Road 96

Road 96 with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B390 produces a severely GPU-limited experience, with performance collapsing at higher resolutions and settings. The data indicates that this combo is only viable for low-resolution, low-setting play, ranking in the bottom 11.3% of all tested configurations for this title. The processor’s substantial compute resources are effectively idle, as the integrated graphics solution becomes the overwhelming bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals a system entirely constrained by the graphics processor. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 94 FPS at 1920x1080 to 60 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 36.2%. The decline continues to 32 FPS at 3840x2160, which represents a 66.0% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is consistent across all quality presets, indicating that the rendering pipeline, not the CPU, dictates the frame rate.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similarly punishing. The average FPS drops from 69 at 1080p to 44 at 1440p, a 36.2% loss, and then to 23 at 4K, a 66.7% loss from the starting point. The High preset follows the same trajectory, with averages of 56, 35, and 19 FPS across the three resolutions, representing a 37.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 66.1% drop from 1080p to 4K. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, shows a slightly less severe relative decline, moving from 43 FPS at 1080p to 28 FPS at 1440p and 15 FPS at 4K.

The consistency of these percentage losses across every settings tier is a clear diagnostic indicator. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the frame rate to remain relatively flat when the resolution increases, as the processor’s workload would stay constant. Instead, the frame rate plummets proportionally with the pixel count, which is the definitive signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The Arc B390’s 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for the pixel throughput demanded by 4K, regardless of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s capabilities.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its role in this pairing is to render frames, and the data shows it is the primary determinant of performance. The GPU’s boost clock of 2500 MHz and base clock of 300 MHz are supported by 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 render output units (ROPs). These specifications produce a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s.

Crucially, the GPU uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM of its own. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent". This architecture forces the GPU to rely on the system's DDR5 memory, which is shared with the CPU. While the Ryzen 7 9800X3D supports dual-channel DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, the latency and bandwidth contention from shared memory access can further exacerbate performance issues in demanding scenarios.

The benchmark results for the GPU are telling. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 1482 points, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts, including the GeForce GT 520MX (scoring 1463, 1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M (scoring 1460, 1.5% slower), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM (scoring 1446, 2.5% slower). This positioning confirms that the Arc B390’s raw 3D performance is comparable to entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago, which explains its inability to drive modern game resolutions smoothly.

The GPU’s 12 ray tracing cores are present, but given the overall performance envelope, they are unlikely to provide a usable experience in any modern title with ray tracing enabled. The FP16 performance of 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1) is double the FP32 rate, but this advantage is rarely exploitable in standard game rendering. The data indicates that for Road 96, the GPU’s capabilities are so limited that the CPU’s 3DMark scores, which are in the 87th percentile, are irrelevant to the final frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Road 96 with this hardware combo?

A: The only resolution that provides a consistently playable frame rate is 1920x1080. At this resolution, the Low preset averages 94 FPS, and even the High preset manages 56 FPS. The 2560x1440 resolution is borderline, with only the Low preset achieving a 60 FPS average, while 3840x2160 is not viable for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The data strongly suggests the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU’s high benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23230, indicate it has ample headroom that is not being utilized.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B390 scores 1482. It is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M (1460). It is 2.5% faster than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446) and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710 (1443).

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 94 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 43 FPS. This represents a 54.3% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Does the Arc B390 have dedicated video memory?

A: No. The GPU's memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared". Its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent", meaning it relies on the system's DDR5 memory rather than having its own dedicated VRAM.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2575 out of 2903 tested combos for Road 96, placing it in the bottom 11.3% of all configurations. This low ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates, which are generally below 60 FPS except at 1080p with Low or Medium settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a clear, albeit narrow, path for playable performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, with an average of 94 FPS. The Medium preset also breaks the 60 FPS barrier, averaging 69 FPS, which makes it a viable option for users who prioritize visual fidelity over a high refresh rate. The High preset drops to 56 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced scenes, while the Ultra preset falls to 43 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay.

For users with a 2560x1440 monitor, the options are severely limited. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a 60 FPS average, while the Medium preset drops to 44 FPS, High to 35 FPS, and Ultra to 28 FPS. None of these higher presets provide a consistently smooth experience at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset is recommended for gameplay. The Low preset averages 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for acceptable motion fluidity. The Medium preset averages 23 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. These frame rates are all too low for a playable experience.

The best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration delivers an average of 69 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target, while providing a modest visual upgrade over the Low preset. The measured minimum of 59 FPS and maximum of 79 FPS for this preset show a stable frame time distribution, with only minor dips below the average. For users who prefer maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p is the optimal choice, as it provides the highest average FPS of any tested configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2575 out of 2903 tested combos for Road 96. This places the configuration in the bottom 11.3% of all systems tested, a position that reflects the GPU's severe performance limitations rather than the CPU's capabilities. The data shows that this pairing is fundamentally unbalanced for this game, as the high-end processor is paired with an integrated GPU that performs at a level comparable to entry-level discrete GPUs from a previous generation.

The GPU’s 9th percentile standing among all GPUs, based on its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, is the primary driver of this low combo rank. The CPU, by contrast, ranks in the 87th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39768. This significant disparity in performance tiers creates a situation where the system's overall gaming capability is dictated entirely by its weakest link.

The nearest rivals for the GPU in synthetic benchmarks—the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, and GeForce GT 625 OEM—are all parts that would be considered obsolete for modern gaming. The fact that the Arc B390 is only 1.3% to 2.5% faster than these parts in the 3DMark test underscores the magnitude of the bottleneck. Consequently, the combo’s rank of 2575 is a direct consequence of the GPU’s low absolute performance, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the GPU’s inability to render frames at an acceptable rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B390 combination in Road 96.

1920x1080

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

2560x1440

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

3840x2160

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

The data shows a consistent pattern of frame rate reduction as resolution increases and as settings are raised. The largest single drop occurs when moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Low settings, where the average FPS falls from 60 to 32, a 46.7% decrease. The smallest relative difference between adjacent settings is between High and Ultra at 1080p, where the average FPS drops from 56 to 43, a 23.2% decrease. These numbers confirm that the system is operating at the extreme edge of its rendering capability at all times, with only the lowest resolution and quality settings providing a playable experience.