Road 96

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a combination that lands in the lower tier of the database for Road 96, ranking 3427 out of 3713 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8 percent of all systems measured, which is a strong indicator that this is not a high-performance pairing for this title. The data shows a system that can handle the game at 1080p with adjusted settings, but it struggles significantly at higher resolutions. The benchmarks indicate a clear ceiling for this hardware, and the experience is heavily dependent on resolution and preset choices.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combo in Road 96 shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of producing playable frame rates, but the margin for error is thin. At 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop below the 60 FPS playable threshold across all settings, and at 3840x2160, the game becomes largely unplayable.

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows:

• Low settings: 85 FPS average.
• Medium settings: 62 FPS average, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS.
• High settings: 50 FPS average.
• Ultra settings: 39 FPS average.

The jump from Low to Medium costs 23 FPS on average, which is a significant hit. The difference between Medium and High is another 12 FPS, and pushing to Ultra from High costs an additional 11 FPS. The frame time consistency also degrades with higher presets, as indicated by the 53 FPS minimum on Medium.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops considerably. The measured average frame rates are:

• Low settings: 54 FPS average.
• Medium settings: 40 FPS average, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS.
• High settings: 32 FPS average.
• Ultra settings: 25 FPS average.

At this resolution, even the Low preset fails to maintain a 60 FPS average, sitting 6 FPS below the playable threshold. The Medium preset shows a 14 FPS drop from Low, and the frame pacing becomes worse, with the minimum dipping to 34 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance is critically low. The measured average frame rates are:

• Low settings: 29 FPS average.
• Medium settings: 21 FPS average, with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS.
• High settings: 17 FPS average.
• Ultra settings: 13 FPS average.

None of these settings produce a playable experience. The delta between Low and Ultra is 16 FPS, but even the best case at this resolution is less than half of the 60 FPS target. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware combination.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU in this combo provide context for what other hardware might behave similarly. The CPU, an Intel Core i3-12100F, has an average benchmark score of 13494. Its closest competitors are the Intel Core 3 N355 with a score of 13492 (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 with a score of 13452 (0.3% ahead), the Intel Core 5 120UL with a score of 13594 (0.7% behind), and the Intel Core i7-1250U with a score of 13351 (1.1% ahead). These processors are all within a narrow performance band, so swapping between them would yield very similar CPU-bound results in Road 96.

The GPU, an Intel Arc B370, has an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 with a score of 1186 (0.2% ahead), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a score of 1190 (0.5% ahead), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M with a score of 1192 (0.7% ahead), and the AMD FirePro M2000 with a score of 1168 (1.4% behind). These GPUs are all extremely close in raw performance, meaning a system with any of these graphics solutions would likely produce frame rates within a couple of percentage points of the Arc B370 in this game.

For a builder looking at alternatives, the data suggests that any combination of a CPU from the i3-12100F's rival group and a GPU from the Arc B370's rival group would produce a nearly identical experience. The performance differences are so small that they would be imperceptible in actual gameplay. This combo sits in a performance tier where the GPU is the primary constraint, so the choice of CPU among these rivals matters less than the choice of GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records a playable threshold of 60 FPS for Road 96. Based on the measured data, the best settings for this combo are determined by finding the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Medium. The average FPS at Medium is 62, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. While Low settings offer a higher average of 85 FPS, the Medium preset is the most demanding option that still meets the playability criterion. The High preset at 50 FPS and the Ultra preset at 39 FPS both fall short of the target.

At 2560x1440, there are no playable settings. The highest average FPS recorded at this resolution is 54 on Low, which is 6 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets, Medium at 40, High at 32, and Ultra at 25, are progressively worse. The verdict data confirms this, listing no playable settings for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, there are also no playable settings. The best average FPS is 29 on Low, which is less than half of the required 60 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets are all below 21 FPS. This resolution is not viable for this hardware.

The practical takeaway is that 1080p with Medium settings is the ceiling for this combo. Any attempt to run higher settings or a higher resolution will result in a frame rate that drops below the playable threshold.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Road 96 at 1080p with High settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 50, which is 10 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The most demanding playable preset at this resolution is Medium, which averages 62 FPS.

Q: What is the best visual quality I can expect at 1440p?

A: The data shows no playable settings at 2560x1440. The highest average FPS is 54 on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 40 FPS, High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS, so none of these meet the playability criterion.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest rivals in this game?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a score of 1190 (0.5% higher) and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M with a score of 1192 (0.7% higher). These differences are minimal, so performance in Road 96 would be nearly identical across these GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU has an average benchmark score of 13494 and ranks in the 68th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU has a score of 1184 and ranks in the 5th percentile against all GPUs. The GPU is far weaker relative to its peers, making it the primary constraint on frame rates.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with the lowest settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 29. The Medium preset averages 21 FPS, and the High preset averages 17 FPS. None of these are close to the 60 FPS playable threshold, so 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 3427 out of 3713 tested combinations in the database for Road 96. This places it in the bottom portion of all systems, confirming that it is a low-performance pairing for this game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear split in how the CPU and GPU contribute to performance in Road 96. The CPU, an Intel Core i3-12100F, has a single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674. These are respectable numbers for a low-end desktop chip. The GPU, an Intel Arc B370, has a 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 and ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is an extremely low score, indicating that the GPU is far below average in raw graphics performance.

The scaling between resolutions confirms that the GPU is the dominant factor. When moving from 1920x1080 Low (85 FPS) to 2560x1440 Low (54 FPS), the frame rate drops by 31 FPS, a 36% reduction. The same pattern holds for Medium settings, where 1080p averages 62 FPS and 1440p averages 40 FPS, a 22 FPS drop. This steep decline with increasing pixel count is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics processor cannot keep up with the rendering load.

The CPU's role is less significant at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the 85 FPS average on Low. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's performance matters less. The frame rate differences between presets also point to the GPU: at 1080p, the delta between Low and Ultra is 46 FPS, which is entirely attributable to the GPU's inability to handle higher graphical workloads.

Comparatively, the CPU ranks in the 68th percentile against all CPUs, showing it is a mid-tier performer. The GPU ranks in the 5th percentile, showing it is a bottom-tier performer. This imbalance means that even a significantly faster CPU would not improve frame rates in this game, as the GPU would still be the limiting factor. The recorded data for this combo shows that the GPU is the component to upgrade first if a builder wants better performance in Road 96.

How This Combo Ranks

The database records this combo at rank 3427 out of 3713 tested combinations for Road 96. This puts it in the bottom 8% of all systems measured. The percentile data reinforces this: the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The combo's overall rank is dragged down almost entirely by the GPU.

To contextualize this rank, consider that the GPU's nearest rivals are all older ATI and AMD parts from the HD 5000 and 7000 series. These are legacy components that are not competitive in modern gaming. The CPU's nearest rivals, meanwhile, include newer Intel Core 3 and Core 5 parts, as well as an older Core i5-9500. This mix shows that the CPU is a more modern and capable component, but it is paired with a GPU that is severely underpowered.

The practical implication of this rank is that this combo is not suitable for Road 96 beyond 1080p Medium settings. The measured data shows that the system struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 1080p with High settings, and it fails entirely at 1440p and 4K. For a builder, this rank serves as a warning that the GPU in this system is the primary weakness. Upgrading to a more capable graphics card would yield a much larger improvement in performance than upgrading the CPU, as the CPU is already in a much stronger relative position.