Minimum

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a combination that will require careful settings management to play Minimum smoothly. The data indicates that this system is heavily constrained by the GPU, so prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity is the correct approach. The measured results show that the "Low" preset is the only reliable path to a consistently playable experience, especially if you are targeting 60 FPS or higher.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the "Low" preset is the clear recommendation for this hardware combination. It is the only settings level that consistently delivers frame rates above 55 FPS across the tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the "Low" preset achieves an average of 85 FPS, which is a substantial 30 FPS improvement over the "High" preset's 55 FPS average. This indicates that the graphical settings have a massive impact on performance for this particular GPU.

While "Medium" at 1920x1080 offers a playable 65 FPS average, the jump to "Low" provides a much larger performance headroom. The 20 FPS gain from "Medium" to "Low" at 1080p is significant. Given that the GPU's benchmark percentile is quite low, this headroom is valuable for maintaining stable frame times and avoiding dips during intense gameplay sequences. The data for "Medium" shows a minimum FPS of 56, which is close to the average of the "High" preset, suggesting that even "Medium" can occasionally feel less stable.

At higher resolutions, the choice becomes even more critical. At 2560x1440, the "Low" preset drops to an average of 55 FPS, while "Medium" falls to 42 FPS. At 3840x2160, only the "Low" preset manages to achieve an average of 30 FPS, which is often considered the bare minimum for playability. The "Ultra" preset is not recommended under any circumstance, as it yields an average of only 42 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and a slideshow-like 15 FPS at 4K.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, consider starting with the "Low" preset at 1080p and then attempting to increase to "Medium" only if you are comfortable with an average FPS in the mid-60s. The data strongly suggests that the "Low" preset is the safest and most effective choice to ensure a smooth experience in Minimum.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is unequivocally the bottleneck in this system. Its benchmark data shows a percentile rank of only 5, placing it in the lowest tier of all tested GPUs. The single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 puts it in direct competition with legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, with delta percentages of -0.2% and -0.5% respectively. This comparison highlights the Arc B370's very limited raw performance.

The GPU's architecture is based on the Xe3-LPG design on a 3 nm process, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. It has 1280 shading units and 40 TMUs, but only 20 ROPs. This relatively low ROP count likely contributes to the significant frame rate drops seen when resolution increases, as pixel throughput becomes a limiting factor. The GPU also has 10 ray tracing cores, but its overall low FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS suggests that any ray-traced effects would be severely compromised.

A critical aspect of this GPU is its memory configuration. It uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a major disadvantage, as memory bandwidth is described as "System Dependent". This architecture explains the poor scaling and low absolute frame rates. The CPU, with its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR4/DDR5 support, is ready to feed a much more powerful GPU. The data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU's shared memory architecture and low pixel throughput are the primary causes of the low frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU's limitations. At the "Low" preset, the average frame rate drops from 85 FPS at 1920x1080 to 55 FPS at 2560x1440, a 35% decrease. Further scaling to 3840x2160 results in a 30 FPS average, which is a 45% drop from the 1440p figure. This significant and consistent drop indicates that the system is almost entirely GPU-limited.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At "High" settings, the average FPS goes from 55 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p and then to 19 at 4K. This is a classic sign of a GPU that cannot handle the increasing pixel fill rate requirements. The number of pixels at 4K is over four times that of 1080p, and the data shows the Arc B370 cannot keep up. The frame rate drops are not linear, suggesting that the GPU's 20 ROPs are overwhelmed as resolution increases.

This scaling behavior confirms that the Intel Core i5-13400F has ample headroom for this workload. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance difference between resolutions, particularly at lower settings. Instead, the massive drops in FPS as resolution increases point directly to the GPU as the limiting component. For a better experience at higher resolutions, a more powerful GPU with dedicated, high-bandwidth memory would be necessary. The current combination is best suited for 1080p gaming, where the "Low" preset can approach the 85 FPS mark.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall performance of this combination is poor, ranking at 2703 out of 2939 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU's low percentile rank. The data indicates that this is not a combination built for gaming performance.

The CPU itself is a capable mid-range part. Its benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191, are respectable. Its percentileVsAllCpus rank of 77 indicates it outperforms 77% of all CPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, with a deltaPct of 0, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, with a deltaPct of -0.3%. This places the 13400F's processing power in a solid mid-range tier.

However, the combination's ranking is dragged down entirely by the GPU. The Arc B370's performance is comparable to much older, entry-level parts. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which are over a decade old. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus rank of 5 means it outperforms only 5% of all GPUs. This massive imbalance between the CPU's capability and the GPU's performance is the defining characteristic of this combo. The system's rank is a direct result of this severe GPU bottleneck, making it clear that the processor is far more powerful than the graphics solution it is paired with.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 resolution with the "Low" preset, which achieves an average of 85 FPS. At "Medium" settings, the average drops to 65 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. However, at 2560x1440, the "Low" preset yields an average of only 55 FPS, falling short of the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use?

A: The "Low" preset is the best choice for consistent performance. It provides the highest average frame rates at all tested resolutions. While "Medium" is playable at 1080p, the "Low" preset offers a significant performance buffer, which is valuable given the GPU's low performance percentile.

Q: Is this system better for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows this system is only suitable for 1920x1080 gaming. At this resolution, the "Low" preset provides an average of 85 FPS. At 2560x1440, performance drops considerably, with the best average FPS being 55 on the "Low" preset, making 1080p the only reasonable choice for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to other GPUs?

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, with deltaPct values of -0.2% and -0.5%, respectively. This indicates it offers performance on par with legacy entry-level graphics cards.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is definitively the limiting factor. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution and settings increase, which is a clear sign of GPU limitation. The CPU, with a percentile rank of 77, is far more powerful and is not the cause of the low frame rates. The GPU's shared memory architecture and low pixel rate are the primary bottlenecks.

Q: What is the highest quality preset I can use at 1080p?

A: You can use the "Medium" preset, which achieves an average of 65 FPS at 1920x1080, with a minimum of 56 FPS. The "High" preset is also playable with an average of 55 FPS. The "Ultra" preset, however, is not recommended as it drops the average to 42 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average frame rates for the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B370 combination in Minimum. Minimum and maximum FPS are only provided for the "Medium" preset.

1920x1080

• Low: Average 85 FPS.
• Medium: Average 65 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS.
• High: Average 55 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 42 FPS.

At 1080p, the scaling from "Low" to "Ultra" shows a clear and consistent downward trend. The difference between "Low" and "Ultra" is 43 FPS, which represents a 51% performance loss when enabling the highest settings. Even the jump from "Medium" to "High" results in a 10 FPS loss, indicating that the GPU is sensitive to the graphical load.

2560x1440

• Low: Average 55 FPS.
• Medium: Average 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS.
• High: Average 35 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 27 FPS.

Moving to 1440p, the performance drops significantly across all presets. The "Low" preset at 1440p performs worse than the "Ultra" preset at 1080p, with an average of 55 FPS versus 42 FPS. The "Medium" preset's minimum of 36 FPS indicates potential for noticeable stuttering in this resolution.

3840x2160

• Low: Average 30 FPS.
• Medium: Average 23 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 26 FPS.
• High: Average 19 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 15 FPS.

At 4K, the system is not playable for a smooth experience. Even the "Low" preset only manages an average of 30 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. The "Medium" preset's minimum of 19 FPS shows that the system struggles heavily at this resolution, and the "Ultra" preset is reduced to a near-static 15 FPS average. The data confirms that 4K gaming is out of reach for this hardware combination.