Fortnite

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a uniquely constrained gaming experience in Fortnite. The benchmark data indicates that this combination is heavily GPU-limited across all tested resolutions, with the processor’s substantial multi-threaded capabilities remaining largely underutilized. The Arc B370, which sits at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, is the definitive bottleneck, causing frame rates to plummet as resolution increases. While the CPU demonstrates strong synthetic performance, ranking in the 72nd percentile against all processors, its power cannot compensate for the graphics card's limitations in this title. Consequently, users must rely on aggressive settings reductions to achieve playable frame rates, with the data showing a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and performance.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 104 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings reduces this to 66 FPS, a substantial 36.5% decrease. At 4K with Low settings, the average further falls to 35 FPS, representing a 66.3% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is characteristic of a graphics card that is overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count, confirming that the Arc B370 is the limiting component.

The trend persists across all settings presets. With High settings, the frame rate goes from 57 FPS at 1080p to 36 FPS at 1440p and then to 19 FPS at 4K. This pattern shows that the scaling penalty is consistent regardless of the graphical load, reinforcing that the GPU's processing power, not the CPU, dictates performance. The data suggests that the i5-12400 has ample headroom, as the frame rate is primarily determined by the resolution and the GPU's ability to render frames, not by the processor's ability to feed it data.

The delta between resolutions highlights the Arc B370's limited memory bandwidth and processing capabilities. The jump from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, often halving the already low frame rates. For instance, at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 46 at 1440p to 25 at 4K. This indicates that the GPU's resources are exhausted at higher resolutions, making 4K gaming impractical for this combination, as even the lowest settings fail to provide a smooth experience.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is unequivocally the performance bottleneck in this configuration. Its average benchmark score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, a position that aligns with its nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186). The data shows this GPU is not designed for high-end gaming, and its performance in Fortnite reflects that, with even the most demanding settings yielding only 13 FPS at 4K.

The GPU's specifications explain its struggles. It features a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, but its memory is "System Shared" with bandwidth that is "System Dependent." This reliance on shared system memory is a critical weakness, as it creates a performance bottleneck that is exacerbated at higher resolutions where more memory bandwidth is required. The 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs provide a raw processing capability of 6.144 TFLOPS, but this is insufficient for the demands of Fortnite at 4K Ultra, where the measured average is a mere 13 FPS.

Despite its low overall standing, the GPU does show some capability at lower settings. The jump from 1080p High (57 FPS) to 1080p Low (104 FPS) demonstrates a significant performance headroom when graphical effects are reduced. This suggests that the card's architecture is capable of producing playable frame rates, but only when the workload is minimized. The data implies that for this game, the Arc B370 is best suited for 1080p gaming with reduced settings, as any attempt to increase resolution or graphical fidelity results in a disproportionate performance penalty.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for optimal playability. For a 1080p display, the Low preset is the only option that consistently delivers a high frame rate, with an average of 104 FPS. While the Medium preset offers an average of 73 FPS, which is still playable, the High preset drops to 57 FPS, and Ultra falls to a less desirable 37 FPS. For competitive play, where higher frame rates are advantageous, the Low preset at 1080p is the recommended choice, as it provides the best balance of smoothness and responsiveness.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset is again the only one that achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS, with an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset yields a playable but less fluid 46 FPS, while High (36 FPS) and Ultra (24 FPS) are too low for a smooth experience. Users with 1440p monitors should select the Low preset to ensure gameplay remains fluid, as the performance cost of higher settings is too steep for the Arc B370.

4K gaming is not viable with this hardware. The highest average frame rate at this resolution is 35 FPS with the Low preset, which is below the threshold for a playable experience. The Medium preset offers a slightly more stable experience with a min FPS of 21 and a max of 28, but the average of 25 FPS is still too low. The data strongly suggests that users should avoid 4K resolution entirely with this combination, as even the lowest settings fail to provide an acceptable level of performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average frames per second for the Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B370 combination in Fortnite.

1920x1080:

• Low: 104 FPS average.
• Medium: 73 FPS average, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS.
• High: 57 FPS average.
• Ultra: 37 FPS average.

At 1080p, the scaling from Low to Ultra is steep. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets is 67 FPS, which shows the significant performance cost of enabling higher graphical features. The Medium preset, with its 62 FPS minimum, is the highest setting that maintains a frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold for consistent smoothness.

2560x1440:

• Low: 66 FPS average.
• Medium: 46 FPS average, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS.
• High: 36 FPS average.
• Ultra: 24 FPS average.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only one that stays above 60 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 39 FPS indicates noticeable frame drops, which can affect gameplay. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for a responsive experience, as their averages are well below the 60 FPS target.

3840x2160:

• Low: 35 FPS average.
• Medium: 25 FPS average, with a minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 28 FPS.
• High: 19 FPS average.
• Ultra: 13 FPS average.

At 4K, all presets are unplayable. The Low preset's 35 FPS average is the best result, but it is still too low for a smooth experience. The Ultra preset's 13 FPS average is a slideshow, demonstrating that this resolution is beyond the capabilities of the Arc B370.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combination in Fortnite?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the most suitable resolution. At 1080p, the system can achieve a 104 FPS average on Low settings and a 73 FPS average on Medium settings, which are both playable. At 1440p and 4K, the average frame rates are significantly lower, with even the Low preset failing to reach 60 FPS at 1440p.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 or the Intel Arc B370 the limiting factor?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is the definitive bottleneck. Its average benchmark score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are much older models like the ATI Radeon HD 5770. In contrast, the i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile for CPUs. The frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, a classic sign of a GPU limitation.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12400 compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683. It is statistically tied with the AMD EPYC 7643, which scores 18697 (a -0.1% delta), and the Intel Core i7-1355U, which scores 18730 (a -0.3% delta). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100F, which scores 18519 (a 0.9% delta).

Q: What settings preset provides the highest frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Low preset provides the highest average frame rate at 1080p, with a measured average of 104 FPS. The Medium preset is the next highest at 73 FPS, followed by High at 57 FPS and Ultra at 37 FPS.

Q: Is the Arc B370's performance comparable to any well-known older graphics cards?

A: Yes, based on the average benchmark score of 1184, the Arc B370 is most similar to the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190), the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192). These comparisons place its performance level in the range of much older, entry-level hardware.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 66 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 24 FPS. This represents a 42 FPS difference, showing a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a secondary but capable role in this configuration. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a base clock of 2.50 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, the processor offers substantial compute power. Its synthetic benchmark scores are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257. This level of performance is sufficient to feed the Arc B370 in Fortnite, as the data shows the GPU is the primary limiter.

The processor's ranking in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683, indicates it is a well-above-average part. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643 and the Intel Core i7-1355U, with performance deltas of -0.1% and -0.3%, respectively. This suggests that the i5-12400 offers competitive performance for its class, and in this gaming scenario, it is not the source of any performance issues.

The data shows that the CPU's performance headroom is not being fully utilized. For example, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 104 FPS, but the frame rate is likely capped by the GPU's rendering capabilities rather than the CPU's processing speed. The i5-12400's high single-thread score of 3456 in Passmark and its robust multi-thread score of 18747 ensure that it can handle the game's logic and physics without introducing a bottleneck. The processor's role is to provide a stable platform, which it does effectively, allowing the GPU to work as hard as it can.