Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a highly constrained gaming experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The benchmark data reveals a system where the integrated-class GPU is the definitive bottleneck, with the capable six-core processor largely underutilized. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the hardware’s position among tested combos, and explains the underlying performance dynamics based strictly on the provided facts.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 95 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 61 FPS, a reduction of 34 FPS (approximately 36%). At 4K Low, the average falls further to 33 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result and only slightly above the 30 FPS threshold for playability.

This scaling pattern intensifies with higher graphical presets. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 61 at 1080p to 39 at 1440p and finally to 21 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings represents a 65% reduction in frame rate. The Ultra preset shows the most severe degradation: 46 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and a mere 16 FPS at 4K. The consistent proportional declines across all settings strongly suggest that the limiting component is the graphics processor, as the workload scales with pixel count and shading complexity, not the CPU.

The data indicates that the Intel Arc B390’s rendering capabilities are exhausted quickly. The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, with average FPS dropping by roughly 45-50% across all settings. This is not a case of diminishing returns; it is a hard wall. The 4K results, ranging from 16 FPS on Ultra to 33 FPS on Low, are uniformly below acceptable playability thresholds. The 1080p results are the only ones that approach smooth gameplay, suggesting that this resolution is the practical ceiling for this combination.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 3 nm process node and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its benchmark presence is minimal, with a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This score places the GPU in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it performs better than only 9% of the tested database. The nearest rivals in the benchmark data are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, deltaPct 1.3), GeForce 800M (score 1460, deltaPct 1.5), GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, deltaPct 2.5), and GeForce GT 710 (score 1443, deltaPct 2.7). The Arc B390’s score is essentially in this class, outperforming the GT 710 by only 2.7%.

The memory configuration further cripples performance. The GPU uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system’s main RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. Its bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," and the bus width is "System Shared." This creates a severe bottleneck for texture streaming and frame buffer operations, particularly at high resolutions where memory pressure is high. The boost clock of 2500 MHz cannot compensate for the lack of dedicated memory bandwidth. The GPU’s specifications—1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs—are insufficient for the demands of modern rendering, and the 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 performance is not enough to maintain high frame rates in Minimum at 1440p or 4K.

The data shows that the GPU’s performance ceiling is reached at 1080p Low, where it manages 95 FPS. At any higher resolution or preset, the frame rate plummets. This is a direct consequence of the shared memory architecture and the low overall compute capability. The GPU is the sole reason for the poor 4K performance, as the CPU is not the limiting factor in these tests.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in Minimum?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 95, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 or the Intel Arc B390 the bottleneck for this game?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a classic GPU-bound pattern, while the CPU’s performance metrics are high.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443), placing it in the same performance tier as these older parts.

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K resolution smoothly?*

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 33 with Low settings, which is below the typical 60 FPS target. At Ultra settings, the average drops to 16 FPS.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2602 out of 2939 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations.

Q: Which settings provide a 60 FPS experience at 1440p?

A: Only Low settings at 2560x1440 achieve an average of 61 FPS. Medium settings drop to 47 FPS, and High settings to 39 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2602 out of 2939 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the bottom 11.5% of all systems in the database, indicating a very low overall performance tier. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s weak benchmark scores; the Arc B390’s 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs drags the entire combo down. The CPU, in contrast, is a high performer, ranking in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs.

The delta between the CPU and GPU capabilities is stark. The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, which is statistically tied with its nearest rivals, including the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, deltaPct -0.1) and Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, deltaPct -0.3). This shows the processor is a modern, mid-range part capable of handling demanding workloads. However, the GPU’s average benchmark score is just 1482, with its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, being a decade-old entry-level mobile part. The pairing of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU results in a severely unbalanced system.

The combo’s rank of 2602 suggests that the vast majority of other tested configurations deliver a better experience in Minimum. This is not a surprise given the GPU’s performance class. The data implies that the CPU is essentially wasted in this configuration for gaming purposes, as it cannot push the GPU beyond its limits. The rank is a direct reflection of the GPU’s inability to handle the game’s rendering requirements at higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 95 FPS (the highest score in the entire dataset).
• Medium: Average 72 FPS, with a min of 62 and max of 83.
• High: Average 61 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 46 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 61 FPS.
• Medium: Average 47 FPS, with a min of 40 and max of 54.
• High: Average 39 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 30 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 33 FPS.
• Medium: Average 25 FPS, with a min of 21 and max of 29.
• High: Average 21 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 16 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, the combo can achieve playable frame rates on Low (95 FPS), Medium (72 FPS), and High (61 FPS) settings. Ultra dips to 46 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal. At 1440p, only Low settings remain above the 60 FPS mark. Medium and High are playable but not smooth, and Ultra hits exactly 30 FPS. At 4K, all settings are below 33 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable. The min and max FPS values for Medium settings show some variance, but the averages are consistently low, indicating a lack of headroom.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which yields an average of 72 FPS. This preset offers a balance between visual quality and performance, staying well above the 60 FPS threshold while providing better fidelity than Low settings. The High preset at 1080p also delivers 61 FPS, which is acceptable, but Medium provides a higher frame rate with presumably minimal visual difference given the game’s age.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the only viable option is Low settings, which produce an average of 61 FPS. This is a marginal experience, as any increase in settings drops the frame rate to 47 FPS or lower. The data suggests that 1080p is the intended resolution for this hardware. At 4K, no setting is recommended, as even Low fails to reach 35 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it consistently provides the lowest frame rates and offers no measurable benefit in stability.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium. It provides a 72 FPS average, which is 11 FPS higher than High and 23 FPS lower than Low, but with significantly better visual quality than Low. This preset is the sweet spot for this combo, leveraging the CPU’s strength to maintain a decent frame rate while offloading enough work to the GPU to avoid the lowest quality settings.

CPU Role

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. Its benchmark scores are robust: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257. In Geekbench, it scores 8564 multicore and 1848 single-core. These figures place the CPU in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer.

However, in Minimum, the CPU’s role is secondary. The game’s frame rates are limited by the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely not the bottleneck, as the GPU manages 95 FPS. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would see similar frame rates across different resolutions, but we do not. The data shows that the GPU’s performance degrades with resolution, which is the definitive sign of a GPU bottleneck.

The CPU’s high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core 2257) and multi-thread capabilities (Cinebench R23 multicore 15989) are more than sufficient for a 2014 game like Minimum. The game’s CPU demands are likely low, and the i5-12400’s 6 cores and 12 threads provide ample headroom. The fact that the combo ranks 2602 out of 2939 is not due to the CPU; it is entirely due to the GPU’s weak scores. The CPU is effectively waiting for the GPU to render each frame, and its performance is never the limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios.