Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is a demanding Action RPG that stresses both CPU and GPU heavily, and the pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the Intel Arc B390 produces results that are firmly at the low end of the spectrum. The data shows this combo ranks 2576 out of 2920 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested for this title. This is a configuration that will require significant compromises in settings and resolution to achieve playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 2576 out of 2920 combos places this system in the lower percentile of all tested hardware pairings for Cyberpunk 2077. This rank is heavily influenced by the GPU, which itself sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score. The Intel Arc B390's benchmark results are remarkably low, with its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 putting it in direct competition with legacy mobile and entry-level desktop parts from over a decade ago. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GT 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, with deltaPct values ranging from 1.3% to 2.7% — meaning the Arc B390 is only marginally faster than these older parts.

The CPU tells a different story. The Intel Core i3-12100F ranks in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core 3 N355 (deltaPct 0), Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3), Intel Core 5 120UL (deltaPct -0.7), and Intel Core i7-1250U (deltaPct 1.1). This indicates the processor is a competent, mid-range performer that is not the primary bottleneck in this combination. The i3-12100F's multi-threaded performance is solid, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860 and Geekbench multicore score of 7252. However, the GPU's severe performance limitations cap the overall system's capability in Cyberpunk 2077, dragging the combined rank far below what the CPU alone might suggest.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the defining component in this system's performance, and the data indicates it is severely underpowered for Cyberpunk 2077. The GPU is based on the Panther Lake chip with Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, the memory configuration is "System Shared" with a bus width also listed as "System Shared" and bandwidth described as "System Dependent". This means the GPU relies on system RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, which can create additional performance bottlenecks in memory-intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077. The GPU's pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS.

The GPU's benchmark results are stark: it scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, deltaPct 1.3), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, deltaPct 1.5), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, deltaPct 2.5), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, deltaPct 2.7). This places the Arc B390 in the company of entry-level parts from more than a decade ago, which explains the low frame rates observed in the measured FPS data. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so it has modern API support, but raw performance is the limiting factor here. With 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores, the hardware is present, but the execution is severely constrained by the system-shared memory architecture and overall low compute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F or the Intel Arc B390 the main bottleneck in Cyberpunk 2077?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rivals being legacy parts like the GeForce GT 520MX and GT 710, while the i3-12100F ranks in the 68th percentile of CPUs with an average benchmark score of 13494. The CPU's performance is competitive with modern mid-range parts, but the GPU's low scores severely limit overall system performance.

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve in Cyberpunk 2077?

A: According to the measured FPS data, the highest average frame rate is 49 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next best is 37 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings, showing that the system performs best when graphical demands are minimized.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The memory configuration is listed as "System Shared" for size, type, and bus width, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent". This means the GPU uses system memory rather than dedicated VRAM, which can impact performance in memory-intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077.

Q: How does the CPU's single-threaded performance compare to its multi-threaded performance?

A: The i3-12100F shows strong multi-threaded scaling. Its 3DMark scores are 4051 for 16 threads, 4026 for 8 threads, and 4023 for max threads, while single-thread score is 893. Cinebench R23 shows 11860 multicore versus 1674 singlecore, indicating the 4-core, 8-thread processor handles multi-threaded workloads effectively.

Q: Is this system capable of ray tracing in Cyberpunk 2077?

A: The GPU has 12 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), so ray tracing is technically supported. However, given that the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile and achieves only 13 FPS at 4K Ultra settings, enabling ray tracing would likely result in unplayable frame rates in this demanding title.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GT 710 (1443). These are all legacy or entry-level parts, indicating the Arc B390's performance tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of this combo's capabilities across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 49 FPS on Low settings, 36 FPS on Medium (with min/max of 31/42), 27 FPS on High, and 25 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium costs 13 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 9 FPS, and High to Ultra costs only 2 FPS. This suggests diminishing returns at higher settings, with the largest performance hit occurring when moving from Low to Medium.

At 2560x1440, the numbers drop significantly. Low settings produce 37 FPS average, Medium produces 27 FPS (min/max 23/31), High produces 20 FPS, and Ultra produces 19 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 10 FPS, Medium to High is 7 FPS, and High to Ultra is just 1 FPS. The 1440p results show a substantial penalty compared to 1080p, with the system losing 12 FPS at Low settings when moving up in resolution.

At 3840x2160 (4K), performance becomes marginal. Low settings yield 24 FPS average, Medium yields 18 FPS (min/max 15/21), High yields 13 FPS, and Ultra yields 13 FPS. The system cannot maintain above 24 FPS even at the lowest settings, and the difference between High and Ultra is negligible at this resolution. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 15 FPS, which would make the game feel stuttery and unresponsive.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the GPU's limitations. At Low settings, the system delivers 49 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 35.1% drop from 1440p to 4K. The overall reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 51%, meaning the system loses half its frame rate when scaling resolution.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 36 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. This shows a 25% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 33.3% drop from 1440p to 4K, for a total reduction of 50%. High settings follow the same trend with 27 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K — a 25.9% drop, then 35% drop, totaling 51.9% reduction. Ultra settings show 25 FPS at 1080p, 19 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K, representing a 24% drop followed by 31.6% drop, for a 48% total reduction.

The consistency of these percentage drops across settings indicates that the scaling is primarily resolution-driven rather than settings-driven. The GPU is the limiting factor, as the system-shared memory and low compute throughput cannot keep up with the increased pixel count at higher resolutions. The CPU, which ranks in the 68th percentile, is not the primary constraint here — the data suggests that even at 1080p Low, the GPU is saturated, and reducing resolution further would not yield significant gains.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the recommended settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, Low settings provide the most playable experience with an average of 49 FPS. This is the only setting that comes close to a smooth 60 FPS target, though it still falls short. Medium settings at 1080p produce 36 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. High and Ultra settings at 1080p produce 27 FPS and 25 FPS respectively, which are below the threshold for comfortable gameplay in an action RPG.

At 2560x1440, the only viable option is Low settings, which produces 37 FPS average. Medium drops to 27 FPS, and both High (20 FPS) and Ultra (19 FPS) are too low for a playable experience. The system is better suited to 1080p gaming, as 1440p requires dropping to the lowest settings to maintain a reasonable frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that no settings preset is recommended for playable performance. Even Low settings produce only 24 FPS, and Medium produces 18 FPS with a minimum of 15 FPS. High and Ultra both produce 13 FPS, which is effectively a slideshow. Users should avoid 4K resolution with this combo for Cyberpunk 2077.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is 1920x1080 with Low settings, achieving 49 FPS. If users want a more visually detailed experience, Medium at 1080p (36 FPS) is the next best option, provided they can tolerate the 13 FPS reduction. The data indicates that the system cannot handle High or Ultra presets at any resolution without dropping below 30 FPS, so Low or Medium at 1080p represents the practical ceiling for this combination. The Ultra preset at 1080p (25 FPS) offers no meaningful advantage over High (27 FPS) and both are below playable thresholds, making them poor choices even for users who prioritize visuals over frame rate.