The Long Drive

# The Long Drive: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D + Intel Arc B370

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a stark study in bottleneck asymmetry for The Long Drive. The CPU is a top-tier desktop part, sitting in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs tested, while the GPU is an integrated-class solution landing in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The measured frame rates reflect this imbalance: at 1080p Low the combo manages 86 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it collapses to 11 FPS. This is a system where the processor is never the limiting factor; the graphics solution dictates performance at every resolution and settings level.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It brings 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a large 96 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it includes ECC memory support. The CPU draws a 120 W TDP and fits into the AMD Socket AM5. It was released on 2026-01-28 with a launch MSRP of $499.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU shows strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 22807, while the single-core score is 2228. The PassMark multi-thread score reaches 41318, and the single-thread score is 4704. The average benchmark score across all tests is 58386. Compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tight cluster: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14900, 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon w5-2545, and 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470. These deltas are within a single percentage point, indicating that the 9850X3D performs on par with a broad set of high-end server and desktop CPUs.

Despite this processing power, the measured FPS in The Long Drive never exceeds 86 at any resolution or settings level. The game is a Driving Simulation, and the benchmark data suggests that the CPU's 8 cores and high boost clock are sufficient to feed the graphics pipeline without issue. The 96 MB of L3 cache is a notable feature for gaming, but in this specific pairing, the GPU cannot take advantage of it. The CPU's percentile rank of 92 versus the GPU's percentile rank of 5 tells the story: the processor is doing its job, but the frame rate ceiling is set elsewhere. The PassMark physics score of 4171 and integer math score of 123140 indicate strong computational throughput, yet none of that translates into higher frame rates because the graphics workload is the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2700 out of 2934 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places it in the bottom 8% of all system pairings tested for this game. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance class, not the CPU's. A rank of 2700 out of 2934 means that 2700 other combinations delivered higher average frame rates across the tested scenarios. This is a poor result for a system with a top-tier processor, but the data is consistent with the GPU's 5th percentile standing.

The CPU's nearest rivals all cluster within 0.7% of its average benchmark score, meaning that swapping the 9850X3D for an Intel Core i9-14900 or an Intel Xeon w5-2545 would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in this game, given the same GPU. The bottleneck is so severe that CPU choice becomes irrelevant to the final FPS numbers. The combo rank is essentially determined by the Arc B370's performance, and the data shows that the GPU ranks near the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which is a legacy mobile part. This is not a competitive gaming configuration for The Long Drive, and the rank reflects that reality.

The 2700th place finish out of 2934 combos is a clear signal that this pairing is mismatched. For a game like The Long Drive, which appears to be GPU-bound based on the scaling data, the CPU's 92nd percentile rank is wasted. The measured FPS values are low across the board, and the combo rank confirms that most other tested systems outperform this one. The only positive takeaway from the rank data is that the CPU is not the cause; the GPU is.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, with the chip codename Panther Lake. It is manufactured on a 3 nm process at Intel, and it operates as an IGP with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors. The base clock is 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Memory is system shared, meaning the GPU uses the host system's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively, which means performance is tied to the CPU's memory subsystem.

The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output pipelines. It also includes 10 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 12.29 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio. The TDP is just 25 W, which is typical for an integrated solution. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Its only benchmark result is a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% ahead), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% ahead), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (0.7% ahead), with the AMD FirePro M2000 trailing by 1.4%.

In The Long Drive, this GPU is the limiting factor. The 25 W TDP and system-shared memory mean that the GPU cannot deliver high frame rates even at low settings. The measured FPS at 1080p Low is 86, which is playable, but the average drops to 44 at High and 31 at Ultra. The GPU's low pixel rate and texture rate relative to discrete solutions cap the performance. The 10 ray tracing cores are present, but the FP32 throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS is modest, and the system-shared memory bandwidth is a bottleneck for a game that likely requires frequent texture streaming. The data indicates that this GPU is not suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming in The Long Drive, and the 5th percentile rank confirms its position among all tested GPUs.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best measured FPS for this combo in The Long Drive?*

A: The best measured average FPS is 86, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next highest is 71 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 56 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58386. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14900, 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon w5-2545, and 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, based on its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. Its nearest rival is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186 and is 0.2% faster.

*Q: What is the combo's rank in The Long Drive?*

A: The combo ranks 2700 out of 2934 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested system pairings for this game.

Q: Does the CPU have integrated graphics of its own?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D includes Radeon Graphics as an integrated GPU. However, the system also uses the Intel Arc B370, which is a separate integrated solution based on the Panther Lake chip.

Q: What is the highest average FPS at 4K resolution?

A: The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 31, achieved with Low settings. The Medium setting delivers 26 FPS, while High delivers 16 FPS and Ultra delivers 11 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 86 at 1080p, to 56 at 1440p, and down to 31 at 4K. This represents a 64% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the drop is from 44 FPS at 1080p, to 29 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. That is a 64% reduction as well. The Ultra settings show the steepest absolute decline: 31 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K, which is a 65% reduction.

The consistency of the percentage drops across settings levels indicates that the resolution scaling is uniform. When the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K, the frame rate drops by roughly two-thirds. This is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. A CPU-bound scenario would show less of a drop at higher resolutions because the CPU workload stays constant, but the data shows the opposite. The 1440p to 4K transition is particularly telling: at Low settings, 56 FPS drops to 31 FPS, and at High settings, 29 FPS drops to 16 FPS. In both cases, the frame rate roughly halves, which aligns with the doubling of pixel count from 1440p to 4K.

The scaling data also reveals that the GPU's performance is heavily dependent on settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low (86 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) is 55 FPS, or a 64% reduction. At 4K, the difference between Low (31 FPS) and Ultra (11 FPS) is 20 FPS, or a 65% reduction. The proportional impact of settings is nearly identical at each resolution, which suggests that the GPU's shading and texture units are saturated at all settings levels. The system-shared memory and 25 W TDP limit the GPU's ability to handle increased graphical loads, and the resolution scaling data confirms that no amount of CPU headroom can compensate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Long Drive with the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Intel Arc B370 spans four resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 86 FPS on Low, 71 FPS on Medium, 44 FPS on High, and 31 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting at 1080p has recorded minimum and maximum FPS of 60 and 81, respectively, showing some frame pacing variance. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 56 on Low, 46 on Medium, 29 on High, and 20 on Ultra. The 1440p Medium setting shows a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. At 3840x2160, the averages fall further: 31 FPS on Low, 26 FPS on Medium, 16 FPS on High, and 11 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Medium setting records a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS.

The data shows that the combo is only playable at 1080p Low or Medium, with 86 and 71 FPS respectively. At 1080p High, the frame rate drops to 44 FPS, which is a significant step down. At 1440p, the only setting that exceeds 50 FPS is Low at 56 FPS; Medium sits at 46 FPS, and High falls to 29 FPS. At 4K, all settings produce average FPS below 31, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay in a driving simulation. The Ultra setting at 4K produces just 11 FPS, which is effectively a slideshow.

The minimum and maximum FPS data for the Medium settings provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the range is 60 to 81 FPS, which is a 21 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 40 to 53 FPS, a 13 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 22 to 30 FPS, an 8 FPS spread. The narrower range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is more consistently saturated, leaving less room for variance. The measured data is complete for Medium settings across all resolutions, but High and Ultra settings only have average FPS recorded, with no minimum or maximum values. This suggests that the frame pacing at those settings was more erratic or that the data collection focused on averages. Overall, the FPS breakdown confirms that this combo is a low-performance configuration for The Long Drive, with the GPU acting as the primary constraint at every resolution and settings combination.