The Long Drive

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F drives this system with 6 cores and 12 threads, operating from a 4.20 GHz base clock up to a 4.70 GHz boost. Its Zen 4 architecture, built on TSMC's 4 nm process, places the chip in the 77th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25005. The 16 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory interface provide a solid foundation for feeding the Intel Arc B570.

Looking at the synthetic benchmarks, the 8400F shows strong scaling from 2 to 8 threads: 3DMark scores jump from 1874 at 2 threads to 5275 at 8 threads, then to 6091 at 16 threads. The single-thread score of 951 and max-thread score of 6165 indicate balanced performance that favors titles with moderate thread requirements. Cinebench R23 results reinforce this — 20851 multi-core and 2943 single-core — suggesting the CPU can handle both lightly-threaded gameplay logic and more demanding physics simulations.

In The Long Drive, a driving simulation, the CPU's role appears significant at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 146 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across all configs. This suggests the CPU can push well beyond typical display refresh rates when the GPU isn't the bottleneck. However, the gap between CPU-bound and GPU-bound scenarios becomes apparent when comparing settings at the same resolution — the 8400F's 6-core/12-thread configuration seems adequate for the game's demands, as evidenced by the smooth scaling from Low to Medium settings at 1080p (146 to 120 FPS).

The nearest rival in CPU benchmarks is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F at 24964 average score, a mere 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i7-11850H and i7-13620H trail by 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively, while the AMD EPYC 9474F leads by 0.4%. This clustering indicates the 8400F sits in a performance band where CPU differences are negligible for most gaming workloads.

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

The Intel Arc B570 brings 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its BMG-G21 chip, based on Xe2-HPG architecture, runs at a flat 2500 MHz clock — both base and boost are identical, which is unusual. The GPU's 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operations processors give it a theoretical FP32 throughput of 11.52 TFLOPS.

Memory operates at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective), and the GPU's 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate are noteworthy for a card in this segment. The B570 sits in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% ahead), Intel Arc A750 (0.1% behind), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (0.5% behind).

The GPU's influence on The Long Drive becomes clear when examining resolution scaling. At 4K Ultra, the system manages only 19 FPS, while 1080p Ultra reaches 52 FPS. This 2.7x resolution increase from 1080p to 4K results in a 63% frame rate drop at Ultra settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The 10 GB VRAM capacity may also be relevant at 4K, where textures and draw distances in a driving simulator can consume significant memory.

The B570's performance characteristics suggest it's well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles at 4K, particularly with higher settings. The measured data supports this: at 1440p Medium, the system hits 79 FPS, which drops to 44 FPS at 4K Medium — a 44% reduction. The GPU's relatively modest 150 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a straightforward addition to most systems.

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

The measured FPS data reveals clear scaling patterns across the three resolutions. At Low settings, the system achieves 146 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 53 FPS at 4K. That's a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 64%, which is substantial but not as severe as the Ultra preset shows.

Ultra settings tell a different story: 52 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 35% and 44% respectively, with a 63% total reduction. This pattern — where the relative drop between resolutions remains fairly consistent regardless of settings — suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all configs. If the CPU were limiting, we'd expect to see smaller absolute FPS differences at higher resolutions.

Medium settings provide the most complete data with min/max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 120 FPS with a range of 102-138 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium drops the average to 79 FPS (67-91 FPS range), and 4K Medium falls to 44 FPS (37-50 FPS range). The 41 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p and 35 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K show diminishing returns in terms of FPS loss per pixel count increase — the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but FPS doesn't quarter.

High settings mirror this trend: 75 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 35% and 45%, nearly identical to Low and Ultra patterns. This consistency across all four settings presets strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting component at every resolution, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at 1080p Low where the system reaches its maximum measured performance.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this system in The Long Drive?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p delivers the most playable experience across all settings — even Ultra maintains 52 FPS, while Medium hits 120 FPS and Low reaches 146 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (96 FPS) and Medium (79 FPS) stay above 60 FPS, while 4K struggles at every setting.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F scores 25005 on average, placing it 0.2% ahead of the Ryzen 5 7500F (24964), 0.3% ahead of the Core i7-11850H (24935), and 0.4% ahead of the Core i7-13620H (24911). The EPYC 9474F leads by 0.4% at 25103.

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck at any resolution?

A: Yes — the data indicates the Arc B570 is the limiting component at all resolutions in this game. The consistent 35-45% FPS drops between 1080p, 1440p, and 4K across all settings presets point to GPU-bound performance, while the CPU's high scores suggest it has headroom to spare.

Q: What is the highest FPS this combo achieves?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 146 at 1080p Low settings. The next highest is 120 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 96 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: How does the GPU rank against its nearest competitors?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it within 0.1% of the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534), 0.1% ahead of the Arc A750 (20582), 0.4% ahead of the Quadro M4000M (20480), and 0.5% behind the Radeon R9 M390X (20662).

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this setup?

A: Only at Low settings, where the system averages 53 FPS. Medium drops to 44 FPS, High to 27 FPS, and Ultra to 19 FPS. For consistent 60+ FPS at 4K, none of the tested settings are sufficient.

# How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2342 out of 2934 tested combos in The Long Drive. That places it in the 20th percentile of all combinations — meaning roughly 80% of tested systems perform better in this title. The rank reflects the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, where the B570's 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit memory bus constrain performance.

The CPU's strong benchmark position (77th percentile) doesn't translate into a top-tier gaming rank because the GPU holds the system back. At 1080p, the combo performs respectably — 146 FPS at Low and 120 FPS at Medium are solid numbers. But the 4K results (19-53 FPS depending on settings) drag the overall ranking down compared to systems with more powerful GPUs.

The ranking context matters: 2342nd out of 2934 puts this combo in the lower half of tested configurations. This doesn't mean it's a poor system for The Long Drive — at 1080p it's perfectly playable at all settings except Ultra (52 FPS). But for 1440p and 4K gaming, the GPU becomes a clear bottleneck, and the data suggests many competing combos handle those resolutions better.

The measured FPS data is marked as "dataIsMeasured": true, indicating these are actual test results rather than estimates. This gives the ranking additional credibility — the 2342nd position reflects observed performance, not theoretical projections.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and frame rate expectation.

At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance: 120 FPS average with a 102-138 FPS range. This keeps the system well above 60 FPS even in the worst-case minimum. Low settings push to 146 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate displays but sacrifices visual quality. High settings at 75 FPS are also viable for 60 Hz displays, while Ultra at 52 FPS is borderline — playable but not smooth for fast-paced driving.

At 1440p, Low settings (96 FPS) provide the only config that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium drops to 79 FPS (67-91 range), which remains playable but with occasional dips below 70 FPS. High at 49 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS are too low for smooth gameplay. For 1440p, the data suggests Low or Medium settings are the practical choices.

At 4K, no setting achieves 60 FPS. Low (53 FPS) is the only option that approaches playability, while Medium (44 FPS), High (27 FPS), and Ultra (19 FPS) all fall well short. If 4K is a priority, the system will require reduced settings — and even then, the experience will be suboptimal.

The most balanced recommendation is 1080p Medium, which delivers 120 FPS average with a tight 102-138 FPS range. This provides a smooth, responsive experience while maintaining reasonable visual quality. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low at 146 FPS is the maximum performance option. For 1440p users, Low settings (96 FPS) are the safest choice, with Medium (79 FPS) acceptable for those willing to accept occasional frame dips.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this system in The Long Drive is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 146 FPS average
• Medium: 120 FPS average, with 102 FPS minimum and 138 FPS maximum
• High: 75 FPS average
• Ultra: 52 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 96 FPS average
• Medium: 79 FPS average, with 67 FPS minimum and 91 FPS maximum
• High: 49 FPS average
• Ultra: 34 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 53 FPS average
• Medium: 44 FPS average, with 37 FPS minimum and 50 FPS maximum
• High: 27 FPS average
• Ultra: 19 FPS average

Examining the data across resolutions, the Medium preset provides the only min/max data for all three resolutions, offering insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 36 FPS (102-138), which represents a 30% spread from minimum to maximum. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 24 FPS (67-91), a 36% spread. At 4K Medium, the range tightens to 13 FPS (37-50), a 35% spread. The relative consistency of these ranges suggests stable performance rather than erratic frame pacing.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at Medium settings shows: 120 → 79 → 44 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs 41 FPS (34% reduction), while 1440p to 4K costs 35 FPS (44% reduction). This non-linear scaling is typical of GPU-bound scenarios where pixel count increases quadratically.

At Low settings, the progression is 146 → 96 → 53 FPS, with percentage reductions of 34% and 45%. High settings show 75 → 49 → 27 FPS (35% and 45% reductions). Ultra shows 52 → 34 → 19 FPS (35% and 44% reductions). The consistent reduction percentages across all settings presets reinforce that the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution, with the CPU maintaining sufficient performance headroom throughout.