Red Dead Redemption 2

Intel Core i3-12100F paired with Intel Arc B390 produces a combination that ranks 2568th out of 2902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. This is a pairing where the GPU, an integrated part of the Panther Lake platform, is the dominant constraint across every resolution and quality setting measured. The data shows a system that is functional for the game at lower settings and resolutions, but one that struggles significantly as graphical demands increase.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2568 out of 2902 places this configuration firmly in the lower percentile of all tested hardware pairings for Red Dead Redemption 2. This is not a surprising outcome given the individual component profiles. The Intel Arc B390 GPU sits at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, a position that indicates it is outperformed by roughly 91% of the graphics hardware in the benchmark database. The Intel Core i3-12100F, by contrast, is a much stronger link in the chain, ranking at the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The combination of a mid-pack processor with a very low-tier graphics solution means the overall system ranking is dragged down almost entirely by the GPU's performance ceiling.

In terms of peer comparisons, the Arc B390's nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark are all older NVIDIA parts. The data shows the Arc B390 is 1.3% ahead of the GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710. These are extremely small margins of victory, indicating that the Arc B390's raw compute performance is essentially on par with a decade-old entry-level graphics card. The i3-12100F, however, trades blows with its nearest rivals, being 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-9500, 1.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U, and 0.7% behind the Intel Core 5 120UL, showing it is a competitive desktop processor.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary performance bottleneck in this configuration. Its specifications paint a picture of a chip designed for basic visual output rather than high-end gaming. The GPU is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture on a 3 nm process node, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is listed at 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate at 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 7.680 TFLOPS.

The most significant limitation for gaming is the memory configuration. The Arc B390 has "System Shared" memory, meaning it uses a portion of the system's main RAM instead of dedicated VRAM. This is a critical factor for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which demands substantial graphics memory for its large open world and high-resolution textures. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means its performance is tied to the speed and configuration of the host system's DDR4 or DDR5 memory, but it can never match the bandwidth of even a modest dedicated graphics card. The GPU's benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is reflective of its compute capability, but in real-world gaming, the shared memory architecture creates an additional bottleneck that is not fully captured in synthetic tests.

The GPU's API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means it supports modern rendering features. However, the hardware's ability to utilize these features at playable frame rates is severely limited. The 80 W TDP for the GPU itself, which is integrated into the processor package, further indicates that it is designed for efficiency over performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F serves as a capable foundation for this system, though its potential is largely unrealized due to the GPU's limitations. This is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB of L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

The i3-12100F's benchmark results show it is a solid performer for its class. In Cinebench R23, it scores 11860 in multicore and 1674 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 7252 for multicore and 1932 for single-core. The PassMark multithread score is 14015, and the single-thread score is 3444. The average benchmark score across all tests is 13494. With a TDP of 58 W, it is an efficient part, and its die size is 163 mm².

In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI. The 4-core, 8-thread configuration is sufficient to feed the GPU with draw calls at lower resolutions and settings. However, because the Arc B390 is so weak, the CPU rarely becomes the limiting factor. The data indicates that at 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lightest, the CPU is still able to push frame rates to 51 FPS, showing it is not holding the system back in that scenario. The CPU's performance percentile of 68% versus the GPU's 9% makes it clear that any performance upgrades to the graphics side would yield substantial gains, as the CPU has significant headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo reveal a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution and graphical settings increase. At 1920x1080, the most common gaming resolution, the results are mixed. With Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 51 FPS, which is the only playable result in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop the average to 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. High settings reduce the average further to 32 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 23 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit across the board. Low settings average 38 FPS, which is still somewhat playable but below the 40 FPS threshold many consider smooth. Medium settings average 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 24 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 17 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings are the only option that approaches playability, with an average of 25 FPS. Medium settings average 19 FPS, with a minimum of 16 FPS and a maximum of 22 FPS. High settings average just 16 FPS, and Ultra settings are the worst, with an average of 11 FPS. The frame rate drops are consistent and steep, with no setting combination at 4K reaching a level that would provide a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of frame rates from 1080p to 4K shows a clear and expected trend, but the severity of the drop highlights the GPU's limitations. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 51 FPS at 1080p to 38 FPS at 1440p (a 25% reduction) and then to 25 FPS at 4K (a 51% reduction from 1080p). At Medium settings, the progression is from 39 FPS at 1080p to 29 FPS at 1440p (a 26% reduction) and then to 19 FPS at 4K (a 51% reduction). High settings show a drop from 32 FPS at 1080p to 24 FPS at 1440p (a 25% reduction) and then to 16 FPS at 4K (a 50% reduction). Ultra settings go from 23 FPS at 1080p to 17 FPS at 1440p (a 26% reduction) and then to 11 FPS at 4K (a 52% reduction).

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is telling. The frame rate is being cut by roughly a quarter when going from 1080p to 1440p, and then by half when going from 1080p to 4K. This pattern indicates that the rendering pipeline is almost entirely bound by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical whether the settings are on Low or Ultra confirms that the resolution scaling is the dominant factor, not the complexity of the shading. This is classic behavior for a GPU that is severely underpowered for the task. The CPU, which handles the same workload regardless of resolution (minus the increase in draw calls), is not the limiting factor here, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in pixel count.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The only configuration that achieves a playable frame rate is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 51 FPS. Every other setting combination at 1080p or higher results in averages below 40 FPS, with 4K being entirely unplayable.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database?

A: The Arc B390 is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710. These are minimal performance differences, confirming it is an entry-level part.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for this GPU?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck. The CPU ranks at the 68th percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 9th percentile. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are uniform across settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 51 FPS, while Ultra settings average 23 FPS. This represents a 28 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset more than halves the performance compared to Low.

Q: Does the Arc B390's shared memory affect its performance in this game?

A: Yes, the GPU uses "System Shared" memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a significant limitation for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which requires large amounts of memory bandwidth for its textures, contributing to the low frame rates measured across all settings.

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 39 at 1080p to 19 at 4K. This is a 51% reduction, highlighting the GPU's inability to handle the increased pixel count at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only viable way to play Red Dead Redemption 2 with this hardware is to use the Low preset at 1920x1080, which yields an average of 51 FPS. This is the only setting in the entire dataset that crosses the 50 FPS threshold, which is generally considered the minimum for a smooth experience in a fast-paced game. All other settings at 1080p result in averages between 23 and 39 FPS, which may be tolerable for a slower-paced title but are not ideal for a game with shooting mechanics.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset drops to 38 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less smooth. It is not recommended unless the user has no alternative. High and Ultra settings at 1440p are not viable, with averages of 24 and 17 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, no settings are recommended. Even the Low preset only averages 25 FPS, which is below the threshold for playable frame rates for most users. The data indicates that the system should be configured for 1080p Low for the best experience, with no other setting combination providing a meaningful improvement in visual quality without a substantial drop in performance. The Medium preset at 1080p, averaging 39 FPS, could be considered by users who prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness, but the trade-off is significant.