Doom

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a peculiar case in the Doom benchmark database, occupying a position near the bottom of the performance hierarchy. The data indicates a combination that is heavily constrained by its graphics component, yet the CPU demonstrates it is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases, which points directly to the GPU as the primary limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 96 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 62 FPS, a decline of approximately 35%. At 4K Low, the average further falls to 34 FPS, representing a 45% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern is typical of a system where the graphics processor is saturated long before the CPU becomes a bottleneck.

The High settings preset shows a similar trajectory. From 71 FPS at 1080p, the average falls to 46 FPS at 1440p, and then to 25 FPS at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 1440p is a 25 FPS loss, while the jump to 4K costs another 21 FPS. This linear degradation suggests that the rendering pipeline is entirely dependent on the GPU's fill rate and shader throughput, which are not sufficient for high-resolution workloads.

Notably, the Medium preset provides the only complete min/max FPS data across all resolutions. At 4K Medium, the average is 29 FPS with a minimum of 25 and maximum of 34. At 1440p Medium, the average is 54 FPS with a range of 46 to 62. At 1080p Medium, the average is 84 FPS with a range of 71 to 96. The min/max spread widens as resolution decreases, indicating that at lower resolutions, the system has more headroom for frame time variance, though the absolute performance remains modest.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with averages of 58 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and just 20 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is effectively unplayable, and even the 1440p Ultra figure falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay. This data suggests that the combo is best suited for 1080p operation, where even the most demanding preset manages a playable average, while 4K is only viable at the lowest settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive component in this pairing, as evidenced by its benchmark results and percentile ranking. The GPU scores 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals are legacy parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192. The Arc B370 lags the HD 5770 by 0.5%, and the HD 5570 by 0.2%, while it leads the AMD FirePro M2000 by 1.4% (which scores 1168). This places the GPU in performance territory occupied by hardware from over a decade ago, which explains its struggles in a modern title like Doom.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on shared system memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," which indicates that performance will vary based on the host system's memory capabilities. The clock speeds are a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz, and while the boost clock is respectable, the shared memory architecture likely limits effective throughput in high-resolution scenarios.

The GPU's raw specifications include 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. It also features 10 ray-tracing cores, though ray tracing is not a focus in Doom's standard rendering paths. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 compute rated at 6.144 TFLOPS. These figures, while not trivial, are insufficient for the demands of 1440p and 4K gaming, as the measured FPS consistently shows.

The 25 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm that this is an integrated-class solution, despite the "Arc" branding. The GPU's bus interface is listed as "IGP," and it has no power connectors, which limits its performance ceiling. The display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent," indicating this is intended for mobile or compact platforms rather than desktop gaming rigs. The benchmark data reinforces that the Arc B370 is the bottleneck in this combo, as the FPS scales almost entirely with resolution and settings rather than CPU capability.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU/GPU combinations for Doom, this pairing ranks 2696 out of 2930 combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, underscoring its position as a low-performance option. The rank reflects the combined impact of the GPU's 5th percentile standing and the CPU's stronger position, resulting in a system that is functional but far from competitive.

The CPU alone, the Intel Core i5-12400, has an average benchmark score of 18683, which puts it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643 with an average score of 18697 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-1355U with 18730 (0.3% higher), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 with 18811 (0.7% higher), and the Intel Core i3-14100F with 18519 (0.9% lower). This indicates the i5-12400 is a solid mid-range processor that is not the limiting factor in this combo.

The discrepancy between the CPU's 72nd percentile and the GPU's 5th percentile is stark. The combo rank of 2696 out of 2930 suggests that the GPU drags the overall performance down significantly, as a system with a higher-ranked GPU would likely place much higher even with the same CPU. The data implies that pairing this CPU with a more capable GPU would yield a dramatically better result in Doom, as the CPU has ample headroom to support higher frame rates.

The measured FPS values align with this assessment. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 96 FPS, which is respectable, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 20 FPS. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are more than sufficient for Doom's engine, which is known to scale well with multi-threaded processors. The bottleneck is unequivocally the GPU, and the combo rank reflects this imbalance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 96 FPS average, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold for most players. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 84 FPS average, still a strong experience with improved visual fidelity. The High preset at 1080p drops to 71 FPS, which remains playable, while the Ultra preset at 1080p falls to 58 FPS, which is borderline but may be acceptable for those prioritizing visuals.

For 1440p, the Low preset is the only option that approaches smoothness, with 62 FPS average. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 54 FPS, which is playable but may show occasional stutters given the min FPS of 46. The High preset at 1440p falls to 46 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold, and the Ultra preset at 1440p is a marginal 37 FPS, likely too choppy for fast-paced action.

At 4K, none of the presets deliver a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset achieves 34 FPS average, which is the best 4K result, but it is still below playability standards for a FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 29 FPS, and the High preset averages 25 FPS, with the Ultra preset at just 20 FPS. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only recommendation, and even then, users should expect a compromised experience.

The data suggests that the best balance of performance and visual quality is the Medium preset at 1080p, which offers 84 FPS average with a min of 71 FPS, ensuring minimal frame drops. For users with 1440p displays, the Low preset at 62 FPS is the most sensible choice, while 4K should be reserved for the Low preset at 34 FPS, accepting that this is a last resort rather than a recommendation.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Doom?

A: The 1080p resolution provides the most playable experience, with the Low preset achieving 96 FPS average and the Medium preset at 84 FPS. At 1440p, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with 62 FPS average, while 4K performance is limited to 34 FPS at Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), and 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192). It leads the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168) by 1.4%.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 the bottleneck in this system?

A: No, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 18683, while the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile. The FPS scaling with resolution confirms the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gaming?

A: The Low preset at 1440p yields 62 FPS average, which is the only option above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, and the High preset averages 46 FPS, with the Ultra preset at 37 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Doom?

A: At 4K, the Low preset achieves 34 FPS average, which is the highest 4K result. The Medium preset averages 29 FPS, High averages 25 FPS, and Ultra averages 20 FPS. None of these meet standard playability thresholds for a FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2696 out of 2930 tested combinations in Doom, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems in the database.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it features 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes (CPU only). Its integrated graphics are the UHD Graphics 730, though in this combo, the discrete Arc B370 takes over rendering duties.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-12400 demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability. It scores 15989 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2257 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 8564 multi-core and 1848 single-core. The 3DMark tests show scaling from 910 in single-thread to 5890 in max threads, indicating good multi-threading efficiency. PassMark results include 18747 in multi-thread and 3456 in single-thread, with specific workloads like integer math at 58366 and floating-point math at 45494.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD EPYC 7643, which scores 18697 on average (0.1% higher), and the Intel Core i3-14100F at 18519 (0.9% lower). The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, confirming it is a competent processor for gaming workloads.

In the context of Doom, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than adequate. The game's engine is well-optimized for multi-threading, and the 4.40 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 96 FPS, which is a CPU-constrained scenario where the processor is delivering frames faster than at higher resolutions. However, as resolution increases, the FPS drops proportionally, indicating that the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The CPU's TDP of 65 W and socket LGA 1700 compatibility make it a mainstream option, and its release date of January 2022 means it is a mature product. The launch MSRP is $199, though this is not a focus of the performance analysis. The CPU's production status is active, and it supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving users flexibility in platform choices. The i5-12400's role in this combo is to provide a stable, capable foundation that is unfortunately hamstrung by the GPU's limited performance.

The benchmark data suggests that the CPU is operating well within its capabilities in Doom. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and max-thread score of 5890 indicate that the processor can handle high thread counts, and the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 shows it can sustain heavy workloads. The CPU's performance in this combo is effectively wasted at higher resolutions, as the GPU cannot keep up, but at 1080p, the CPU ensures that the system delivers the best possible frame rates given the GPU's constraints.