The Long Drive

The Long Drive, a driving simulation that has been in active development since its 2019 release, presents a demanding workload that scales dramatically with resolution. When paired with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and Intel Arc B570, the measured frame rates reveal a system that is clearly constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s robust multi-threading capabilities become more apparent at lower settings. The data shows a wide performance spread across the four preset levels, with the gap between Low and Ultra widening as resolution increases, indicating where the bottleneck shifts.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K is steep and telling. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 146 FPS, which is more than double the 53 FPS recorded at 3840x2160 on the same preset. This 93 FPS drop (a 63.7% reduction) strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B570’s rendering pipeline is the limiting factor as pixel count grows. At Medium settings, the scaling is similarly aggressive: 120 FPS at 1080p falls to 79 FPS at 1440p, then to 44 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K alone represents a 44.3% reduction in frame rate, which is a classic sign of the GPU’s fill-rate and memory bandwidth being saturated.

High settings paint an even clearer picture of GPU-bound behavior. The 75 FPS at 1080p drops to 49 FPS at 1440p (a 34.7% decline) and then to 27 FPS at 4K (a 44.9% decline from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across each resolution step indicate that the Arc B570’s 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are being pushed hard, with the 160-bit bus width becoming a bottleneck at higher pixel densities. Ultra settings are nearly unplayable at 4K, with just 19 FPS, while 1440p yields 34 FPS and 1080p reaches 52 FPS. The jump from Medium to Ultra at 4K costs 25 FPS (from 44 to 19), showing that the highest preset demands far more than this GPU can deliver at native 4K.

What the resolution scaling data reveals is that the Ryzen 7 5800X is rarely the constraint. At 1080p Low, the 146 FPS result suggests the CPU can feed frames well above what the GPU can render at higher resolutions. The 8-core, 16-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz provides ample headroom for the game’s physics and driving simulation logic. The fact that 1080p Low is 2.75 times faster than 4K Low (146 vs. 53 FPS) while the CPU workload likely remains similar across resolutions confirms that the Arc B570 is the primary performance limiter in this configuration.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process, brings 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units to the table. Its boost clock is locked at 2500 MHz, which is modest compared to some rivals, but the architecture’s efficiency helps offset this. The GPU’s 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate are reflected in the mid-range benchmarks, where it scores 14,195 in PassMark G3D and 72 in PassMark DirectX 12. These figures place the B570 at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% delta) and the Intel Arc A750 (-0.1% delta).

The 10 GB GDDR6 memory pool is a defining characteristic. At 1080p, this capacity is more than sufficient, allowing the B570 to maintain 120 FPS at Medium and 75 FPS at High. However, at 4K, the combination of higher resolution textures and the simulation’s draw distance begins to strain the memory subsystem. The 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, while respectable for the price tier, is not enough to keep up with the demands of 3840x2160 at higher presets. The 160-bit bus width is narrower than what some competitors offer, and this is evident in the 4K Ultra result of 19 FPS. The data suggests that the B570’s memory architecture is the primary reason for the steep performance cliff between 1440p and 4K.

Interestingly, the B570’s benchmark profile shows strong compute performance relative to its rasterization. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 96,844 and OpenCL score of 83,514 are solid, but the PassMark DirectX 11 score of 118 and DirectX 12 score of 72 indicate that the GPU’s driver optimization and game-specific rendering paths are more critical than raw compute. In The Long Drive, which likely uses a mix of DirectX 11 and 12 features, the B570’s performance is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but falls short at 4K. The GPU’s 150 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is positioned as a mainstream card, and the measured FPS aligns with that positioning.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X bottlenecking the Intel Arc B570 in this game?

A: No. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 146 FPS, and the performance drop to 53 FPS at 4K Low indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 5800X’s 16 threads and 32 MB of L3 cache provide sufficient headroom, as evidenced by the fact that frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution rather than CPU load.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth experience with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 75 FPS on High and 120 FPS on Medium, both of which are above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440, High settings drop to 49 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. For the best balance, 1080p Medium or High is recommended based on the measured data.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750 (20,582). It also sits 0.4% above the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20,480) and 0.5% below the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20,662). These are near-identical scores, indicating the B570 is competitive with those cards.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Long Drive?

A: Only at Low settings, where it achieves 53 FPS. At Medium, it drops to 44 FPS, and at High it falls to 27 FPS. Ultra at 4K is effectively unplayable at 19 FPS. For a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, the data indicates this combo is not sufficient.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings?

A: Across all resolutions, Medium is consistently faster than High. At 1080p, Medium produces 120 FPS versus 75 FPS on High (a 60% improvement). At 1440p, Medium yields 79 FPS versus 49 FPS (a 61.2% improvement). At 4K, Medium gives 44 FPS versus 27 FPS (a 63% improvement). The gap remains relatively constant, suggesting a similar workload increase between presets.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2,342 out of 2,934 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 20% of all configurations. This reflects the Arc B570’s mid-range positioning and the Ryzen 7 5800X’s strong but not top-tier performance, which together produce modest results in this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X + Intel Arc B570 combo depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS, which is ideal for smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The High preset at 75 FPS is also viable, but the 45 FPS drop from Medium to High (from 120 to 75) is substantial, and the visual gains may not justify it for most players. Low at 146 FPS is overkill for most displays, and Ultra at 52 FPS introduces noticeable stutter risk since it falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only sensible choice for a playable experience, offering 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS. High at 49 FPS is below the 60 FPS target and will feel less responsive, while Low at 96 FPS is smooth but compromises visual quality significantly. Ultra at 34 FPS is not recommended for active driving scenes. For 4K, the Low preset at 53 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but even that is borderline. Medium at 44 FPS and High at 27 FPS are too choppy for a driving simulation where constant visual feedback is critical. Ultra at 19 FPS should be avoided entirely.

The data indicates that the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate across all three resolutions. At 1080p, it offers a 120 FPS average with a 102 FPS floor, ensuring no dips below the refresh rate of most monitors. At 1440p, the 79 FPS average with a 67 FPS minimum keeps the experience fluid, though users with 144 Hz displays will notice the limitation. The Medium preset’s consistency is notable: the gap between average and minimum FPS is 18 FPS at 1080p (120 vs. 102), 12 FPS at 1440p (79 vs. 67), and 7 FPS at 4K (44 vs. 37), showing that the preset scales predictably.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Low at 1080p (146 FPS) or 1440p (96 FPS) is an option, but the graphical downgrade is severe. High at 1080p (75 FPS) is a middle ground, but the 60% performance penalty over Medium makes it less attractive. Ultimately, the measured data strongly favors Medium as the default recommendation, with Low reserved for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p and 4K users who must compromise.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2,342 out of 2,934 tested combos in The Long Drive, placing it in the bottom 20.2% of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the Arc B570’s mid-range performance rather than the CPU. The Ryzen 7 5800X, with an average benchmark score of 29,123 and an 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs, is a strong processor. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (29,093, 0.1% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28,940, 0.6% delta), showing it competes with modern mid-range chips.

In contrast, the Arc B570’s 65th percentile GPU ranking and 20,556 average score are modest. The GPU’s nearest rivals, as noted, are the RTX 3070 Mobile and Arc A750, which are themselves mid-range parts. When combined, the CPU’s strength is effectively wasted at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The ranking suggests that this combo is suitable for 1080p gaming but is outclassed by systems with higher-end GPUs at 1440p and 4K. The fact that the combo sits in the 2,342nd position out of 2,934 indicates that a significant majority of other tested combinations deliver better frame rates in this specific game.

The gap between the CPU’s high percentile (81st) and the combo’s low game-specific rank (20.2nd percentile) highlights a system imbalance. The Ryzen 7 5800X’s 16 threads and 4.70 GHz boost clock are more than adequate for The Long Drive’s simulation logic, but the Arc B570’s 10 GB memory and 160-bit bus cannot push enough pixels at higher resolutions. Users considering this combo for this game should expect performance that is competitive with other mid-range GPUs but far from top-tier. The ranking also implies that swapping in a more powerful GPU would significantly improve the combo’s standing, while upgrading the CPU would yield minimal gains.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 146 FPS, making it the only preset that exceeds 140 FPS. Medium settings follow with 120 FPS average, a minimum of 102 FPS, and a maximum of 138 FPS, providing a tight performance envelope. High settings drop to 75 FPS, while Ultra falls to 52 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 94 FPS, showing the massive impact of preset selection at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance hierarchy remains consistent but with reduced headroom. Low settings yield 96 FPS, which is still smooth but 50 FPS lower than at 1080p. Medium settings produce 79 FPS average, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS, maintaining playability. High settings drop to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 62 FPS, narrower than at 1080p due to the GPU becoming more constrained.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 53 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. Medium settings produce 44 FPS average, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS, indicating significant variance. High settings drop to 27 FPS, and Ultra falls to 19 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 34 FPS, the smallest of any resolution, confirming that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at 4K. Across all resolutions, Medium is the only preset that provides a minimum FPS above 60 at 1080p (102 FPS) and above 60 at 1440p (67 FPS), while no preset achieves a 60 FPS minimum at 4K.