Road 96

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread desktop processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 9 MB L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 5141 and single-core score of 1389. The average benchmark score across all tests is 2254, placing it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs. Its closest rivals in average score are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259 (0.2% faster), the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 (0.3% slower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 (0.4% slower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264 (0.4% faster). These deltas indicate that the i5-9400 sits in a tightly contested performance band, with no rival more than 0.4% ahead or behind in aggregate CPU benchmarks.

For Road 96, an adventure title, the CPU's role is to maintain consistent frame pacing across scenes. The six physical cores without hyper-threading mean the processor relies on raw core count rather than thread duplication. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 85 FPS average, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower graphical loads. However, the 47th percentile ranking indicates this is a mid-pack processor, and the measured frame rates in this game show that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, where GPU load dominates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2680 out of 2903 tested combos in Road 96. This places the combo in the bottom 8th percentile of all system pairings tested for this game, indicating that this configuration sits well below the median performer. The rank reflects the combined capability of both components, and the data shows that this pairing produces playable frame rates only at lower resolutions and settings.

To contextualize this rank, consider that 2903 total combos were measured, meaning 2680 other system pairings performed better than this one in Road 96. Only 223 combos ranked lower. This is a significant finding — it suggests that both the CPU and GPU are on the lower end of the performance spectrum for this title. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs is higher than the combo's overall rank, which implies the GPU is dragging the system down more than the processor. The Arc B370's 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs supports this interpretation, as it is a very low-performing graphics solution.

The delta between the CPU's percentile and the combo's percentile is stark. The i5-9400 sits near the middle of CPU performance, but when paired with the Arc B370, the system falls to the bottom of combo rankings. This indicates that in Road 96, the graphics component is the limiting factor for overall system performance. The data shows that this combo is not competitive with most other tested pairings, and users should expect frame rates well below the median for this game.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear resolution scaling pattern that identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the combo averages 85 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 54 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 29 FPS, which is a 66% reduction from 1080p and a 46% reduction from 1440p. This steep decline with increasing resolution is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, as the rendering load scales with pixel count.

Looking at High settings, the pattern continues. At 1080p High, the average is 50 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 32 FPS (36% reduction), and at 4K High, it falls to 17 FPS (66% reduction from 1080p). The percentage drops are nearly identical between Low and High settings when moving from 1080p to 1440p and from 1440p to 4K, which indicates a consistent GPU-bound behavior regardless of graphical complexity.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows the Arc B370 struggling with pixel throughput. The GPU's specifications support this: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, 20 raster output units, and a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s. At 4K, the pixel count is roughly four times that of 1080p, and the FPS drops roughly 66% to 80% depending on settings, which is less than the theoretical 75% reduction that pure pixel-bound scaling would predict. This suggests some level of CPU involvement at lower resolutions that diminishes as resolution increases, but the overall trend is clearly GPU-dominated.

The fact that 4K Ultra averages only 13 FPS, while 4K Low averages 29 FPS, shows that the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates at 4K under any settings. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being marginal and 4K being impractical for Road 96.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured data provides average FPS for all twelve resolution and settings combinations, with minimum and maximum values only recorded for Medium settings. Here is the complete breakdown:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 85 FPS average
• Medium: 62 FPS average, with minimum 53 FPS and maximum 72 FPS
• High: 50 FPS average
• Ultra: 39 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 54 FPS average
• Medium: 40 FPS average, with minimum 34 FPS and maximum 46 FPS
• High: 32 FPS average
• Ultra: 25 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 29 FPS average
• Medium: 21 FPS average, with minimum 18 FPS and maximum 24 FPS
• High: 17 FPS average
• Ultra: 13 FPS average

The Medium settings rows provide the only frame time variance data. At 1080p Medium, the range between minimum and maximum is 19 FPS (53 to 72), which represents a 36% swing around the average of 62 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 12 FPS (34 to 46), a 30% swing around the 40 FPS average. At 4K Medium, the range compresses to 6 FPS (18 to 24), a 29% swing around the 21 FPS average. This pattern shows that frame time consistency improves as resolution increases, which is typical of GPU-bound workloads where the GPU is consistently saturated.

The step from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 23 FPS (85 to 62), while Medium to High costs another 12 FPS (62 to 50), and High to Ultra costs 11 FPS (50 to 39). The diminishing returns are clear: the largest performance hit comes from moving off Low settings. At 1440p, the steps are 14 FPS (Low to Medium), 8 FPS (Medium to High), and 7 FPS (High to Ultra). At 4K, the steps are 8 FPS, 4 FPS, and 4 FPS respectively. The absolute FPS cost of each settings tier decreases as resolution increases, because the GPU is already heavily loaded.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve playable frame rates. At 1080p, even Ultra averages 39 FPS, while Low reaches 85 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 25 FPS, and at 4K, the best average is 29 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher). All rivals are within 0.4% of the i5-9400's score.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor in Road 96?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. FPS drops by roughly 36% from 1080p to 1440p and another 46-50% from 1440p to 4K, regardless of settings. The GPU's 5th percentile ranking versus the CPU's 47th percentile also supports this conclusion.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with this combo?

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 13 on Ultra to 29 on Low. Medium averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 FPS and maximum of 24 FPS. High averages 17 FPS. None of these are consistently playable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% lower).

Q: What is the smoothest experience available with this combo?

A: The data indicates 1080p Low provides the highest average FPS at 85, with no frame time variance recorded. If visual quality is prioritized, 1080p Medium offers 62 FPS average with a minimum of 53 FPS, which maintains a consistent experience above common 60 FPS thresholds.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and the user's preference for smoothness versus visual fidelity. The data provides clear guidance for each resolution tier.

At 1080p, all four presets produce average frame rates above 39 FPS. Low settings deliver 85 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings provide 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, ensuring that frame rate rarely dips below 50 FPS. High settings average 50 FPS, while Ultra averages 39 FPS. For the best balance of smoothness and visual quality, Medium at 1080p is the recommended preset, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS while offering improved visuals over Low. The minimum of 53 FPS indicates acceptable frame pacing, and the maximum of 72 FPS shows headroom for less demanding scenes.

At 1440p, the situation changes. Low settings average 54 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 FPS, High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. For playable performance, Low is the only preset that stays above 50 FPS average. Medium is borderline, with the minimum of 34 FPS potentially causing noticeable stutter in fast-paced scenes. If the user prioritizes frame rate, Low at 1440p is the safest choice. If visual fidelity is more important and the user can tolerate occasional dips, Medium provides a modest improvement in quality at the cost of 14 FPS average.

At 4K, no preset achieves a consistently playable frame rate. Low averages 29 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS, High averages 17 FPS, and Ultra averages 13 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Road 96. Users should drop to 1440p or 1080p for a better experience.

The data also reveals diminishing returns when moving from Low to Medium at each resolution. At 1080p, the cost is 23 FPS; at 1440p, it is 14 FPS; at 4K, it is 8 FPS. The settings tier with the best performance per visual improvement is Medium at 1080p, where the 62 FPS average with a 53 FPS minimum provides a solid experience without the visual compromises of Low.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B370 is a graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process node. It features a chip codenamed Panther Lake and belongs to the Arc Graphics-M generation. The GPU operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its memory configuration is system-shared, meaning it uses the host system's memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as system-dependent.

The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. It also includes 10 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). The TDP is 25 W, and it is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) with a slot width of IGP and no power connectors. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1184, placing it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 at 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M at 1192 (0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 at 1168 (1.4% lower). This places the Arc B370 in the same performance tier as GPUs from over a decade ago, which explains its poor showing in Road 96.

The GPU's role in Road 96 is critical, as the resolution scaling data shows it is the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the 85 FPS average suggests the GPU can handle the game at lower pixel counts and reduced visual complexity. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's limited pixel throughput (48.00 GPixel/s) becomes a severe constraint. The 4K results, ranging from 13 to 29 FPS, demonstrate that the Arc B370 does not have the rasterization capacity for high-resolution gaming.

The system-shared memory configuration means the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth. The i5-9400 provides 42.7 GB/s of dual-channel DDR4 bandwidth, which is shared between the CPU and GPU. This shared memory architecture likely contributes to the performance degradation at higher resolutions, where the GPU requires more memory bandwidth for larger frame buffers. The system-dependent bandwidth figure underscores that the GPU's performance is tied to the host system's memory capabilities, and the i5-9400's memory support is a limiting factor.

The 5th percentile GPU ranking, combined with the combo's 2680th rank out of 2903, paints a clear picture: the Arc B370 is the weak link in this system for Road 96. While the CPU is mid-pack, the GPU's performance is near the bottom of all tested graphics solutions. The measured frame rates reflect this, with playable performance limited to 1080p and modest settings.