Minimum

The Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B570 pairing delivers a playable, if not always optimal, experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution, but the relationship between CPU and GPU workload shifts dramatically as pixel count rises. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across three resolutions and four settings presets, focusing on where the bottleneck lies and how to get the best experience from this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 145 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 94 FPS, a 35% reduction in frame rate. Moving to 4K Low further reduces the average to 50 FPS, which is a 47% drop from the 1440p figure and a 66% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload on the render pipeline increases significantly.

The scaling trend is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the average frame rate falls from 93 FPS at 1080p to 60 FPS at 1440p (a 35% decrease), and then to 32 FPS at 4K (a 47% decrease from 1440p). Similarly, with Ultra settings, the system goes from 71 FPS at 1080p to 46 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 25 FPS at 4K. The proportional drops are remarkably uniform, suggesting that the game's engine and the GPU's compute capabilities scale linearly with resolution, with no unexpected performance cliffs or memory-related stutter.

At 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU can likely keep up with the GPU's output. However, the 4K results tell a different story. The 4K High average of 32 FPS and the 4K Ultra average of 25 FPS are both below the 30 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for a smooth experience. The data suggests that the Arc B570's 10 GB of VRAM and 160-bit memory bus are sufficient for the game's textures, but the raw fill rate and shading power are not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (145 FPS) and Ultra (71 FPS) is 74 FPS. At 4K, that difference shrinks to 25 FPS (50 FPS on Low vs 25 FPS on Ultra). This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing the graphical load has diminishing returns; the bottleneck is the GPU's absolute throughput rather than the specific settings applied.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz, and it boosts to 4.30 GHz. In the context of a 2014 third-person shooter, this CPU is more than adequate for the game's logic and draw call processing. The benchmark data supports this: the processor scores 893 in 3dmark_single_thread and 4051 in 3dmark_16_threads, indicating strong single-core performance that is crucial for older game engines.

Given that Minimum is from 2014, it is unlikely to utilize more than a few cores effectively. The i3-12100F's 8 threads provide ample headroom for the game's main thread and background tasks. The measured FPS at 1080p, where the CPU is typically more of a factor, shows no signs of a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Ultra, the system still averages 71 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU can feed the GPU without issue.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals further cements its adequacy. Its average benchmark score is 13494, putting it on par with the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492), which has a deltaPct of 0. It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452) by 0.3%, and slightly behind the Intel Core 5 120UL (13594) by -0.7%. These are marginal differences, meaning the i3-12100F is in a performance tier where it offers no advantage or disadvantage in this game compared to its closest competitors.

The data indicates that the CPU's role in this pairing is to provide a stable platform without becoming the limiting factor. At 4K, the frame rate is dictated entirely by the GPU, as the CPU has plenty of spare capacity. The fact that the 4K Low average (50 FPS) is lower than the 1440p Low average (94 FPS) by a significant margin, despite the CPU load being similar, confirms that the GPU is the sole bottleneck at high resolutions. The i3-12100F’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 58 W TDP are sufficient for the game's needs, and its 10 nm process node ensures it runs cool enough to sustain boost clocks without thermal throttling.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the clear performance driver in this system, and its specifications dictate the frame rates at every resolution. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. Its base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, and it has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This configuration yields 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In Minimum, the GPU's capabilities are the deciding factor between playable and unplayable frame rates. The 1080p results are excellent, with the GPU delivering 145 FPS on Low and 93 FPS on High. The 1440p results are still very good, with 94 FPS on Low and 60 FPS on High, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution. However, the 4K results are where the GPU's limitations become apparent.

The 4K performance is constrained by the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate. The 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for the game's textures, but the 80 ROPs and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate struggle to fill the 8.3 million pixels of a 4K frame. This is evident in the 4K Medium average of 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, which shows that even moderate settings push the GPU to its limits. The 4K Ultra average of 25 FPS is a clear indication that this resolution is not viable for a smooth experience with this card.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in a competitive position. Its average benchmark score is 20556, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) with a deltaPct of 0.1 and the Intel Arc A750 (20582) with a deltaPct of -0.1. This suggests that the B570 offers performance comparable to these cards in synthetic tests, but the measured game data shows that its real-world performance in Minimum is heavily influenced by the game's specific requirements. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is a mid-range performer, which aligns with the 1080p and 1440p results seen here.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Minimum with this hardware?*

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the best choice for high frame rates, with averages ranging from 71 FPS on Ultra to 145 FPS on Low. 1440p is also viable, offering 46 FPS on Ultra and 94 FPS on Low. 4K is not recommended, as the average FPS falls to 25 on Ultra and only reaches 50 on Low.

Q: Does the Intel Core i3-12100F bottleneck the Intel Arc B570 in this game?

A: No. The data shows that the frame rate scales consistently with resolution, which is a sign of a GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates (up to 145 FPS), and at 4K, the frame rate is limited by the GPU's throughput, not the CPU's processing power.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 94 FPS on Low to 46 FPS on Ultra, a difference of 48 FPS. This represents a 51% reduction in performance, indicating that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding on the GPU.

*Q: Is the 10 GB VRAM on the Arc B570 sufficient for Minimum?*

A: Yes. The game is from 2014 and does not have high-resolution texture packs that would exceed 10 GB. The data shows no signs of texture streaming issues or stuttering related to VRAM capacity, even at 4K resolution.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium?

A: The measured data shows a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. The average is 111 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to the Arc A750 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The average benchmark scores are nearly identical. The Arc B570 scores 20556, while the Arc A750 scores 20582, resulting in a deltaPct of -0.1. This indicates that the B570 is slightly behind its predecessor in these tests, but the difference is negligible.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1080p is the clear recommendation. The data shows an average of 111 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. This ensures a consistently smooth experience on a 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitor, with no noticeable frame drops. The visual improvement over Low settings is significant, and the performance cost is acceptable.

At 1440p, the High preset is a viable option, delivering an average of 60 FPS. This is the minimum threshold for a smooth 60 Hz experience. However, the Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin with an average of 72 FPS and a minimum of 61 FPS. For gamers who prioritize frame rate stability over absolute visual fidelity, Medium at 1440p is the safer choice. The Ultra preset at 1440p (46 FPS average) is playable but will exhibit noticeable judder during intense action.

At 4K, no preset provides a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, which can dip below the refresh rate of standard 60 Hz monitors. The High and Ultra presets (32 and 25 FPS respectively) are not recommended for regular play. If 4K is a priority, lowering the resolution to 1440p is the better option.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured frame rate data for this hardware combination:

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average 145 FPS.
• Medium: Average 111 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS.
• High: Average 93 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 71 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average 94 FPS.
• Medium: Average 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS.
• High: Average 60 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 46 FPS.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average 50 FPS.
• Medium: Average 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS.
• High: Average 32 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 25 FPS.

The data confirms a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot for high refresh rates, 1440p is suitable for 60 FPS gameplay with adjusted settings, and 4K is only playable on the lowest presets. This pairing ranks 2336 out of 2939 combinations in this game, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is capable of delivering a solid experience at mainstream resolutions.