High On Life

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a stark example of GPU-limited performance in High On Life. The measured frame rates across resolutions show that the Arc B390, a component with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of just 1482, acts as the primary bottleneck, while the i5-14600K’s substantial processing power remains largely underutilized. The data indicates that this combination is only suitable for lower resolutions and settings, with a significant performance cliff occurring as resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly demonstrates the GPU’s limitations. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 50 FPS at 1920x1080 to 35 FPS at 2560x1440, a 30% reduction. The decline continues to 21 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 58% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and shading power, rather than a CPU limitation.

The trend is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The transition from 1080p to 1440p sees the frame rate fall from 38 FPS to 26 FPS, and then further down to 16 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 16 FPS is essentially unplayable for a first-person shooter, confirming that the Arc B390 cannot handle the combined load of high resolution and maximum detail in this game. The 4K Low preset, at 33 FPS, is the only 4K configuration that approaches playability, but it still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS target.

The data suggests that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The CPU’s role is minimal at these frame rates, as the Arc B390’s 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient to feed a high-refresh-rate display. The scaling from Low to Ultra at any given resolution shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation, which is a hallmark of a graphics-bound scenario. The frame rate does not plateau or become erratic, which would indicate a CPU bottleneck; instead, it scales predictably with the render load, pointing directly at the graphics processor as the source of the constraint.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate is 50 FPS. This is the highest average achieved at High settings across all tested resolutions, but it is still not high enough for a high-refresh-rate gaming experience.

Q: Is this system capable of running the game at 4K?

A: The data shows that the only playable 4K result is with the Low preset, which achieves an average of 33 FPS. All other 4K presets fall below 30 FPS, with Ultra dipping to 16 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming is not a practical option for this combination.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 55 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 26 FPS. This represents a 111% performance increase when using the Low preset over Ultra.

Q: What is the best preset for a 60 FPS target at 1080p?

A: The Low preset is the only setting that surpasses the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 78 FPS. The Medium preset comes close at 61 FPS, but it is the only other option that is near the target.

Q: What does the minimum FPS data show for the Medium preset?

A: The 1% low data for Medium settings shows a minimum of 52 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K. These minimums are significantly lower than the averages, indicating potential for stutter or frame pacing issues.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: This combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2608 out of 2958 tested combos for High On Life. This places it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested, confirming its low performance tier.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this system’s gaming performance. Its specifications, including a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, are paired with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The resulting 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are the key metrics that dictate its rendering capabilities. The GPU’s memory is "System Shared," meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent," which is a significant architectural constraint for a game like High On Life that requires rapid data access.

The benchmark results confirm the GPU’s low standing. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, deltaPct 1.3), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, deltaPct 1.5), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, deltaPct 2.5). These are all legacy or entry-level mobile/desktop parts, reinforcing that the Arc B390 is positioned at the very bottom of the performance spectrum. The data shows that the GPU’s render output units and texture units are simply overwhelmed by the demands of the game at higher resolutions and settings, leading to the dramatic frame rate drops observed in the measured FPS data.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal experience for this combination is to prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the best playable experience with an average of 78 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset also achieves a playable 61 FPS average, with a minimum of 52 FPS, which may be acceptable for some users who desire slightly better visuals. High and Ultra settings, at 50 FPS and 38 FPS respectively, represent a significant compromise in smoothness and are not recommended for a fast-paced FPS.

For users with 1440p monitors, the options are more limited. The Low preset is the only viable choice, yielding an average of 55 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS target but may be tolerable for single-player experiences. Medium settings at 1440p drop to 43 FPS, while High and Ultra fall to 35 FPS and 26 FPS, respectively, making them unsuitable for maintaining consistent gameplay.

At 4K, the data suggests that only the Low preset, with an average of 33 FPS, is worth considering, and even then, it is not a smooth experience. All other presets at 4K produce averages below 30 FPS, rendering them effectively unplayable. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally at 1080p with the Low or Medium preset, where the user can achieve a frame rate that is close to or exceeds the standard 60 FPS target.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2608 out of 2958 tested combos for High On Life. This places it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU’s weak performance, as the CPU is a high-end desktop part. The i5-14600K holds the 90th percentile among all CPUs, but this has no bearing on the gaming performance when paired with a GPU that sits in the 9th percentile.

The data indicates a massive performance disparity between the two components. The CPU is capable of far more work than the GPU can ask of it. The combo’s rank is a reflection of the weakest link in the chain, and in this case, the Intel Arc B390 is a severe bottleneck. This pairing creates a system where the user is paying for a high-performance processor that cannot be utilized to its full potential in gaming scenarios. The benchmark results suggest that this combination is fundamentally unbalanced for High On Life, resulting in a rank that is far lower than what the CPU alone would suggest.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for High On Life with the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B390 is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average 78 FPS.
• Medium: Average 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS.
• High: Average 50 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 38 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average 55 FPS.
• Medium: Average 43 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 49 FPS.
• High: Average 35 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 26 FPS.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average 33 FPS.
• Medium: Average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS.
• High: Average 21 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 16 FPS.

These numbers illustrate a consistent performance hierarchy. At each resolution, the Low preset provides the highest frame rate, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. The gaps between presets widen at higher resolutions. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 40 FPS, while at 4K, the difference is only 17 FPS. This is because the GPU is already so heavily loaded at 4K that the incremental cost of each higher preset becomes a smaller absolute fraction of the total render time, though the relative percentage drop remains steep.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a high-performance processor with 14 cores and 20 threads, base clock of 3.50 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are robust, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064, as well as a Geekbench multi-core score of 16673 and a single-core score of 2491. Its average benchmark score is 48618, placing it at the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (deltaPct -0.2) and the AMD EPYC 4345P (deltaPct 0.3), have nearly identical average scores.

However, in High On Life, the CPU’s role is negligible due to the GPU bottleneck. The highest frame rate recorded is 78 FPS at 1080p Low, which is well within the i5-14600K’s capability to process. The CPU is not the limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios. The frame rates are consistently low, particularly at higher resolutions, which is a clear sign that the processor is waiting on the graphics card to finish its work. The data shows that the CPU is not being stressed, as its powerful multi-core and single-core performance is far more than sufficient to handle the game’s logic and draw calls at these frame rates. The performance is entirely constrained by the Arc B390’s inability to render frames quickly enough.