Downfall

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a combination that lands near the bottom of the performance hierarchy in Downfall, ranking 2688 out of 2928 tested combos. The data shows a system that can handle the game at 1080p with playable frame rates on lower settings, but it struggles significantly as resolution and graphical demands increase, ultimately becoming unplayable at 4K Ultra. This analysis breaks down the specific roles of the CPU and GPU, how they scale across resolutions, and what the measured numbers mean for real-world performance.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, though its memory bandwidth is not specified in the data.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-12400 demonstrates solid multi-threaded capability. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 15989, while the single-core score is 2257. The Geekbench multicore and singlecore scores are 8564 and 1848, respectively. The Passmark multithread score is 18747, with a single-thread score of 3456. These numbers place the CPU at the 72nd percentile compared to all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643 (avg score 18697, delta -0.1%), Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, delta -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811, delta -0.7%). The Intel Core i3-14100F is slightly behind at 18519, a delta of +0.9% relative to the i5-12400.

For Downfall, a horror game, the CPU's role is to maintain minimum frame pacing and handle game logic. The 6-core/12-thread configuration is ample for a title from this era, and the high boost clock of 4.40 GHz should prevent the CPU from being a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is far more powerful than the GPU in this pairing. For instance, at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 96 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed frames well above the GPU's rendering capacity. The i5-12400's single-thread performance, as seen in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257, is more than sufficient for the game's primary thread. The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this system; rather, the GPU holds back the overall performance, especially as resolution increases and the CPU's workload relative to the GPU decreases.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It has a very low TDP of 25 W and uses system-shared memory, meaning its VRAM size, type, and bus width are all "System Shared," with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The GPU operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. It features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B370 scores 1184, placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is an extremely low score, indicating that the GPU is a major performance limiter. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, delta -0.5%), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, delta -0.7%). The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, a delta of +1.4% relative to the Arc B370. These comparisons show that the Arc B370 is competitive only with graphics hardware from over a decade ago, which directly impacts its ability to run a 2016 horror game at modern settings.

Given its 25 W TDP and integrated nature, the Arc B370 is not designed for high-end gaming. The benchmark data confirms this: at 1080p Ultra, the combo only manages 40 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 18 FPS. The GPU's shared memory architecture means it must compete with the CPU for system memory bandwidth, which is a significant bottleneck in a game like Downfall that requires consistent memory access for textures and geometry. The low ROP count of 20 severely limits fill-rate performance, directly impacting higher resolutions. The data shows that the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as reducing settings from Ultra to Low at 1080p more than doubles the frame rate from 40 to 96 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU's shading and memory capabilities are insufficient for high-detail workloads.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 96 FPS, which is playable. Moving to 1440p Low, the average FPS drops to 68, a 29% decrease. At 4K Low, the average is 43 FPS, a 55% decrease from 1080p Low. This scaling is steep and indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being saturated as pixel count increases.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p High, the system runs at 64 FPS. Dropping to 1440p High yields 46 FPS, and at 4K High, the average falls to 29 FPS. The Ultra settings show the most dramatic drop: 40 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and only 18 FPS at 4K. This represents a 55% drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings. The medium settings follow a similar pattern, with 78 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K.

The data strongly suggests that the GPU is the sole limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the frame rate scales inversely with the number of pixels, confirming that the Arc B370 cannot keep up with the rendering demands. The CPU, with its robust single-thread and multi-thread scores, is likely idle waiting for the GPU to finish its work, especially at 4K where the GPU is overwhelmed. The 4K Ultra result of 18 FPS is essentially a slideshow, and even 4K Low at 43 FPS is not smooth enough for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and timing. The scaling pattern indicates that for this combo, lowering resolution is the most effective way to gain performance, as the CPU has ample headroom.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Downfall smoothly at 1080p?*

A: Yes, at lower settings. The measured data shows 96 FPS at 1080p Low and 78 FPS at 1080p Medium. However, at 1080p High, the average drops to 64 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it falls to 40 FPS, which may not be smooth enough for all players.

Q: What is the best setting to use for a playable experience?

A: Based on the data, 1080p Medium is the sweet spot, offering 78 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. 1080p Low at 96 FPS is also viable if maximum smoothness is preferred.

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

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The data shows that frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, which is indicative of a GPU limitation. The CPU's benchmark scores are high (72nd percentile), and its performance is not the limiting factor.

Q: How does this combo perform at 1440p?

A: It is playable only at lower settings. The data shows 68 FPS at 1440p Low and 56 FPS at 1440p Medium. At 1440p High, it drops to 46 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra, it falls to 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: No, not at acceptable frame rates. The best 4K result is 43 FPS at Low settings, but this is still on the edge of playability. At 4K High, the average is 29 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it is 18 FPS, which is unplayable.

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

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is nearly identical to the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, delta -0.5%) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, delta -0.2%). This places it in the same performance tier as decade-old hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system is most capable. On Low settings, the average FPS is 96. Moving to Medium, the average is 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. High settings yield an average of 64 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, resulting in an average of 40 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is the only resolution where the combo can consistently exceed 60 FPS, and only on Low and Medium settings.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low settings produce an average of 68 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings yield an average of 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS. High settings drop the average to 46 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 29 FPS. This indicates that 1440p is only viable for Low and Medium settings, as High and Ultra dip below the 60 FPS threshold and approach unplayable territory.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution, performance is severely limited. Low settings yield 43 FPS, Medium settings yield 35 FPS (with a minimum of 30 and maximum of 40), High settings yield 29 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 18 FPS. No setting at 4K provides a consistently smooth experience, and the Ultra setting is effectively a slideshow. The data shows a clear linear relationship between settings and performance, with Low settings roughly doubling the frame rate of Ultra settings at every resolution.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-12400 + Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2688 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested hardware configurations, indicating that this is a very low-performing system for this game. The rank is primarily driven by the GPU, which sits at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU's strong performance (72nd percentile) does little to offset the GPU's severe limitations.

This ranking means that the vast majority of other CPU+GPU combos tested will outperform this system. The i5-12400 is a capable processor, but it is paired with an integrated GPU that is only comparable to the ATI Radeon HD 5770. The result is a system that is only suitable for the lowest settings at 1080p. For a game like Downfall, which relies on atmospheric tension and smooth movement, this combo will likely provide a subpar experience at higher settings. The ranking underscores that this pairing is not a gaming-oriented configuration, and users seeking to play Downfall at higher resolutions or settings would need a significantly more powerful discrete GPU. The data shows that while the CPU has headroom, the GPU's 5th percentile score makes it the definitive anchor on the system's overall performance.