The Long Drive

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a very specific performance profile in The Long Drive, one that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor. The data shows a clear pattern where frame rates are tightly bound to resolution and settings, with the CPU rarely becoming the primary bottleneck. This combination ranks low overall, and understanding the measured results is key to getting a playable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, indicating that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component in this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 86 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 56 FPS, a reduction of 30 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls to 31 FPS. This scaling pattern shows a classic GPU-bound scenario: as pixel count increases, the render workload outpaces the Arc B370's capabilities.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. At High settings, the average frame rate goes from 44 FPS at 1080p, to 29 FPS at 1440p, and down to 16 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset follows the same trajectory: 71 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, starting at a marginal 31 FPS at 1080p and falling to 20 FPS at 1440p and 11 FPS at 4K.

The frame rate halving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings (86 to 31 FPS) is a strong indicator that the GPU is saturated. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the resolution scaling would be far more gradual, since the same number of draw calls would be processed regardless of pixel count. Instead, the steep decline points directly at the Arc B370's limited pixel throughput and raw compute power. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which underscores its low absolute performance level.

At 4K, none of the settings presets deliver a playable experience. The best result at 4K is Low at 31 FPS, which is below the typically desired 60 FPS threshold. The data suggests that 4K is simply out of reach for this combo in The Long Drive, regardless of how much you lower the visual quality. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is also significant, with a roughly 30-35% FPS loss across all presets, meaning 1440p is only viable at the lowest settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores show solid mainstream performance: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257. It sits in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with its average benchmark score of 18683 placing it just 0.1% behind the AMD EPYC 7643 and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100F.

In The Long Drive, the CPU's role appears to be secondary. The measured FPS data shows that the graphics card is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the resolution scaling discussed above. However, this does not mean the CPU is irrelevant. The 12 threads provide enough processing headroom for the game's simulation and physics logic, which is typical for a driving simulation genre title. The fact that the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p Low (86 FPS) suggests it can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them.

The core count and clock speeds are sufficient to avoid stuttering or frame drops caused by CPU limitations in this specific game. The measured Medium preset at 1080p shows an average of 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 81 FPS, indicating a stable frame pacing that would not be possible if the CPU were struggling. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) contribute to this smoothness, but the data does not suggest that the CPU is pushing performance upward. Instead, it is simply keeping up with the GPU's output.

The Arc B370's integrated nature (it is an IGP with a 25 W TDP) means it shares system memory, and its performance is "System Dependent" on memory bandwidth. This could partially explain why the CPU's dual-channel memory bus is sufficient but not exceptional. The GPU's low FP32 throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS and 1280 shading units are the real constraints. The CPU is a capable partner, but it is not the star of this show; the data indicates the i5-12400 is doing its job without becoming a liability, allowing the GPU's limitations to be the sole determinant of frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution that offers consistently playable frame rates. At Low settings, the average is 86 FPS, and at Medium it is 71 FPS. 1440p is playable only on Low at 56 FPS, while 4K is not viable, with a maximum average of 31 FPS on Low.

*Q: Is this combo CPU-bound or GPU-bound in The Long Drive?*

A: The benchmark results indicate a GPU-bound scenario. The steep FPS drop from 1080p to 4K (e.g., 86 to 31 FPS at Low settings) is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The CPU, with its 12 threads and 4.40 GHz boost clock, is not the limiting factor.

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

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570's score of 1186 and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770's 1190. It is 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M's 1192. This places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What are the FPS numbers for the Medium preset?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 71, with a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 81. At 1440p Medium, the average is 46, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 53. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings?

A: Ultra settings are not recommended. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is only 31. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 20 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to a nearly unplayable 11 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU's overall performance rank?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. It is 0.1% behind the AMD EPYC 7643 and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100F in average score.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2700 out of 2934 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, which is a reflection of the GPU's extreme performance limitations rather than the CPU's capabilities. The CPU is a mainstream part that performs well in synthetic benchmarks, but the GPU drags the entire combo down.

The nearest GPU rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, are legacy parts from over a decade ago. This context is crucial: the Arc B370 is competing with hardware from a different era. While the i5-12400 is a modern 12th-gen part with strong single and multi-threaded scores, it cannot compensate for the GPU's low pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s.

In a ranking of 2934 combos, being at 2700 indicates that this configuration will struggle with modern gaming workloads. The data shows that the combination is only suitable for low-resolution, low-detail gaming. The rank is not a surprise given the measured FPS numbers; a combo that cannot break 31 FPS at 4K Low is not going to rank highly. The CPU's performance is effectively wasted in this pairing, as it has the headroom to drive a much more powerful graphics card. The bottleneck is so pronounced that the combo's ranking is almost entirely determined by the Arc B370's performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable path to a smooth experience is to prioritize resolution and settings. At 1080p, the Low preset provides the best frame rate at 86 FPS average, which is ideal for fast-paced driving. The Medium preset at 1080p is also excellent, offering 71 FPS average with a minimum of 60 FPS, ensuring no drops below the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Medium at 1080p the sweet spot for visual fidelity and performance, as it provides a 60 FPS floor.

The High preset at 1080p drops to 44 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for a driving game that benefits from high frame rates. The Ultra preset at 1080p is not recommended, as 31 FPS average will feel sluggish. If you have a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only option that maintains playability, at 56 FPS average. However, you will sacrifice significant visual quality. The Medium preset at 1440p, at 46 FPS average, is a compromise that may be acceptable for less demanding players, but the minimum FPS of 40 suggests potential dips that could be distracting.

For the best overall experience, the data clearly points to 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration delivers an average of 71 FPS and a minimum of 60 FPS, which is the highest minimum frame rate recorded across all presets and resolutions. It balances the game's visual quality with the Arc B370's limited processing power. Avoid 4K entirely, as even the Low preset cannot provide a consistent 30 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended at any resolution, as they produce average frame rates below 45 FPS, which is not smooth enough for a driving simulation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is taken directly from the measured benchmark results for The Long Drive.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS 86.
• Medium: Average FPS 71, Minimum FPS 60, Maximum FPS 81.
• High: Average FPS 44.
• Ultra: Average FPS 31.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS 56.
• Medium: Average FPS 46, Minimum FPS 40, Maximum FPS 53.
• High: Average FPS 29.
• Ultra: Average FPS 20.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS 31.
• Medium: Average FPS 26, Minimum FPS 22, Maximum FPS 30.
• High: Average FPS 16.
• Ultra: Average FPS 11.

These numbers confirm the GPU-bound nature of the system. The performance cliff from 1080p to 4K is stark, and the only way to achieve a 60 FPS average is to use the Low preset at 1080p. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only other configuration that maintains a 60 FPS minimum. All other combinations fall short of the 60 FPS target, with the Arc B370's limited processing power being the primary cause.