Road 96

Road 96, an adventure title from 2021, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B390. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions and quality settings. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the board indicate that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU, the Arc B390's performance ceiling is the defining factor in this gaming experience.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the "Low" settings preset, the average FPS drops from 94 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p, and finally to 32 at 4K. This represents a steep decline, with the 4K average being roughly one-third of the 1080p average. This significant drop-off is a strong indicator that the GPU is the primary limiting component; as the pixel count rises, the rendering workload on the Intel Arc B390 increases dramatically, overwhelming its capabilities.

This trend continues across all quality presets. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at "High" settings, the average FPS falls from 56 to 35. At "Ultra" settings, the same resolution step sees a drop from 43 to 28 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more punishing. At "High" settings, the average FPS collapses from 35 to 19, and at "Ultra," it plummets from 28 to 15. These numbers suggest that the game is not being bottlenecked by the CPU at higher resolutions; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively stable as resolution increases. Instead, the consistent and substantial FPS loss with each resolution step points directly to the GPU's fill-rate and shading limitations being the sole constraint.

The difference between 1080p and 1440p is less catastrophic than the jump to 4K, which suggests the Arc B390 has just enough headroom to handle a 1440p workload, albeit with compromised frame rates on higher presets. However, 4K gaming is effectively out of reach for this combination, with even the "Low" preset only managing an average of 32 FPS. The data clearly indicates that users who wish to play Road 96 with this hardware should target 1080p as their primary resolution for a playable experience, with 1440p being a viable option only if they are willing to compromise significantly on visual quality.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this configuration's performance. Its benchmark results place it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 puts it in the company of much older, entry-level discrete graphics cards. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, and GeForce GT 625 OEM, with score deltas of 1.3%, 1.5%, and 2.5% respectively. While the Arc B390 edges out these competitors, it is clear that its raw graphics processing power is minimal.

The GPU's specifications align with its low benchmark standing. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 render output units (ROPs). It also includes 12 ray tracing cores, but the raw pixel and texture processing rates are low. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, figures that are simply insufficient for the demands of modern gaming at high resolutions. This is reflected in the measured FPS, where the GPU struggles to maintain fluid frame rates even at 1080p. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is respectable, but it cannot compensate for the limited number of execution units and memory bandwidth.

A critical aspect of this GPU is its memory configuration, which is "System Shared." This means the graphics card does not have its own dedicated video memory; instead, it borrows from the system's main RAM. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," indicating that performance is tied to the speed and configuration of the host system's memory. This shared memory architecture is a significant bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU needs to access large amounts of texture and frame buffer data. The fact that the GPU's 3DMark score is most comparable to the GT 710, a card from a bygone era, underscores the severity of this limitation. The data shows this is an integrated-class GPU solution that is not designed for demanding gaming tasks.

CPU Role

In contrast to the GPU, the Intel Core i5-12400 is a more than capable processor for this game. With 6 cores and 12 threads, and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, it provides ample processing power for game logic, physics, and AI. Its benchmark scores are robust, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 indicate strong performance, and its 3DMark max-threads score of 5890 shows good scaling across its cores. The CPU is clearly not the bottleneck in this pairing.

The data supports this conclusion. Since the FPS drops so significantly with resolution increases, it implies that the CPU is delivering frames to the GPU faster than the GPU can render them. At 1080p with "Low" settings, the average FPS of 94 is a high number, suggesting the CPU can handle a high frame rate workload in this game. However, the GPU cannot maintain that pace, and as the resolution increases, the GPU's rendering time increases, causing the FPS to fall. The CPU's performance is effectively "waiting" on the GPU at all settings and resolutions. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 and Intel Core i3-14100F, have comparable average benchmark scores, with deltas of -0.7% and 0.9%, respectively, confirming that the i5-12400 is a solid mid-range performer that is not holding back the system.

The i5-12400's memory support for DDR4 and DDR5, with a dual-channel bus, provides a reasonable platform for the Arc B390's shared memory architecture. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with data locality. Ultimately, the data shows that the i5-12400 is a balanced and strong processor for this game, but its performance is severely underutilized due to the limitations of the Arc B390. The system's overall capability is defined by its weakest link, which is unequivocally the GPU.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Road 96 at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows it is not viable for a smooth experience. At 4K, the highest average FPS achieved was 32 on the "Low" preset. The "High" and "Ultra" presets yielded averages of only 19 and 15 FPS, respectively, which are well below playable thresholds.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware in Road 96?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the most suitable resolution. The system achieves its highest average FPS at 1080p across all settings, with the "Low" preset hitting 94 FPS and the "High" preset reaching 56 FPS. This is the only resolution where the frame rates consistently approach or exceed standard playability targets.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to other GPUs in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is within 3% of older entry-level cards like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce GT 625 OEM, indicating a very low level of raw graphics performance.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a limiting factor for this game?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a 72nd percentile ranking. The significant FPS drops with increased resolution point to the GPU as the sole limiting component, while the CPU's performance headroom remains largely untapped.

Q: What is the performance difference between "Low" and "Ultra" settings at 1440p?

A: The data shows a substantial difference. At 2560x1440, the "Low" preset averages 60 FPS, while the "Ultra" preset averages only 28 FPS. This represents a significant visual quality trade-off for a 32 FPS reduction in frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the experience is the most playable. The "Low" preset leads with an average of 94 FPS, followed by "Medium" at 69 FPS (with a range of 59 to 79 FPS), "High" at 56 FPS, and "Ultra" at 43 FPS. The progression is logical, with each quality increase costing a measurable amount of performance.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates begin to suffer. The "Low" preset still achieves a respectable 60 FPS average. However, "Medium" drops to 44 FPS (ranging from 37 to 50), "High" falls to 35 FPS, and "Ultra" can only manage a 28 FPS average. These numbers suggest that 1440p gaming is only viable on the lowest quality settings for a consistently smooth experience.

The 3840x2160 results are poor across the board. The "Low" preset averages 32 FPS, which is borderline playable but not smooth. "Medium" averages 23 FPS (with a range of 20 to 27), "High" averages 19 FPS, and "Ultra" drops to a slideshow-like 15 FPS. These figures conclusively demonstrate that 4K resolution is not a viable option for this hardware combination in Road 96.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this system is at 1920x1080 resolution. For players who prioritize a high frame rate and smooth gameplay, the "Low" preset is the clear choice, offering an average of 94 FPS. This provides a very fluid experience. For those who want a better visual presentation without sacrificing too much performance, the "Medium" preset is a strong recommendation. It provides a 69 FPS average, which is still very playable, and a minimum recorded FPS of 59, ensuring the experience remains smooth even in demanding scenes.

The "High" preset at 1080p, with its 56 FPS average, is also a viable option for a more visually rich experience, though it may have occasional dips below 60 FPS. The "Ultra" preset at 1080p should be avoided if a consistent frame rate is desired, as its 43 FPS average is noticeably less smooth. At 1440p, the only recommended setting is "Low" for its 60 FPS average. All other settings at this resolution fall below 45 FPS and will result in a less fluid experience. The data clearly shows that the best balance of visual quality and performance is achieved by selecting the "Medium" preset at 1080p, offering a significant graphical upgrade over "Low" while maintaining an average frame rate above 60.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Road 96, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B390 ranks near the very bottom. The combo rank is 2575 out of 2903 total tested combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations, which is a direct consequence of the Arc B390's extremely low benchmark performance. While the CPU is a solid performer, the GPU's limitations drag the entire system down to a rank that is more typical of entry-level or integrated graphics solutions.

This low ranking is consistent with the GPU's individual performance metrics. The Arc B390's 9th percentile ranking and its comparable performance to the GeForce GT 710 series highlight that this is a graphics solution with a very low performance ceiling. Consequently, the overall system ranking is a reflection of the GPU's inability to keep pace with the demands of the game, even at moderate resolutions and settings. The data indicates that while the CPU could support a much better gaming experience, the GPU prevents this combo from achieving anything beyond the most basic levels of playability in Road 96.