Cyberpunk 2077

The Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B370 combination produces a severely GPU-limited experience in Cyberpunk 2077, with the integrated graphics component acting as the primary bottleneck across all tested resolutions. The benchmark data shows a clear pattern: frame rates are consistently low even at 1080p, and performance degrades predictably as resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the measured results, examining how the CPU and GPU specifications relate to the observed FPS, and provides context for where this pairing ranks among tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is the signature of a system where the graphics processor is wholly overwhelmed. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 45 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 33 FPS, a reduction of 12 frames. At 3840x2160, the Low preset yields only 22 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates that the rendering workload is expanding faster than the GPU can process it, with the pixel count quadrupling from 1080p to 4K while the frame rate does not even double.

The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling for the Medium settings. At 2560x1440 Medium, the system produces 24 FPS, while at 3840x2160 Medium it falls to 16 FPS. The 8 FPS difference represents a 33% drop, and the min FPS at 4K Medium is 14, suggesting the frame pacing becomes inconsistent under heavier load. For Ultra settings, the scaling is even more dramatic: 23 FPS at 1080p, 17 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K. The data shows that the GPU’s fill rate and shading capacity are exhausted almost immediately, meaning the CPU’s potential is never the limiting factor.

This behavior points squarely at the Intel Arc B370 as the constraint. The GPU has a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, figures that are insufficient for modern game rendering at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops are not linear but rather show compounding losses, which is typical when a GPU runs out of memory bandwidth or shading units. The memory is listed as "System Shared" with bandwidth described as "System Dependent," further explaining why 4K performance collapses — the shared memory subsystem cannot feed the renderer at that scale.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a high-end desktop processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and it carries 33 MB of shared L3 cache. In the context of Cyberpunk 2077, these specifications are far beyond what the paired GPU can utilize. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69355, indicating it is a top-tier part for general compute. However, in this game, the CPU’s role is largely moot because the frame rates never rise high enough to stress the processor.

The nearest rivals for the i7-14700K include the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which scores 69515 and is 0.2% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX at 69875, which is 0.7% ahead. These deltas are negligible, showing that the i7-14700K is effectively tied with the best consumer CPUs available. Even the AMD EPYC 9115, a server part, is only 0.1% ahead at 69288. In Cyberpunk 2077, the CPU’s single-thread performance, reflected in a Geekbench single-core score of 2569 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160, would be more than adequate for the game’s simulation and AI workloads. The problem is that the game never gets the chance to use those resources because the GPU delivers such low FPS.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting component at any resolution or setting. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system hits 45 FPS, but even that figure is far below what the i7-14700K could drive with a discrete GPU. The CPU’s 125 W TDP and active production status indicate a modern, capable part, but in this pairing, it is effectively idle. If the GPU were upgraded, the i7-14700K would likely hold its own, but with the Arc B370, the CPU’s contribution is invisible in the measured results.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear bottleneck, and its specifications explain why. This is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process with a 25 W TDP. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The boost clock is 2400 MHz, but the base clock is only 300 MHz, and the memory is system shared rather than dedicated. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile against all GPUs.

The nearest rivals for the Arc B370 are ancient parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% ahead), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% ahead), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% ahead). The only GPU it beats is the AMD FirePro M2000, which is 1.4% slower at 1168. This context is damning — the Arc B370 is performing at the level of GPUs from over a decade ago. In Cyberpunk 2077, a game released in 2020, this GPU is simply not equipped to handle the rendering demands.

The VRAM situation is particularly problematic. With "System Shared" memory, the GPU has no dedicated frame buffer, and bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning it relies on whatever the CPU’s memory controller provides. This explains the min FPS values at Medium settings: 28 FPS at 1080p, 21 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K. The frame dips indicate moments where the shared memory cannot keep up with texture streaming or geometry loads. The GPU’s 10 ray tracing cores are present, but given the low raster performance, enabling RT would be futile. The data shows that even at Low settings, the GPU cannot reach 60 FPS at any resolution, confirming that the Arc B370 is the sole reason for the poor performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing ranks 2685 out of 2920 combos for Cyberpunk 2077. That places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested, which is consistent with the GPU’s lowly 5th percentile standing. The combo’s rank is heavily influenced by the Arc B370, as the CPU’s high percentile cannot compensate for the graphics bottleneck. The data shows that the i7-14700K is in the top 6% of CPUs, but the GPU is in the bottom 5%, creating a massive imbalance that drags the overall ranking down.

This ranking means that the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairs tested in this game will outperform this combo. The only systems that would rank lower are those with even weaker integrated graphics or older discrete GPUs. Given that the Arc B370’s rivals are all from the ATI Radeon HD era, it is fair to say that this combo is functionally obsolete for Cyberpunk 2077 at playable settings. The rank is not a reflection of the CPU’s quality but rather proof of how much the GPU dictates the experience in a graphics-intensive title.

The percentile data reinforces this. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 1184 is nearly identical to its 3DMark result, showing no anomalous variation. The combo rank of 2685 out of 2920 suggests that users with this pairing would see performance in the bottom decile, which is corroborated by the measured FPS. For context, a combo in the top 10% would likely achieve 60+ FPS at 1080p, while this system cannot reach that even at Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 45 FPS, Medium averages 33 FPS with a min of 28 and max of 38, High averages 24 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 12 FPS drop, while the jump from Medium to High is 9 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 1 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds features that the GPU cannot render, so the frame rate barely moves.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with lower overall numbers. Low averages 33 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS with a min of 21 and max of 28, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low is a 12 FPS drop, and at High it is a 6 FPS drop. The Medium preset shows a min FPS of 21, which is 3 FPS below the average, indicating stutter under load.

At 3840x2160, the numbers become very low. Low averages 22 FPS, Medium averages 16 FPS with a min of 14 and max of 19, High averages 12 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is just 1 FPS again, showing that the GPU is completely saturated. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 14 means that the game will dip below 15 FPS during intense scenes, which is borderline unplayable.

The data shows a consistent drop of approximately 10 FPS for each resolution step at Low settings (45 to 33 to 22), while at Ultra, the drop is 6 FPS per step (23 to 17 to 11). This indicates that the higher the settings, the less the resolution matters because the GPU is already at its limit. The min and max FPS values for Medium settings provide the only frame pacing data, and they show a spread of 10 FPS at 1080p, 7 FPS at 1440p, and 5 FPS at 4K, suggesting that the frame time variance shrinks as the GPU becomes more consistently loaded.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the only setting that yields a remotely playable frame rate is Low at 1920x1080, which achieves 45 FPS. This is the only configuration above 30 FPS, and it is the recommended choice for any user who wants to experience the game with some degree of fluidity. The next best option is Low at 2560x1440 at 33 FPS, but that is still below the 60 FPS threshold and will feel choppy. At 4K, no setting is viable, with the highest being Low at 22 FPS.

For users who prefer higher visual fidelity, Medium at 1080p offers 33 FPS, which is a 12 FPS penalty compared to Low but provides a better image. The min FPS of 28 on Medium at 1080p means that dips below 30 FPS are rare, making it a borderline acceptable choice if the user prioritizes graphics over smoothness. However, the data suggests that Medium at 1440p (24 FPS) and Medium at 4K (16 FPS) are not advisable, as they fall well below playable thresholds.

The High and Ultra presets are effectively equivalent in performance, with only 1 FPS difference at each resolution. This indicates that the Ultra settings are not adding much visual benefit that the GPU can render, so users should stick with Low or Medium. Given that the GPU is in the 5th percentile, the only sensible recommendation is to run at 1080p Low and accept the 45 FPS ceiling. Any other configuration results in frame rates below 33 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a playable action RPG. The data does not support any settings that would achieve 60 FPS, so users must prioritize resolution and preset trade-offs.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo in Cyberpunk 2077?

A: The measured data shows that Low settings at 1920x1080 yields 45 FPS, which is the highest frame rate of any configuration. Medium at 1080p drops to 33 FPS, and all other settings at higher resolutions fall below 24 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the highest FPS is 22 on Low settings, with Medium at 16 FPS, High at 12 FPS, and Ultra at 11 FPS. These results indicate that 4K is not viable for playable performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The Intel Arc B370 GPU is the bottleneck. It has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 and sits in the 5th percentile, while the Intel Core i7-14700K is in the 94th percentile. The frame rates are consistently low regardless of CPU headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 2685 out of 2920 combos for Cyberpunk 2077, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems.

Q: What are the frame rate differences between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, Low averages 45 FPS and Ultra averages 23 FPS, a 22 FPS difference. At 1440p, Low averages 33 FPS and Ultra averages 17 FPS, a 16 FPS difference. At 4K, Low averages 22 FPS and Ultra averages 11 FPS, an 11 FPS difference.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for this game?

A: The GPU uses "System Shared" memory with "System Dependent" bandwidth, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. The min FPS at Medium settings (14 at 4K, 21 at 1440p, 28 at 1080p) suggests memory bandwidth limitations during heavy scenes.