Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a very constrained gaming experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014. The measured data shows a configuration that is heavily limited by the graphics processor, with frame rates that struggle to maintain playability even at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the performance against the hardware's own benchmarks, and offers practical guidance based solely on the provided metrics.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a system that is almost entirely GPU-bound. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 85 at 1920x1080 to 55 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 30 FPS, and then further down to 30 at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% loss in average FPS from 1080p to 4K on Low settings. The trend is consistent across all quality presets, indicating that the rendering pipeline, not the CPU, is the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern is typical of a GPU that is severely underpowered for high-resolution workloads. At Medium settings, the average FPS moves from 65 at 1080p to 42 at 1440p, and then to 23 at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most precipitous decline, starting at 42 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 27 at 1440p, and collapsing to just 15 at 4K. The data suggests that the Intel Arc B370, with its 25 W TDP and system-shared memory architecture, simply does not have the fill rate or memory bandwidth to sustain higher resolutions, as indicated by its 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate.

Interestingly, the relative performance drop is steeper when moving from 1440p to 4K than from 1080p to 1440p. For instance, on High settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 20 FPS (55 to 35), but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 16 FPS (35 to 19). While the absolute delta is smaller at the higher end, the percentage loss is significant, confirming that the GPU is exhausted by the 4K workload. The minimum FPS data for Medium settings further supports this: at 1080p, the minimum is 56 FPS, but at 4K, it plunges to 19 FPS, showing that not only averages but also frame pacing suffers at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. In the context of Minimum, a game released in 2014, this CPU is likely more than sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The benchmark results for the CPU—such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935—suggest a capable processor for its generation, but its percentile rank of 47 among all CPUs indicates it sits in the middle of the pack.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 85 FPS, which is likely near the practical ceiling for this GPU. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the FPS drops significantly, which is a classic sign that the GPU is saturated while the CPU has headroom to spare. The CPU's 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth) are adequate for a game of this era.

However, the CPU's benchmark standing relative to its rivals is worth noting. The nearest rivals to the i5-9400 include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores an average of 2259 (a delta of -0.2% relative to the i5-9400's 2254 average), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, which scores 2246 (a delta of 0.4%). These margins are minuscule, meaning the i5-9400 is effectively on par with these other mid-range parts from a synthetic benchmark perspective. In Minimum, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame delivery, but the measured FPS numbers are so low at higher settings that the CPU is unlikely to ever become the bottleneck, even in complex scenes with many enemies.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B370 is ranked 2703 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, a position that reflects the GPU's severe performance limitations rather than the CPU's capabilities. The combo rank is a holistic measure, but given the GPU's 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs, it is clear that the Arc B370 is dragging the overall score down.

To contextualize the GPU's position, its nearest rivals in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (avg score 1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (avg score 1190, delta -0.5%), and AMD FirePro M2000 (avg score 1168, delta 1.4%). The Arc B370's score of 1184 places it in the same performance tier as these legacy discrete parts. This is a stark indicator that the Arc B370, despite being a modern 3nm part with 1280 shading units, is architecturally constrained by its 25 W TDP and system-shared memory, making it competitive only with very old, low-end hardware.

In Minimum, this ranking translates to a playable experience only at the lowest settings and resolutions. The combo's rank suggests that users with this hardware should not expect to run the game at high or ultra presets with any degree of smoothness. The data shows that the CPU is capable of holding its own, but the GPU's performance ceiling is the limiting factor, pushing this combo to the bottom of the database's rankings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the best result is on Low settings, with an average of 85 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. Medium settings yield 65 FPS average, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75, which is still playable on a standard 60 Hz display. High settings drop to 55 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 42 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 43 FPS, showing the significant cost of higher fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes more marginal. Low settings produce an average of 55 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal. Medium settings drop to 42 FPS average, with a minimum of 36 FPS, which may result in noticeable stutter in action scenes. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings average 27 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the configuration is largely unplayable. Low settings manage an average of 30 FPS, which is borderline. Medium settings drop to 23 FPS average, with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 26 FPS. High settings average 19 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 15 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming is not viable with this hardware, even at the lowest preset.

The delta between settings at each resolution is telling. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 43 FPS, while at 4K, the difference is only 15 FPS. This compression of the settings range at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is running out of computational resources, making the visual settings less impactful as pixel count dominates the workload.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear bottleneck in this configuration. With a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, it has a theoretical FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS. However, its TDP is just 25 W, and it relies on system-shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is system-dependent rather than dedicated. The GPU's benchmark results are poor, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

In Minimum, the GPU's limitations are exposed at every turn. The 20 ROPs and 40 TMUs are insufficient for high-resolution rasterization, as evidenced by the 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate. The 10 ray tracing cores are irrelevant for this game, which is a 2014 title that likely uses traditional rasterization. The GPU's memory architecture, being system-shared, means it competes with the CPU for bandwidth, which can lead to hitches, although the measured average FPS does not capture micro-stutter.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are all older, low-power parts, and its performance in Minimum aligns with that assessment. The data shows that the Arc B370 is not capable of delivering a consistent 60 FPS experience at any settings above 1080p Low. Even at 1080p Medium, the average FPS of 65 is acceptable, but the minimum of 56 FPS suggests that frame drops are possible. The GPU's role is to be the limiting factor, and the measured FPS data reflects a component that is outclassed by the demands of the game at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 85 FPS. This is the only configuration in the dataset that provides a framerate high enough to fully utilize a 60 Hz monitor with headroom to spare. The Low preset at 1080p offers the best balance of smoothness and playability, and it is the only setting that avoids dropping below 60 FPS on average.

For users who prioritize visual quality over raw framerate, 1920x1080 with Medium settings is a viable alternative, with an average of 65 FPS and a minimum of 56 FPS. This preset provides a more detailed image while still maintaining acceptable performance on a standard display. The High preset at 1080p (55 FPS average) is borderline, and Ultra (42 FPS average) should be avoided due to the risk of noticeable stutter.

At 1440p, the data suggests that only Low settings are recommended, with an average of 55 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p drop to 42 FPS average, which is below the ideal threshold for a smooth experience. Higher settings at 1440p are not recommended. At 4K, no settings are recommended, as even Low settings only achieve a 30 FPS average, which is below the playability threshold for most users. The data strongly indicates that this hardware is designed for 1080p gaming, and users should target that resolution with the lowest settings for the best experience.

FAQ

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

A: The best measured configuration is 1920x1080 with Low settings, producing an average of 85 FPS. This is the only setup that delivers a framerate significantly above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run the game at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only average 30 FPS, with Medium at 23 FPS, High at 19 FPS, and Ultra at 15 FPS. 4K is not playable with this hardware.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Intel Arc B370 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The Intel Core i5-9400 is ranked 47th percentile among CPUs, indicating it has more relative headroom.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1184, which is nearly identical to the ATI Radeon HD 5770's 1190 (a delta of -0.5%) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570's 1186 (a delta of -0.2%).

Q: Is 1440p gaming viable with this setup?

A: Only at Low settings, which average 55 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p average 42 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter, and higher settings are not recommended.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 85 FPS, while Ultra settings average 42 FPS. This is a difference of 43 FPS, showing a significant performance cost for higher visual quality.