Minecraft

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Minecraft on this configuration shows a wide spread of performance across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers playable frame rates across every tested setting. Low settings produce an average of 216 FPS, Medium averages 171 FPS with minimums of 146 FPS and maximums of 197 FPS, High averages 136 FPS, and Ultra averages 85 FPS. The 1080p results are consistently strong, with even the most demanding preset staying well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains solid but begins to show the strain of higher pixel counts. Low settings average 136 FPS, Medium averages 108 FPS with a recorded minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 124 FPS, and High averages 86 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to an average of 54 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The gap between High and Ultra at this resolution is notable, with the Ultra preset costing roughly 37% of the High preset's average frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. Low settings average 71 FPS, which clears the playable threshold. Medium averages 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and maximum of 65 FPS, putting it below the 60 FPS line on average. High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. The 4K results show a steep falloff as settings increase, with each preset tier costing a substantial portion of the previous tier's performance. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is approximately 60%, highlighting how quickly this configuration loses headroom at higher resolutions.

The measured data indicates that this combo is resolution-sensitive. At 1080p, every preset including Ultra stays comfortably above 60 FPS. At 1440p, three of the four presets clear the threshold, with only Ultra falling short. At 4K, only Low settings maintain a playable average. The Medium preset at 4K, with its 48 FPS minimum, would produce noticeable stutter in busy scenes, while the Ultra preset at 4K is effectively unplayable for smooth gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places this CPU in the 96th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 93785. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6520P with a score of 93786 and a delta of 0%, meaning the two perform essentially identically. The AMD EPYC 4564P scores 95183, which is 1.5% ahead, while the AMD EPYC 9175F scores 95615, a 1.9% advantage, and the AMD EPYC 4565P scores 95764, a 2.1% lead. These differences are small enough that users moving between any of these CPUs would see negligible changes in Minecraft frame rates.

The GPU component tells a different story. The Intel Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts from a much older generation. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% behind, while the GeForce 800M scores 1460, a 1.5% gap. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a 2.5% difference, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, trailing by 2.7%. These deltas are all under 3%, so in practical terms, the Arc B390 and these older NVIDIA chips produce very similar raw graphics performance.

For users considering alternatives, the data suggests that replacing the CPU with any of its nearest rivals would not materially change Minecraft performance, since the deltas are within 2.1% across the board. Swapping the GPU for one of its nearest rivals would also produce near-identical results, given the tight clustering of scores. The bottleneck in this configuration is clearly the GPU, which sits at the 9th percentile, while the CPU operates near the top of the database.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's ranking of tested combinations for Minecraft, this specific CPU and GPU pairing ranks 3282 out of 3710 total combinations. That places it in the lower 12% of all tested combos, which is consistent with the GPU's low percentile standing. The CPU is powerful enough to rank among the best, but the GPU drags the overall combination down significantly.

The rank reflects the measured frame rates across the full resolution and settings matrix. At 1080p, the combo performs respectably relative to the rest of the database, because the game is not particularly demanding at that resolution. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's limitations become more pronounced, and the combo falls further behind other tested pairings. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is especially poor compared to the database average, pulling the overall rank down.

Users comparing this combo to others in the database should expect it to land near the bottom for 4K gaming, but in the mid-to-lower range for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The CPU's strength does not translate into high rankings for this game because Minecraft's frame rates are largely dictated by the GPU once the CPU clears a modest performance bar.

The Verdict

Based on the verdict data, this system can run Minecraft at 60 FPS or higher under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 85 FPS. The best playable setting at 1080p is Ultra, which delivers 85 FPS on average. Users gaming at this resolution have full freedom to enable maximum settings.

At 2560x1440, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium. The best of these is High, averaging 86 FPS. Ultra at 1440p averages 54 FPS, which misses the 60 FPS threshold, so users should avoid that preset at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings clear the playable threshold, averaging 71 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS on average. The best playable setting at 4K is Low. Users who want to game at 4K must accept significantly reduced visual quality, and even then, the 71 FPS average leaves limited headroom for demanding scenes.

In summary, this combo is a solid 1080p performer that can handle Ultra settings, a capable 1440p system when avoiding the Ultra preset, and a limited 4K solution that requires Low settings for smooth play.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor in this configuration for Minecraft. The CPU ranks in the 96th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. This massive gap indicates that the GPU is the dominant constraint across most resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at all presets, as evidenced by the 216 FPS Low result. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is roughly 61%, meaning the GPU's workload increases substantially as settings rise, but the CPU does not become a bottleneck at any point. The frame rates are high enough that the GPU is clearly the active constraint.

At 2560x1440, the scaling between Low and Ultra is approximately 60%, similar to 1080p. However, the absolute frame rates drop by about 37% from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings, which points to the GPU being increasingly strained by pixel count. The CPU's role remains secondary, as its performance is far above what the GPU can utilize.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitation becomes severe. The drop from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is about 48%, and at High settings it is about 48% as well. The Ultra preset at 4K produces only 28 FPS, a 67% reduction from the 1440p Ultra result. These steep declines are characteristic of a GPU that is overwhelmed by resolution, while the CPU sits idle waiting for the GPU to finish each frame.

The presets matter more at higher resolutions, which further confirms the GPU-centric nature of this pairing. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 131 FPS. At 1440p, it is 82 FPS. At 4K, it is 43 FPS. As resolution climbs, the GPU cannot maintain the same performance gaps between presets because it is already saturated. Users should understand that upgrading the GPU would yield the largest frame rate gains, while upgrading the CPU would produce negligible improvements in Minecraft.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minecraft at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, which average 71 FPS. Medium averages 56 FPS, High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS, all below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: High settings, which average 86 FPS. Low and Medium also clear 60 FPS, with averages of 136 FPS and 108 FPS respectively, but High offers the highest visual quality that remains playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for this system's Minecraft performance?

A: The GPU is the primary constraint. It ranks in the 9th percentile among all tested GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 96th percentile. Frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, indicating GPU-bound behavior.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in the database's benchmark, which is 1.3% ahead of the 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. These are near-identical performance levels.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: The average is 85 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes Ultra the best playable setting at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested combinations for Minecraft?

A: It ranks 3282 out of 3710 total combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the database. The GPU's low percentile standing is the main reason for this ranking.