FPS average (not playable)
• Medium: 56 FPS average, 48 FPS minimum, 65 FPS maximum (not playable)
• Low: 71 FPS average (playable)

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 54 FPS average (not playable)
• High: 86 FPS average (playable)
• Medium: 108 FPS average, 92 FPS minimum, 124 FPS maximum (playable)
• Low: 136 FPS average (playable)

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 85 FPS average (playable)
• High: 136 FPS average (playable)
• Medium: 171 FPS average, 146 FPS minimum, 197 FPS maximum (playable)
• Low: 216 FPS average (playable)

The Medium preset is the only setting where min and max FPS values were recorded in the database. At 1080p Medium, the system maintains a minimum of 146 FPS, which is remarkable stability. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 92 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 48 FPS confirms the marginal performance at this resolution.

The frame time consistency at lower resolutions suggests the CPU is not causing stutters or hitches. The Ryzen 7 3700X's 32 MB of L3 cache and 16 threads provide ample resources for Minecraft's world generation and entity processing, while the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

3840x2160: The best playable setting is Low, which delivers 71 FPS average. This is the only preset at 4K that clears the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so with a 11 FPS margin. The Medium preset at 56 FPS is tantalizingly close but falls short.

2560x1440: The best playable setting is High, achieving 86 FPS average. This preset provides a 26 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a safe choice for consistent gameplay. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS cannot be recommended, despite the visual improvements it would offer.

1920x1080: The best playable setting is Ultra, delivering 85 FPS average. This is the most demanding preset available, and the system handles it with a 25 FPS margin. Players can enable every graphical feature without concern for performance degradation.

These recommendations represent the highest visual quality that maintains at least 60 FPS average. For players who prefer higher frame rates over visual fidelity, dropping one or more settings provides substantial headroom: at 1080p High reaches 136 FPS, at 1440p Medium reaches 108 FPS, and even at 4K the gap between Low and Medium is 15 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database provide context for what other processors would behave similarly in this configuration. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 scores 34222, just 0.1% below the Ryzen 7 3700X's 34260 average. The AMD EPYC 4244P scores 34220, also 0.1% behind. The Intel Core i5-13450HX scores 34333, 0.2% ahead, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 34083, 0.5% behind. Any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical Minecraft performance when paired with the Arc B390.

On the GPU side, the alternatives are less encouraging. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, just 1.3% behind the Arc B390's 1482. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% behind. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% behind, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% behind. These GPUs would all provide essentially equivalent Minecraft frame rates, meaning any system using one of these graphics cards with a similar CPU would land in the same performance tier.

The practical implication is that this combo occupies a narrow performance band defined by the GPU's capabilities. Upgrading the CPU would yield negligible gains in Minecraft, as the Arc B390 is the limiting factor at every resolution above 1080p Low. The data suggests that players seeking higher frame rates should prioritize a GPU upgrade, as the Ryzen 7 3700X has substantial headroom that the current graphics solution cannot utilize.