Minimum

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 3425th out of 3712 tested combos in the database for Minimum. This places the combination in the bottom 8% of all recorded system pairings, a position that reflects the severe imbalance between the two components. The CPU, a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake Refresh part with a 94th percentile standing against all tested processors, is clearly not the limiting factor here. The graphics solution, however, sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, meaning roughly 95% of recorded graphics cards outperform it. This enormous gap between the processor's capability and the GPU's output defines the entire performance profile of this combo.

The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at every resolution and preset. The CPU's nearest rivals in the database, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.2% higher average benchmark score) and the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.1% higher), are all flagship or near-flagship parts. Meanwhile, the Arc B370's nearest GPU rivals include the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% higher score) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% lower), parts that are more than a decade older in typical hardware lifecycles. The combination ranks low not because the CPU is weak, but because the GPU anchors the entire system's gaming performance to a level far below what the processor can feed.

# Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS threshold. The highest recorded average is 30 FPS at Low settings, followed by 23 FPS at Medium, 19 FPS at High, and 15 FPS at Ultra. None of these settings are playable by the database's 60 FPS standard, so the verdict for 4K is a clear no.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves slightly but remains below playability. Low settings produce 55 FPS average, Medium reaches 42 FPS, High drops to 35 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27 FPS. The best result, 55 FPS at Low, is still 5 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold. The database records no playable settings for this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combo finally crosses the line. Low settings deliver 85 FPS average, which is comfortably above 60. Medium settings produce 65 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS. High settings drop to 55 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS. The database designates Medium as the best playable setting at 1080p, because it stays at or above 60 FPS on average while offering higher visual quality than Low. The verdict for 1080p lists Low and Medium as playable, with Medium as the optimal choice at 65 FPS average.

# CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data makes it clear that the GPU is the dominant constraint at every resolution. The Arc B370 has only 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its FP32 throughput is 6.144 TFLOPS, and it shares system memory with the CPU. These specifications place it in a performance tier where even a powerful CPU cannot compensate for the graphics workload bottleneck.

Looking at scaling from 1920x1080 Low to 2560x1440 Low, the average FPS drops from 85 to 55, a reduction of 35% for a pixel count increase of about 78%. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is already near its saturation point at 1080p, and any additional pixel load causes a disproportionate FPS loss. Similarly, from 1080p Medium (65 FPS) to 1440p Medium (42 FPS), the drop is 35%, again showing that the GPU's limited fill rate and shading power are the binding constraints.

The CPU's role is minimal in this pairing. The i7-14700K has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and a single-core score of 2160, which places it far above anything this GPU can demand. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lightest and CPU overhead would typically be most visible, the FPS is 85, not limited by the processor. The differences between presets at the same resolution (for example, 1080p Low at 85 FPS versus 1080p Ultra at 42 FPS) are entirely attributable to GPU workload increases, not CPU limitations. The database shows no scenario where the CPU becomes the bottleneck; the GPU's 5th percentile ranking is the sole performance governor.

# Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in average benchmark score are all within 1% of the i7-14700K. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 0.1% higher, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 0.2% lower, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 0.7% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 0.9% lower. Any of these processors would behave nearly identically in this combo, since the GPU bottleneck means that CPU choice has negligible impact on game FPS. Users with any of these CPUs paired with the Arc B370 would see essentially the same measured frame rates.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are similarly close but in the opposite direction. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 0.2% lower, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 0.5% lower, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 0.7% lower, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1.4% higher. These parts would all produce near-identical gaming performance to the Arc B370, meaning that swapping between them would not change the playability verdict at any resolution. The practical implication is that this combo's gaming performance is equivalent to a decade-old discrete GPU tier, regardless of the modern CPU driving it.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K UHD)

• Low: Average 30 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Medium: Average 23 FPS, minimum 19 FPS, maximum 26 FPS.
• High: Average 19 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Ultra: Average 15 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.

At 4K, the combo never approaches playability. Even the lowest preset runs at half the 60 FPS threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra is 15 FPS, showing that the GPU's limited resources are exhausted quickly as visual complexity increases.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average 55 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Medium: Average 42 FPS, minimum 36 FPS, maximum 48 FPS.
• High: Average 35 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Ultra: Average 27 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.

At 1440p, Low comes within 5 FPS of the playable threshold, but the database does not classify it as playable because it fails to reach 60 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 12 FPS drop from Low, and High adds another 7 FPS decline.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average 85 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Medium: Average 65 FPS, minimum 56 FPS, maximum 75 FPS.
• High: Average 55 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Ultra: Average 42 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.

At 1080p, the combo delivers playable performance at Low and Medium. The Low preset hits 85 FPS, which is 42% above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium maintains 65 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS that dips slightly below 60 but stays mostly playable. High falls to 55 FPS, just under the line, and Ultra drops further to 42 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 43 FPS spread, reflecting the GPU's sensitivity to settings at this resolution.

# FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, at Low and Medium settings. Low averages 85 FPS, and Medium averages 65 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS. High and Ultra do not reach 60 FPS (55 FPS and 42 FPS respectively).

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

A: There is no playable setting at 1440p. The best recorded result is 55 FPS at Low, which falls 5 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all score lower (42, 35, and 27 FPS).

Q: Why does the GPU rank so low despite the CPU being high-end?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has a 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals are older parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking cannot overcome this GPU limitation.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 0.2% lower, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 0.5% lower, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 0.7% lower, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1.4% higher. All perform within 2% of each other.

Q: What FPS does the combo achieve at 3840x2160 on Low settings?

A: It averages 30 FPS at 4K Low. Medium averages 23 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. None of these are close to the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game with this combo?

A: The GPU is the sole performance constraint. The CPU's nearest rivals (AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and AMD EPYC 9115) are within 0.2% in benchmark scores, meaning any similar CPU would produce the same FPS. The FPS differences between resolutions and presets are entirely due to GPU workload scaling.

# The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at 1920x1080, but only at Low and Medium settings. The database records 85 FPS average at Low and 65 FPS average at Medium, with Medium being the best playable setting due to its higher visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold. High settings at 1080p fall to 55 FPS, just below playable, and Ultra drops to 42 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the combo cannot run the game at 60 FPS on any preset. The closest result is 55 FPS at Low, which is 5 FPS short. Medium, High, and Ultra all produce lower averages (42, 35, and 27 FPS respectively). At 3840x2160, the situation is worse: even Low settings only reach 30 FPS, with Medium at 23 FPS, High at 19 FPS, and Ultra at 15 FPS.

The verdict is straightforward: this is a 1080p Low-to-Medium system for Minimum. The Intel Core i7-14700K is vastly more capable than what this game requires, but the Intel Arc B370's limited graphics throughput restricts the combo to entry-level performance. Users seeking higher resolutions or higher presets would need a significantly stronger GPU, as the current pairing leaves no headroom for visual upgrades. The data confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck, and any future GPU upgrade would unlock the i7-14700K's full potential, but as configured, this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming at modest settings.