The Long Drive

The Long Drive pairs a 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with the integrated Intel Arc B390 graphics, a combination that produces a very specific and challenging performance profile. The benchmark data shows a system where the CPU is exceptionally powerful, but the GPU is the clear limiting factor at every resolution and settings level. The results are measured and consistent, providing a clear picture of what this pairing can and cannot deliver in this driving simulation.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly demonstrates that the Intel Arc B390 is the bottleneck. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 95 FPS at 1920x1080 to 63 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 32 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160 at Low settings sees the average plummet to 35 FPS. This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario; as the pixel count increases, the graphics processor's workload expands dramatically, and the frame rate collapses accordingly.

The trend continues across all settings presets. For Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 78 at 1080p to 51 at 1440p, and then down to 29 at 4K. High settings follow a similar trajectory, with 49 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and a barely playable 18 FPS at 4K. The most demanding preset, Ultra, sees the average dip to 34 FPS at 1080p, 22 FPS at 1440p, and a slideshow-like 12 FPS at 4K. The data shows that the frame rate penalty for moving from 1080p to 1440p is significant, but the penalty for moving from 1440p to 4K is even more punishing, effectively halving the performance in most cases.

This scaling behavior reveals that the Ryzen 9 5950X's substantial processing power is largely idle in this game. The CPU has 16 cores and 32 threads with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, but the Arc B390's integrated graphics cannot feed frames fast enough to utilize that capability. The limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. The game's performance is dictated by the graphics solution's ability to render pixels, not the CPU's ability to calculate game logic or physics. For a player, this means that lowering resolution is the single most effective lever for improving frame rate, but even at 1080p, the ceiling is relatively low for demanding settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Long Drive, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Arc B390 ranks at 2594 out of 2934 combos. This places it in the bottom percentile of all tested systems for this game, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's standing. The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 puts it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all legacy or entry-level discrete cards like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 and GeForce 800M.

The CPU's performance is essentially irrelevant to this ranking. The Ryzen 9 5950X, with an average benchmark score of 51947, sits in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-13900F and Intel Core i7-14700, showing it is a top-tier processor. However, in this combo, its power is wasted. The rank reflects the combined result, and the GPU's severe performance deficit drags the entire system down to the bottom of the chart. The data indicates that this combo is not suitable for a smooth The Long Drive experience at playable settings, as the graphics solution is simply not capable of keeping up with the demands of the game.

The delta percentages for the GPU's rivals highlight just how low its performance is. The Arc B390 scores just 1.3% higher than the GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710. These are not modern gaming parts. The benchmark results indicate that this integrated GPU is in a performance class that is multiple generations behind what is needed for contemporary gaming, making the high-end CPU pairing a highly inefficient one for this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured performance, the only viable path to a playable experience is to use the Low settings preset. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 95 FPS, which is the only configuration that provides a clearly smooth frame rate. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 78 FPS, which is also acceptable, but the jump to High drops the average to 49 FPS, which starts to feel less fluid. The Ultra preset at 1080p is not recommended, as the 34 FPS average falls below the threshold for comfortable gameplay.

The data suggests that a 1080p resolution is mandatory. At 2560x1440, even the Low preset only manages 63 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 51 FPS, and High falls to 32 FPS. At 3840x2160, no settings preset provides a playable frame rate; the Low preset's 35 FPS average is the best case, but it is still below a smooth 60 FPS target, and the High and Ultra presets are effectively unplayable at 18 FPS and 12 FPS, respectively.

For the best experience, the recommendation is to prioritize resolution and settings in the following order: first, set the resolution to 1920x1080; second, select the Low preset for the highest average FPS. If visual quality is a priority, the Medium preset at 1080p is a reasonable compromise, sacrificing some frame rate for better visuals while staying above 60 FPS. There is no scenario where high or ultra settings are recommended for this combo, as the frame rate penalty is too severe to justify the visual improvement. The measured rows show a clear and consistent pattern: to get a smooth experience, you must play at 1080p with low or medium settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance envelope. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 95 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 49 FPS. Ultra settings are the slowest at this resolution, with an average of 34 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 63 FPS. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS. High settings average 32 FPS, and Ultra settings average 22 FPS. The drop from 1080p is substantial, with the Low preset losing 32 FPS and the Medium preset losing 27 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, with an average of 35 FPS. Medium settings average 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS. High settings average 18 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 12 FPS. The data shows a clear hierarchy: resolution is the primary factor in performance, and within each resolution, the settings preset has a consistent impact. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is significant at every resolution, but the gap becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions, where the GPU is already overburdened.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive component in this system's gaming performance. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its specifications include 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, the memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means it relies on the speed of the system's DDR4 memory.

These specifications explain the measured results. The lack of dedicated VRAM and the reliance on shared system memory is a significant bottleneck for a modern game like The Long Drive. The GPU's performance, as measured by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are cards like the GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, which are ancient by gaming standards.

The GPU's role in this game is to render all graphics, and it is simply not up to the task at higher resolutions or settings. The data shows that its performance ceiling is around 95 FPS at 1080p with the lowest settings. As soon as the resolution or the visual fidelity is increased, the frame rate drops precipitously. The GPU's 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are likely insufficient for the pixel and texture processing demands of 1440p and 4K. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is decent, but it cannot compensate for the fundamental limitations of the architecture and memory system. In this pairing, the GPU is unequivocally the weak link.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a high-end desktop processor that is massively overqualified for the task of running The Long Drive alongside the Arc B390. It is a 16-core, 32-thread CPU based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It has a large 64 MB L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26017 and a single-core score of 1614.

In this game, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI. Given the benchmark results, the Ryzen 9 5950X is more than capable of performing these tasks without breaking a sweat. The game is not CPU-bound at any resolution or settings level. The frame rates are entirely dictated by the GPU's output. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 12, the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU is.

The data confirms this by showing that the CPU's performance is far beyond what is needed. Its 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs means it is faster than the vast majority of processors on the market. However, this power is irrelevant when the GPU cannot deliver frames. The CPU is effectively waiting for the GPU to finish rendering. This is a classic example of a bottleneck, but in this case, the bottleneck is so severe that the CPU's capabilities are completely wasted. The Ryzen 9 5950X's 16 cores and 32 threads would be better utilized with a powerful discrete GPU, but with the Arc B390, it simply idles.