The Long Drive

The Long Drive pairs the 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with the Intel Arc B370, a combination that produces a very specific set of performance characteristics. The data shows this is a system where the graphics solution is the primary constraint in almost every scenario, making it a pairing that requires careful settings management to achieve playable frame rates. The following analysis breaks down the measured results, the role of each component, and how this combo ranks among other tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in The Long Drive?

A: This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2700 out of 2934 tested combos in the database for The Long Drive. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, indicating that while the CPU is a high-end part, the overall gaming performance is heavily limited by the graphics processor.

Q: How does the CPU's processing power compare to its direct rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51947, which places it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, has an average score of 52073, making the Ryzen 9 a negligible 0.2% slower. It is also 0.3% slower than the AMD EPYC 8124P (score 52121) and 0.7% slower than the Intel Core i7-14700 (score 52301), while being 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i9-13900F (score 51730). These are all extremely close results, showing the 5950X is a top-tier processor.

Q: What is the graphics card's standing relative to other GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184. Its closest rival is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186 and is 0.2% faster. It is also 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190) and 0.7% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192), but it is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168). This places the Arc B370 firmly in the entry-level or legacy performance tier.

Q: What is the best measured performance for this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded for this combo is 86 FPS at the 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next best is 71 FPS at Medium settings, followed by 44 FPS at High settings. The Ultra preset yields the lowest 1080p result at 31 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370's memory a factor in its performance?

A: Yes, the Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory, which means it has no dedicated VRAM of its own. Its memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This architecture relies on the system's main memory, which is a significant factor in its low performance relative to dedicated graphics cards.

Q: Was the performance data for this combo measured or estimated?

A: The data is measured. The `dataIsMeasured` field is marked as `true`, meaning the frame rates and rankings presented here come from direct testing of this specific hardware configuration in The Long Drive.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is a mobile or integrated-class graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. Its performance profile is the dominant factor in this combo's gaming results. The GPU's benchmark data shows a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is an extremely low score, and its nearest rivals are all legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and AMD Radeon HD 7650M, all of which are within a 0.7% performance delta. The data clearly indicates that the Arc B370's graphics processing power is minimal compared to the Ryzen 9 5950X.

The GPU's clock speeds are modest, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. However, the most critical specification is its memory configuration: "System Shared." This means the GPU does not have dedicated video memory; it instead uses the system's RAM. The bus width and bandwidth are also listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively. This dependency on system memory for both storage and bandwidth is a significant bottleneck for gaming workloads, especially at higher resolutions where the demand for texture data and frame buffer space increases dramatically.

This lack of dedicated VRAM directly impacts The Long Drive. The measured FPS data shows a steep decline as resolution and settings increase. The GPU's compute capabilities are also limited, with a FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS and 1280 shading units. While the 10 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are present on paper, the raw fill rate (48.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (96.00 GTexel/s) are low, which is consistent with its 5th percentile ranking. The data suggests that the Arc B370 is simply not designed for high-fidelity gaming, and its performance in The Long Drive reflects that. The CPU is essentially waiting on the GPU for most of the rendering pipeline.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2700 out of 2934 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations in the database. This ranking is a direct consequence of the massive imbalance between the two components. The Ryzen 9 5950X is a high-end desktop processor, scoring in the 91st percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 51947. It is a top-tier CPU for productivity and multi-threaded tasks. In contrast, the Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 1184.

This pairing results in a system where the GPU is the unequivocal bottleneck. The CPU's potential is largely untapped in gaming scenarios because the GPU cannot feed frames fast enough. The combo's rank of 2700 out of 2934 indicates that most other CPU/GPU pairings, even those with slower processors, will outperform this specific setup in gaming because they are likely paired with a more capable graphics card.

The performance delta between the CPU and GPU is stark. The Ryzen 9 5950X is 0.2% slower than its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, but this is irrelevant in a gaming context when the GPU is this weak. The data shows that the combo's overall ranking is dragged down almost entirely by the GPU. For a system builder, this rank is a clear signal that the graphics processor is the limiting factor and would need to be upgraded to achieve a competitive gaming performance tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how this combo performs across different resolutions and settings in The Long Drive.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 86 FPS average, which is the best result for this combo.
• Medium: 71 FPS average, with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 81 FPS.
• High: 44 FPS average.
• Ultra: 31 FPS average.

This shows that at 1080p, the combo can achieve playable frame rates, but only at the lowest settings. The jump from Low to Medium is a 15 FPS drop, and the jump to High is another 27 FPS drop, indicating a steep performance cost for higher graphical fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly:

• Low: 56 FPS average.
• Medium: 46 FPS average, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS.
• High: 29 FPS average.
• Ultra: 20 FPS average.

The 1440p results show that even at Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 86 FPS to 56 FPS, a 30 FPS loss. The High and Ultra presets become largely unplayable, with averages of 29 and 20 FPS, respectively.

At 3840x2160, the performance is critically low:

• Low: 31 FPS average.
• Medium: 26 FPS average, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS.
• High: 16 FPS average.
• Ultra: 11 FPS average.

At 4K, no settings preset achieves a playable average frame rate. Even the Low preset struggles to hit 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to just 11 FPS. This solidifies the Arc B370's position as a GPU that is not capable of handling 4K gaming in this title.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the combo is only viable at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. The frame rates at higher resolutions and settings are too low for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo is a direct indicator of its bottleneck. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS at Low settings drops from 86 to 56, a 35% reduction. This is a substantial drop, but not as severe as the drop from 1440p to 4K. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 31, which is a 45% reduction from the 1440p result.

This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must render grows exponentially. The Arc B370, with its limited processing power and system-shared memory, struggles to keep up with this increased workload. The CPU, the Ryzen 9 5950X, is not the limiting factor here; it has ample processing power to handle the game's logic and physics at any of these resolutions. The data indicates that the GPU is saturated at even 1080p, and its performance collapses as the resolution climbs.

The fact that the FPS drops are so pronounced when moving from 1080p to 1440p and again from 1440p to 4K strongly suggests a graphics processing bottleneck. If the system were CPU-bound, we would expect to see less of a performance penalty at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale as steeply with pixel count. Instead, the results show a classic GPU-limited scenario. The system-shared memory of the Arc B370 is likely a major contributor, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which becomes more critical at higher resolutions where larger frame buffers are needed.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo are clear. The primary goal should be to achieve a stable, playable frame rate, which for most users is around 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the only preset that achieves an average of 60 FPS or higher is Low, with an average of 86 FPS. The Medium preset is also playable, with an average of 71 FPS and a minimum of 60 FPS. For a smoother experience with a safety margin, Low is the safest choice. The Medium preset is a viable option if the user prefers better visuals, as its minimum FPS of 60 is still acceptable. The High and Ultra presets, with averages of 44 and 31 FPS, should be avoided as they will result in a noticeably less smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset, with an average of 56 FPS, is the only option that is close to playable, though it falls below the 60 FPS target. This is a significant compromise. The Medium preset, averaging 46 FPS, may be acceptable to some users, but it is not ideal. The High and Ultra presets, at 29 and 20 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a playable experience.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings presets are recommended for playable gaming. The Low preset's 31 FPS average is too low for a smooth experience, and the Ultra preset's 11 FPS is a slideshow. This resolution should be avoided entirely with this hardware configuration.

The best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, which offers a solid 71 FPS average with a 60 FPS minimum. This balances visual quality and performance. If the user prioritizes maximum smoothness, the Low preset at 1080p is the best choice, offering 86 FPS. For users willing to accept lower frame rates, the Low preset at 1440p is the only viable option at that resolution. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with moderate settings, and attempting to push higher resolutions or quality presets will result in a subpar experience.