Hard West

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a combination that struggles significantly in Hard West, a 2015 turn-based tactics title. The data shows that this setup is firmly in the bottom tier of tested configurations, ranking 2721 out of 2949 combos. The Arc B370’s extremely low standing among GPUs—sitting in the 5th percentile—creates a severe bottleneck that limits performance across all resolutions, regardless of the CPU’s capabilities. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the roles of the processor and graphics card, and what the numbers mean for actual gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals that the Intel Arc B370 is the definitive limiting factor in this combo. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 49 FPS at 1920x1080 to 31 FPS at 2560x1440, and then plummets to just 16 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 68% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across other settings: at Low, the drop is from 79 FPS to 50 FPS to 26 FPS; at Medium, it goes from 64 FPS to 41 FPS to 21 FPS; and at Ultra, it falls from 37 FPS to 23 FPS to 12 FPS.

This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. When the resolution increases, the pixel count rises dramatically, and the Arc B370, with its low compute throughput (6.144 TFLOPS FP32) and only 20 ROPs, simply cannot keep up with the added fill-rate demands. The Core i5-12400F is not the issue here; even at 1080p, the frame rates are far below what this 6-core, 12-thread processor is capable of driving in a turn-based tactics game. The fact that the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution climbs (a 42 FPS difference at 1080p versus a 14 FPS difference at 4K) further confirms that the graphics card is saturated at higher resolutions, leaving little headroom for settings adjustments to compensate.

For a practical takeaway, the data indicates that the only playable resolution for this combo is 1080p, and even then, only at Low or Medium settings. Pushing to 1440p requires dropping to Low to hit 50 FPS, which is a marginal experience. 4K is essentially out of the question, with even Low settings failing to reach 30 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated-class part (IGP) with a 25 W TDP, and the benchmark results reflect its modest specifications. It features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, running at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on main system RAM, which makes bandwidth "System Dependent" rather than a fixed figure. This architecture directly explains its poor performance; it has no dedicated VRAM to draw from, and its pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s is insufficient for higher resolutions.

The GPU’s benchmark score from 3DMark Steel Nomad (DX12) is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are ancient parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (average score 1190, 0.5% faster) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (average score 1186, 0.2% faster). This puts the Arc B370’s performance on par with graphics cards from over a decade ago. In Hard West, this translates to the measured FPS figures: 79 FPS at 1080p Low is the peak, but that is the absolute ceiling. The GPU’s lack of dedicated memory and low fill rate means that even a modest increase in settings or resolution causes a disproportionate hit to frame rates, as seen in the 4K Ultra result of 12 FPS.

The takeaway is clear: the Arc B370 is not designed for gaming at any resolution above entry-level 1080p. Its 3DMark score and percentile ranking are definitive indicators that it will bottleneck any modern CPU in a graphically intensive task, and Hard West is no exception.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a far more capable component than the GPU in this pairing. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 12380 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1680 in single-core, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (average score 19047, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-1335U (average score 18982, 0.3% delta), showing it is a solid mid-range performer.

However, in Hard West, the CPU’s role is largely underutilized. Turn-based tactics games are not typically CPU-bound, and the low frame rates observed are entirely attributable to the GPU. The i5-12400F’s 3DMark scores—5895 in 16-thread tests and 909 in single-thread—indicate it has ample processing power to handle game logic, AI, and unit pathfinding. Yet, the measured FPS never exceeds 79, even at 1080p Low, which is a modest number for such a strong CPU. This suggests that the processor is waiting on the GPU to render each frame, rather than being the limiting factor itself.

In practical terms, swapping in a more powerful GPU would likely unlock the i5-12400F’s full potential in this game, but with the Arc B370, the CPU is effectively idle. The 65 W TDP and LGA 1700 socket make it a standard desktop part, but its performance is wasted in this configuration. The data shows that the CPU is not the problem; it is the GPU that needs an upgrade to achieve higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings deliver an average of 79 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 64 FPS, with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 74. High settings yield 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37 FPS. This shows a clear linear degradation as settings increase, but even the lowest setting does not break 80 FPS, indicating a hard cap from the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 50 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 27 FPS, compared to 42 FPS at 1080p. This compression suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint, and the settings have less impact because the pixel count is already overwhelming the hardware.

At 3840x2160, the results are borderline unplayable. Low settings average 26 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS (min 18, max 25), High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. None of these figures reach 30 FPS, which is typically considered the minimum for acceptable gameplay. The data shows a consistent drop of roughly 50% from 1440p to 4K at each setting level, reinforcing the GPU bottleneck.

The only configuration that provides a smooth experience is 1080p with Low or Medium settings, where the frame rates stay above 60 FPS. For 1440p, users must accept Low settings to stay above 50 FPS, and 4K is not viable for any settings preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this pairing in Hard West is 2721 out of 2949 tested configurations. This places it in the bottom 8% of all combos, which is consistent with the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking. The i5-12400F’s strong CPU performance (73rd percentile) does not compensate for the Arc B370’s weakness; the overall system score is dragged down by the graphics card.

Comparing to other combos, the data implies that almost any discrete GPU from the past decade would outperform this setup. The Arc B370’s nearest rivals include the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, both of which are significantly older and less capable than the i5-12400F. This mismatch between CPU and GPU is stark: a modern 6-core processor paired with a GPU that performs like a 2010-era card results in a system that is unbalanced and underperforms in any GPU-intensive scenario.

For context, the rank of 2721 means that only 228 other combos are slower. This is not a configuration that can handle modern gaming, and even in a light title like Hard West from 2015, it struggles at higher resolutions. The takeaway is that the combo is severely GPU-limited, and the CPU’s potential is wasted.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo in Hard West?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, averaging 79 FPS. Medium settings at 1080p are also viable at 64 FPS, but any higher resolution or settings preset results in frame rates below 50 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Intel Arc B370’s benchmark score is in the 5th percentile, while the i5-12400F is in the 73rd percentile. The measured FPS drops significantly with resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation, and the CPU is likely idle waiting for frames.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Hard West?*

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 26 at Low settings, which is below the playable threshold. Ultra settings at 4K average only 12 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score is 1184. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, 0.2% faster) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, 0.5% faster), indicating it performs like a much older, low-end graphics solution.

Q: Is the Core i5-12400F a good match for the Arc B370?

A: No, the pairing is unbalanced. The CPU is far more powerful than the GPU, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 versus the GPU’s low percentile ranking. The CPU’s performance is wasted because the GPU cannot keep up, leading to a system that is heavily GPU-bound.

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Hard West?*

A: The highest average FPS is 79, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The minimum FPS recorded in the dataset is 18, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.