Assetto Corsa

Assetto Corsa with the Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B580 pairing shows a clear pattern: this is a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, and the data indicates the graphics card becomes the primary limiting factor well before the CPU does. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 205 FPS, which drops to 143 FPS at 1440p and 87 FPS at 4K. That progression—205 to 143 to 87—represents a 30% reduction going from 1080p to 1440p, and then a further 39% reduction when moving to 4K. This is a steep falloff that points directly at the GPU being the bottleneck at higher resolutions, since the CPU’s workload does not change nearly as much when resolution increases. The Arc B580’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus width are adequate for this title, but the raw compute of 13.67 TFLOPS appears to be the ceiling here.

Looking at the 4K Ultra preset, the average FPS is 38, which is exactly half of the 76 FPS seen at 1440p High. That halving from a relatively modest resolution bump suggests the graphics card is running out of headroom, not the processor. The i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, has plenty of capacity for simulation and physics workloads in a racing game like Assetto Corsa, which is known for its tire and suspension modeling. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and single-core score of 3055 put it in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, meaning it is comfortably above average for gaming. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the frame rate of 205 FPS is likely near the engine’s own limits or the GPU’s output capability, because the CPU would not typically struggle with such a lightweight load. The real story emerges at 4K, where even Medium settings only yield 61 FPS on average, and High drops to 46 FPS. This is a GPU-bound scenario, and the benchmark results confirm that the Arc B580 is the component that determines playability at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a consistent scaling pattern across the three resolutions tested. At 1080p, the average frame rates are 205 FPS on Low, 144 FPS on Medium, 109 FPS on High, and 89 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, those numbers become 143 FPS on Low, 101 FPS on Medium, 76 FPS on High, and 62 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the averages fall to 87 FPS on Low, 61 FPS on Medium, 46 FPS on High, and 38 FPS on Ultra. The ratio between Low and Ultra at each resolution is telling: at 1080p, Ultra delivers 43% of the Low setting’s frame rate (89 vs 205). At 1440p, that ratio is 43% as well (62 vs 143). At 4K, the ratio is 44% (38 vs 87). This consistency means the graphics settings have a similar relative impact regardless of resolution, which is typical for a GPU-limited scenario.

However, the resolution scaling itself is steep. Going from 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS by roughly 30% across all settings. Going from 1440p to 4K reduces FPS by roughly 39% to 40% across all settings. For example, High settings: 109 to 76 to 46. That is a 30% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and then a 39% drop from 1440p to 4K. Medium settings show 144 to 101 to 61, which is a 30% drop and then a 40% drop. The 4K step is more punishing than the 1440p step, which indicates that the Arc B580’s memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s and its pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s are being saturated. The GPU’s 80 ROPs and 160 TMUs are also part of this equation, but the data suggests that the card’s fillrate and bandwidth are the constraining factors at 4K.

What does this mean for the limiting component? At 1080p Low, the 205 FPS average is high enough that either the CPU or GPU could be the bottleneck, but given that the i5-14400F has a Passmark single-thread score of 3701 and a multi-thread score of 25470, it is unlikely that this processor is holding back a racing simulation at such a high frame rate. Instead, the rapid decline in FPS as resolution increases—especially the 40% drop from 1440p to 4K—strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, and with 10 cores at a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, it has ample headroom. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the Arc B580’s limits become obvious.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS. This makes Medium at 1080p a strong choice for high-refresh-rate monitors, as the minimum stays above 120 FPS.

Q: Does this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average is 87 FPS. At Medium, the average drops to 61 FPS, which is just above 60, but the minimum is 52 FPS. High settings average 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 38 FPS. So, for a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, you would need to use Low or possibly Medium with some adjustments.

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

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score is 32279, which puts it 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233) and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900 (32226). It is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354) and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H (32121). These are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the i5-14400F performs essentially identically to those parts in aggregate.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B580 sits in the 68th percentile, which means it performs better than the majority of GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 23021, and it is 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, which is actually lower in score but the delta is listed as -1, meaning the B580 is 1% behind that part).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the frame rates in Assetto Corsa?

A: The data shows that frame rates drop dramatically with increased resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the CPU could theoretically push more frames, but as resolution climbs to 1440p and 4K, the Arc B580’s compute and memory bandwidth become the bottleneck. The i5-14400F has enough single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055) to keep up with the game’s physics and AI calculations.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations?

A: This specific pairing ranks 2791 out of 3712 combos tested in Assetto Corsa. That places it in the lower 25% of all tested combos, which is surprising given the individual component scores, but it reflects that many other CPU-GPU pairings produce higher frame rates in this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In Assetto Corsa, a racing simulation that relies heavily on single-threaded performance for the main game loop and physics calculations, the CPU’s boost clock and per-core IPC matter more than raw core count. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055 and the Geekbench single-core score of 2058 indicate strong single-thread capability. The Passmark single-thread score of 3701 confirms this, placing the CPU in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs.

The multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 11268. For a racing sim, the extra threads can help with AI opponents, tire wear calculations, and dynamic weather systems, but those workloads rarely scale perfectly across all 16 threads. The benchmark data for this combo shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 205, which is high enough that the CPU is likely not the limiting factor. If the CPU were struggling, we would see frame rates plateau or drop even at low resolutions. Instead, the FPS scales with resolution, which indicates the GPU is doing the heavy lifting. The CPU’s role is to maintain a stable frame delivery, and with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz and 20 MB of L3 cache, it has the headroom to do so.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14400F’s average benchmark score of 32279 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233, +0.1%), the Intel Core i9-11900 (32226, +0.2%), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354, -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-12800H (32121, +0.5%). These deltas are all under 1%, meaning that in synthetic tests, these processors perform nearly identically. However, in Assetto Corsa, the i5-14400F’s combination of high boost clock and modern architecture should translate to responsive frame times. The data from the measured FPS does not isolate CPU performance directly, but the fact that the combo achieves 205 FPS at 1080p Low suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck at that resolution. Only at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 38 FPS, would the CPU potentially have more to give, but the GPU is clearly overwhelmed.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2791 out of 3712 tested combinations in Assetto Corsa. This is a percentile rank of roughly 25th, meaning that about 75% of all tested combos perform better in this game. This might seem low given that the CPU is in the 83rd percentile and the GPU is in the 68th percentile, but the ranking reflects the actual measured FPS in this specific title, not synthetic benchmarks. Assetto Corsa is a 2014 release, and its engine may favor older NVIDIA or AMD architectures that have been refined over years of driver updates. The Intel Arc B580, being a newer GPU architecture (Xe2-HPG), may not have the same level of optimization in this older title.

The rank of 2791 out of 3712 means that there are many other CPU-GPU pairings that achieve higher average frame rates across the tested resolutions and settings. This does not mean the combo is unplayable—far from it, as the 1080p results are excellent—but it does indicate that in a head-to-head comparison, other systems will outpace it. For context, the GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (average score 23061, delta -0.2%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895, +0.6%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23172, -0.7%), and the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, -1%). These deltas are all within 1%, so the Arc B580 is performing on par with those GPUs in synthetic benchmarks. Yet in Assetto Corsa, the combo’s rank suggests that the game’s specific workload does not favor this pairing as much as others.

This ranking also implies that if you are building a system specifically for Assetto Corsa, there are better combinations to consider, even if the individual components seem capable. The data shows that the combo’s FPS at 1080p Ultra is 89, which is decent but not exceptional. At 4K Ultra, the 38 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players would consider playable. The rank is a composite measure, and it gives a quick reference point: this system is in the lower quartile of all tested combos for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a full picture of this combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 205 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium settings yield an average of 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 and a maximum of 166. High settings average 109 FPS, and Ultra settings average 89 FPS. The jump from Low to Ultra represents a 57% reduction in frame rate, which is substantial but expected given the graphics load.

At 2560x1440, the averages drop to 143 FPS on Low, 101 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 86 and maximum of 116), 76 FPS on High, and 62 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum of 86 FPS is still above 60, which is good for a 1440p monitor. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is just barely above the 60 FPS threshold, meaning it is playable but with little headroom. High settings at 76 FPS offer a more comfortable margin.

At 3840x2160, the results are 87 FPS on Low, 61 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 52 and maximum of 70), 46 FPS on High, and 38 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum of 52 FPS means there will be noticeable dips below 60, which could be distracting on a 4K display. High and Ultra are both below 60 FPS, making them less ideal for smooth gameplay. Low settings at 87 FPS are the only 4K option that provides a comfortable frame rate.

The data reveals that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1080p, even Ultra settings stay above 60 FPS, and Medium settings are well above 120 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p, Medium and High settings both offer playable frame rates above 60, with Medium providing a minimum of 86 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings consistently exceed 60 FPS, and Medium is borderline at 61 FPS average with a 52 FPS minimum.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on your resolution and performance target. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, delivering an average of 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 FPS. This ensures smooth gameplay on a 144Hz monitor without sacrificing too much visual quality. If you have a higher refresh rate display (240Hz), the Low preset at 205 FPS is the only option that can fully utilize it, but you would be giving up significant visual fidelity. The High preset at 109 FPS is also a solid choice for 1080p if you prefer better visuals and have a 100Hz or 120Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 89 FPS is playable but does not offer a clear advantage over High in terms of frame rate.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is again the best balance, with an average of 101 FPS and a minimum of 86 FPS. This keeps the experience above 60 FPS at all times and is suitable for 1440p monitors with up to 144Hz refresh rates, though you may not hit the full refresh rate. The High preset at 76 FPS is a good alternative if you want better visual quality and are okay with frame rates in the 70s. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is technically above 60 but has no recorded minimum, so it could dip below that threshold in demanding scenes. The Low preset at 143 FPS is overkill for most 1440p monitors and sacrifices too much visual quality.

For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 87 FPS is the only setting that provides a comfortable frame rate above 60, but it will look noticeably worse than Medium or High. The Medium preset at 61 FPS average with a 52 FPS minimum means you will experience stutter and dips below 60, which is not ideal for a racing game where smoothness is critical. High and Ultra at 46 and 38 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a good experience. If you have a 4K display, the data suggests that you should either accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p and using Medium or High settings, which will provide a much better visual-to-performance balance.

In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is to play at 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings. At 1080p, Medium gives you 144 FPS average with a 122 FPS minimum. At 1440p, Medium gives you 101 FPS average with an 86 FPS minimum. For 4K, Low is the only playable option, but it requires a significant visual compromise. This combo is clearly geared toward 1080p and 1440p gaming, and the data shows that pushing to 4K with this GPU will result in suboptimal frame rates on anything above Low settings.