The Long Drive

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a highly constrained experience in The Long Drive, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck across all tested configurations. The data indicates that this combo is severely limited at higher resolutions and quality presets, making it suitable only for lower-end gameplay. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and practical settings for this specific hardware pairing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces an average of 86 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that approaches a comfortable playable frame rate, and it does so by minimizing the load on the Intel Arc B370. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 15 FPS (86 to 71), which is a significant drop of roughly 17%, but the Medium preset still maintains a playable 71 FPS average with a minimum of 60 FPS, making it a viable alternative if visual fidelity is prioritized over maximum smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more precarious. The Low preset delivers 56 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less fluid than the 1080p result. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 46 FPS, and the High preset falls to 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a driving simulation. The Ultra preset is essentially unplayable at 20 FPS. For 4K (3840x2160), the data shows that even the Low preset only manages 31 FPS, and the High preset struggles at 16 FPS, indicating that this resolution is not suitable for this combo.

The data strongly suggests that users should prioritize 1080p with Low or Medium settings. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a good balance, providing a 60 FPS minimum that prevents major stutters. The High preset at 1080p (44 FPS) and the Ultra preset at 1080p (31 FPS) are not recommended, as the performance penalty is severe relative to the modest visual gains typically expected from those presets. The measured numbers show a clear trend: this GPU is not capable of handling higher quality settings without a substantial sacrifice in frame rate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the definitive limiting factor in this system. Its benchmark results place it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. This places it in direct competition with much older hardware, as its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2%) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5%). The performance delta between these rivals is negligible, confirming that the Arc B370 operates in a very low performance tier.

The GPU's specifications explain this limitation. It features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, which are modest figures. Its FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS. Crucially, the memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on shared system memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This architecture is a significant handicap for a game like The Long Drive, which likely requires consistent memory bandwidth for texture streaming in its open-world driving environment.

The impact of this is visible in the FPS data. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 86 FPS, but increasing the settings to High at the same resolution drops the average to 44 FPS, a reduction of nearly half. This dramatic scaling with settings indicates that the GPU's shading and memory resources are quickly exhausted. The GPU's 25 W TDP and integrated graphics form factor (IGP) underscore its position as a low-power, entry-level solution that is not designed for demanding 3D workloads. The data shows that this component is the bottleneck in all scenarios, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed it.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-end desktop processor that is vastly more capable than the GPU it is paired with in this test. It features 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 MB of L3 cache, which is substantial. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 41376.

In multi-threaded workloads, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 16262 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2695 in Cinebench R15 multicore. Its 3DMark 16-thread score is 9075, and its max-thread score is 10075. These figures indicate that the CPU has massive parallel processing capability. Single-thread performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1527 and a PassMark single-thread score of 3469. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H (avgScore 41263, deltaPct 0.3%) and the Intel Core i7-14650HX (avgScore 41576, deltaPct -0.5%), showing that it is competitive with modern mobile and desktop chips.

In the context of The Long Drive, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI. Given the massive gap in performance between the CPU and GPU, the data shows that the CPU is never the limiting factor. For example, at 1080p, the FPS drops from 86 on Low to 31 on Ultra. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant regardless of graphics settings, as the CPU load would not change significantly. Instead, the FPS scales dramatically with GPU load, confirming that the CPU has ample resources to handle the game's simulation demands. The Ryzen 9 5900X is effectively idle waiting for the Arc B370 to render frames.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system?

A: The best measured configuration is 1920x1080 with Low settings, yielding an average of 86 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is also viable, with an average of 71 FPS and a minimum of 60 FPS.

*Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in The Long Drive?*

A: No. The data shows that at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves 31 FPS, while Ultra drops to 11 FPS. These frame rates are not playable for a smooth driving experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370's average benchmark score is 1184, which is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, deltaPct -0.2%) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, deltaPct -0.5%). This indicates it performs in the same tier as these older GPUs.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this test?

A: No. The FPS scales heavily with graphics settings (e.g., from 86 FPS at 1080p Low to 31 FPS at 1080p Ultra), indicating the GPU is the sole bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 5900X has high multi-threaded scores (e.g., 16262 in Cinebench R23) that are not being fully utilized.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 56 FPS, while Ultra settings produce only 20 FPS. This is a 36 FPS difference, showing that the GPU cannot handle the increased shading load of higher presets.

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

A: The minimum FPS for Medium settings is 22 FPS at 4K, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 1080p. This shows that the experience becomes more stable as resolution decreases.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a steep drop-off as resolution increases, which is a clear indicator of the GPU-bound nature of this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 86 at 1920x1080, to 56 at 2560x1440, and finally to 31 at 3840x2160. This represents a decrease of 35% from 1080p to 1440p, and a further decrease of 45% from 1440p to 4K. The trend is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, on High settings, the FPS drops from 44 at 1080p to 29 at 1440p to 16 at 4K.

This scaling pattern is typical of a system where the GPU is the primary limiter. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must process grows quadratically, and the Arc B370's limited computational resources (6.144 TFLOPS FP32) and shared memory bandwidth are quickly overwhelmed. The CPU's performance does not change with resolution, so if it were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain flat across resolutions. The fact that FPS falls so sharply with resolution confirms that the GPU is saturated.

The difference between 1080p and 4K is stark. At Low settings, the 4K result (31 FPS) is less than half of the 1080p result (86 FPS). At Ultra settings, the 4K result (11 FPS) is around a third of the 1080p result (31 FPS). This indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for high-resolution rendering. For users of this combo, sticking to 1080p is essential for any semblance of playability, as higher resolutions disproportionately punish performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the complete measured FPS table for this combo in The Long Drive.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average 31 FPS
• Medium: Average 26 FPS, Minimum 22 FPS, Maximum 30 FPS
• High: Average 16 FPS
• Ultra: Average 11 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average 56 FPS
• Medium: Average 46 FPS, Minimum 40 FPS, Maximum 53 FPS
• High: Average 29 FPS
• Ultra: Average 20 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average 86 FPS
• Medium: Average 71 FPS, Minimum 60 FPS, Maximum 81 FPS
• High: Average 44 FPS
• Ultra: Average 31 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, Low and Medium provide the only playable frame rates, with High and Ultra falling below 45 FPS. At 1440p, only Low approaches playability at 56 FPS, while Medium dips to 46 FPS and High/Ultra are unplayable. At 4K, all presets are below 31 FPS, rendering the game effectively unplayable. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS, which shows a range of 22-30 FPS at 4K, 40-53 FPS at 1440p, and 60-81 FPS at 1080p. This suggests that the Medium preset is the most stable in terms of frame pacing, but only at 1080p does it maintain a playable minimum.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2700 out of 2934 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, reflecting the severe bottleneck imposed by the GPU. The CPU is a high-end part, ranked in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The pairing of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU results in a system that performs far worse than its processor alone would suggest.

The rank of 2700 out of 2934 indicates that this combo is only able to outperform 234 other combinations. This is a poor showing, but it is entirely attributable to the GPU's limitations. The data shows that the CPU has no impact on the game's performance in this configuration, as it is never the limiting factor. The combo's rank is essentially a reflection of the Arc B370's low position in the GPU hierarchy.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile (87) and GPU's low percentile (5) is the defining characteristic of this combo. In The Long Drive, the game's rendering demands are the sole determinant of performance, and the Arc B370's modest specifications cannot meet them at higher resolutions or settings. The measured FPS data confirms that this combo is only suitable for low-resolution, low-detail gameplay, and its rank of 2700 out of 2934 accurately reflects this limited capability.