Road 96

Road 96 pairs the Intel Core i7-12700K with the Intel Arc B370, a combination that produces a dramatic and telling performance profile. The measured frame rates reveal a system where the integrated graphics solution is unequivocally the primary constraint, struggling to keep pace with the demands of higher resolutions and quality presets. While the processor is a high-end desktop part, the data shows that gaming performance is almost entirely dictated by the Arc B370's output, which ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the CPU and GPU roles, and explains what the combo's rank of 2680 out of 2903 tested combinations implies for Road 96.

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

The measured FPS data for Road 96 shows a severe and predictable decline as resolution increases, a classic symptom of a system bottlenecked by its graphics processor. At the 1920x1080 "Low" preset, the system achieves an average of 85 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 "Low", performance drops to 54 FPS, and at 3840x2160 "Low", it falls to 29 FPS. This scaling pattern is stark: performance is nearly halved with each step up in resolution, indicating that the GPU is working at its absolute limit to fill the increasing number of pixels.

The story is similar across other settings, but the absolute numbers are lower. At the "Medium" preset, the average frame rate goes from 62 FPS at 1920x1080, to 40 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 21 FPS at 3840x2160. The "High" preset follows the same trajectory, with averages of 50, 32, and 17 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. The "Ultra" preset, which is the most demanding, yields only 39 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, and a practically unplayable 13 FPS at 4K.

This data strongly implies that the limiting component is the Intel Arc B370. A more powerful CPU, like the Core i7-12700K, would not compensate for the GPU's inability to process the scene at higher resolutions. The consistent halving of frame rates as pixel count quadruples (from 1080p to 4K) is a hallmark of pixel-bound rendering, which is the domain of the GPU. The CPU's performance, while crucial for physics and game logic, is not the factor preventing higher frame rates here. The benchmark results indicate that the graphics solution is simply overwhelmed by the rendering load at 1440p and 4K, regardless of the quality preset.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 20 threads, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 and a single-core score of 1850.5. In the context of Road 96, an adventure game, the CPU's role is to handle the game's logic, physics, and asset streaming, but the measured frame rates show that it is not the limiting factor.

Given the GPU's low performance, the Core i7-12700K is likely underutilized. At 1080p "Low" settings, where the GPU is least stressed, the system manages 85 FPS. While this is the highest average recorded, it is still a modest number for such a capable processor. This suggests that even at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do, the Arc B370 is still preventing the system from achieving significantly higher frame rates that the CPU could easily support. The CPU's 3dmark single-thread score of 1043 and passmark single-thread score of 4013 indicate strong single-core performance, which is important for game logic, but it is not being fully leveraged.

The data implies that the processor is not the bottleneck. If it were, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU workload would be constant. Instead, the FPS scales directly with the number of pixels, confirming that the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU is capable of far more, but the system's output is capped by the Arc B370's rendering capabilities. The high core count and clock speeds of the i7-12700K are essentially irrelevant to the final frame rate in this specific configuration, as the GPU is unable to translate that processing power into more frames.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2680 out of 2903 tested combos for Road 96. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, a surprisingly low position given the high-end nature of the processor. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance, which, as noted, ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 1184.

This low combo rank is not due to the CPU's performance. The Core i7-12700K's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-13600T and Intel Core i7-12700KF, have average benchmark scores that are essentially identical, with deltaPct values of -0.1% and -0.2% respectively. This shows that the processor is performing as expected and is not a weak link. The issue is entirely the graphics solution. The Arc B370's nearest rivals, like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, have deltaPct values of -0.2% and -0.5%, indicating that the Arc B370 is on par with these much older, low-power parts.

The data suggests that this combo is severely unbalanced for gaming. The CPU is a top-tier component, while the GPU is a low-power integrated solution. In Road 96, this imbalance results in a poor ranking because the game's performance is so heavily dependent on the GPU. A system with a more balanced pairing, even with a slower CPU, would likely rank higher as long as the GPU was more capable. The combo's rank of 2680 out of 2903 is a clear indicator that the Arc B370 is holding back the entire system.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system is most capable. The "Low" preset achieves an average of 85 FPS, which is the best result in the entire dataset. The "Medium" preset yields an average of 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 72. The "High" preset drops to an average of 50 FPS, and the "Ultra" preset averages 39 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system can handle most presets at playable frame rates, though "Ultra" is starting to become a challenge.

At 2560x1440, performance takes a significant hit. The "Low" preset averages 54 FPS, which is a substantial drop from the 85 FPS seen at 1080p. The "Medium" preset averages 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46. The "High" preset averages 32 FPS, and the "Ultra" preset drops to an average of 25 FPS. At this resolution, only the "Low" preset provides a consistently smooth experience, while "Medium" is borderline and "High" and "Ultra" become increasingly difficult to play.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the system struggles. The "Low" preset averages 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The "Medium" preset averages 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24. The "High" preset averages 17 FPS, and the "Ultra" preset drops to a mere 13 FPS. This resolution is effectively unplayable for this combo, as even the lowest settings fail to produce a playable frame rate. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable option for the Intel Arc B370 in this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in Road 96?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 85, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the "Low" settings preset.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K or the Intel Arc B370 the bottleneck in this system for Road 96?

A: The data indicates the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component. Performance scales dramatically with resolution, which is a GPU-centric workload. The CPU, with its high benchmark scores, is not the cause of the low frame rates.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 29 with "Low" settings. The "Medium" preset averages 21 FPS, and "Ultra" averages 13 FPS. These results indicate that 4K is not a playable resolution for this configuration.

Q: How does the Core i7-12700K compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-13600T and Intel Core i7-12700KF, have scores of 35305 and 35365, respectively, showing a performance difference of only -0.1% and -0.2%.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K + Intel Arc B370 combo is ranked 2680 out of 2903 tested combinations for Road 96.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use for a smooth experience at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the "Low" preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 54 FPS. The "Medium" preset drops to 40 FPS, which is less smooth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the only viable option is to play at 1920x1080 with the "Low" settings preset, which achieves an average of 85 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a significant headroom above 60 FPS. If you are willing to accept a lower frame rate, the "Medium" preset at 1080p is a good choice, as it yields an average of 62 FPS, which is still relatively smooth, with a minimum of 53 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the data shows that no preset can deliver a consistent 60 FPS. The "Low" preset is the only one that offers a playable experience, with an average of 54 FPS. The "Medium" preset, with an average of 40 FPS, is more demanding and may result in noticeable stuttering. For the best balance of visual quality and performance at this resolution, the "Low" preset is the only sensible recommendation.

At 3840x2160, the data indicates that the game is not playable. Even the "Low" preset only manages an average of 29 FPS, which is far below the threshold for a smooth experience. The "Ultra" preset at 4K, with an average of 13 FPS, is effectively a slideshow. Therefore, no settings recommendation can be made for 4K, as all presets result in an unplayable experience. Users should avoid this resolution entirely with this hardware. The best experience is clearly at 1080p, where the "Low" and "Medium" presets offer the only playable frame rates.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its memory is "System Shared", meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory (DDR4 or DDR5) rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a fundamental limitation for gaming, as shared memory has lower bandwidth and higher latency than dedicated graphics memory, which can severely impact performance in texture-heavy scenes.

The GPU's performance in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, which are very old and low-power parts. This context is crucial for understanding the Road 96 results. The GPU's low compute power, measured at 6.144 TFLOPS FP32, and its lack of dedicated memory are the primary reasons for the low frame rates.

The GPU's clock speed of 2400 MHz is not enough to compensate for its other limitations. The data shows that the Arc B370 is simply not designed for the demands of modern gaming at high resolutions. Its performance in Road 96, where it struggles to maintain playable frame rates even at 1080p "Medium", is consistent with its low benchmark scores and its ranking in the 5th percentile. The shared memory system is a particular bottleneck, as the GPU must contend with the CPU for memory access, which can cause stuttering and frame drops. This is evident in the minimum FPS values for the "Medium" preset, which show a significant drop from the average (e.g., 53 min vs 62 avg at 1080p). The GPU's role is the definitive limiting factor in this system's ability to run Road 96.