High On Life

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 in High On Life delivers a fundamentally GPU-limited experience, with the system's performance ceiling dictated almost entirely by the Arc B370's integrated-class graphics solution. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings are low, placing this combo in the bottom 9% of all tested configurations, and the data shows that while the CPU has ample headroom, the GPU cannot translate that into playable frame rates beyond the lowest settings at 1080p.

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. This processor belongs to the Core 12th Gen series and is built on Intel's 10 nm process node. In the context of High On Life, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the benchmark results indicate that this CPU is more than capable of handling that task, as the frame rate limitations appear elsewhere.

The CPU's performance profile, as measured by various synthetic benchmarks, shows strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities. For instance, the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 suggest a processor that can handle modern game engines without becoming a bottleneck. The PassMark multi-thread score of 18747 and single-thread score of 3456 further corroborate this, placing the i5-12400 in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. This percentile indicates that the processor is comfortably above average for gaming workloads.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400 shows a balanced performance position. The AMD EPYC 7643 has an average score of 18697, which is 0.1% higher than the i5-12400's average of 18683, a negligible difference. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730, 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811, 0.7% higher. Conversely, the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, which is 0.9% lower. These deltas are all within a narrow band, indicating that the i5-12400's processing power is essentially on par with these alternatives for the purposes of feeding a GPU.

The 3DMark results for the CPU show a clear scaling from 2 threads (1692) to 8 threads (4745) and max threads (5890). This scaling pattern suggests that the processor can effectively utilize its 12 threads when needed, but for a game like High On Life, the frame rates across all settings and resolutions are so low that the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor. For example, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 70 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau across different resolution and settings combinations, but instead, we see a consistent drop as resolution and settings increase, which points directly at the GPU.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear performance bottleneck in this configuration. It is described as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Panther Lake chip and Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. Its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, and its memory bandwidth is "System Dependent." The GPU's base clock is 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2400 MHz, and it has a TDP of just 25 W, confirming its low-power, integrated nature.

The Arc B370's compute specifications are modest, with 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. It also includes 10 ray tracing cores. Its raw compute performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1). The GPU's pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. These specifications place it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, according to the benchmark data. This is an extremely low ranking, indicating that the Arc B370 is designed for basic display output and light workloads, not for demanding modern games like High On Life.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B370 scores 1184 points. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% higher). The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower. All of these rivals are older, low-end or integrated graphics solutions, which confirms that the Arc B370's performance class is far below what is needed for a smooth gaming experience. The data shows that the GPU's shared memory architecture and low compute throughput are the primary reasons for the low frame rates observed in the game.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component in this system. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 70 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 49 FPS, a 30% decrease. At 4K Low, the average falls to 30 FPS, which is a 57% drop from the 1080p Low result. This scaling pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior, as the number of pixels to render quadruples from 1080p to 4K, and the Arc B370's limited fill rate and compute power cannot keep up.

The same trend is visible across all settings. For High settings, the average FPS drops from 45 at 1080p to 32 at 1440p (a 29% decrease) and then to 19 at 4K (a 58% decrease from 1080p). For Medium settings, the averages are 55 at 1080p, 38 at 1440p, and 23 at 4K. The Ultra settings show the most severe impact, with averages of 34 at 1080p, 24 at 1440p, and 14 at 4K. The proportional drops are consistent across all settings, which further confirms that the GPU's rendering capability is the sole constraint, not the CPU or memory bandwidth.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU workload per frame is largely independent of resolution. However, the data shows a steep and consistent decline, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's high percentile ranking (72nd) and its strong multi-threaded scores suggest it has plenty of headroom, but the Arc B370's 5th percentile GPU ranking means it simply cannot process the increased pixel load at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 14 FPS is essentially unplayable, while the 1080p Low result of 70 FPS is the only configuration that approaches a playable frame rate.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable option for a playable experience in High On Life with this hardware combination is the Low preset at 1920x1080, which yields an average of 70 FPS. This is the only measured configuration that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, which is generally considered the minimum for a smooth gaming experience. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 55 FPS, which is playable but may feel less smooth in fast-paced action sequences. The High preset at 1080p averages 45 FPS, which is still playable for some, but it represents a significant compromise in fluidity.

For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the 1440p Low preset is the next best option, achieving 49 FPS. However, this comes at the cost of reduced visual fidelity compared to the Medium or High presets at the same resolution, which average 38 and 32 FPS respectively. The data suggests that the Low preset is the most balanced choice, as it provides the highest frame rate headroom while still allowing the game to run at a resolution that is sharper than 1080p.

The Ultra preset is not recommended under any circumstances, as it produces the lowest frame rates across all resolutions: 34 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K. These numbers indicate that the Arc B370's hardware is simply not capable of handling the additional effects and draw calls that the Ultra preset demands. Similarly, the 4K resolution should be avoided entirely, as even the Low preset only achieves 30 FPS, which is below the playability threshold for most users. The Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 38 FPS and a minimum of 33 FPS, could be considered a compromise for those who want a balance between visual quality and performance, but the Low preset at 1080p is the clear winner for overall playability.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2715 out of 2958 tested combos in High On Life, placing it in the 9th percentile of all configurations. This ranking is extremely low and reflects the severe performance limitations imposed by the GPU. The data shows that this combo is outperformed by 2714 other processor and graphics card pairings, which means that the vast majority of systems tested will deliver higher frame rates.

The low rank is almost entirely attributable to the Arc B370's position in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, by contrast, is in the 72nd percentile, which suggests that if this same CPU were paired with a more capable graphics card, the system's ranking would be significantly higher. The fact that the CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are all within 1% of its performance further indicates that the processor is not the weak link. The GPU's nearest rivals, on the other hand, are all older, low-end integrated graphics solutions, which confirms that the Arc B370 is at the bottom of the performance barrel.

The 2715 rank out of 2958 combos means that this system is in the bottom 9% of all tested configurations. This is a clear verdict: for High On Life, this hardware pairing is inadequate for a satisfactory gaming experience. The data indicates that the combo is only suitable for the lowest settings at 1080p, and even then, the margin for error is slim. Users with this configuration should expect to make significant compromises in visual quality and resolution to achieve playable frame rates.

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

The measured FPS data for High On Life with the Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B370 is as follows:

At 1920x1080 resolution, the Low settings preset delivers an average of 70 FPS. The Medium preset averages 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS. The High preset averages 45 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Low preset achieves a frame rate that can be considered fully playable.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the Low settings preset delivers an average of 49 FPS. The Medium preset averages 38 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. The High preset averages 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 24 FPS. None of these results reach the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this resolution is only suitable for less demanding scenarios.

At 3840x2160 resolution, the Low settings preset delivers an average of 30 FPS. The Medium preset averages 23 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The High preset averages 19 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 14 FPS. All of these results are below the playability threshold, making 4K resolution impractical for this hardware combination.

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution and settings increase, the average FPS drops proportionally. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 36 FPS (70 vs 34), while at 4K the difference is 16 FPS (30 vs 14). This indicates that the GPU's limited resources are quickly exhausted by higher settings, and the frame rate penalty becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. The Medium preset at 1080p, with its 55 FPS average and minimum of 47 FPS, represents the best balance of visual quality and performance for users who cannot tolerate the visual downgrade of the Low preset, but the Low preset at 1080p remains the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience.