Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B390 represents a significant mismatch in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The data shows a configuration where a high-end 14-core processor is bottlenecked by an integrated graphics solution operating as a discrete-level part. The CPU is clearly not the limiting factor in this pairing, as its performance metrics place it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 9th percentile. This dynamic dictates every measurable result in the benchmark data, from the 1080p average frame rates to the severe drops at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a Raptor Lake Refresh part built on Intel's 10 nm process, featuring 14 cores and 20 threads. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and it carries a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 24 MB L3 pool. This processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it connects to the system via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. It also includes integrated UHD Graphics 770, though the system under analysis uses the separate Arc B390 GPU.

The CPU’s synthetic benchmark scores confirm its high-end status. In Cinebench R23, it scores 24491 multi-core and 2064 single-core. Geekbench results show 16673 multi-core and 2491 single-core. PassMark tests further illustrate its strength: 125737 in integer math, 92794 in floating point math, and 38682 in multithread. These numbers place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (avg score 48698, deltaPct -0.2), the AMD EPYC 4345P (avg score 48470, deltaPct 0.3), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (avg score 48287, deltaPct 0.7). The i5-14600K essentially trades blows with these enterprise and newer parts, showing that its compute capability is not a bottleneck for a 2014 title like Minimum.

In this game, the CPU’s role is largely passive. At every resolution and settings level, the measured FPS is far below what the CPU could theoretically support. The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 13709 and the PassMark physics score of 2473 indicate that the processor can handle complex calculations and game logic with ease. There is no scenario in the measured data where the CPU would be the limiting component; instead, it provides a massive headroom that the GPU cannot exploit. The data indicates that the i5-14600K is overkill for this specific workload, as even the lowest measured frame rate of 16 FPS at 4K Ultra is not a result of CPU stalls but rather GPU throughput limits.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." The GPU features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, and it delivers 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 compute. The TDP is 80 W, and it operates as an IGP with no separate power connectors.

The Arc B390’s benchmark results are modest. Its only listed score is 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are older NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (avg score 1463, deltaPct 1.3), the GeForce 800M (avg score 1460, deltaPct 1.5), the GeForce GT 625 OEM (avg score 1446, deltaPct 2.5), and the GeForce GT 710 (avg score 1443, deltaPct 2.7). The Arc B390 leads this group by a small margin, but these are all entry-level or legacy GPUs. This context is crucial for understanding the game results: the Arc B390 is not a gaming-focused part, and its performance in Minimum reflects that.

The GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this combo. The 3DMark score of 1482 is a strong predictor of the low frame rates observed. In a 2014 title, this GPU struggles to maintain playable FPS at higher settings. The data shows that the Arc B390’s shared memory and system-dependent bandwidth create a situation where the GPU’s compute and memory resources are insufficient for demanding graphics workloads. The boost clock of 2500 MHz helps, but the 1536 shading units and the limited ROP count of 24 are not enough to push high frame rates at modern resolutions. The GPU’s performance is consistent with its 9th percentile ranking, making it the clear limiting factor in every measured scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are steep and consistent, highlighting the GPU’s inability to handle higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 95 at 1920x1080 to 61 at 2560x1440, then to 33 at 3840x2160. That is a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the averages go from 72 to 47 to 25, a 65% drop as well. High settings see a similar trend: 61 to 39 to 21, which is a 66% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with averages of 46 at 1080p, 30 at 1440p, and 16 at 4K, representing a 65% decline.

This scaling pattern reveals that the limiting component is the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would be more consistent across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not scale with pixel count. Instead, the FPS drops almost proportionally with the number of pixels, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. For example, moving from 1080p to 1440p increases pixel count by 78%, and the FPS drops by roughly 35-38%. Moving from 1440p to 4K increases pixels by 125%, and FPS drops by roughly 45-47%. The GPU’s rendering throughput is being exhausted, and the CPU’s high scores (e.g., 24491 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) are irrelevant because it spends most of its time waiting for the GPU.

The data also shows that the Arc B390’s performance is more sensitive to resolution than to settings. From Low to Ultra at 1080p, the FPS drops from 95 to 46, a 52% reduction. From Low to Ultra at 4K, it drops from 33 to 16, a 52% reduction as well. This consistency suggests that the GPU’s fillrate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, rather than shader complexity alone. The system-dependent memory bandwidth likely becomes a major issue at higher resolutions, as the shared memory interface struggles to feed the GPU with the required texture and geometry data.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Minimum, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2602 out of 2939 combinations. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems. The rank reflects the GPU’s severe limitation, as the CPU is in the 90th percentile. The combo’s position is a direct result of the Arc B390’s 9th percentile GPU ranking, which drags down the overall system performance despite the i5-14600K’s strength.

The delta between the CPU and GPU percentiles is stark. The i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618, while the Arc B390 has an average score of 1482. This represents a performance gap that is nearly impossible to bridge in gaming workloads. The combo rank of 2602 indicates that most other pairings in the database achieve better FPS in Minimum, likely because they use dedicated graphics cards with more than 24 ROPs and 1536 shading units. The data suggests that this combo is only suitable for very old or light titles, and even then, only at lower resolutions and settings.

The nearest rival GPUs for the Arc B390 (GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, GT 710) all have similar 3DMark scores, and the deltaPct values are small (1.3% to 2.7%). However, these are all parts from a different era. In Minimum, the combo rank shows that the Arc B390’s performance is not competitive with modern entry-level dedicated GPUs, and it is far behind the median combo in the database. The 2602nd rank out of 2939 combos is a clear verdict: this is a bottom-tier gaming setup, and no amount of CPU power can compensate for the GPU’s shortcomings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average FPS of 95, which is the highest of any measured configuration. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 72 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. The High preset drops to 61 FPS, and Ultra falls to 46 FPS. For a 2014 title, aiming for a smooth 60 FPS or higher is ideal, and the data shows that only Low and Medium settings at 1080p achieve this.

The Low preset at 1080p is the safest choice for ensuring high frame rates, but Medium is also viable. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 62 at 1080p indicates that it can hold above 60 FPS in most scenes, offering better visual quality than Low without a major performance hit. High at 1080p is borderline, averaging 61 FPS, but it likely dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes, making it less consistent. Ultra at 1080p is not recommended, as the 46 FPS average is noticeably less smooth.

At 2560x1440, only the Low preset comes close to playable, averaging 61 FPS. Medium at 1440p drops to 47 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. High at 1440p averages 39 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only manage 33 FPS, and Medium drops to 25 FPS. High and Ultra at 4K are effectively unplayable, with averages of 21 and 16 FPS respectively. The best experience per the measured rows is clearly the Low or Medium preset at 1080p, where the frame rate is high enough to enjoy the game without significant stuttering. For users with a 1440p monitor, Low settings are the only option for a decent experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low settings produce an average of 95 FPS. The Medium settings at 1080p average 72 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. The High settings average 61 FPS, and the Ultra settings average 46 FPS. No minimum or maximum values are listed for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution, but the Medium preset’s range shows a fluctuation of about 21 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low settings average 61 FPS. The Medium settings average 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. The High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra settings average 30 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 40 FPS at 1440p suggests that even this setting will experience noticeable dips in intense scenes. The data shows a clear step-down from 1080p, where the 1440p Low average matches the 1080p High average of 61 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low settings average 33 FPS. The Medium settings average 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 29 FPS. The High settings average 21 FPS, and the Ultra settings average 16 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has the only recorded minimum and maximum values in the 4K category, showing a tight range around 25 FPS. Overall, the FPS data reveals that this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming at Low or Medium settings. The 4K results are uniformly below 35 FPS, confirming that the Arc B390 lacks the raw throughput and memory bandwidth for high-resolution gaming, despite the i5-14600K’s ability to handle any CPU-side workload the game throws at it.