Fortnite

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly specific performance profile in Fortnite. The data shows a configuration that is heavily skewed by the GPU’s limitations, making it a challenging combo for competitive play. The CPU provides a solid foundation, but the Arc B390’s benchmark scores place it at the bottom of the performance hierarchy, directly impacting frame rates across all resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for a playable frame rate?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where average frame rates exceed 60 FPS. At this resolution, the Low preset achieves an average of 115 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 81 FPS. The 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 resolutions yield significantly lower averages across all settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of raw performance?

A: The Arc B390’s average benchmark score is 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, has an average score of 1463, making the Arc B390 1.3% faster. It is also 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M and 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F a bottleneck for this GPU?

A: No, the data indicates the opposite. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 19039, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. This is a strong score, particularly in multi-threaded workloads like the Cinebench R23 multicore test where it scores 12380. The GPU’s low percentile rank (9th) suggests it is the primary limiting factor in this combo.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1920x1080?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset yields an average of 115 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 41 FPS. This represents a 74 FPS drop, or roughly a 64% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical preset.

Q: What are the minimum FPS numbers for the Medium preset?

A: The measured data includes minimum FPS for the Medium preset at all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 69 FPS. At 2560x1440, the minimum is 44 FPS. At 3840x2160, the minimum drops to 23 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The CPU shows strong single-thread capabilities, scoring 1680 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 909 in 3dmark_single_thread. However, its multi-thread scores are significantly higher, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and a Passmark multithread score of 19433. This indicates a balanced processor that excels in both types of workloads.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this combo’s Fortnite performance. Its specifications place it in a very low performance tier, which the benchmark data confirms. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, but its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This shared memory setup has "System Dependent" bandwidth, which is a major constraint for a game like Fortnite that benefits from fast, dedicated graphics memory.

The GPU’s raw compute capabilities are limited, with an FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s. It has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. These figures are reflected in its benchmark score of 1482 in 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12, which puts it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals are all older, entry-level NVIDIA cards, with the Arc B390 being just 1.3% faster than the GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710. This context is crucial; it means the GPU is not just underpowered for modern gaming, but it is operating at a performance level comparable to decade-old hardware.

This GPU performance bottleneck is evident in the measured FPS data. The combination of a low FP32 throughput and shared memory bandwidth means the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates even at lower resolutions. The data shows a clear pattern: as the resolution increases, the GPU's workload increases, and the average FPS drops significantly. For example, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1920x1080 to 40 at 2560x1440 and further to 21 at 3840x2160. The GPU is simply unable to process the increased pixel count and graphical detail at higher resolutions, making it the sole reason for the low performance in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo are the Low preset at 1920x1080. This is the only configuration that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average FPS of 115. This is a significant jump from the next best option, the Medium preset at the same resolution, which averages 81 FPS. The data strongly suggests that the Low preset is the only viable choice for a smooth experience.

The Medium preset at 1920x1080 offers a playable average of 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. This could be a viable option for users who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rate, but the 34 FPS performance drop from Low might not be worth the graphical improvement given the GPU’s limitations. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, with an average of 73 FPS. However, this resolution is less ideal than 1080p due to the higher pixel count.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution. The best average FPS for Ultra is 41 at 1920x1080, which is not suitable for a fast-paced battle royale game. High settings also present a challenge; while the 1920x1080 High preset averages 63 FPS, the 2560x1440 High preset drops to 40 FPS, and the 3840x2160 High preset falls to 21 FPS. The data indicates that the performance cost of higher settings is too steep for this GPU. The Low preset at 1080p is the clear recommendation for achieving the best balance of frame rate and playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 3840x2160, the performance is severely constrained. The Low preset averages 39 FPS, which is the highest at this resolution. The Medium preset averages 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS. High settings drop the average to 21 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 14 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K resolution is not a realistic option for this hardware.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance improves but remains limited. The Low preset is the standout, with an average of 73 FPS. The Medium preset averages 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS. High settings average 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. This resolution offers a playable experience only on the Low preset, and the Medium preset is borderline for users who can tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS.

The 1920x1080 resolution provides the most usable results. The Low preset achieves the highest average of 115 FPS, making it the only configuration in the entire dataset that approaches high-refresh-rate gaming. The Medium preset averages 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. High settings average 63 FPS, which is exactly at the threshold for a standard 60Hz monitor. Ultra settings drop significantly to an average of 41 FPS. The data clearly shows a linear progression of performance loss as settings increase, with a 74 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution. The 1920x1080 row is the only one where the combo demonstrates any semblance of gaming viability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2417 out of 2740 tested combos in Fortnite. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, confirming its status as a low-performance pairing for this game. This low rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, which sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, in contrast, is in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating a massive mismatch in capability between the two components.

The combo’s rank is consistent with the measured FPS data. The fact that the best average FPS achieved is 115 only at the lowest settings and resolution highlights the GPU's dominance as a limiting factor. A higher-ranked combo would typically show playable frame rates at higher settings or resolutions. The data shows that this combo is not suitable for competitive play, which often requires frame rates above 144 FPS, as even the best-case scenario falls short of that mark. This pairing is more suited for casual play at the lowest settings, where the 115 FPS average at 1080p Low is acceptable.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, while the Arc B390 has an average score of 1482. This means the CPU is over 12 times more powerful than the GPU in terms of their respective benchmark averages. This imbalance ensures that the GPU is always the bottleneck, regardless of the in-game settings. The combo’s rank reflects this reality, showing that it is a poorly balanced system for a game like Fortnite that relies heavily on GPU throughput.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F plays the role of a strong, capable foundation that is ultimately held back by the GPU. It is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from Intel's Core 12th Gen series, based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz, and it can boost up to 4.40 GHz. This CPU has a 65W TDP and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and a single-core score of 1680. These scores place it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, showing that it is a mid-range performer that is more than adequate for gaming.

In the context of Fortnite, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data suggests that the i5-12400F is more than capable of this task. Its Passmark multithread score of 19433 and its 3dmark_max_threads score of 5912 indicate strong multi-threaded performance. Even in single-threaded tasks, which are critical for gaming, it scores well, with a Passmark single_thread score of 3481 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1964. These scores are far above what would be required to bottleneck a GPU in this performance class.

The CPU’s performance is not the limiting factor in this combo. For instance, at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 115, which is likely close to the GPU's maximum output. If the CPU were weak, we would see frame rates limited by the CPU, but the data shows that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's high benchmark scores, relative to the GPU's, mean that it is waiting for the graphics card to render each frame. The i5-12400F is a balanced processor that would be better paired with a much more powerful GPU to unlock its full potential in games like Fortnite.