Assetto Corsa

Assetto Corsa, a racing simulation from 2014, remains a staple in the PC benchmarking world due to its heavy reliance on both CPU physics and GPU rendering. The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and the Intel Arc B580 creates a particularly interesting pairing, as it pits a mid-range 12th-gen processor against a modern, high-bandwidth graphics card. The benchmark data reveals a system that is capable of excellent frame rates at mainstream resolutions, but which also shows clear performance scaling limits as graphical settings and resolution increase. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to provide a practical understanding of what this combo can deliver.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz place it as a solid workhorse for gaming. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 and a single-core score of 2249, indicating strong single-threaded performance that is often critical for older simulation engines like the one powering Assetto Corsa. The processor’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide a flexible foundation.

In the context of Assetto Corsa’s measured FPS, the CPU's role becomes less dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the i5-12400 is capable of feeding the Arc B580 enough data to produce very high frame rates, particularly at Low settings where the average hits 201.8 FPS. However, the data shows a clear shift: as resolution climbs to 1440p and 4K, the frame rate drops are so substantial that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s performance, relative to its nearest rivals, is very tight. The data shows the i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 19850 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831, a 0.1% delta), the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894, a -0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19928, a -0.4% delta). This indicates that in raw processing power, the i5-12400 is in a very competitive class, but the frame rate results in this game are ultimately dictated by the graphics card's limits at higher settings.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 201.8 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. Moving to Medium settings still yields a very high 141.2 FPS average, while High and Ultra settings produce 106.1 and 85.5 FPS averages, respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-12400’s average benchmark score is 19850. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-9700, scores 19831, which is a negligible 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i7-8700 scores 19894, a -0.2% difference, and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19928, a -0.4% difference. This places the i5-12400 in a dead heat with these CPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 a better performer than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in standard GPU benchmarks?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 scores 23181, making the Arc B580 0.7% slower. Conversely, the Arc B580 is 0.3% faster than the NVIDIA P106-100 (score 22950) and 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (score 22729).

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 106.1. When resolution is increased to 3840x2160 with the same High settings, the average FPS drops to 48.9. This represents a 54% reduction in frame rate, indicating the GPU is heavily burdened at 4K.

Q: How does this specific CPU and GPU combination rank among all tested combos for this game?

A: The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B580 ranks 1353 out of 1721 total tested combinations in Assetto Corsa. This position suggests that while the hardware is competent, many other pairings deliver higher frame rates in this particular title.

Q: Which settings preset provides a 60+ FPS average at 1440p?

A: Both Medium and High presets at 2560x1440 achieve average FPS above 60, with 98.9 and 76.9 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset falls below this threshold at 63.3 FPS, and Low settings are far beyond it at 143.5 FPS.

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

The measured FPS data illustrates a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the system shows massive headroom. For instance, on High settings, the average FPS is 106.1. When moving to 1440p, this drops to 76.9, a 27.5% decrease. The subsequent jump to 4K brings the frame rate down to 48.9, a further 36.4% decrease from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. With Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 141.2 at 1080p to 98.9 at 1440p and then to 61.7 at 4K. Even at Low settings, where CPU overhead could potentially be a factor, the frame rate still scales down significantly with resolution: 201.8 to 143.5 to 86.

This consistent and pronounced drop with each resolution increase is the signature of a graphics card that is reaching its compute and memory bandwidth limits. The Arc B580’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth, but the demands of 4K rendering in Assetto Corsa are clearly overwhelming it. The data suggests that the i5-12400 is not the limiting factor here; if it were, frame rates would plateau or show erratic scaling between resolutions. Instead, the smooth, predictable decline in FPS as pixel count increases points directly to the GPU as the primary performance constraint in this title.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for Assetto Corsa, the Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B580 sits at rank 1353 out of 1721 total combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for this specific game. It is crucial to interpret this ranking in context. The ranking aggregates performance across all tested settings and resolutions, and it is heavily influenced by the GPU's capabilities. Given that the Arc B580’s average benchmark score is only 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, this low ranking is more indicative of the game’s age and the prevalence of higher-end GPUs in the test pool than of a fundamental flaw in this pairing. The i5-12400 is a capable CPU, ranking in the 77th percentile against all CPUs, but the combo ranking shows that its pairing with a mid-range GPU like the B580 results in a system that is not at the top of the charts for this particular title.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a balanced experience, the data points to the Medium settings preset as the sweet spot for this combo. At 1920x1080, Medium settings yield an average of 141.2 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a smooth racing experience and leaves headroom for dips. At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce a strong 98.9 FPS average, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at 3840x2160, Medium settings manage a playable 61.7 FPS, making it the only preset that clears the 60 FPS mark at 4K.

If a 60 FPS target is the goal, High settings are also viable at 1440p, with an average of 76.9 FPS. However, the Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p gaming, where it achieves an 85.5 FPS average, as it falls below 60 FPS at higher resolutions (63.3 at 1440p and 39.8 at 4K). For users with high-refresh-rate 1080p displays, Low settings provide the highest possible frame rate at 201.8 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. Therefore, Medium settings offer the best combination of visual quality and performance across all resolutions.

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

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for every tested configuration.

1920x1080

• Low: 201.8 FPS
• Medium: 141.2 FPS
• High: 106.1 FPS
• Ultra: 85.5 FPS

2560x1440

• Low: 143.5 FPS
• Medium: 98.9 FPS
• High: 76.9 FPS
• Ultra: 63.3 FPS

3840x2160

• Low: 86.0 FPS
• Medium: 61.7 FPS
• High: 48.9 FPS
• Ultra: 39.8 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy. The i5-12400 and Arc B580 combination delivers exceptional performance at 1080p, with even Ultra settings exceeding 85 FPS. At 1440p, the system remains highly capable, but the Ultra preset begins to show strain. At 4K, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, with only the Low and Medium presets providing average frame rates above 60 FPS. For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1440p offers a compelling mix of high frame rate and fidelity, while 4K users should stick to Medium settings to maintain a playable frame rate.