Road 96

Road 96, a narrative-driven adventure from 2021, presents an unusual challenge for the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the Intel Arc B370. The benchmark data reveals a system where a top-tier processor is severely constrained by an entry-level integrated graphics solution, resulting in a performance profile that is almost entirely dictated by the GPU. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings tell a clear story of graphical bottlenecking, where even the most powerful CPU in the world cannot compensate for the Arc B370's limited rendering capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a dramatic and predictable decline as resolution increases, which is the primary indicator that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 85 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings, the average drops to 54 FPS, a reduction of 36.5%. At 4K, the Low preset yields only 29 FPS, which is a 65.9% drop from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is a classic symptom of a GPU that is running out of pixel-pushing power; the workload is scaling directly with the number of pixels, and the Arc B370 cannot keep pace.

The trend is even more pronounced when looking at the High settings. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 50. This falls to 32 FPS at 1440p, a 36% decrease, and then plummets to just 17 FPS at 4K, a 66% decrease from the 1080p figure. The consistency of these percentage drops across different settings presets reinforces the idea that the bottleneck is purely resolution-based. The game's engine is capable of producing higher frame rates, but the GPU's fill rate and shading power are exhausted as the pixel count increases, making the resolution the single most significant factor in performance.

This behavior leaves no doubt that the CPU is not a factor in these frame rates. The Intel Core i7-14700KF, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is far more powerful than what a game like Road 96 requires. The data suggests that even at 1080p, the CPU is likely idling, waiting for the GPU to finish rendering each frame. The performance ceiling is set by the Arc B370's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and its 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate. As the resolution increases, the demand on these specific GPU resources grows exponentially, and the FPS collapses accordingly.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Road 96?

A: The best measured result is 85 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370 in this game?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate the opposite. The FPS scales almost perfectly with resolution, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The 14700KF's performance is far beyond what Road 96 needs, leaving the Arc B370 as the definitive limiting factor.

Q: How does the combo's performance rank compared to all other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2680 out of 2903 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested for this game. This low ranking is directly attributable to the Arc B370's low performance percentile.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this hardware?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is only 13 FPS. This is far below the threshold for a smooth gameplay experience and indicates a slide-show-like presentation.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 54 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 25 FPS. This represents a 53.7% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the system have dedicated VRAM for the graphics card?

A: No. The Intel Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory. This means it relies on the system's main memory (DDR4 or DDR5) instead of having its own dedicated video memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a high-end desktop processor with 20 cores, 28 threads, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its benchmark scores are formidable; for instance, it achieves 44,167 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,235 in single-core. It ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, placing it just 1% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X in average benchmark score. This is a processor designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads, and its capabilities are vastly underutilized in a game like Road 96.

The game's data shows no evidence of CPU limitation. If the 14700KF were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates that plateau or remain similar across different resolutions. Instead, the FPS drops significantly at higher resolutions, which is the exact opposite of a CPU-bound signature. The CPU is able to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic far faster than the Arc B370 can render them. The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-core performance are more than sufficient for the game's engine, leaving the GPU as the sole arbiter of performance.

The fact that this powerful CPU is paired with an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) creates a massive performance imbalance. The 14700KF is a top-tier part that would normally be paired with a discrete graphics card, but the data here shows it is being used to drive an integrated solution. The processor's role in this specific combo is to simply wait for the GPU to finish its work. Its 125W TDP and high core count are irrelevant to the final output, as the measured FPS is entirely a function of the Arc B370's rendering speed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance envelope across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of playable frame rates. The Low preset leads with an average of 85 FPS. The Medium preset follows with 62 FPS (min 53, max 72), and the High preset yields 50 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 39 FPS, which is the first sign of the GPU struggling with the game's highest quality effects.

At 2560x1440, the system begins to show significant strain. The Low preset is still the most playable option, averaging 54 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 40 FPS (min 34, max 46), while High averages 32 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls to 25 FPS, which is a marginal experience at best. The impact of the increased pixel count is clear, with a 36.5% drop in performance from 1080p Low to 1440p Low.

At 3840x2160, the combo is not viable for gameplay. The Low preset is the only one that manages to stay above 20 FPS, with an average of 29 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 21 FPS (min 18, max 24), High falls to 17 FPS, and the Ultra preset plummets to a 13 FPS average. These numbers are all below the threshold for a fluid experience, indicating that 4K resolution is simply beyond the capabilities of the Intel Arc B370 in this title. The data shows a consistent and steep decline at every settings level as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's overall rank in Road 96 is 2680 out of 2903 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 7.7% of all systems, a position that is almost entirely due to the Intel Arc B370's performance. The GPU itself ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184. This score is comparable to legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190, and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186. The Arc B370 is only 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000, its nearest rival below it.

This low GPU ranking is the primary driver of the combo's poor standing. The CPU, in contrast, is a top-tier performer. The 14700KF is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 70,163 is just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. This massive discrepancy between the CPU's high rank and the GPU's low rank creates a system that is severely unbalanced. The data implies that the combo's rank of 2680 is a reflection of the GPU's limitations, not the CPU's potential. If the same CPU were paired with a more powerful graphics solution, the combo's rank would be significantly higher.

The ranking data highlights a fundamental mismatch. A top 6% CPU is paired with a bottom 5% GPU, resulting in a bottom 8% overall system for this game. This is a clear case of a weak link; the CPU is so powerful that it is effectively a non-factor, and the GPU's performance is the sole determinant of the system's rank. The 2680 rank confirms how much a low-performing GPU can drag down an otherwise high-performing platform.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset, which yields an average of 85 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a frame rate high enough for a very smooth and responsive experience. For players who prefer higher visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 1080p is a viable alternative, offering a still-playable 62 FPS average. The High preset at 1080p, at 50 FPS, is also acceptable for those who want a better-looking game and can tolerate a slightly lower frame rate.

The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions. At 1080p, it drops to 39 FPS, which is a noticeable step down in smoothness. At 1440p, the Ultra preset's 25 FPS average is too low for a comfortable experience. For 1440p gaming, the Low preset is the only recommended option, providing a 54 FPS average. The Medium preset at 1440p, with a 40 FPS average, is a borderline case but may be acceptable for slower-paced adventure games. However, the data suggests that 1080p Low is the sweet spot for this hardware.

At 4K, the data indicates that this combo is not suitable for playing Road 96. Even the Low preset's 29 FPS average is below the standard for playability. The performance is simply too low to recommend any settings at this resolution. The recommendation is to stick to 1080p or, at most, 1440p with lower settings. The most balanced recommendation for a good visual-to-performance ratio is the Medium preset at 1080p, which offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a solid 62 FPS average.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on a 3 nm process. Its role in this combo is to render the game, and its limitations are starkly evident in the results. With a boost clock of 2400 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz, it offers 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. Its compute power is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. The GPU's performance percentile is a low 5, and its average 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in direct competition with graphics cards from over a decade ago.

The most critical factor in its performance is its memory configuration. The Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This is a significant handicap, as the GPU must contend with the CPU for access to system memory, which is much slower than dedicated GDDR6 or GDDR6X. This is likely a major reason why the FPS drops so severely at higher resolutions, as the increased data transfer demands overwhelm the shared memory bus.

The GPU's TDP is a low 25 W, which is typical for an integrated solution. Its role is to provide basic graphical output, not high-end gaming performance. The data confirms this, showing that the Arc B370 is the definitive bottleneck in this system. The GPU's nearest rivals, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, are both legacy parts, underscoring its entry-level positioning. The 3DMark score and the game's measured FPS both point to a component that is simply not designed for the demands of modern gaming at high resolutions or settings.