The Long Drive

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a low-power, integrated-graphics combination that lands near the bottom of the tested leaderboard for The Long Drive, ranking 2700th out of 2934 tested combos. This places it in the 8th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 92 percent of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this driving simulation. The data shows that this combo is playable only at lower resolutions and settings, with the Arc B370’s system-shared memory and 25W TDP creating a hard ceiling on performance. The following analysis breaks down exactly where this combo stands, what the GPU and CPU contribute, and which settings give the best experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2700 out of 2934 is decisive: it is a low-tier configuration for The Long Drive. To contextualize, the GPU alone sits at the 5th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. That places the Arc B370 in the company of legacy mobile and desktop parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192, deltaPct -0.7). The only nearby rival that the Arc B370 beats is the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168, deltaPct 1.4), and even then by a margin of just 1.4 percent. This is not a GPU designed for modern gaming at high framerates; it is an integrated part with a 25W TDP and no dedicated VRAM, instead relying on system-shared memory.

The CPU, by contrast, is a far more capable component. The Intel Core i5-10400F ranks at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (avgScore 14163, deltaPct 0.2), the Intel Core 7 160UL (avgScore 14232, deltaPct -0.3), the AMD EPYC 7552 (avgScore 14115, deltaPct 0.5), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (avgScore 14277, deltaPct -0.6). None of these deltas exceed 0.6 percent, so the i5-10400F is essentially performance-equivalent to a broad group of server and mobile chips. In multi-threaded workloads, it scores 10283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4318 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, while single-thread scores are 1451 and 609 respectively. This is a solid six-core, twelve-thread desktop processor, but its strengths are largely wasted when paired with the Arc B370.

The measured FPS data confirms the ranking. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo manages 86 FPS average, which is the only resolution/settings combination that clears 60 FPS. Every other tested configuration falls below that threshold. The gap between the CPU’s 68th percentile and the combo’s 8th percentile ranking illustrates that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. No amount of CPU headroom can compensate for a GPU that scores 1184 in a modern DX12 benchmark. The ranking is not a reflection of a weak processor; it is a reflection of a severely underpowered graphics solution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor in this pairing. Its chip, codenamed Panther Lake, uses the Xe3-LPG architecture and is fabricated on a 3 nm process by Intel. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its base clock is 300 MHz, boosting to 2400 MHz, which yields a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1). These are modest numbers, but the real constraint is memory: the Arc B370 has no dedicated VRAM. Memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," meaning the GPU borrows from the system’s DDR4 memory. This is a fundamental design choice for an integrated graphics part, and it has direct consequences in The Long Drive.

In practice, the system-shared memory means that the GPU’s performance is tied to the CPU’s memory bandwidth, which is 42.7 GB/s for the i5-10400F (dual-channel DDR4). The benchmark results reflect this limitation. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo averages 16 FPS. Dropping to Medium at the same resolution yields 26 FPS (with a min of 22 and max of 30), while Low settings produce 31 FPS. Ultra is worst at 11 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is just 20 FPS, and even the best case (Low, 31 FPS) is far from playable. The GPU’s 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with nearest rivals being legacy parts from over a decade ago, tells the story: this is not a chip designed for 4K gaming.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains marginal. Low settings yield 56 FPS, Medium averages 46 FPS (min 40, max 53), High drops to 29 FPS, and Ultra falls to 20 FPS. Only Low settings approach a playable framerate, and even that is below 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the GPU finally shows some life: Low settings hit 86 FPS, Medium averages 71 FPS (min 60, max 81), High averages 44 FPS, and Ultra drops to 31 FPS. The 1080p Low result is the only one that clears 60 FPS comfortably, and 1080p Medium is right at the edge with a minimum of 60 FPS. The data indicates that the Arc B370 is only viable for smooth gameplay at 1080p with the lowest settings, and even then, the margin is thin.

The GPU’s 25W TDP and IGP slot width (meaning it is integrated into the processor package) further reinforce that this is not a discrete graphics card. It has no power connectors and its display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," which suggests it is intended for laptops or compact systems rather than desktop gaming rigs. The API support is modern (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4), but raw performance is what matters in a game like The Long Drive, and the data shows that the Arc B370 is simply outmatched beyond 1080p Low.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS in The Long Drive?*

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where it averages 86 FPS. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average is 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS, so it also technically clears 60 FPS on average. No other resolution or settings combination reaches 60 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rival is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186 (deltaPct -0.2, meaning the Arc B370 is 0.2% slower). It also trails the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5%) and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, -0.7%). It only beats the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, deltaPct 1.4).

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves playable framerates. At 2560x1440, even Low settings only average 56 FPS, and at 3840x2160, the highest average is 31 FPS on Low. Stick to 1080p for any semblance of smooth gameplay.

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

A: No. The Intel Core i5-10400F ranks at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. The GPU ranks at the 5th percentile. The GPU is the clear bottleneck, as the CPU has ample headroom for multi-threaded tasks (e.g., 10283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) that the Arc B370 cannot utilize.

Q: What settings should I use at 2560x1440?

A: If you must play at 1440p, Low settings give the best result at 56 FPS average. Medium drops to 46 FPS (min 40, max 53), and High or Ultra fall below 30 FPS. None of these are ideal, but Low is the only option that approaches playability.

Q: Is the Arc B370 a discrete graphics card?

A: No. The data lists its slot width as "IGP" (integrated graphics processor), its TDP as 25W, and its power connectors as "None." It uses system-shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, and its display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," indicating it is an integrated solution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting at 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. With Ultra settings, the average FPS is 11, which is unplayable by any standard. High settings improve that to 16 FPS, still a slideshow. Medium settings yield 26 FPS on average, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30, which is marginally better but still far below the 30 FPS threshold for acceptable playability in most titles. Low settings are the best at 4K, producing 31 FPS average, but even that is not smooth. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 20 FPS, indicating that the GPU is overwhelmed regardless of settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers improve but remain constrained. Ultra settings average 20 FPS, High averages 29 FPS, Medium averages 46 FPS (with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 53), and Low averages 56 FPS. The jump from High to Medium is significant (17 FPS), while the jump from Medium to Low is smaller (10 FPS). This suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for visual quality versus performance at 1440p, but even Low fails to hit 60 FPS. For a driving simulation that benefits from smooth motion, 56 FPS is borderline.

At 1920x1080, the combo finally shows its potential, albeit only at lower settings. Ultra settings average 31 FPS, which is the same as 4K Low — a telling sign that the GPU is hitting a performance ceiling. High settings average 44 FPS, a noticeable improvement. Medium settings average 71 FPS, with a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 81, which is the first truly playable configuration in the dataset. Low settings are the best overall, averaging 86 FPS. The progression from Ultra to Low at 1080p is 31, 44, 71, and 86 FPS, showing that the GPU responds well to reducing graphical load. The minimum FPS data is only available for the Medium preset at each resolution (22 at 4K, 40 at 1440p, 60 at 1080p), and in all cases, the minimum is close to the average, suggesting relatively stable frame pacing rather than severe spikes.

The overall pattern is clear: resolution has a dramatic impact on performance, and settings matter more at lower resolutions. At 4K, even dropping to Low only yields 31 FPS, while at 1080p, the same settings jump to 86 FPS. This is consistent with a GPU that has limited fillrate (48 GPixel/s) and texture throughput (96 GTexel/s), and that is further constrained by system-shared memory. The 1080p Medium result (71 FPS average, 60 FPS minimum) is the only configuration that offers both decent visual quality and smooth gameplay, making it the practical recommendation for anyone using this combo.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a Comet Lake desktop processor built on Intel’s 14 nm process. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The CPU supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, and it uses the Intel Socket 1200 with PCIe Gen 3 (16 lanes from the CPU). Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. The TDP is 65W, and the processor has been in production since its release on 2020-04-29. Benchmark scores show a well-rounded part: 10283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 4318 in R20 multi-core, and 1451 in R23 single-core. In PassMark, it scores 12115 in multithread, 2541 in single-thread, and 41471 in integer math.

In the context of The Long Drive, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data shows that the i5-10400F is more than adequate for this task. Its 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it outperforms a majority of processors on the market, including server parts like the Intel Xeon 6756E (avgScore 14163, deltaPct 0.2) and AMD EPYC 7552 (avgScore 14115, deltaPct 0.5). The CPU’s multi-threaded performance (e.g., 6257 in Geekbench multi-core) is strong, but The Long Drive is unlikely to stress all 12 threads heavily. Even a single-thread score of 1451 in Cinebench R23 is sufficient for most game logic.

The bottleneck is not the CPU. At any resolution, the GPU’s frame rate ceiling is the limiting factor. For instance, at 1080p Low, the combo hits 86 FPS, but the CPU could likely push higher if paired with a discrete GPU. The i5-10400F’s 3DMark scores (4748 for 16 threads, 4735 for max threads, and 688 for single thread) indicate a processor that can handle a wide range of workloads. The fact that the combo ranks 2700th out of 2934 is entirely attributable to the Arc B370’s 5th percentile GPU ranking. In practical terms, users upgrading the GPU while keeping the CPU would see massive gains, as the CPU has no trouble keeping up with modern graphics cards in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience with this combo is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This configuration delivers an average of 71 FPS, with a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 81, which is smooth enough for a driving simulation. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only setting that combines a playable average framerate with a minimum that does not drop below 60 FPS. For users who prioritize smoothness above all else, 1080p Low is the top choice, averaging 86 FPS, but the visual quality penalty is significant. The jump from Low to Medium costs 15 FPS on average (86 to 71), but the minimum FPS stays at 60, so Medium is the safer pick for maintaining a consistent frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the recommendations are grim. Low settings average 56 FPS, which is below 60 and may cause noticeable stutter in a driving game. Medium drops to 46 FPS (min 40, max 53), and High or Ultra are unplayable at 29 and 20 FPS respectively. If a user is forced to use 1440p, Low is the only viable option, but it is not recommended for a smooth experience. At 3840x2160, no setting is playable: the best case is Low at 31 FPS, followed by Medium at 26 FPS (min 22, max 30), High at 16 FPS, and Ultra at 11 FPS. 4K is simply out of reach for this combo.

The practical advice is to run the game at 1080p. For the best balance of visuals and performance, select Medium settings, which yields 71 FPS average and a 60 FPS minimum. If the user needs higher framerates for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, switch to Low, which hits 86 FPS average. Avoid High and Ultra at 1080p, as they drop to 44 and 31 FPS respectively — a steep cost for marginal visual gains. The data also suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p is the most stable, with a min-max spread of 21 FPS (60 to 81), whereas Low does not report min/max values, so Medium offers more predictable performance. In summary, this combo is best treated as a 1080p gaming solution with settings locked to Medium or Low. Anything higher in resolution or quality will result in a subpar experience.