Fortnite

Fortnite on the Intel Core i5-12400 with the Intel Arc B570 presents a compelling mid-range pairing, but the data shows a system that is heavily constrained by graphics settings and resolution. The measured frame rates indicate that this combo is capable of smooth competitive play at 1080p, but it struggles significantly at 4K, where even the High preset fails to hit 60 FPS. The results clearly demonstrate that the Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the i5-12400 provides a stable foundation that does not appear to hold the GPU back at lower resolutions.

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, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It features an 18 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In the context of Fortnite, a Battle Royale title that is generally more sensitive to GPU performance than CPU performance, this processor's role is to ensure that the GPU is fed with enough data to maintain high frame rates.

Benchmark data for the i5-12400 shows a strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and a Geekbench multicore score of 8564. Its single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3456. These scores suggest that the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's engine logic and physics calculations, even in busy end-game scenarios.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 176 FPS, which is a high frame rate that typically depends on strong CPU performance to avoid bottlenecking. If the CPU were a limiting factor, we would expect to see a ceiling on frame rates across different resolutions. However, the data shows a clear drop in FPS as resolution increases (e.g., from 176 FPS at 1080p Low to 112 FPS at 1440p Low), which indicates that the GPU is the component that is being stressed more heavily at higher resolutions.

The i5-12400's 3DMark scores further contextualize its gaming capability. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 1692 and 4-thread score of 3012 are relevant for gaming, as most titles do not scale perfectly with all cores. The 8-thread score of 4745 and max-thread score of 5890 show that the processor scales well with additional threads, but Fortnite is unlikely to be using all 12 threads to their full potential. The CPU's percentile rank of 72 against all CPUs indicates that it is a solidly above-average processor, and it is unlikely to be the source of any significant performance issues in this game. The data suggests the i5-12400 provides a stable platform, allowing the Arc B570 to operate at its full potential.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 176 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683. It is 0.1% slower than the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697) and 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730). It is 0.7% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811) but 0.9% faster than the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519).

Q: What is the performance difference between the Intel Arc B570 and its closest competitor?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556. It is 0.1% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.4% faster than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480). It is 0.1% slower than the Intel Arc A750 (20582) and 0.5% slower than the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662).

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 resolution, the system achieves 61 FPS on High settings and 79 FPS on Medium settings. However, it drops to 40 FPS on Ultra settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B570 in Fortnite?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU is not a primary bottleneck. The FPS scales significantly with resolution and settings, a pattern that points to the GPU being the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions like 4K.

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

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 21 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 35 FPS, at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

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

The performance scaling across resolutions is the most telling indicator of where the bottleneck lies in this system. Starting at 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 176 FPS. Moving to 1440p, this drops to 112 FPS, a reduction of 64 FPS. At 4K, the frame rate falls to 59 FPS, which is a further drop of 53 FPS. This pattern shows a consistent and significant decline as the pixel count increases.

This behavior is classic evidence of a GPU-limited scenario. The Intel Core i5-12400 is capable of handling the game's logic at high speed, but the Intel Arc B570 must render an increasing number of pixels. The GPU's workload scales with resolution, and its performance ceiling is being reached. The fact that the FPS does not plateau at a certain level across resolutions confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor; if it were, the frame rates would remain relatively constant regardless of resolution.

The scaling is even more pronounced on High settings. At 1080p, the average FPS is 96. At 1440p, it falls to 61 FPS. At 4K, it drops to 32 FPS. This shows that the combination of higher resolution and higher graphical fidelity puts a significant strain on the GPU. The delta between 1080p and 4K on High settings is a 64 FPS drop, which represents a 67% reduction in performance. This steep decline underscores that for a smooth 4K experience, the graphics settings must be drastically lowered, and even then, 60 FPS is not guaranteed.

The data suggests that the Intel Arc B570 has a performance sweet spot at 1080p, where it can deliver high frame rates. At 1440p, it is still capable of a good experience on Medium or High settings. However, 4K gaming is not a viable option for this GPU in Fortnite, as even Low settings only manage an average of 59 FPS, which is marginal.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

1920x1080:

• Low: 176 FPS average.
• Medium: 124 FPS average, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS.
• High: 96 FPS average.
• Ultra: 64 FPS average.

At 1080p, the system is highly playable across all settings. The jump from Low to Medium is a 52 FPS drop, and from Medium to High is a 28 FPS drop. The most significant drop is from High to Ultra, which is a 32 FPS decrease, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional effects are very demanding on the GPU.

2560x1440:

• Low: 112 FPS average.
• Medium: 79 FPS average, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS.
• High: 61 FPS average.
• Ultra: 40 FPS average.

At 1440p, the system remains capable of delivering a good experience, but the strain is evident. Low settings provide a high refresh rate, while Medium and High settings are suitable for 60 FPS gaming. Ultra settings fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less ideal for smooth play.

3840x2160:

• Low: 59 FPS average.
• Medium: 42 FPS average, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS.
• High: 32 FPS average.
• Ultra: 21 FPS average.

At 4K, the system struggles significantly. Only the Low preset manages to get close to 60 FPS, and all other presets fall well below it. The Medium preset's minimum of 35 FPS indicates that there can be noticeable stuttering, which would be detrimental to a competitive game like Fortnite.

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

The Intel Arc B570 is a graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture and the BMG-G21 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process. It features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores are important for understanding its performance class. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 14195 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 7281. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2649. Its percentile rank against all GPUs is 65, which places it in the upper-middle tier of graphics cards. The memory configuration of 10 GB and 380 GB/s bandwidth is generally sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data shows it is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K in this title.

The GPU's clock speed of 2500 MHz is a fixed value for both base and boost, which simplifies performance prediction. The 19 Gbps effective memory clock is a key spec, but the 160-bit bus width limits the total bandwidth. The measured FPS data aligns with the GPU's mid-range positioning. At 1080p, the card is able to produce very high frame rates, indicating it has ample compute power. However, the steep FPS drops at 4K highlight its limitations with fill rate and memory bandwidth at higher resolutions.

The GPU's performance is also reflected in its nearest rival comparisons. It is 0.1% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.1% slower than the Intel Arc A750. These are close matches in synthetic benchmarks, which suggests similar performance in real-world gaming scenarios. The data confirms that the Arc B570 is a solid 1080p and capable 1440p card, but it is not designed for 4K gaming at high settings.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend entirely on the user's resolution and refresh rate priorities.

For 1920x1080, the High preset is the recommended choice for the best balance of visual quality and performance. It delivers an average of 96 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. While the Medium preset offers a higher 124 FPS, the jump to High is a significant visual improvement for a 28 FPS cost. The Ultra preset should be avoided, as its 64 FPS average is a substantial drop from High and may not provide a noticeably better visual experience for the performance penalty. For competitive players seeking maximum frame rates, the Low preset's 176 FPS is the top choice, but it comes at the cost of visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best all-rounder, providing an average of 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS. This ensures a mostly smooth experience, even in demanding scenes. The High preset, at 61 FPS, is also acceptable but is right on the edge of the 60 FPS threshold, and frame drops could occur. The Ultra preset's 40 FPS is too low for a smooth experience and should be avoided. The Low preset's 112 FPS is excellent, but again, it sacrifices visual quality.

For 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 59 FPS. This is barely at the edge of playability. The Medium preset's 42 FPS average and 35 FPS minimum will result in a stuttery and unsatisfying experience. All other presets are not recommended for 4K. If 4K is a requirement, the Low preset is the only setting that allows the game to be played at a near-60 FPS target.