Road 96

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

The measured frame rates for Road 96 on this Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + Intel Arc B390 combination reveal a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo delivers 94 FPS average, which drops to 60 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 32 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 66% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a scaling pattern that suggests the GPU is the dominant constraint. The 1080p-to-1440p drop of 34 FPS and the 1440p-to-4K drop of 28 FPS are both substantial, indicating that the rendering load increases almost linearly with pixel count for this title.

At High settings, the scaling is similarly aggressive: 56 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p loss of 21 FPS is a 37.5% reduction, while the 1440p-to-4K loss of 16 FPS is a 45.7% reduction. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that is being pushed toward its limits even at 1080p High — the frame rate is already below 60 FPS, and each resolution step compounds the deficit.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic collapse: 43 FPS at 1080p, 28 FPS at 1440p, and 15 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 15 FPS is barely interactive, and the gap between 1080p and 4K represents a 65% performance loss. Medium settings follow the same trajectory: 69 FPS at 1080p, 44 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K. The fact that even Low settings cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K — falling to 32 FPS — strongly indicates that the integrated GPU is the bottleneck, not the CPU. A CPU-bound scenario would show smaller FPS differences across resolutions, as the processor's workload would remain relatively constant regardless of pixel count. Here, the near-halving of frame rates at each resolution step is a textbook GPU-limited signature.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process by Intel. Its memory configuration is entirely system-shared, with no dedicated VRAM pool — the memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This architecture means the GPU borrows from the main system memory, and the effective memory bandwidth varies with the host platform's memory configuration. For Road 96, a game that relies on streaming environments and texture uploads, this shared-memory design can introduce latency and bandwidth contention, particularly at higher resolutions where memory pressure increases.

The GPU's clock behavior is notable: a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The large boost multiplier — over 8x the base — indicates that the GPU can ramp up significantly under load, but also that it may spend substantial time at lower clocks when thermal or power limits are hit. The 80 W TDP for the entire GPU is modest, and the "IGP" slot width and "None" power connectors confirm this is not a discrete card but an integrated part. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are the raw throughput figures that govern how quickly the GPU can fill pixels and sample textures. With 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, the GPU's compute resources are limited, and the 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is the ceiling for shader work.

In the context of Road 96's measured results, the GPU's role is clear: it is the limiting factor across all tested configurations. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places this GPU at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), and GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower). These are all entry-level parts from a decade ago, underscoring that the Arc B390's raw performance is very low. The 12 RT cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are architectural features that do not translate into playable frame rates in this game — Road 96's measured FPS at 4K Ultra (15 FPS) is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited shading and memory bandwidth resources.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on Arrow Lake architecture at TSMC's 3 nm node. Its base clock of 2.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz provide a wide dynamic range, and the 65 W TDP indicates an efficient design. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3, which is ample for a game like Road 96 that does not demand massive working sets. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, which is relevant because the GPU shares this same memory subsystem.

The CPU's benchmark scores reveal a strong processor. In Cinebench R23, it scores 42216 multi-core and 5960 single-core. The PassMark multi-thread score is 49682, and the single-thread score is 4689. These numbers place the CPU at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64640. Its nearest rivals are the AMD EPYC 4464P (average score 64823, 0.3% faster), Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64438, 0.3% slower), AMD EPYC 7343 (64202, 0.7% slower), and AMD EPYC 9124 (65104, 0.7% faster). This is a high-end processor, and for Road 96, the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor.

Given that the CPU's single-thread performance is in the top tier and its multi-thread capabilities are substantial, the game's frame rates are not constrained by processor throughput. The fact that FPS drops dramatically as resolution increases, while the CPU workload would remain relatively flat, confirms that the CPU is underutilized. Road 96 is an adventure game that likely does not heavily multi-thread, but even its primary thread would be easily handled by the Ultra 7 265's boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The PassMark physics score of 2923 and data compression score of 522983 further indicate a processor with headroom for any game logic or physics calculations the title requires. In summary, the CPU provides a capable platform, but it is the GPU's weakness that defines the measured performance.

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

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings ranges from 43 to 94. Low settings deliver 94 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset that exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings yield 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 79, indicating that the game remains playable with some headroom. High settings drop to 56 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings produce 43 FPS, which is a 54% reduction from Low. The 1080p results show that this combo can handle the game at low-to-medium settings, but the higher presets push the GPU too far.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 60 (Low), 44 (Medium, with min 37 and max 50), 35 (High), and 28 (Ultra). The Low setting exactly hits 60 FPS, but that is the only playable result at this resolution. Medium falls to 44 FPS, which is borderline; High and Ultra are below 36 FPS, making them difficult to play smoothly. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 32 FPS, showing that the GPU's shading resources are quickly exhausted as settings increase.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Low settings average 32 FPS, Medium averages 23 FPS (min 20, max 27), High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. No 4K configuration reaches 30 FPS, and even the lowest settings cannot maintain a stable frame rate. The 4K Low result of 32 FPS compared to 1080p Low of 94 FPS represents a 66% performance loss, and the 4K Ultra result of 15 FPS is essentially a slideshow. The data shows that 4K is not viable for this combo in Road 96 under any settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Road 96, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2575 out of 2903 total combos. This places it in the bottom 11.3% of all tested configurations, which is consistent with the GPU's low benchmark percentile (9th) and the CPU's high percentile (93rd). The rank reflects that many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this game, even if their CPUs are less capable. The combination is unbalanced: the CPU is far more powerful than the GPU, and the GPU's limitations drag the overall ranking down.

The data indicates that the combo's performance is dominated by the GPU's weakness. While the CPU would rank near the top of any CPU-only comparison, the combo rank of 2575 out of 2903 shows that the integrated Arc B390 cannot leverage the CPU's capabilities for this game. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, which places the GPU at the 9th percentile, is the primary driver of this low combo rank. In contrast, a system with a mid-range discrete GPU would likely achieve a much higher rank despite using a weaker CPU. The combo rank effectively measures the playable experience, and the measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Medium, the 69 FPS average is the only setting/resolution combination that offers a smooth experience without dipping below 60 FPS. The rank of 2575 confirms that this is a low-performing combo for Road 96, and the user-facing takeaway is that the GPU should be upgraded to see meaningful improvements.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 94 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next best is 69 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware combo?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 32 (Low settings), and all other settings are below 24 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting produces only 15 FPS average.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482. It is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M (1460), and 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM (1446).

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64640. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, scores 64823, which is 0.3% faster.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combos in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2575 out of 2903 total tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11.3% of all configurations.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 59 at 1920x1080, 37 at 2560x1440, and 20 at 3840x2160.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Road 96 is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This configuration yields an average of 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, meaning it stays above the 60 FPS threshold in most scenes and never drops below 59 FPS. The Low setting at 1080p delivers 94 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is significant, and the Medium preset provides a better balance of image quality and performance. At 1080p High, the average drops to 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra falls to 43 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth.

At 2560x1440, only the Low setting reaches 60 FPS average, and Medium falls to 44 FPS. Given the trade-off, the 1080p Medium configuration is the sweet spot: it maintains a playable frame rate with higher visual fidelity than Low. If the user insists on 1440p, Low is the only viable option, but the 1080p Medium experience will feel smoother and look better overall due to the higher preset. At 4K, no setting is recommended, as even Low averages only 32 FPS, which is below the minimum threshold for a comfortable gaming experience.

The data suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint, so reducing resolution or settings is the only way to improve frame rates. The 1080p Medium result of 69 FPS with a 59 FPS minimum is the most stable configuration in the dataset, and it is the recommended choice. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual detail, 1080p Low at 94 FPS is the maximum performance option. For those who want higher settings, the 1080p High result of 56 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive, and the 1080p Ultra result of 43 FPS is only suitable for slower-paced sections of the game.