Road 96

Road 96, an adventure title released in 2021, presents a unique challenge for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and Intel Arc B390 combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across all settings and resolutions, examines the role of each component, and contextualizes the results against other tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for playable performance?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 with Low settings provides the highest average at 94 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and smoothness, 2560x1440 with Low settings achieves an average of 60 FPS, while 1920x1080 with High settings yields 56 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460). It is 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: What is the impact of the CPU's cache configuration on its benchmark scores?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D features a large 96 MB shared L3 cache. Its Passmark multithread score is 20363, and its single-thread score is 2941, positioning it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck when running Road 96 at 4K?

A: The data indicates a severe GPU bottleneck. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 19 on High settings and 15 on Ultra, while the CPU's strong benchmark scores suggest it is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

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

A: At 1920x1080, moving from Low (94 FPS) to Ultra (43 FPS) results in a performance drop of 51 FPS, a reduction of more than half the frame rate. This shows a significant scaling cost for the highest preset.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Road 96?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2575 out of 2903 tested combos, placing it in the lower percentile of all systems benchmarked for this game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process node. Its role in Road 96 is defined by the constraints of its memory subsystem. The GPU uses "System Shared" memory, meaning its VRAM capacity, bus width, and bandwidth are all dependent on the system's main memory configuration. This is a fundamental factor in its performance profile.

Clock speeds for the Arc B390 range from a base of 300 MHz to a boost of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. Its theoretical pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS. These specifications, combined with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, place the GPU in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

In the context of Road 96, the GPU's performance is the dominant factor. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (15 FPS) is a clear indicator that the Arc B390 is overwhelmed at this resolution and preset. The performance scaling between resolutions suggests that the shared memory bandwidth and limited fill rate are the primary bottlenecks. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the demand on the GPU increases exponentially, leading to rapid frame rate degradation. The GPU's low percentile ranking (9th) relative to its peers is consistent with its performance in this game, where it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data for this specific hardware combination provides clear guidance on how to configure Road 96 for the best experience. The primary goal is to achieve a playable frame rate, and the data shows that this is only consistently possible at lower settings.

For a target of 60 FPS, the only configuration that meets this exactly is 2560x1440 with Low settings. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver an average of 94 FPS, which is the highest performance recorded. This is the recommended starting point for players with high refresh rate displays, as it provides the most headroom and smoothest experience.

If visual fidelity is a priority, 1920x1080 with High settings provides an average of 56 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 69 FPS, offering a middle ground between visual quality and performance. However, at 2560x1440, the Medium preset drops to 44 FPS, which may be less desirable for fast-paced gameplay.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this combination. At 1080p, it averages 43 FPS, and at 1440p, it drops to 28 FPS. The data indicates that the visual improvement from High to Ultra does not justify the significant performance cost. For the best overall experience, the data suggests using 1920x1080 with Medium settings (69 FPS) or 2560x1440 with Low settings (60 FPS), depending on whether resolution or detail is more important to the user.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data offers a complete picture of the performance envelope for this hardware in Road 96.

At 1920x1080, the results are:

• Low: 94 FPS average
• Medium: 69 FPS average (min 59, max 79)
• High: 56 FPS average
• Ultra: 43 FPS average

This resolution shows a linear scaling of performance, with a 51 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets. The Medium preset's minimum of 59 FPS indicates that it can occasionally dip below 60 FPS, while the High and Ultra presets are consistently below that threshold.

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: 60 FPS average
• Medium: 44 FPS average (min 37, max 50)
• High: 35 FPS average
• Ultra: 28 FPS average

The transition from 1080p to 1440p has a significant impact. The Low preset drops from 94 FPS to 60 FPS, a 36% reduction. The Ultra preset drops from 43 FPS to 28 FPS, a 35% reduction. This confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the performance penalty scales proportionally with the pixel count increase.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 32 FPS average
• Medium: 23 FPS average (min 20, max 27)
• High: 19 FPS average
• Ultra: 15 FPS average

At 4K, no preset achieves a playable frame rate. The Low preset is the only one that approaches 30 FPS, but the Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below 24 FPS, making them effectively unplayable for a smooth experience. The data clearly shows that this GPU is not suited for 4K gaming in Road 96.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the nature of the limiting component. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on High settings, the FPS drops from 56 to 35, a reduction of 37.5%. Scaling further to 3840x2160 on High settings, the FPS drops to 19, which is a 66% reduction from the 1080p result.

This pattern is consistent across all settings. For example, on Low settings, the FPS drops from 94 (1080p) to 60 (1440p) to 32 (4K). The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is a 36% drop, and the reduction from 1440p to 4K is a 47% drop. This non-linear scaling is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of memory bandwidth or fill rate as the pixel workload increases.

The data indicates that the Intel Arc B390, with its system-dependent shared memory bandwidth, is the primary limiting component. The CPU, with its high Passmark scores, is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller performance difference between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant while the GPU workload increases. Instead, the FPS drops dramatically with each resolution increase, confirming that the GPU is saturated.

The scaling suggests that the Arc B390's performance in Road 96 is primarily bound by its memory subsystem. As the resolution increases, the demand on the shared system memory for frame buffer data increases, and the GPU's throughput is unable to keep pace. This leads to the steep decline in frame rates observed in the data.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture (codename Vermeer) and manufactured on a 7 nm process. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU has a TDP of 105 W and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

A key feature of this CPU is its cache hierarchy. It has a 64 KB L1 cache per core, a 512 KB L2 cache per core, and a substantial 96 MB shared L3 cache. This large L3 cache is designed to reduce memory latency and improve performance in cache-sensitive workloads.

In Passmark benchmarks, the CPU achieves a multithread score of 20363 and a single-thread score of 2941. Its average benchmark score is 37018, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals in terms of average score are the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.2%), the Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, +0.2%). These scores show that the 5500X3D is a capable processor, performing within a narrow band of its direct competitors.

In the context of Road 96, the CPU role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The FPS data shows a consistent pattern of GPU-limited performance, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops at higher resolutions. Given the CPU's strong benchmark scores and its position in the 85th percentile, it is unlikely to be the bottleneck at any of the tested resolutions. The processor provides more than enough computational headroom for the game's logic and physics, but the Arc B390 cannot translate that headroom into higher frame rates at demanding settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2575 out of 2903 tested combos in Road 96. This places the system in the bottom 11% of all configurations benchmarked for this game.

This low ranking is directly attributable to the GPU's performance. While the CPU is a strong performer, sitting in the 85th percentile of all processors, the GPU is in the 9th percentile. The pairing of a high-end CPU with a very low-end GPU creates a significant imbalance that is reflected in the overall ranking.

The combo's rank of 2575 indicates that the majority of other tested systems, even those with less powerful CPUs, achieve better performance in Road 96 because they are paired with more capable graphics solutions. The data suggests that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary factor holding this configuration back, as its performance is insufficient to drive the game at higher resolutions or settings.

The measured FPS results confirm this analysis. The system's inability to maintain 60 FPS at 1080p on High settings, and its failure to reach 30 FPS at 4K on any preset, are clear indicators of its limitations. Consequently, this combo is best suited for gaming at 1080p with Low to Medium settings, where it can provide a playable experience. For users seeking higher visual fidelity or higher resolutions, the data from other combos would likely show that a more powerful discrete GPU is necessary to achieve a better rank and a smoother gameplay experience.