Road 96

Road 96, an adventure title from 2021, presents a unique challenge for the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B370 combination. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics subsystem, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, placing the combo's output in context against other tested hardware pairings and dissecting the roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping the final framerate.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and clearly identifies the Intel Arc B370 as the primary limiting component. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 50 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that average to 32 FPS, a 36% reduction. The leap to 4K is even more punishing, with the average falling to just 17 FPS, a 66% decline from the 1080p result. This steep scaling curve is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario, where the render resolution outpaces the capabilities of the graphics processor.

The data suggests that the Core i5-10400F is not the bottleneck in this equation. At 1080p Low settings, the average FPS jumps to 85, indicating that the CPU has significant headroom to feed the GPU. If the processor were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta between resolution steps, as the CPU workload would remain constant while the GPU work increased. Instead, the framerate nearly halves at each major resolution step, pointing squarely at the Arc B370's inability to maintain throughput as pixel count rises.

Further evidence of the GPU bottleneck is visible in the 4K Medium preset, which shows an average of 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24. The narrow range of these frametimes suggests a consistent, hard limit imposed by the graphics hardware rather than erratic CPU-related stutters. This pattern repeats across all settings tiers, reinforcing that the Arc B370 is working at its absolute limit to process the geometry and shading required at 4K, regardless of the quality preset.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Road 96, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B370 lands at rank 2680 out of 2903 total combos. This places it in the bottom 7.7% of all tested systems for this game, a position that aligns perfectly with the raw performance numbers observed in the FPS data. The rank is a holistic view, suggesting that while the CPU is a competent mid-range part, the overall system performance is dragged down significantly by the GPU.

The combo's percentile standing among all GPUs is 5, while the CPU sits at the 68th percentile among all processors. This massive disparity in percentile rankings is the most telling statistic of the entire data set. It quantifies the imbalance of this pairing, showing a processor that is relatively capable paired with a graphics solution that is in the bottom 5% of all GPUs tested. In the context of Road 96, this means the system's overall rank is dictated almost entirely by the Arc B370's performance class.

Looking at the nearest rivals for the GPU helps to contextualize its position. The Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 is nearly identical to that of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), with negligible delta percentages. This puts the modern Arc B370, despite its advanced architecture, in the same performance bracket as graphics cards from over a decade ago in this specific workload. It's a sobering comparison that highlights the vast gulf between its theoretical capabilities and its real-world gaming performance in this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process node. Its specifications, including a 300 MHz base clock and a 2400 MHz boost clock, are overshadowed by its memory configuration, which is "System Shared." This means the GPU relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, and the bandwidth is "System Dependent," a factor that can severely impact performance in memory-intensive scenarios.

The GPU's raw compute numbers, such as 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 and a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s, are not reflected in the measured FPS. This discrepancy suggests that the shared memory architecture and the lack of dedicated video memory are the primary bottlenecks. In an adventure game like Road 96, which likely has streaming and texture loading demands, the reliance on system memory bandwidth can cause significant frame drops, especially when resolution and texture quality increase. The GPU's performance percentile of 5 and its ranking alongside much older discrete cards indicate that its real-world gaming performance is heavily throttled by its design as an integrated solution.

The GPU's nearest rivals, all with scores within a 1.4% delta, include the AMD FirePro M2000 and the ATI Radeon HD 7650M. This positioning is a critical data point. It shows that despite being a new product with modern features like DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 support, the Arc B370's execution in Road 96 is comparable to legacy hardware. The 10 RT cores and 1280 shading units are present on paper, but the system's shared memory setup likely prevents them from being fully utilized, resulting in the low FPS figures observed across all resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's capabilities across different settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system shows its best performance. The Low preset yields an average of 85 FPS, which is playable. The High preset drops to 50 FPS, and the Medium preset lands at 62 FPS with a range of 53 to 72. The Ultra preset, however, brings the average down to 39 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for a smooth experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset still manages an average of 54 FPS, which is acceptable. The High preset falls to 32 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 40 FPS (with a min/max of 34/46). The Ultra preset at this resolution averages just 25 FPS, making it a poor choice for gameplay. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent ~36% performance loss across most settings, highlighting the GPU's struggle with the increased pixel workload.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo is essentially non-functional for smooth gameplay. The Low preset is the only one that approaches a playable framerate, averaging 29 FPS. The Medium preset averages 21 FPS, High averages 17 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to a mere 13 FPS. These numbers make 4K gaming with this hardware an impractical endeavor, as even the lowest settings cannot consistently maintain a 30 FPS floor. The data is a clear indicator that this resolution is beyond the Arc B370's capabilities in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This setting provides a 62 FPS average, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the minimum of 53 FPS indicates good frame pacing without severe dips. While the Low preset offers a higher average (85 FPS), the Medium preset likely provides a better visual experience without a significant stability risk.

For users who prioritize framerate over visual fidelity, the 1080p Low preset is the safest choice, as it offers the highest average FPS. Conversely, the 1080p High preset is a viable option for those who want better visuals, but the 50 FPS average is a compromise that may not suit all players. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions, as it fails to provide a smooth experience even at 1080p (39 FPS average) and becomes unplayable at higher resolutions.

At 1440p, the Low preset (54 FPS average) is the only reasonable setting for a decent experience. The Medium preset's 40 FPS average is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets are too demanding. 4K is not a viable option for this hardware, with even the Low preset falling below the 30 FPS playability threshold. Therefore, the recommendation is to stick to 1080p Medium or Low for the best balance of performance and stability.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system in Road 96?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 with the Medium preset is the best choice, providing a 62 FPS average with a minimum of 53 FPS. This is the only tested configuration that consistently delivers a smooth experience above the 60 FPS mark.

Q: Can this combo play Road 96 at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only averages 29 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth play. The Ultra preset averages just 13 FPS, making 4K resolution impractical for this hardware.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 is virtually identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), with a delta of only -0.2% and -0.5% respectively. This puts it in the same performance tier as those older cards.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F the bottleneck in this system?

A: No, the data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's benchmarks place it in the 68th percentile, and the FPS scales heavily with resolution, indicating that the graphics processor cannot keep up with the increased workload as resolution rises.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the system averages 50 FPS. At 1440p High, the average drops to 32 FPS. This represents a 36% decrease in performance when moving up one resolution step.

Q: What is the overall rank of this combo for Road 96?

A: This combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2680 out of 2903 tested combos, placing it in the bottom percentile of systems tested for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It is a desktop part with a 65W TDP, and its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10283 and a Geekbench multicore score of 6257, place it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates a solid mid-range processor capable of handling modern gaming workloads.

In the context of Road 96, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The 3DMark single-thread score of 688 and the 2-thread score of 1350 show reasonable single-core performance, which is often important for game logic. However, the FPS data shows that the system's performance is not CPU-limited. At 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 85, a number that would likely be much lower if the processor were struggling to keep up with the game's simulation.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Xeon 6756E and AMD EPYC 7552, have nearly identical average benchmark scores with deltas of 0.2% and 0.5%, respectively. This shows that the i5-10400F is performing as expected for its class. The bottleneck in this system is the GPU. The CPU is providing frames faster than the Arc B370 can render them, especially at higher resolutions. The data implies that if this processor were paired with a more capable graphics card, the overall performance in Road 96 would improve dramatically, as the CPU has ample headroom to deliver higher framerates.