Fortnite

Fortnite on the Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a challenging performance profile. The measured data shows this combination is heavily constrained by the graphics solution, producing playable frame rates only at the lowest settings and resolutions. This analysis focuses strictly on the measured FPS rows and the hardware specifications provided, offering a practical guide for what to expect from this specific pairing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rate data makes the optimal settings path clear. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 104 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset that achieves a triple-digit frame rate. This is the definitive choice for competitive play or any scenario where smooth, high-frequency motion is prioritized. The Medium preset at the same resolution drops to 73 FPS, which is still playable but represents a significant 30% performance hit for a modest visual upgrade. For 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 66 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay, but the Medium preset falls to 46 FPS, making it a less attractive option for fast-paced combat scenarios.

The High and Ultra presets are not viable for this combination. At 1920x1080, the High preset manages 57 FPS, but this is a steep drop from the Low preset's 104 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p falls to 37 FPS, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience. At higher resolutions, the situation worsens. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces only 24 FPS, and at 4K it is a slideshow at 13 FPS. The data suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p is the maximum visual quality this combo can handle without sacrificing core playability, but the Low preset is the only one that consistently provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

The performance scaling between presets shows a clear pattern. At 1080p, the delta between Low and Medium is 31 FPS. The delta between Medium and High is 16 FPS. The most punishing jump is from High to Ultra, which costs 20 FPS. This indicates that the "Ultra" preset includes effects that are disproportionately expensive for the Arc B370. Users should treat Low as the baseline for performance and Medium as the ceiling for visual quality, with no reason to explore High or Ultra given the sub-60 FPS results they produce at every resolution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this system. Its benchmark position is the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 1184 places it in direct competition with legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190 (a delta of -0.5%). This is a fundamental performance limitation. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 ROPs. Its boost clock is 2400 MHz, which contributes to a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s.

The memory configuration is a critical factor. The Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means it is subject to the memory bus of the host system. This is a severe limitation for a game like Fortnite, which benefits from dedicated video memory. The lack of dedicated VRAM likely contributes to the dramatic FPS drops seen when moving from 1080p to 1440p and 4K, as the shared memory bandwidth becomes a major constraint.

The GPU's TDP is 25 W, and it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors. This confirms it is not a discrete solution. The raw compute figures, such as 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS FP16, are far below what is needed for high-fidelity gaming. The measured 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is the only dedicated GPU benchmark provided, and it aligns with the Fortnite results in showing a very low-performance ceiling. In Fortnite, this GPU is the limiting factor across all resolutions and settings, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed it more frames than it can render.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is not the bottleneck in this pairing. This is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark results are solid, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and single-core score of 1680 indicate a processor that is more than capable of handling modern gaming workloads. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and 2-thread score of 1699 further confirm its strength in lightly-threaded scenarios.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 19039, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047 (0% delta), and the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 (0.3% delta). This places the 12400F in a strong competitive position for a desktop part. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample data storage for game assets.

In Fortnite, the CPU's role is to prepare frames for the GPU. The data shows that the CPU is waiting on the GPU. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system produces 104 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale with resolution. However, the FPS drops from 104 at 1080p to 66 at 1440p and 35 at 4K. This scaling pattern is entirely consistent with a GPU bottleneck. The 12400F has enough single-thread and multi-thread performance to handle Fortnite's engine logic, physics, and draw calls, but it cannot compensate for the Arc B370's inability to rasterize the scene quickly enough.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i5-12400F and the Arc B370 ranks 2517 out of 2740 tested combos in Fortnite. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This is a poor ranking, but it is not surprising given the GPU's low performance percentile. The ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU's weakness, as the CPU is in the top 27% of all processors.

The data shows a stark contrast between the components. The CPU is a mid-range performer with a solid benchmark profile, while the GPU is a low-end integrated solution. The combo rank of 2517 indicates that most other tested combinations, even those with weaker CPUs, will outperform this pairing because they are paired with more capable graphics hardware. For context, the GPU's nearest rivals, such as the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192, delta -0.7%), are from an older era of mobile graphics. This pairing is effectively a modern CPU constrained by a legacy-tier GPU.

The practical takeaway is that this combo is not suited for high-refresh-rate competitive Fortnite. The rank of 2517/2740 means that 90% of other tested combinations will deliver a better experience. Users considering this pairing should be aware that the data suggests they will be forced to play on low settings at 1080p to achieve a playable frame rate, and even then, the experience will be far from the high-FPS standards expected in this game.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data across resolutions reveals a textbook GPU-bound scaling pattern. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 104 at 1920x1080 to 66 at 2560x1440, and then to 35 at 3840x2160. This is a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 66%. This dramatic scaling is a clear indication that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the number of pixels being rendered increases, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed.

At the Medium preset, the pattern is similar. The average FPS goes from 73 at 1080p to 46 at 1440p to 25 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 27 FPS (a 37% decrease), and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 21 FPS (a 46% decrease). The High preset shows 57 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset starts at 37 FPS at 1080p and falls to 24 FPS at 1440p and 13 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior means that the CPU is not the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain roughly constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload (draw calls, game logic) does not increase with pixel count. The fact that FPS drops proportionally with resolution indicates that the Arc B370's rendering throughput is the hard limit. The data suggests that users should stick to 1080p, as the performance degradation at 1440p is severe enough to render the experience inferior. At 4K, the average FPS is below 20 in all settings except Low, making it unplayable.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p gaming with this combo?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that delivers a consistently high frame rate, averaging 104 FPS. The Medium preset is a secondary option at 73 FPS, but it represents a significant performance trade-off for improved visuals.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F the reason for low FPS in Fortnite?

A: No. The data shows the FPS drops significantly when increasing resolution (104 FPS at 1080p Low to 35 FPS at 4K Low). This scaling pattern indicates the GPU is the bottleneck, not the CPU.

Q: Can this combo run Fortnite at 4K?

A: Technically yes, but it is not a playable experience. At 4K, the Low preset averages 35 FPS, the Medium preset averages 25 FPS, and the High preset averages 19 FPS. The Ultra preset is unplayable at 13 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, which is within 1% of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). This places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low performance.

Q: What is the highest FPS this combo can achieve in the measured data?

A: The maximum average FPS recorded is 104, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. No other configuration in the data reaches 100 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 2517 out of 2740 tested combos for Fortnite. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, indicating that the GPU's performance severely limits the overall experience.