Minimum

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a narrow performance envelope in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The dataset shows a configuration that is strictly playable at 1080p with lowered settings but struggles to maintain frame rates as resolution climbs. The combination ranks in the bottom percentile of tested hardware, indicating that this pairing is best suited for esports-style tweaking rather than high-fidelity experiences.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second reveal a steep performance cliff as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 85 FPS on average. Dropping to 1440p at the same Low preset reduces that figure to 55 FPS, a 35% decline. Moving to 4K at Low settings yields just 30 FPS, which is a 45% drop from the 1440p result and a 65% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern suggests that the rendering pipeline becomes severely bottlenecked at higher pixel counts, with the GPU struggling to maintain throughput.

The Medium preset tells a similar story but with a more moderate slope. At 1080p Medium, the average is 65 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it falls to 42 FPS, a 35% decrease. At 4K Medium, the average bottoms out at 23 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 26 FPS. The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium presets indicates that the limiting factor scales linearly with resolution, pointing to pixel fill-rate constraints rather than driver inefficiencies or API overhead.

Ultra settings exacerbate the problem further. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 42 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 27 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average collapses to 15 FPS. That 4K Ultra result is only 18% of the 1080p Low performance, illustrating that the Arc B370's 20 ROPs and 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are grossly insufficient for 8.3 million pixels per frame. The data implies that Minimum at 4K is not a realistic target for this hardware, even with the game's age working in its favor.

Notably, the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 43 FPS (85 vs 42). At 1440p, the difference is 28 FPS (55 vs 27). At 4K, the difference is 15 FPS (30 vs 15). This narrowing delta suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU can feed frames fast enough for the GPU to show setting-based scaling, but at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes so saturated that even reducing settings cannot recover meaningful performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its specifications are modest: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, producing a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1 ratio).

Critically, the memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning the GPU relies on the host system's DDR4 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively. This architecture creates a fundamental bandwidth limitation for a game like Minimum, which was released in 2014 and likely expects discrete memory. The shared memory interface explains why the GPU's performance degrades so sharply at 4K; the integrated memory controller cannot provide sufficient data throughput for high-resolution textures and geometry.

The GPU's benchmark results are equally telling. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B370 scores 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, delta -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192, delta -0.7%). These are all legacy or low-power parts from over a decade ago, indicating that the Arc B370's raw compute is comparable to entry-level discrete GPUs from that era. The AMD FirePro M2000 sits slightly behind at 1168 (delta 1.4%).

The ray tracing cores (10 RT cores) and DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) are present on paper, but Minimum is a 2014 title that likely does not leverage these features. The data shows that for this game, the GPU's modern API support is irrelevant; what matters is raw rasterization throughput, which is clearly lacking. The 5th percentile ranking underscores that this GPU is designed for low-power, portable devices, not for driving demanding 3D workloads at high resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global ranking of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Minimum, this pairing sits at rank 2703 out of 2939 total combos. That places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations tested. This is a remarkably low position for a game that is nearly a decade old at the time of the data collection, suggesting that most other hardware pairings, even older ones, outperform this setup.

The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's poor percentile standing (5th) rather than the CPU's. The i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It has 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. In CPU benchmarks, it fares much better, scoring in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 14185, with nearest rivals including the Intel Xeon 6756E (score 14163, delta 0.2%), Intel Core 7 160UL (score 14232, delta -0.3%), AMD EPYC 7552 (score 14115, delta 0.5%), and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (score 14277, delta -0.6%). These deltas are all within 0.6%, indicating that the i5-10400F is a middle-of-the-pack processor.

The disconnect between CPU percentile (68th) and combo rank (bottom 8%) is stark. It confirms that the Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this pairing. Even a capable 6-core CPU cannot compensate for a GPU that produces 19 FPS at 4K High and only 30 FPS at 4K Low. The combo rank of 2703 out of 2939 means that 236 other combinations perform worse, likely those pairing the i5-10400F with even weaker integrated graphics or severely outdated discrete GPUs.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 1080p smoothly?*

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 85. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 65 FPS. At 1080p High, it falls to 55 FPS. Ultra settings yield 42 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced shooter.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware in Minimum?*

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo maintains playable frame rates across all settings. At 2560x1440, only Low (55 FPS) and Medium (42 FPS) are above 30 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset exceeds 30 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, which is 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, which is 0.7% higher. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. All rivals are within 1.5% performance.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU in this game?

A: The data suggests the opposite. The i5-10400F ranks in the 68th percentile of CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 85 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited. At 4K, performance drops to 15-30 FPS, indicating the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What settings preset offers the most consistent frame pacing?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the range is 56-75 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 36-48 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 19-26 FPS. This consistency suggests Medium is the most stable preset for this hardware.

Q: Why is the 4K Ultra result so low?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 15. This is due to the GPU's limited pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and only 20 ROPs. The shared system memory bandwidth also becomes a bottleneck at high resolutions, preventing the GPU from fetching texture data quickly enough.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 85 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play in a third-person shooter where reaction time matters. However, the Medium preset at 65 FPS offers a better visual experience while still maintaining a high frame rate. The jump from Low to Medium costs 20 FPS but likely provides meaningful graphical improvements in terms of shadows, textures, and draw distance.

For users who prioritize frame rate stability, the Medium preset is the best choice. It is the only preset with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, showing a range of 56-75 FPS at 1080p. This suggests predictable performance without severe frame drops. The High preset at 55 FPS is acceptable but offers no advantage over Medium in terms of stability, and the 10 FPS penalty may not justify any visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset at 55 FPS is the only viable option for smooth gameplay. Medium at 42 FPS is borderline, and High at 35 FPS will feel sluggish. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 30 FPS consistently; Low is the closest at 30 FPS, but this is marginal. For this hardware, 1080p Medium is the recommended sweet spot, balancing visual quality and performance. Ultra settings should be avoided entirely, as they provide the lowest frame rates across all resolutions without any measurable benefit in this dataset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a solid mid-range CPU for gaming, as evidenced by its 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-10400F shows strong multi-threaded performance. It scores 10283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4318 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Single-thread scores are 1451 (R23) and 609 (R20). Geekbench results show 6257 multi-core and 1420 single-core. PassMark scores include 12115 for multi-thread and 2541 for single-thread. These numbers indicate that the CPU is more than capable of handling game logic and physics for a 2014 title like Minimum.

However, the CPU's role in this combo is largely overshadowed by the GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 85 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed frames quickly. But at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's headroom is wasted. The data shows that the i5-10400F's 12 threads are not a limiting factor; even at 4K Ultra (15 FPS), the CPU is likely idle waiting for the GPU to complete rendering tasks.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163, delta 0.2%) and the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115, delta 0.5%), both of which are server-class parts. This highlights that raw compute power is not the issue; the pairing's weakness lies entirely in the GPU. For users considering this CPU, pairing it with a discrete GPU would likely yield far better results in Minimum, but within this specific configuration, the CPU's potential is untapped.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full dataset of measured FPS for the Intel Core i5-10400F + Intel Arc B370 combination in Minimum is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K)

• High: 19 FPS average
• Low: 30 FPS average
• Medium: 23 FPS average, 19 FPS minimum, 26 FPS maximum
• Ultra: 15 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• High: 35 FPS average
• Low: 55 FPS average
• Medium: 42 FPS average, 36 FPS minimum, 48 FPS maximum
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p)

• High: 55 FPS average
• Low: 85 FPS average
• Medium: 65 FPS average, 56 FPS minimum, 75 FPS maximum
• Ultra: 42 FPS average

The best result in the entire dataset is 85 FPS at 1080p Low. The worst is 15 FPS at 4K Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data, which allows for frame time analysis. At 1080p Medium, the variance between min (56) and max (75) is 19 FPS, indicating moderate frame pacing. At 1440p Medium, the variance narrows to 12 FPS (36 to 48), suggesting the GPU is hitting a more consistent bottleneck. At 4K Medium, the variance is 7 FPS (19 to 26), which shows that the GPU is fully saturated and performing uniformly.

Comparing settings across resolutions, the Low preset at 1080p (85 FPS) is the only result above 60 FPS. All other configurations fall below this threshold. The Ultra preset never exceeds 42 FPS at any resolution, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The data paints a clear picture: this combo is only viable for 1080p gaming at Low or Medium settings, and any attempt to push higher resolutions or quality presets results in sub-30 FPS performance that is unplayable in a fast-paced third-person shooter.