The Long Drive

This benchmark analysis evaluates the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 in The Long Drive, a Driving Simulation title released on 2019-09-02. The data is measured, not synthetic, and reflects real-world performance. The combination ranks 787 out of 1734 tested combos, placing it in the upper half of all systems tested.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: The system delivers an average of 80.4 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is the most demanding 1080p preset tested, and the frame rate remains comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28238. Its closest rival, the AMD FirePro S7150, scores 28409, which is 0.6% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT scores 27985, placing it 0.9% behind the RTX 3070.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile compared to all CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F sits in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 14168, with a multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 10297 and a single-core score of 1453.

Q: Does the game run better at 2560x1440 High or 3840x2160 Medium?

A: The 2560x1440 High preset yields 76.1 FPS on average, while 3840x2160 Medium produces 68.7 FPS. The lower resolution with High settings is faster by 7.4 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its memory clock operates at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed.

Q: How many threads does the CPU have, and what are its clock speeds?

A: The i5-10400F has 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, and it boosts to 4.30 GHz. The CPU has 12 MB of shared L3 cache.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture using Samsung's 8 nm process, with a die size of 392 mm² containing 17,400 million transistors. In The Long Drive, the GPU's memory subsystem and clock speeds directly influence the measured FPS across resolutions. The card runs at a base clock of 1500 MHz and boosts to 1725 MHz, with memory at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). This configuration delivers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The data shows a clear scaling pattern tied to GPU load. At 3840x2160, the frame rate drops from 85.5 FPS on Low settings to 28.1 FPS on Ultra, a 57.4 FPS spread. This indicates that at 4K, the RTX 3070's compute resources—5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs—become the limiting factor under higher preset loads. The pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s are taxed heavily at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same settings spread shows a tighter range: 150.7 FPS on Low down to 53 FPS on Ultra. The 97.7 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p highlights how settings scale the GPU workload. The card's FP32 throughput of 20.31 TFLOPS supports high frame rates at medium presets, evidenced by 125.9 FPS at Medium. For 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 is seldom stressed; even Ultra settings produce 80.4 FPS, while Low hits 233.4 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for all tested presets, as no min or max FPS data indicates memory-related stutters.

Relative to its peers, the RTX 3070 scores 28238 on average. This is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (27985) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (27956). The card sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, showing strong competitive positioning for this driving simulator.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F, a 10th Gen Comet Lake part, provides 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz reaches a boost of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, and its 14 nm process node keeps TDP at 65 W. In The Long Drive, the CPU's single-thread performance is critical for game logic and physics updates.

Benchmark data shows a single-thread 3DMark score of 688 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1453. These numbers indicate the CPU can drive high frame rates without bottlenecking the RTX 3070 at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system produces 188.2 FPS on Medium settings, suggesting the CPU handles the simulation overhead well. However, the gap between Low (233.4 FPS) and Medium (188.2 FPS) at 1080p indicates that settings changes still impact CPU workload.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are modest but adequate. Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 10297, while 3DMark max-thread hits 4735. The PassMark multithread score of 12115 reflects its 6-core/12-thread design. In a driving game, where AI traffic and physics can scale across cores, the 12 threads provide headroom, though the 4.30 GHz boost clock is the primary driver for consistent frame pacing.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-10400F's average score of 14168 is 0.4% higher than the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115) and 0.8% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277). It also trails the Intel Core i5-8500 by 1.1% (14332) and the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 by 1.2% (14336). The 73rd percentile ranking places it above most CPUs, though it is not a high-end part. In The Long Drive, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but at 1080p, the 4.30 GHz boost ensures the RTX 3070 is not starved for draw calls.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 787 out of 1734 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places the system in the 54.6th percentile of all configurations—slightly above the median. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component severely bottlenecks the other across the tested settings.

The CPU's 73rd percentile and GPU's 72nd percentile are closely matched, which explains the solid overall rank. However, the game's performance scaling suggests the GPU becomes the dominant factor at 4K. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the system only manages 28.1 FPS, which is below playable thresholds for most users. This drags the combo's rank down relative to systems with stronger GPUs.

At 2560x1440, the combo shows its strength: 76.1 FPS on High and 125.9 FPS on Medium are competitive figures. The rank of 787 out of 1734 indicates that while the combo is not top-tier, it outperforms a majority of tested systems. The data shows that the i5-10400F's 6 cores do not hold back the RTX 3070 in this title, as frame rates scale predictably with GPU settings.

Compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 3070's 0.9% edge over the RX 6600 XT is minor, but the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking provides a stable foundation. The combo's rank would likely improve at lower resolutions, but the measured data only includes the presets listed, so the 787 ranking stands as the definitive metric for this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings each, providing a full picture of performance.

At 3840x2160, the system delivers 41.2 FPS on High, 85.5 FPS on Low, 68.7 FPS on Medium, and 28.1 FPS on Ultra. The jump from Medium to Ultra is severe, dropping 40.6 FPS, which suggests Ultra settings at 4K exceed the GPU's comfortable envelope. Low settings at 4K remain playable at 85.5 FPS, making this the only 4K preset that clears 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results are 76.1 FPS on High, 150.7 FPS on Low, 125.9 FPS on Medium, and 53 FPS on Ultra. The High preset is the sweet spot for 60 FPS gaming, while Ultra dips below that threshold. The 97.7 FPS difference between Low and Ultra shows significant headroom for quality adjustments.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves 121.4 FPS on High, 233.4 FPS on Low, 188.2 FPS on Medium, and 80.4 FPS on Ultra. Every preset exceeds 60 FPS, with even Ultra maintaining 80.4 FPS. The 1080p results highlight the RTX 3070's capability at mainstream resolutions, and the 233.4 FPS Low preset is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Ultra settings impose a steep penalty, while Low settings unlock maximum frame rates. The 1920x1080 Medium result of 188.2 FPS indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor here, as the GPU is fully utilized. Conversely, the 3840x2160 Ultra result of 28.1 FPS shows the GPU's ceiling under maximum load. The data confirms this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for Low or Medium settings.