Road 96

Road 96, the narrative-driven adventure from 2021, presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and Intel Arc B390 combination. The benchmark data reveals a system where the integrated GPU is the primary constraint, with the CPU’s substantial compute headroom going largely unused at higher resolutions. The measured frame rates show a clear hierarchy of performance that is heavily dependent on resolution and graphical preset, placing this combo in the lower percentile of tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and Intel Arc B390 combination in Road 96?

A: The combo ranks 2575 out of 2903 tested combinations in the database. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, indicating that while the game is playable at lower settings, it struggles to compete with more balanced hardware pairings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of synthetic benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. It is only 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), and 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446). These marginal deltas indicate the GPU is operating in a very low performance tier.

Q: What is the best average frame rate achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 94 FPS, which is achieved with the Low preset. With the Medium preset, the average drops to 69 FPS, and with High it is 56 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 60 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 28 FPS. This represents a 53% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest visual quality settings.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 7400F’s CPU performance become a limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: No, the data suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only produces 32 FPS average, while the same preset at 1920x1080 produces 94 FPS. This massive drop in performance with increasing resolution points directly to the integrated GPU as the limiting component.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390’s memory bandwidth a fixed specification?

A: No. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent" and the memory type is "System Shared". This means the GPU uses the system's main memory (DDR5 for this CPU), and its bandwidth will vary depending on the system's memory configuration.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on Intel’s Xe3-LPG architecture. Its role in Road 96 is defined by its limited compute resources and shared memory architecture. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines. Its boost clock is rated at 2500 MHz, and it features 12 ray tracing cores. The raw compute throughput is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

Crucially, the B390's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the host system's DDR5 RAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are not fixed; they are "System Dependent." This is a significant factor in performance, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, and its effective bandwidth is limited by the system's memory configuration, which for the Ryzen 5 7400F is dual-channel with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

This hardware profile results in a GPU that ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are all entry-level dedicated GPUs from a much older generation, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% slower) and the GeForce GT 710 (2.7% slower). This contextualizes the Arc B390's performance ceiling. In Road 96, this translates to a component that is fundamentally challenged to maintain fluid frame rates at common resolutions.

The impact of this GPU limitation is evident in the measured frame rates. At 1920x1080, the GPU manages a 43 FPS average on the Ultra preset, but this falls to 15 FPS at 3840x2160. The scaling of performance with resolution is steep, indicating that the GPU's pixel throughput and fillrate (60.00 GPixel/s) are insufficient for higher resolutions. The data positions the Arc B390 as a part for low-resolution, low-detail gaming, and Road 96 behaves exactly as expected given this profile.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a desktop processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (Raphael codename). It offers 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This CPU is built on a 5 nm process and supports DDR5 memory. Its cache configuration includes a 32 MB shared L3 cache. In synthetic tests, it performs strongly, scoring 21765 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3072 in single-core, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Road 96, the CPU's role is to feed the integrated GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data indicates that the Ryzen 5 7400F is more than capable of this task. The game is not CPU-bound for this combo, as evidenced by the fact that at lower resolutions, where the CPU would typically be the bottleneck, we see a significant increase in frame rate. The jump from 32 FPS at 4K Low to 94 FPS at 1080p Low shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU is.

The CPU's performance headroom is substantial. Its nearest rivals in the database, such as the Intel Core i5-14600T (0.1% slower) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (0.2% faster), have nearly identical average benchmark scores. This means the 7400F provides a stable, high-performance foundation. However, this foundation is wasted in this specific pairing at higher resolutions. The GPU is so weak that it cannot translate the CPU's processing power into higher frame rates. The bottleneck is entirely on the graphics side, making the CPU's performance almost irrelevant to the final FPS numbers at 1440p and 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Road 96 provides a clear performance landscape across three resolutions and four settings presets. The data includes average FPS for all configurations, with minimum and maximum FPS only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combo is most capable. With the Low preset, the average frame rate is 94 FPS, which is a very playable experience. Moving to Medium drops the average to 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 79. The High preset yields an average of 56 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces an average of 43 FPS. This shows a smooth, predictable scaling of performance as settings increase, with a total performance cost of 54% from Low to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the performance hit is significant. The Low preset maintains a 60 FPS average, which is just on the edge of playability. The Medium preset drops to a 44 FPS average (min 37, max 50), the High preset to 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset to 28 FPS. The drop from 1080p is stark, with the same preset losing over 35% of its average FPS.

At 3840x2160, the combo is largely unplayable. The Low preset averages only 32 FPS. The Medium preset manages 23 FPS (min 20, max 27), the High preset drops to 19 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 15 FPS. These frame rates are too low for a smooth experience, indicating that the Arc B390 is not suited for 4K gaming in this title.

The data shows a clear pattern: the system is only capable of achieving a 60 FPS or higher average at 1080p with the Low preset, and at 1440p with the Low preset (exactly 60 FPS). All other configurations fall below this threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2575 out of 2903 tested combos for Road 96. This ranking places it in the lower 11% of all systems tested, a position that reflects the significant imbalance between the CPU and GPU.

The CPU itself is a high performer, ranking in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its benchmark scores are nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with a delta of only 0.1% to 0.3% compared to the Intel Core i5-14600T and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H. This indicates that the processor is not the source of the low ranking.

The problem is the GPU. The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 1482 puts it in the same performance class as decade-old entry-level dedicated graphics cards. The 1.3% to 2.7% deltas versus its nearest rivals (GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM) show that it is at the absolute bottom of the performance spectrum.

Therefore, the combo's rank of 2575 is almost entirely dictated by the GPU's poor performance. The system's overall capability is dragged down by the graphics solution, which cannot keep pace with the demands of Road 96 at higher settings or resolutions. The high-performing CPU is essentially waiting for a GPU that cannot deliver the frames.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends on the user's priority for visual fidelity versus frame rate smoothness.

For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data shows only two viable options. The first is 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which averages 94 FPS. This provides a significant frame rate cushion and ensures a very fluid experience. The second is 2560x1440 with the Low preset, which averages exactly 60 FPS. This offers a higher resolution but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes.

For a balanced visual quality and performance target, the 1920x1080 Medium preset is the best choice. It averages 69 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and provides a substantial visual upgrade over the Low preset. The minimum FPS recorded is 59, suggesting it can mostly hold near 60 FPS.

If visual quality is the top priority, the 1920x1080 High preset is the maximum viable setting, with a 56 FPS average. While this is slightly below a perfect 60 FPS lock, it is likely still playable. The Ultra preset at 1080p (43 FPS) and any preset at 3840x2160 should be avoided, as they produce frame rates that will feel stuttery and unresponsive.

The data suggests that the system is best used at 1080p with Medium or High settings. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best compromise between a fluid frame rate (69 FPS) and a more detailed image than the Low preset.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the Intel Arc B390 as the limiting component. The data shows a dramatic and consistent drop in average frame rate as resolution increases, regardless of the graphics preset.

For the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 94 at 1920x1080 to 60 at 2560x1440, and finally to 32 at 3840x2160. This represents a 66% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K. For the High preset, the drop is from 56 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 1440p and 19 FPS at 4K, a 66% reduction as well.

This pattern is a classic symptom of a GPU bottleneck. When a system is CPU-bound, increasing the resolution has a minimal impact on the frame rate, as the CPU is already working at its maximum capacity. However, when the system is GPU-bound, as it is here, increasing the resolution increases the workload on the GPU's pixel and texture processing units. Since the Arc B390 has limited ROPs (24) and texture units (48), its performance collapses as the pixel count grows.

The fact that the CPU is not the bottleneck is further confirmed by the CPU's high benchmark scores and the fact that the FPS scales nearly linearly with the number of pixels (1080p has 2.07 million pixels, 1440p has 3.69 million, and 4K has 8.29 million). The Arc B390 simply cannot handle the computational load required for higher resolutions in Road 96, making 1080p the only practical resolution for this hardware combination.