Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most demanding titles in the Action RPG genre, and the combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF with the Intel Arc B370 produces a predictable but severe bottleneck. The data indicates that this pairing is almost entirely GPU-limited, with the integrated-class Arc B370 struggling to push playable frame rates at any resolution above 1080p. The measured results show a clear hierarchy where the CPU’s substantial processing power is left largely unused, while the graphics solution becomes the defining constraint on performance.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals a starkly GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 45 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 33 FPS, a reduction of 12 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 22 FPS. This linear degradation—from 45 to 33 to 22—indicates that the rendering pipeline is saturated by pixel throughput, with the Arc B370’s limited pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s becoming the primary bottleneck. The scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that lacks the raw fill rate and memory bandwidth for higher resolutions, as its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent" and its memory type is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the host system’s slower shared memory rather than dedicated VRAM.

The gap between 1080p and 4K is dramatic across all presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 24 at 1080p to 18 at 1440p and finally to 12 at 4K. This represents a 50% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest resolution tested. For Medium settings, the values are 33 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. The consistent halving of performance at each resolution step confirms that the limiting component is the graphics processor, not the CPU. The Intel Core i5-14600KF, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, has more than enough computational headroom to feed the GPU, but the Arc B370’s 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs simply cannot keep pace with increasing pixel counts.

The data suggests that 1080p is the only viable resolution for this combo, and even then, only at the lowest settings. The 4K results are uniformly unplayable, with the highest average being 22 FPS at Low and the lowest being 11 FPS at Ultra. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, with roughly a 33-40% performance loss across all presets. This behavior is typical of a GPU with a 25 W TDP and an IGP form factor, as the Arc B370 is clearly not designed for high-resolution gaming. The benchmark results indicate that users should not expect any level of playability beyond 1080p, as the rendering workload at higher resolutions exceeds the GPU’s capabilities by a wide margin.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this pairing ranks 2685 out of 2920 combos for Cyberpunk 2077. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is among the weakest performers for this specific title. The comboRankInGame percentile is not directly stated, but the raw rank of 2685 against 2920 total combinations underscores how poorly this setup handles the game’s demands. The GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus of 5 reinforces this assessment, as the Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs tested. This means that 95% of graphics cards in the database outperform it in raw benchmark scores, with its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 being a clear indicator of its low-end positioning.

The CPU, in contrast, is a strong performer. The Core i5-14600KF has a percentileVsAllCpus of 90, placing it in the top 10% of all processors. Its average benchmark score of 49394 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228 and is only 0.3% behind. The nearest rivals for the CPU include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at 49196 (0.4% behind) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 at 48995 (0.8% behind). The only rival that edges out the i5-14600KF is the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388, which scores 49796, a 0.8% advantage. This data demonstrates that the processor is not the limiting factor in this combo; it is a high-end chip that is being held back by an entry-level graphics solution.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU rankings is stark. The i5-14600KF is a top-tier processor, while the Arc B370 is a bottom-tier graphics adapter. This mismatch creates a situation where the system’s overall game performance is dictated entirely by the GPU’s weaknesses. The combo rank of 2685 reflects this imbalance, as the system cannot leverage the CPU’s strengths in a GPU-bound title like Cyberpunk 2077. The benchmark results indicate that pairing a 90th percentile CPU with a 5th percentile GPU yields a system that performs near the bottom of the database, confirming that the graphics card is the sole determinant of playability here.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS values, the only setting that provides a remotely playable experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces an average of 45 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches standard playability thresholds, though even this is marginal for a fast-paced Action RPG. The Medium preset at 1080p drops to 33 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less smooth. High and Ultra at 1080p yield 24 and 23 FPS respectively, which are below acceptable levels for most players. The data suggests that users should prioritize the Low preset at 1080p to achieve the best possible frame rate, as the jump from Low to Medium costs 12 FPS (from 45 to 33), a 27% reduction, while the visual fidelity gains may not justify the performance hit.

At 1440p, even the Low preset only achieves 33 FPS, which is borderline playable but likely to feel stuttery in combat scenarios. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 24 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 18 and 17 FPS respectively. None of these are recommended for serious gameplay. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with the best being 22 FPS at Low and the worst being 11 FPS at Ultra. No settings combination at 4K is viable for actual play. The data strongly suggests that users should not attempt to run this game at 1440p or 4K with this combo, as even the lowest settings fail to provide a smooth experience.

The measured min and max FPS values for Medium settings provide additional context. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 28 to 38 FPS, indicating significant variance that could lead to inconsistent feel. At 1440p Medium, the range is 21 to 28 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 14 to 19 FPS. These ranges show that the GPU’s performance is not stable, with fluctuations that could cause noticeable hitches. For the best experience, users should stick to 1080p Low, which has no recorded min or max values but presents the highest average. This setting maximizes the chances of maintaining a playable frame rate while minimizing the risk of drops below 30 FPS. The data indicates that any attempt to increase visual quality will result in a disproportionate loss of performance, making Low the only sensible choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo’s capabilities across all tested resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 45 FPS, which is the highest score recorded for this combo. The Medium preset at the same resolution averages 33 FPS, with a minimum of 28 and a maximum of 38. High settings at 1080p average 24 FPS, while Ultra averages 23 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each step up in settings costs approximately 10-12 FPS, with the largest drop occurring between Low and Medium.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 33 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p Medium score, highlighting the impact of resolution. Medium at 1440p averages 24 FPS, with a range of 21 to 28. High settings average 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows a consistent reduction of about 10 FPS for Low, 9 FPS for Medium, 6 FPS for High, and 6 FPS for Ultra. This indicates that lower settings are more affected by resolution increases, likely due to the GPU’s limited memory bandwidth.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 22 FPS, which is a 23 FPS drop from the 1080p Low score. Medium at 4K averages 16 FPS, with a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 19. High settings average 12 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly below playable thresholds, with the highest score being 22 FPS. The data shows that the Arc B370 is fundamentally incapable of handling 4K rendering in Cyberpunk 2077, as even the lowest settings cannot maintain a consistent frame rate. The overall trend is clear: the combo’s performance degrades predictably with both resolution and settings, and the only viable configuration is 1080p Low.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration, and its specifications explain why. The GPU is built on the Xe3-LPG architecture and uses a 3 nm process node, but its integrated nature as an IGP with a 25 W TDP severely limits its performance. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 ROPs, which are modest numbers for a modern graphics processor. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, both of which are low compared to dedicated graphics cards. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, which is insufficient for demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s memory configuration is a major weakness. It uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and instead relies on the system’s main memory. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means it varies based on the host system’s DDR4 or DDR5 configuration. This shared memory arrangement introduces significant latency and bandwidth limitations, particularly at higher resolutions where memory access patterns become more demanding. The boost clock is 2400 MHz, with a base clock of 300 MHz, but the GPU’s performance is not determined by clock speed alone; the memory subsystem is the limiting factor.

The GPU’s benchmark results confirm its low-end status. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, and its percentileVsAllGpus is 5, meaning it outperforms only 5% of GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals are all older or low-power parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher). The only GPU it beats is the AMD FirePro M2000, which scores 1168 (1.4% lower). This places the Arc B370 in the same performance tier as decade-old integrated graphics, which is consistent with the measured FPS results. The GPU’s 10 RT cores are present but provide negligible benefit in this context, as the overall rendering performance is too low to support ray tracing at any usable frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a high-performance processor that is significantly underutilized in this combo. It features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The CPU has a TDP of 125 W and is built on Intel’s 10 nm process, with a die size of 257 mm². It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and its PCIe interface is Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, providing ample data storage for game workloads.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14600KF demonstrates substantial processing power. It scores 32544 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4594 in single-core, 13668 in Cinebench R20 multi-core and 1929 in single-core, and 3280 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 462 in single-core. Geekbench scores are 17085 multi-core and 2445 single-core. The PassMark suite shows 38697 for multi-thread, 4273 for single-thread, 125982 for integer math, and 93048 for floating-point math. These scores place the CPU in the 90th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 49394. Its nearest rivals are all competitive modern CPUs, with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scoring 49228 (0.3% behind), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at 49196 (0.4% behind), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 at 48995 (0.8% behind).

The CPU’s role in Cyberpunk 2077 is to handle game logic, physics, and AI, which it does with ease. However, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions and settings. The CPU’s high multi-core performance is irrelevant when the GPU cannot render frames fast enough. The benchmark results indicate that even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would have the most influence, the frame rate is capped by the GPU’s rendering capabilities. The i5-14600KF is capable of far higher frame rates in this game, but the Arc B370 prevents it from ever reaching its potential. This disparity between CPU and GPU performance is the defining characteristic of this combo, and it results in a system that is poorly balanced for gaming despite having a top-tier processor.