Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 is a combination that targets 1080p gaming for Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The recorded data shows that this pairing can handle 1080p with several presets above the 60 FPS threshold, but struggles at higher resolutions. The Arc B390 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, using system shared memory, and its benchmark scores place it in a low percentile compared to all GPUs. The CPU, however, is a strong performer with a high percentile rank among all CPUs. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, component roles, and verdict for this specific configuration.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the highest preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS does not exist. The recorded data shows the best average FPS at this resolution is 33 FPS with Low settings. Medium settings produce an average of 25 FPS, High settings produce 21 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 16 FPS. None of these reach the playable threshold of 60 FPS, so the verdict for 4K is that no settings are playable.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low settings, which achieves an average of 61 FPS. Medium settings drop to 47 FPS, High settings drop to 39 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 30 FPS. The data indicates that only Low settings clear the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution, making it the best playable preset.

At 1920x1080, the situation improves significantly. The highest preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is High settings, which achieves exactly 61 FPS. Medium settings also clear the threshold with 72 FPS, and Low settings reach 95 FPS. Ultra settings fall below with 46 FPS. The verdict confirms that High, Medium, and Low are playable at 1080p, with High being the best settings that still meets the 60 FPS requirement.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU depending on the resolution. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The Arc B390, with its low benchmark percentile and system shared memory, cannot push frame rates above 33 FPS even at Low settings. The CPU, which is a 10-core, 16-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, has ample headroom for this game. The scaling from 1080p Low (95 FPS) to 4K Low (33 FPS) represents a 65% drop in average FPS, which is primarily attributed to the GPU's inability to handle the pixel count at 4K.

At 2560x1440, the GPU still dominates the performance ceiling. Low settings reach 61 FPS, but Medium drops to 47 FPS, a 23% reduction. This suggests that the GPU is heavily taxed by increased visual complexity. The CPU's role at this resolution is less visible, as even the most demanding preset (Ultra at 30 FPS) does not show signs of CPU bottlenecking; the frame rates are consistently low across all presets, pointing to GPU limitations.

At 1920x1080, the CPU and GPU roles become more balanced. The data shows that Low settings hit 95 FPS, which is well above the threshold. Medium settings achieve 72 FPS, and High settings achieve 61 FPS. The progression from Low to High shows a 36% reduction in FPS, which indicates that the GPU is still the main constraint as settings increase. However, the CPU is strong enough to feed the GPU at these lower resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates at Low settings. The CPU's single-thread performance, measured at 3701 in Passmark, is sufficient for this title, and the multi-thread score of 25470 indicates no core-count limitation.

Comparing across resolutions, the pattern is consistent. At 1080p, the combination can deliver 61 FPS at High, but at 1440p the same preset only reaches 39 FPS, and at 4K it drops to 21 FPS. This scaling shows that the GPU is the dominant factor as resolution increases, while the CPU's influence diminishes. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645, are far above what this game requires, so the CPU is never the bottleneck in the recorded data.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1920x1080 for this combination?

A: The highest playable setting at 1920x1080 is High, which produces an average of 61 FPS. Medium also clears the 60 FPS threshold with 72 FPS, and Low reaches 95 FPS. Ultra falls short at 46 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: No. Medium settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only Low settings achieve 61 FPS at this resolution.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 a dedicated graphics card?

A: No, the Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU (IGP) with a bus interface of IGP. It uses system shared memory and has a slot width of IGP, meaning it is not a discrete add-in card.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14400F compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, scores 32233, which is 0.1% lower. The Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226, 0.2% lower, while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121, 0.5% lower.

Q: What is the average FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 25, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 29. This is far below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the game reach 60 FPS at Ultra settings on any resolution?

A: No. Ultra settings produce an average of 46 FPS at 1920x1080, 30 FPS at 2560x1440, and 16 FPS at 3840x2160. None of these reach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

The Verdict

The data shows that this system can run Minimum, but only at 1920x1080 with certain presets. At 1080p, the verdict lists High, Medium, and Low as playable settings, with High being the best option at 61 FPS average. This clears the 60 FPS threshold exactly. At 2560x1440, only Low settings are playable, reaching 61 FPS average. At 3840x2160, no settings are playable, as even Low only reaches 33 FPS.

For users targeting 1080p, this combination is sufficient for a smooth experience on High settings. The measured FPS at 1080p Medium shows a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, indicating stable performance above the threshold. At 1440p, the system is marginal, with only Low settings clearing 60 FPS, and the margin is thin at 61 FPS. For 4K, the system is not viable for this game, as the GPU cannot deliver playable frame rates.

The CPU is not the limiting factor in any scenario. Its performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 multi-core (21645) and Passmark single-thread (3701), is more than adequate. The GPU, with its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 and a percentile rank of 9 among all GPUs, is the bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The verdict is clear: this is a 1080p gaming configuration for Minimum, with 1440p possible only at the lowest settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest CPU rivals are all within a narrow band. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32233, which is 0.1% lower, making it a nearly identical performer in synthetic tests. The Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226, 0.2% lower, also a close match. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354, 0.2% higher, while the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121, 0.5% lower. Any of these CPUs would behave similarly in Minimum, as the game is not CPU-intensive at the tested resolutions.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts with very similar scores. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. These GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, meaning users with any of these would see the same limitations at 1440p and 4K, and similar 1080p performance. The delta between the Arc B390 and its closest rival is small enough that the gaming experience would be indistinguishable in practice.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks at 3299 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the lower portion of all tested configurations, around the 11th percentile. The ranking reflects the GPU's weak performance relative to other graphics solutions. While the CPU is a strong performer, the GPU drags the overall combo down. The data shows that many other combinations achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 1440p and 4K, where the Arc B390's limitations are most evident.

The rank of 3299 is consistent with the measured FPS data. At 1080p, the combo can play the game on High settings, which is a positive result. However, at 1440p, only Low is playable, and at 4K, nothing is playable. This places the combo well below the median tested configuration, which likely offers better GPU performance. For comparison, a combo with a more capable GPU would likely rank higher, as the CPU would not be a limiting factor. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's low benchmark percentile (9th among all GPUs) combined with the game's demands at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded FPS data is organized by resolution and settings. At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 21 for High, 33 for Low, 25 for Medium, and 16 for Ultra. The Medium setting also has recorded minimum and maximum values of 21 and 29 FPS respectively. No other settings at this resolution have min or max data.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 39 for High, 61 for Low, 47 for Medium, and 30 for Ultra. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. The Low setting achieves 61 FPS, which is exactly at the playable threshold. High and Ultra have no min or max values recorded.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are 61 for High, 95 for Low, 72 for Medium, and 46 for Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. This shows that Medium is consistently above the 60 FPS threshold, with the minimum value also clearing it. High settings average 61 FPS, which is right at the threshold, but no min or max data is available for High. Low settings reach 95 FPS, indicating a smooth experience, while Ultra falls to 46 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the average FPS drops for every preset. The gap between Low and Ultra is also consistent, with Ultra always being significantly lower. At 1080p, the spread between Low (95) and Ultra (46) is 49 FPS. At 1440p, the spread is 31 FPS (61 to 30), and at 4K, the spread is 17 FPS (33 to 16). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming the dominant constraint, as even Low settings cannot maintain high frame rates. The Medium settings at each resolution show the only complete min/max data, providing a stable picture of frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 62 FPS ensures no drops below the threshold, while at 1440p Medium, the minimum of 40 FPS shows significant dips below 60. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 21 FPS confirms the unplayable nature of this resolution. The measured FPS breakdown fully supports the verdict: this combo is a 1080p solution with limited 1440p capability at Low settings.