The Long Drive

This combo of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B390 lands near the bottom of the database for The Long Drive, holding the 2594th spot out of 2934 tested combinations. That places it in the 12th percentile, meaning roughly 88% of all tested pairings deliver higher frame rates. The bottleneck is unambiguous: the Arc B390 is a low-end integrated solution, and its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs drags the entire system down, even though the CPU sits comfortably in the 68th percentile. The data indicates this pairing is only viable for low-resolution, low-detail play, and even then, it struggles to maintain smooth motion.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2594 out of 2934 is a clear verdict: this is a bottom-tier pairing for The Long Drive. It outperforms only 340 other combinations, which is a stark indicator of the GPU’s limitations. When you look at the components individually, the contrast is sharp. The Intel Core i5-10400F holds a strong 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. It sits directly between the Intel Xeon 6756E (0.2% ahead) and the Intel Core 7 160UL (0.3% behind), showing it is a perfectly capable mid-range processor. In contrast, the Intel Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of just 1482, placing it alongside the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7% behind).

This massive gap in component tiering explains the overall rank. A strong CPU cannot compensate for a GPU that is fundamentally outclassed. In practical terms, the combo is held hostage by the graphics solution. The CPU has the headroom to push far more frames, but the GPU cannot deliver them. This is not a balanced system; it is a case where the processor’s potential is wasted. The rank reflects the worst-case scenario for the pairing, as the GPU becomes the sole limiting factor in nearly every scenario. For a driving simulation that rewards smooth, consistent frame pacing, this combination will frustrate more than it impresses.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary constraint in this system. Its specifications immediately reveal why. The GPU operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, but these clocks are meaningless when paired with its memory configuration. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s DDR4 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is "System Dependent," which in this case is limited by the CPU’s dual-channel memory support and 42.7 GB/s bandwidth. This shared memory arrangement is a severe handicap for a game like The Long Drive, which benefits from fast, dedicated graphics memory.

The GPU’s raw compute figures are modest. It offers 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, producing a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, which is respectable on paper for an integrated part but falls apart in practice due to memory constraints. The 12 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 are irrelevant when the memory subsystem cannot feed the compute units fast enough. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 confirms this; it is barely above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX’s score of 1463.

In The Long Drive, this translates to a hard ceiling on performance. The GPU cannot handle high resolutions or detail settings without collapsing. The benchmark results show the GPU’s limits clearly: at 1080p Ultra, it manages only 34 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to a slideshow of 12 FPS. The GPU’s role is purely limiting; it has no headroom to spare. The 80 W TDP and integrated form factor (IGP) suggest it is designed for basic tasks, not gaming. This is a part that should be paired with an office workload, not a driving simulation. The data shows that any attempt to push this GPU beyond low settings at 1080p will result in a poor experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is the saving grace of this pairing, though its strengths are largely unrealized. This is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. Its cache layout includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. This is a solid mid-range CPU from its generation, and its benchmark scores confirm its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 10283 in multi-core and 1451 in single-core; in Geekbench, it scores 6257 multi-core and 1420 single-core. Its Passmark multithread score is 12115, and its single-thread score is 2541.

These numbers place the CPU in the 68th percentile, meaning it performs better than most processors in the database. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon 6756E (0.2% ahead), the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.5% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.6% behind). For The Long Drive, this CPU has more than enough processing power. The game is not particularly demanding on cores; it is a driving simulation with relatively simple physics and AI. The CPU’s 12 threads are sufficient to handle the game’s logic without breaking a sweat.

However, the CPU’s role is undermined by the GPU. The i5-10400F can easily feed frames to a much faster graphics card, but the Arc B390 cannot keep up. The data shows the CPU is not the bottleneck; the GPU is. This is evident in the FPS scaling: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 95 FPS, but at 1080p High, it drops to 49 FPS. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the drop would be less severe. The CPU is essentially waiting for the GPU to finish rendering each frame. For a builder, this means the i5-10400F is a future-proof component in this system—it can be paired with a better GPU later without needing an upgrade.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data paints a clear picture of this combo’s limitations. At 1920x1080, the most common gaming resolution, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 95 FPS, Medium yields 78 FPS (with a minimum of 66 and maximum of 90), High yields 49 FPS, and Ultra yields 34 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 17 FPS drop, but the jump from Medium to High is a 29 FPS drop, indicating a steep performance cliff as settings increase. The transition from High to Ultra is a 15 FPS drop, showing that the GPU is struggling with the higher detail textures and effects.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. Low settings average 63 FPS, Medium averages 51 FPS (with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 59), High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. The pattern is consistent: each settings tier costs roughly 10-20 FPS. At 1440p, even Low settings cannot maintain a locked 60 FPS, making this resolution unsuitable for smooth play. The minimum FPS of 44 at Medium settings indicates stuttering, which is detrimental to a driving game where reaction time matters.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo is effectively unplayable. Low settings average 35 FPS, Medium averages 29 FPS (with a minimum of 24 and maximum of 33), High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. The 4K results show the GPU completely overwhelmed; even the lowest settings fail to reach 40 FPS. The minimum FPS of 24 at Medium settings is below the threshold for playable frame rates, and the 12 FPS at Ultra is a literal slideshow. The data suggests that this combo should only be used at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, where it can achieve 78-95 FPS, or at 1440p with Low settings, where it hits 63 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the GPU bottleneck. At Low settings, the combo achieves 95 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. That is a 33.7% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 44.4% drop from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the numbers are 49 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K—a 34.7% drop, then a 43.8% drop. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of memory bandwidth. As resolution increases, the demand on the shared system memory grows, and the Arc B390 cannot keep up.

The scaling also tells us about the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU’s load does not change much with resolution. Instead, the FPS drops sharply at each higher resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU is not the issue; it has the headroom to handle 4K if paired with a faster GPU. This is further confirmed by the fact that the CPU’s 3DMark 16-thread score of 4748 is far above what the GPU can utilize.

For a builder, this scaling means that lowering resolution is the only way to get playable frame rates. The combo delivers 95 FPS at 1080p Low, which is acceptable for casual play. At 1440p, the best you can hope for is 63 FPS at Low settings, which is borderline. At 4K, the system is not viable. The data suggests that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, and any attempt to push higher resolutions will result in a degraded experience. The limiting component is unambiguously the GPU, and the CPU is waiting in the wings, ready to support a better graphics card.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo playable for The Long Drive at 1080p?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. The measured average FPS is 95 at Low and 78 at Medium. At High settings, the average drops to 49 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 34 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth play.

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only viable resolution. At 2560x1440, Low settings average 63 FPS, but Medium settings drop to 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only average 35 FPS, making 4K unplayable.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-10400F compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 14185, placing it 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon 6756E, 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552, and 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C. It sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 68th percentile. The FPS drops significantly with resolution increases, which is a GPU limitation, not a CPU one.

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to its closest competitors?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. It is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming at any settings?

A: The data indicates no. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 35 at Low settings, which is below playable thresholds. At Medium settings, the average is 29 FPS with a minimum of 24 FPS, and at Ultra, it drops to 12 FPS. 4K is not a viable option for this pairing.