Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the Intel Arc B370 represents a stark imbalance in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The benchmark data for this combination shows a system where the graphics processor is the overwhelming constraint, with the CPU’s substantial compute resources largely left idle. This analysis walks through the measured performance data, focusing on resolution scaling, comparative ranking, component roles, and actionable settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a severe performance cliff as resolution increases, pointing directly to the Intel Arc B370 as the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 85 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average drops to 55 FPS, a reduction of 30 FPS. Scaling further to 3840x2160 at Low yields just 30 FPS, another 25 FPS decline. This pattern—a near-linear drop of roughly 35% for each step up in resolution—is characteristic of a GPU that is completely saturated by pixel throughput demands.

The frame time data available for Medium settings reinforces this. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 65 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average falls to 42 FPS (min 36, max 48). At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 23 FPS (min 19, max 26). The spread between minimum and maximum frames also narrows at higher resolutions, indicating that the GPU is consistently hitting its performance ceiling rather than experiencing occasional spikes. The delta from 1080p to 4K at Medium is a 42 FPS drop, which is a 64.6% reduction in average frame rate.

This scaling behavior tells a clear story: the Intel Core i7-12700K is not the bottleneck in any resolution tested. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at higher resolutions as the GPU work increases, but instead the performance falls off a cliff. The data suggests that even at 1080p High (55 FPS), the GPU is already working near its limit, and the only way to achieve higher frame rates is to reduce the rendering load.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s position in the global benchmark database is remarkably low. It ranks 2703 out of 2939 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all system pairings. This rank is a composite measure of how well this specific CPU-GPU pair performs in Minimum relative to all other tested combinations. A rank this low indicates that the Arc B370's performance severely hamstrings the i7-12700K’s potential. The CPU is a high-end desktop part, but the GPU’s output drags the entire system down to entry-level territory.

To contextualize the GPU’s standing, its individual benchmark percentile is 5, meaning it performs better than only 5% of all GPUs in the database. This is an extraordinarily low position. For comparison, the GPU’s nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (with a deltaPct of -0.2), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (deltaPct -0.5), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (deltaPct -0.7). These are legacy parts from over a decade ago, and the Arc B370’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is essentially tied with them. The Intel Core i7-12700K, by contrast, sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-13600T (deltaPct -0.1), the Intel Core i7-12700KF (deltaPct -0.2), and the Intel Core i7-13700T (deltaPct -0.3).

The discrepancy between the CPU’s 84th percentile and the GPU’s 5th percentile directly explains the combo’s 2703rd rank. The system is effectively a top-tier processor paired with a bottom-tier graphics solution, and the measured FPS in Minimum reflects the GPU’s limitations rather than the CPU’s capabilities. The data shows that this pairing is not balanced for this game, and the user is leaving the vast majority of the i7-12700K’s performance on the table.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary driver of the performance limitations seen in these results. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," with a memory type and bus width also listed as "System Shared." This means the GPU does not have dedicated VRAM; it relies on the system’s main memory, which is a significant performance constraint in a game like Minimum. The memory bandwidth is described as "System Dependent," which means it can vary, but the shared architecture inherently limits the data throughput available to the graphics core. This is a critical detail because modern games, even older ones, benefit greatly from dedicated high-bandwidth memory.

The GPU’s clock speeds are low relative to its architecture. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. While the boost clock is respectable, the base clock suggests a power-constrained design. The TDP is listed as 25 W, which is exceptionally low for a desktop-class GPU, and it is described as an "IGP" (Integrated Graphics Processor) with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors. The bus interface is also "IGP," confirming that this is not a discrete card but an integrated solution. This explains why its performance is so poor: it is designed for low power consumption, not high frame rates.

The GPU’s compute resources are minimal. It has 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. In Minimum, these resources are insufficient to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions. The measured data shows that even at 1920x1080 with Low settings (85 FPS), the GPU is the limiting factor. The rendering pipeline is simply too narrow to push more pixels. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, which sounds adequate on paper, but the shared memory and low power budget negate any theoretical advantages. The GPU’s only benchmark score is 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it at the 5th percentile and ties it with the performance of the ATI Radeon HD 5770 from the early 2010s. This is a clear indicator that the Arc B370 is not suited for gaming workloads beyond the most basic settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

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

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Ultra: 42 FPS average
• High: 55 FPS average
• Medium: 65 FPS average (min 56, max 75)
• Low: 85 FPS average

This is the only resolution where the combo approaches playable frame rates. The jump from Ultra to Low is substantial: 43 FPS, or a 102% improvement. Even so, the 85 FPS at Low is not particularly high for a game from 2014, indicating the GPU’s fundamental weakness.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly:

• Ultra: 27 FPS average
• High: 35 FPS average
• Medium: 42 FPS average (min 36, max 48)
• Low: 55 FPS average

The 1440p Low setting (55 FPS) matches the 1080p High setting (55 FPS), showing that the GPU is scaling almost perfectly with the pixel count increase. This is a classic sign of a fill-rate limited GPU. The Medium preset at 1440p dips to 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable:

• Ultra: 15 FPS average
• High: 19 FPS average
• Medium: 23 FPS average (min 19, max 26)
• Low: 30 FPS average

The 4K Low setting (30 FPS) is barely enough for a slideshow, and the Ultra setting (15 FPS) is a cinematic 15 frames per second. The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step up costs roughly 30 FPS at Low settings (85 to 55 to 30) and roughly 20 FPS at High settings (55 to 35 to 19). This linear scaling is a direct consequence of the GPU’s limited ROP count and memory bandwidth.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a robust desktop processor with 12 cores and 20 threads based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, and it boosts to 5.00 GHz. It has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 19784 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1850.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Its Passmark multithread score is 34404, and its single-thread score is 4013. These are strong numbers, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs.

However, the measured FPS in Minimum does not reflect this CPU power. The data shows no scenario where the CPU is the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Low (85 FPS), the GPU is still the bottleneck. A capable CPU like the i7-12700K would easily be able to feed a more powerful GPU hundreds of frames per second in a 2014 title. The fact that the system only achieves 85 FPS at the lowest settings is entirely due to the GPU’s inability to render frames faster.

The CPU’s architecture supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, but the GPU’s "System Shared" memory config means the CPU and GPU are competing for the same memory bandwidth. This can cause additional stuttering and frame drops, but the average FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary constraint. The i7-12700K’s 20 lanes of PCIe Gen 4 are more than sufficient for any discrete GPU, but since the Arc B370 is an IGP, this interface is irrelevant. The data suggests that the CPU is performing its role adequately; it is simply paired with a GPU that cannot keep up with its potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset (85 FPS) is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset (65 FPS) is also playable, offering better visual quality while staying above 60 FPS. High (55 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) are below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable judder during fast-paced Third-Person Shooter action. For the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness at 1080p, Medium is the recommended preset, as it maintains a stable 65 FPS average with a minimum of 56 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset (55 FPS) is the only setting that approaches playability, but it still falls short of 60 FPS. The Medium preset (42 FPS) is borderline for a shooter, and High (35 FPS) and Ultra (27 FPS) are not recommended for competitive play. If a user must play at 1440p, Low is the only viable choice, but the data indicates that the experience will be suboptimal. The minimum frame rate at 1440p Low is not provided, which suggests it may be inconsistent.

At 3840x2160, no preset is playable. The Low setting (30 FPS) is below the standard for interactive gameplay, and the Ultra setting (15 FPS) is unusable. The data clearly shows that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in Minimum. The recommendation is to avoid 4K entirely unless the user is willing to accept a slideshow-like experience.

Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, which delivers 65 FPS average with a tight frame time window (56 to 75 FPS). This provides a playable experience while utilizing slightly higher visual settings than Low. The i7-12700K’s power is wasted in this configuration, but for the GPU installed, this is the optimal balance.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Minimum?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 85, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: No. The highest measured average FPS at 2560x1440 is 55, which is achieved at the Low settings preset. All other presets at 1440p fall below 60 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B370’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, deltaPct -0.2) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, deltaPct -0.5). It is slightly ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, deltaPct 1.4).

Q: Why is the combo rank so low despite having a strong CPU?

A: The combo ranks 2703 out of 2939, primarily because the GPU’s performance is in the 5th percentile, while the CPU is in the 84th percentile. The GPU’s output limits the entire system’s performance in Minimum.

Q: What is the frame time spread at the recommended settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 65, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75, indicating a consistent frame pacing window.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: No. The measured FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a linear drop consistent with a GPU limitation. The CPU’s performance is not the constraint in any tested configuration.