The Long Drive

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a highly constrained experience in The Long Drive, with benchmark results indicating that this combination is heavily bottlenecked by the graphics subsystem. The data shows a processor with substantial multi-threaded capability, yet the measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings remain surprisingly low, suggesting that the CPU's potential is largely unrealized in this specific configuration. The 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 (Phoenix) processor operates at a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, providing a solid foundation for gaming workloads that rely on single-thread performance. However, the integrated graphics solution, based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, appears to be the primary limiting factor, as it shares system memory and operates with a 25 W TDP.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a desktop processor built on the 4 nm process node, featuring 6 cores and 12 threads. Its clock speeds, ranging from a 4.20 GHz base to a 4.70 GHz boost, are competitive for modern gaming, and its 16 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates robust performance, achieving a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943. These numbers place the processor in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25005. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, which scores 24964 (a 0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i7-13620H, which scores 24911 (a 0.4% delta). This indicates that the 8400F is well within the expected performance envelope for its class, offering no significant disadvantage in raw computational power.

Despite this, the measured FPS in The Long Drive tells a different story. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 86 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure across all tested configurations. As settings increase to Medium, the average drops to 71 FPS, and at High it falls further to 44 FPS. This pattern suggests that while the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics at lower graphical loads, the GPU quickly becomes the bottleneck as the render workload intensifies. The CPU's 3DMark scores, such as 6091 in the 16-thread test and 951 in the single-thread test, indicate ample headroom for frame generation, yet the integrated GPU cannot translate this into higher frame rates. For a driving simulation, which often involves complex physics calculations and open-world streaming, the CPU's 6 cores are generally sufficient, but the data implies that the GPU is limiting overall performance to a degree where CPU differences would be imperceptible.

The processor's memory support for DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 83.2 GB/s bandwidth is theoretically adequate, but the GPU's reliance on "System Shared" memory means that bandwidth is divided between CPU and GPU tasks. This shared resource contention likely exacerbates the bottleneck, as the GPU must access the same memory pool for both frame buffer and texture data. The CPU's 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes are unused in this configuration since the GPU is an IGP, further confirming that this setup is designed for low-power, space-constrained systems rather than high-performance gaming. Consequently, the Ryzen 5 8400F's capabilities are largely wasted in this pairing, as the measured FPS at 1440p and 4K resolutions never exceed 56 FPS even at Low settings, far below what the CPU could theoretically support with a discrete graphics card.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded at 1920x1080 is 86 FPS, which occurs with Low settings. At Medium settings, the average drops to 71 FPS, and at High, it falls to 44 FPS, with Ultra producing only 31 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its nearest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-11850H (24935). It is 0.4% lower than the AMD EPYC 9474F, which scores 25103.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 46, with a minimum FPS of 40 and a maximum of 53. This provides a playable, though not smooth, experience.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B370 have a higher or lower benchmark score than its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, which is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). It is 1.4% higher than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in The Long Drive?

A: The combo ranks 2700 out of 2934 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This indicates that the majority of other hardware pairings deliver better performance in this game.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 44. At 4K (3840x2160) High, the average drops to 16 FPS, representing a 63.6% reduction in frame rate.

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

Analyzing the measured FPS data, the most viable settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and acceptable frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 86 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches a truly smooth experience for a driving simulation. Medium settings at 1080p yield 71 FPS, which is still playable, but the jump to High brings a significant drop to 44 FPS, indicating a steep performance penalty that may not be justified by the visual improvements. The data suggests that for 1080p, Medium is the optimal balance, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS while offering better visual fidelity than Low. The minimum FPS at Medium is 60, which is exactly the standard for smooth playback, while High and Ultra presets fall below this threshold, potentially causing noticeable stutter.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation becomes more challenging. Low settings produce an average of 56 FPS, which is marginally below the 60 FPS target, while Medium drops to 46 FPS with a minimum of 40. Neither High (29 FPS) nor Ultra (20 FPS) provides an acceptable experience. For users prioritizing frame rate, 1440p Low is the only viable choice, but even that falls short of ideal smoothness. At 3840x2160, all settings are essentially unplayable, with Low achieving only 31 FPS and Ultra dropping to 11 FPS. Given these results, the best experience per the measured rows is at 1080p with Medium settings, as it provides the highest frame rate above 60 FPS while still offering some graphical improvements over Low. Alternatively, 1080p Low is the safest choice for users who demand maximum smoothness, as it delivers the highest average FPS of any configuration.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2700 out of 2934 tested combinations in The Long Drive. This places it in the 8th percentile of all configurations, meaning that 92% of other tested combos perform better in this game. This low ranking is consistent with the GPU's performance metrics, as the Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 1184. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, delta -0.5%) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%), are both older, less capable parts, further confirming that the B370 is a low-end solution. In contrast, the CPU ranks in the 77th percentile, indicating a stark mismatch between the two components.

This disparity highlights that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's performance is far above average while the GPU's is far below. The combo's rank of 2700 suggests that users would need to significantly lower resolution and settings to achieve playable frame rates, as evidenced by the measured FPS data. Even at the lowest settings, the combo only achieves 86 FPS at 1080p, which is below the performance of many mid-range discrete GPUs. The ranking also implies that this configuration is better suited for non-gaming tasks or older, less demanding titles, as The Long Drive appears to be too graphically intensive for the integrated Arc B370. For context, the CPU's nearest rivals—the Ryzen 5 7500F and Core i7-13620H—would likely produce much higher frame rates when paired with a discrete GPU, but the data here is specific to this exact combo.

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

Examining the resolution scaling behavior reveals a clear pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop dramatically, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 44 at 1080p to 29 at 1440p (a 34.1% drop) and then to 16 at 4K (a 63.6% drop from 1080p). This steep decline is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become the primary constraints. The Intel Arc B370 has a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, which are modest figures, and its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," meaning it relies on shared system memory, which is slower than dedicated VRAM. This limitation is exacerbated at higher resolutions, where the GPU must access larger textures and frame buffers.

At Low settings, the same pattern emerges, with FPS dropping from 86 at 1080p to 56 at 1440p (a 34.9% drop) and then to 31 at 4K (a 64.0% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the GPU's performance scaling is independent of the graphical complexity, reinforcing the conclusion that the GPU is saturated regardless of the render load. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller differences between resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain constant. Instead, the data shows a near-linear relationship between resolution and frame rate, which is a hallmark of a GPU-limited system. The CPU's high benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 20851, indicate that it is not the limiting factor, as it could easily handle the game's physics and AI at any resolution. Therefore, the resolution scaling analysis conclusively points to the Intel Arc B370 as the primary performance constraint.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across all combinations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 86 FPS, which is the highest recorded value. Medium settings produce an average of 71 FPS, with a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 81, indicating a consistent frame rate. High settings drop to 44 FPS, and Ultra further reduces to 31 FPS, with no minimum or maximum values recorded for these presets. At 2560x1440, Low yields 56 FPS, Medium yields 46 FPS (minimum 40, maximum 53), High yields 29 FPS, and Ultra yields 20 FPS. The pattern continues at 3840x2160, where Low achieves 31 FPS, Medium achieves 26 FPS (minimum 22, maximum 30), High achieves 16 FPS, and Ultra drops to 11 FPS.

These numbers reveal a few notable trends. First, the gap between Low and Medium settings is relatively small at each resolution, with a difference of 15 FPS at 1080p, 10 FPS at 1440p, and 5 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Medium settings offer a reasonable trade-off between visual quality and performance. Second, the drop from Medium to High is much larger, with a 27 FPS difference at 1080p, a 17 FPS difference at 1440p, and a 10 FPS difference at 4K. This indicates that the High preset introduces a significant graphical workload that the GPU cannot handle efficiently. Finally, the Ultra preset is almost unplayable at all resolutions, with the highest average being 31 FPS at 1080p. The data shows that only 1080p Low and Medium settings provide average frame rates above 60 FPS, making them the only viable options for a smooth experience. All other configurations fall below this threshold, with 4K Ultra being the worst at 11 FPS.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process node. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its base clock is 300 MHz, which boosts to 2400 MHz, and it has a TDP of 25 W. Critically, its memory is listed as "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and instead uses the system's DDR5 memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a fundamental limitation, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which is a major factor in the low FPS observed. The GPU's FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, but these theoretical figures are not realized in practice due to the shared memory bottleneck.

The GPU's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This score is nearly identical to that of the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), a GPU released over a decade ago, underscoring its low-end positioning. The B370's nearest rivals all have similar scores, with deltas ranging from -0.7% to 1.4%, indicating that the GPU is clustered with very old, low-performance parts. In The Long Drive, this translates to the measured FPS figures, which never exceed 86 FPS even at 1080p Low. The GPU's 20 ROPS and 40 TMUs are insufficient for high-resolution rendering, as evidenced by the 4K results, where even Low settings only achieve 31 FPS. The 25 W TDP and IGP form factor further confirm that this GPU is not designed for gaming, and the data shows that it is the dominant bottleneck in this combo, preventing the capable Ryzen 5 8400F from delivering playable frame rates at most settings.