High On Life

# Intel Core i5-13400F + Intel Arc B390: High On Life Benchmark Analysis

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a combination that ranks 2608th out of 2958 tested combos in High On Life, placing it in the lower 12% of all configurations. This is a system that can run the game, but expectations must be calibrated accordingly. The CPU is a strong mid-range performer, while the GPU is the clear bottleneck in this pairing, as evidenced by the measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play High On Life with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p, average FPS ranges from 38 at Ultra to 78 at Low, whereas 1440p peaks at 55 FPS (Low) and 4K tops out at just 33 FPS (Low).

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-13400F compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292, placing it at the 77th percentile of all CPUs. It is statistically tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (0% delta), sits 0.3% below the Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, and is 0.4% above the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H.

Q: What is the Arc B390's performance class based on GPU benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster), and GeForce GT 710 (2.7% faster).

Q: Does the Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The memory configuration is "System Shared" for size, type, and bus width, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on shared system memory rather than dedicated video memory, which impacts performance in memory-intensive scenarios.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1080p for this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 61 average FPS with a minimum of 52 and maximum of 70, providing the best balance of visual quality and playability. Low offers 78 FPS but sacrifices visual fidelity, while High drops to 50 FPS and Ultra falls to 38 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The i5-13400F shows strong scaling, with Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 versus 3191 single-core. The 3DMark results show 7314 at 16 threads and 7307 at max threads, indicating the 10-core/16-thread configuration is well-utilized beyond 16 threads.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2608th out of 2958 tested combos in High On Life, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations tested. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, which sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU, by contrast, is at the 77th percentile, demonstrating a massive performance disparity between the two components.

The rank of 2608 out of 2958 means that 350 other combos performed worse, but the vast majority of systems tested (over 88%) achieve better results in this game. This positioning suggests that the Arc B390 is the limiting factor, and the i5-13400F's capabilities are largely untapped in this configuration. The data indicates that users would see substantial improvements by pairing this CPU with a more capable GPU, as the CPU's benchmark scores (3DMark max threads: 7307, Cinebench R23 multi-core: 22604) are far above what the GPU can feed in frames.

The delta between CPU and GPU percentiles (77 vs 9) is stark. In practical terms, the system behaves like a high-end CPU paired with entry-level graphics, which is exactly what the component specifications suggest. The combo rank reflects the weakest link in the chain, and in this case, that link is unambiguously the Intel Arc B390.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is built on the Xe3-LPG architecture using a 3 nm process from Intel. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 24 raster output units, and 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2500 MHz, providing a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS.

Critically, the Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," which is a significant disadvantage for a game like High On Life. This shared memory configuration likely contributes to the low performance, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B390 scores 1482, placing it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% faster), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% faster), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% faster), and GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% faster). These rivals are all entry-level or legacy GPUs, confirming the Arc B390's position at the bottom of the performance spectrum.

The GPU's 80 W TDP and IGP form factor (slot width: IGP, bus interface: IGP) indicate it is designed for integrated use, likely in portable devices given the "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs. This explains the shared memory architecture and the relatively low performance ceiling. In High On Life, the GPU's limitations manifest clearly: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 78 FPS, but this drops to 50 FPS at High and 38 FPS at Ultra, showing how quickly the GPU becomes overwhelmed by increased graphical demands.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 1080p is the optimal configuration for this combo. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the system delivers an average of 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 and maximum of 70. This provides a playable experience with decent visual quality, staying above the 60 FPS threshold for average performance while maintaining acceptable minimums.

The Low preset at 1080p offers 78 FPS average, which is smoother but comes at a significant visual cost. High at 1080p drops to 50 FPS average, which may be acceptable for some players but falls below the 60 FPS target. Ultra at 1080p is not recommended, as it averages only 38 FPS.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 43 FPS average (minimum 36, maximum 49), which is borderline playable but not ideal. Low at 1440p achieves 55 FPS, while High drops to 35 FPS and Ultra to 26 FPS. For 4K, none of the settings are recommended, as even Low only reaches 33 FPS and Medium averages 26 FPS.

The data clearly shows that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot. It offers a 22% improvement over High (61 vs 50 FPS) while providing better visual fidelity than Low. The minimum FPS of 52 at Medium is also more consistent than the unmeasured minimums at other settings, suggesting better frame pacing. For players prioritizing smoothness over visuals, 1080p Low at 78 FPS is the alternative, but Medium provides the best overall balance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 78 average FPS
• Medium: 61 average FPS (minimum 52, maximum 70)
• High: 50 average FPS
• Ultra: 38 average FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 55 average FPS
• Medium: 43 average FPS (minimum 36, maximum 49)
• High: 35 average FPS
• Ultra: 26 average FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 33 average FPS
• Medium: 26 average FPS (minimum 22, maximum 30)
• High: 21 average FPS
• Ultra: 16 average FPS

The pattern is consistent across all resolutions: each step up in settings costs approximately 20-25% of performance. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 17 FPS, from Medium to High costs 11 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 12 FPS. The scaling is similar at 1440p and 4K, though the absolute numbers become less playable at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset data includes minimum and maximum FPS readings, which are absent for Low, High, and Ultra. At 1080p Medium, the range from 52 to 70 FPS indicates moderate variance, while at 1440p Medium the range is 36 to 49 FPS, and at 4K Medium it narrows to 22 to 30 FPS. This suggests that frame consistency improves slightly at lower resolutions relative to the average, but the overall experience degrades significantly as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache configuration includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 20 MB shared L3. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration and uses Intel Socket 1700.

In High On Life, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with frame data, but the Arc B390's limitations mean the i5-13400F rarely becomes the bottleneck. The CPU's benchmark scores demonstrate substantial headroom: Cinebench R23 multi-core of 22604 and single-core of 3191, Geekbench multi-core of 11068 and single-core of 1996, and 3DMark max threads of 7307.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 25292 places it at the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (25284, 0% delta), Intel Core 5 120 (25362, -0.3% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, -0.3% delta), and AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (25201, 0.4% delta). These rivalries show the i5-13400F performing essentially identically to a range of mid-range and high-end mobile and desktop processors.

Given that the GPU ranks at the 9th percentile while the CPU ranks at the 77th, the i5-13400F has considerable untapped potential in this configuration. The 16 threads and 10 cores provide ample processing power for game logic, physics, and AI in High On Life, but the Arc B390 cannot translate this into higher frame rates. The CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core: 3191) is more than adequate for the game's engine requirements.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the extent to which the GPU limits this combo. At Low settings, the system delivers 78 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. This represents a 29% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 58% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the progression is 61 FPS (1080p), 43 FPS (1440p), and 26 FPS (4K), with drops of 30% and 57% respectively.

High settings show a similar pattern: 50 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K, representing drops of 30% and 58%. Ultra settings drop from 38 FPS at 1080p to 26 FPS at 1440p and 16 FPS at 4K, with reductions of 32% and 58% from 1080p.

The consistent ~30% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~58% drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. A CPU-bound scenario would show smaller FPS differences as resolution increases, because the CPU's workload remains constant while the GPU's workload grows. Here, the FPS scales almost linearly with pixel count, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound system.

The Arc B390's shared memory architecture compounds this issue. At higher resolutions, the demand for memory bandwidth increases, and since the GPU relies on system memory, the available bandwidth becomes a further constraint. This explains why 4K performance is so poor, with even Low settings barely reaching 33 FPS. The system effectively becomes unusable at 4K for this game, and only marginally playable at 1440p on lower settings.

The data strongly suggests that 1080p is the intended resolution for this combo. The 78 FPS at Low and 61 FPS at Medium are the only configurations that approach or exceed the 60 FPS threshold, and even these require compromising on visual quality. For users seeking higher resolutions, the GPU would need to be replaced with a more capable model, as the i5-13400F clearly has the processing headroom to support significantly higher frame rates than the Arc B390 can deliver.