To The Core

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2750 out of 2991 tested combos in To The Core, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all combinations—a distinctly below-average position. This rank reflects a pairing where the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck; the Arc B370 sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU performs at the 72nd percentile among all processors. The data shows a massive capability mismatch: the i5-12400 is a mid-pack desktop processor, but the Arc B370 is an integrated-class part that drags the entire system down to near-bottom-tier gaming performance.

Benchmark results indicate this combo will struggle to deliver smooth gameplay at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data confirms the GPU's limitations, with the system failing to reach 60 FPS on any setting at 4K, and only achieving playable frame rates at 1080p on Low and Medium presets. The ranking is consistent with the GPU's benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it within 1.4% of the AMD FirePro M2000 and within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon HD 7650M—all legacy or low-end parts. This is not a combo for competitive or high-refresh gaming; it is a system for casual, low-demand titles at modest settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings 6 cores and 12 threads to the pairing, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture processor, built on Intel's 10 nm process, is a capable desktop chip with an 18 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core. Its multi-threaded performance is respectable: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 15989, while the single-core score reaches 2257. In 3DMark, the CPU scores 5890 at max threads and 5873 at 16 threads, with a single-thread score of 910.

These CPU numbers are far ahead of what the Arc B370 can utilize in To The Core. The game's measured FPS data shows the GPU saturating before the CPU becomes relevant—at 1080p Low, the system hits 132 FPS, which is likely near the GPU's ceiling rather than the CPU's. The i5-12400's single-thread performance, as measured by PassMark at 3456 and Geekbench at 1848, is more than sufficient for this idle-genre title. The CPU's 3DMark 2-thread score of 1692 and 4-thread score of 3012 indicate strong low-thread performance, which matters for games that rely on a few primary threads.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and active production status make it a mainstream choice, but its benchmark percentile of 72 places it above the AMD EPYC 7643 by 0.1% and below the Intel Core i7-1355U by 0.3%. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330, scores 18811 on average, which is 0.7% higher. In practice, the CPU's headroom is wasted in this combo—the Arc B370 cannot push enough frames to stress the i5-12400's 12 threads. The bottleneck is unequivocally the GPU, and the CPU's role is to provide stable, low-latency frame delivery without becoming the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the defining component of this combo, and its performance profile explains the low ranking. This integrated GPU, based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and Panther Lake chip, features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. It operates at a 300 MHz base clock with a 2400 MHz boost, delivering 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s. The GPU's memory is system-shared, meaning its bandwidth is system-dependent—a significant limitation for gaming workloads.

The Arc B370's benchmark results are stark: a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all legacy parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% faster), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% faster), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% faster). The only GPU it beats among its nearest rivals is the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% slower). This is not a gaming GPU by modern standards; it is an integrated solution intended for portable devices, as indicated by its IGP slot width and 25 W TDP.

In To The Core, the GPU's limitations manifest clearly. The measured FPS data shows a steep drop-off as resolution increases: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 132 FPS, but at 4K Low, it falls to 51 FPS. This resolution scaling is typical of a GPU that lacks dedicated VRAM and relies on system memory. The GPU's 10 RT cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are irrelevant in an idle game, but the low ROP count (20) and texture rate (96.00 GTexel/s) cap fill-rate performance. The data indicates the GPU is the sole reason this combo ranks at 2750 out of 2991—the CPU is capable, but the GPU cannot translate that capability into frames.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for To The Core reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results: Low settings produce an average of 132 FPS, Medium averages 112 FPS with a range of 95 to 129 FPS, High averages 97 FPS, and Ultra drops to 78 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is the only resolution where the combo approaches smooth gameplay on higher presets, though only Low and Medium exceed the 100 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance degrades significantly. Low settings average 89 FPS, Medium averages 75 FPS (range: 64-87 FPS), High averages 65 FPS, and Ultra falls to 53 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that this resolution is only viable on Low or Medium settings for a consistent experience; High and Ultra dip below 70 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced scenes.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playability. Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium averages 43 FPS (range: 37-50 FPS), High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30 FPS. These numbers confirm that 4K is not a viable resolution for this pairing—even on Low, the frame rate hovers near the edge of acceptable smoothness, and Ultra is effectively a slideshow.

The data shows a consistent pattern: dropping settings from Ultra to Low yields a 54 FPS improvement at 1080p (from 78 to 132 FPS), a 36 FPS improvement at 1440p (from 53 to 89 FPS), and a 21 FPS improvement at 4K (from 30 to 51 FPS). The diminishing returns at higher resolutions reflect the GPU's fill-rate and memory bandwidth constraints. The Medium preset's min/max ranges (95-129 at 1080p, 64-87 at 1440p, 37-50 at 4K) show acceptable frame pacing, but the Ultra preset lacks recorded min/max values, suggesting potential instability.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in To The Core?*

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where the system consistently exceeds 60 FPS across all settings. At 1080p, even Ultra averages 78 FPS, while 1440p and 4K drop below 60 FPS on High and Ultra presets.

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

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), and 0.7% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The i5-12400 ranks at the 72nd percentile among CPUs with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989, while the Arc B370 ranks at the 5th percentile with a single benchmark score of 1184. The FPS data shows the GPU saturating at all resolutions.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system averages 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. This is the best balance of quality and performance at this resolution.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in To The Core?*

A: At 3840x2160, the best result is 51 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 43 FPS, High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. None of these meet the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay, making 4K impractical.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is 0.1% lower than the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697), 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730), and 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811). It is 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519).

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS experience, the only viable options are 1080p with any preset (Low: 132 FPS, Medium: 112 FPS, High: 97 FPS, Ultra: 78 FPS) or 1440p with Low settings (89 FPS) or Medium settings (75 FPS). At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS, so users should avoid this resolution unless they accept sub-60 performance.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the standout choice. The data shows an average of 112 FPS with a min/max range of 95 to 129 FPS, indicating consistent frame delivery. This preset provides a 15 FPS improvement over High (97 FPS) and a 34 FPS improvement over Ultra (78 FPS), while the visual difference between Medium and High in an idle game is unlikely to be significant.

At 1440p, Medium settings (75 FPS average, 64-87 FPS range) offer the best experience. Low settings increase the average to 89 FPS but sacrifice visual fidelity, while High drops to 65 FPS and Ultra to 53 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 64 FPS ensures the frame rate rarely dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the safest choice for this resolution.

For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, the Ultra preset at 1080p (78 FPS average) is the only Ultra setting that remains comfortably above 60 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, Ultra settings (53 FPS and 30 FPS respectively) are not recommended due to the significant performance penalty. The data suggests that this combo is best utilized at 1080p with Medium or High settings, or at 1440p with Medium settings, to achieve a smooth and visually acceptable experience in To The Core.