Fortnite

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a playable but strictly entry-level Fortnite experience, with performance that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The data shows a combo that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the capable six-core processor ensures that frame rates are never left on the table at lower settings. This pairing ranks in the bottom tier of tested configurations, placing it at rank 2417 out of 2740 combos, which underscores its position as a baseline setup rather than a competitive one.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, revealing a definitive GPU bottleneck. At 1080p High settings, the combo delivers an average of 63 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces that average to 40 FPS, a 37% decrease. The jump to 4K High further crushes performance, landing at just 21 FPS, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that the Intel Arc B390, with its limited 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 24 ROPs, is overwhelmed as pixel count increases.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At Low settings, the combo achieves 115 FPS at 1080p, which is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. At 1440p Low, it falls to 73 FPS, and at 4K Low, it drops to 39 FPS. The scaling factor from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is roughly a 66% reduction, nearly identical to the High settings drop. This consistency suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth, listed as "System Dependent" and shared with the system, is a fundamental constraint that cannot be mitigated by lowering graphical fidelity.

Medium settings tell a similar story with more granular data. The combo produces 81 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS figures at Medium settings are telling: 69 FPS at 1080p, 44 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K. These minimums show that even at the lowest tested resolution, frame pacing dips below the average, indicating that the GPU is struggling to maintain consistent output. The Ultra preset is practically unplayable at higher resolutions, with 41 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K.

The data suggests that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The Core i5-12400, with its 6 cores and 12 threads boosting up to 4.40 GHz, is not the bottleneck because frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution. If the CPU were the constraint, the 1080p and 4K results would be much closer together. Instead, the 4K Ultra result of 14 FPS is a clear sign that the Arc B390's integrated graphics architecture, running at a boost clock of 2500 MHz, simply cannot handle the pixel throughput required by Fortnite at high resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's position in the database is firmly in the lower percentile. With a rank of 2417 out of 2740 tested combinations, this setup outperforms only about 12% of all configurations. This ranking is consistent with the GPU's individual standing, as the Intel Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU fares much better on its own, with the Core i5-12400 ranking at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, but the pairing is dragged down by the graphics solution.

The nearest rival GPUs illustrate the performance tier. The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 places it just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, a delta of 1.3%. It also edges out the GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% delta) and the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% delta). These are all legacy or entry-level mobile and desktop parts from over a decade ago, confirming that the Arc B390 delivers performance in the same class as those older components. The data indicates that this is not a gaming-focused part, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is a low bar.

For the CPU, the nearest rivals show that the i5-12400 is a solid mid-range processor. It scores an average of 18683, which is 0.1% below the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697) and 0.3% below the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730). It outperforms the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811) by 0.7% and the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519) by 0.9%. These tight margins indicate that the i5-12400 is well-positioned among modern processors, but that strength is entirely wasted when paired with a GPU that ranks in the bottom decile.

In practical terms, this combo ranks where it does because the GPU is the weak link. The processor's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and PassMark multithread score of 18747 show it is capable of feeding a much faster graphics card. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the frame rates at 1080p Low (115 FPS) are still well below what the CPU could theoretically support in a less GPU-bound scenario. The overall ranking of 2417 is a reflection of the GPU's limitations, not the CPU's.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo at 1080p?

A: The data shows that Low settings at 1080p delivers the highest average FPS at 115. Medium settings yield 81 FPS, High settings drop to 63 FPS, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. For a smoother experience, Low is the only preset that exceeds 100 FPS.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Fortnite?

A: The measured results indicate that 4K gaming is not viable. The highest average FPS at 4K is 39 on Low settings, which is borderline. High settings produce 21 FPS, Medium produces 27 FPS, and Ultra produces 14 FPS, all of which are below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rival GPU?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX's score of 1463. It also outperforms the GeForce 800M by 1.5% and the GeForce GT 625 OEM by 2.5%. This places it just above those older entry-level parts.

Q: Does the Core i5-12400 bottleneck the Arc B390?

A: No, the data suggests the opposite. The CPU is ranked at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 9th percentile. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU limitation.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 63. At 1440p High, it drops to 40. This represents a 37% reduction in performance, indicating that the GPU struggles with the increased pixel count.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 23, which occurs at 4K Medium settings. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 44, and at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 69. The lack of min FPS data for other settings suggests the testing focused on Medium for those metrics.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's capabilities across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the resolution most likely to be used with this entry-level setup, the results are as follows:

• Low: 115 FPS average
• Medium: 81 FPS average, with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93
• High: 63 FPS average
• Ultra: 41 FPS average

These 1080p results show a clear hierarchy. Low settings are the only way to achieve a frame rate that approaches high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings are still playable, but the minimum FPS of 69 indicates occasional dips. High and Ultra are playable but will feel less smooth, especially in busy combat scenarios.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops become more pronounced:

• Low: 73 FPS average
• Medium: 51 FPS average, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59
• High: 40 FPS average
• Ultra: 26 FPS average

At 1440p, even Low settings fail to maintain a consistent 60 FPS average, and the minimum FPS at Medium (44) suggests noticeable stuttering. The Ultra preset at 26 FPS is on the edge of playability, and High at 40 FPS is not ideal for a competitive shooter.

At 3840x2160, the combo essentially fails to provide a playable experience:

• Low: 39 FPS average
• Medium: 27 FPS average, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31
• High: 21 FPS average
• Ultra: 14 FPS average

The 4K results are uniformly poor. The highest average FPS is 39 at Low settings, which is barely playable. The Ultra preset at 14 FPS is a slideshow. The minimum FPS of 23 at Medium settings highlights the GPU's inability to cope with the resolution. The data clearly indicates that this combo should be used at 1080p, and ideally with Low or Medium settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary determinant of this combo's gaming performance, and its specifications reveal why it struggles. The GPU is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process, and runs at a base clock of 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. It features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is 7.680 TFLOPS.

The most critical limitation is the memory configuration. The GPU uses "System Shared" memory, with a bus width and bandwidth that are also "System Dependent". This means the GPU relies on the CPU's system RAM, which is a major bottleneck compared to dedicated VRAM. In a fast-paced game like Fortnite, the lack of dedicated memory bandwidth is likely a significant reason for the poor scaling at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark results confirm its entry-level status. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482, placing it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), GeForce 800M (1460), and GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446). The delta percentages are small, ranging from 1.3% to 2.7%, indicating that the Arc B390 is in the same performance class as these older, low-end parts.

The measured FPS data aligns with this assessment. At 1080p Low, the GPU can push 115 FPS, but this is likely due to the low pixel count and the CPU's ability to feed frames. As the resolution increases, the GPU's compute and memory limitations become the dominant factor. The 4K results, particularly the 14 FPS at Ultra, are a direct consequence of the GPU's low fill rate and lack of dedicated memory. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is not enough to compensate for the architectural and memory constraints.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a strong mid-range processor that is far more capable than the GPU it is paired with. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It is built on Intel's 10 nm Alder Lake-S architecture and has a 65 W TDP. The cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache.

The CPU's benchmark scores demonstrate its capability. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257. In Geekbench, it scores 8564 multicore and 1848 single-core. The PassMark multithread score is 18747, and the single-thread score is 3456. These scores place it at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683.

The nearest rival CPUs show how competitive the i5-12400 is. It is 0.1% behind the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697) and 0.3% behind the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730). It outperforms the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811) by 0.7% and the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519) by 0.9%. These are all modern processors, and the margins are small, indicating that the i5-12400 is well within the expected performance band for its generation.

In the context of Fortnite, the CPU's role is to handle game logic and physics, which it does effectively. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 115 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this title. However, the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher settings and resolutions. The fact that the frame rate drops so drastically from 1080p to 4K, regardless of settings, proves that the i5-12400 is not the limiting factor. Its 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the Arc B390 cannot take advantage of the CPU's additional headroom. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 910 score in 3DMark single-thread, is not the issue; the GPU simply lacks the raw throughput to maintain high frame rates.