The Long Drive

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a gaming experience in The Long Drive that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor. Across all tested settings, the frame rates scale predictably with resolution, but the absolute numbers reveal a combo that struggles to maintain smooth gameplay above 1080p. The data indicates a clear verdict: this is a 1080p-oriented configuration, and even then, only at lower graphical presets.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic and consistent drop as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this pairing. At the High preset, performance falls from an average of 44 FPS at 1920x1080 to 29 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to a near-unplayable 16 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a decline of roughly 34% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 45% drop when stepping up to 4K. The scaling is not linear, which suggests that the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are being saturated very quickly as the pixel count increases.

The pattern is even more telling when examining the Low preset. At 1080p, the combo achieves a playable 86 FPS average. At 1440p, that figure falls to 56 FPS, and at 4K it plummets to 31 FPS. While the 1440p result might be acceptable for less demanding titles, the 4K number is barely above the threshold for a slideshow. The Ultra preset tells the worst story: 31 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and a catastrophic 11 FPS at 4K. These results strongly indicate that the CPU, with its high boost clock and 10 cores, is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions; instead, the integrated graphics solution’s relatively low fill rate and shared memory architecture are causing the severe performance degradation.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens considerably at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (86 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) is 55 FPS. At 1440p, the spread is 36 FPS (56 vs. 20), and at 4K, it narrows to 20 FPS (31 vs. 11). This shrinking delta at higher resolutions is a classic sign of GPU saturation: when the pixel workload becomes immense, the graphical preset has less relative impact because the hardware is already overwhelmed. The data shows that to maintain a consistent 60+ FPS experience, users must stay strictly within the 1080p resolution class and use the Low or Medium presets.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for The Long Drive, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B370 is ranked 2700 out of 2934 total combos. This places it in the 92nd percentile from the bottom, meaning that roughly 92% of all tested system configurations deliver better performance in this game. The ranking reflects the severe GPU bottleneck; the CPU is a modern, capable part, but the graphics solution is holding the entire system back to a degree that places it in the lower quartile of all possible builds.

The data shows that this combo ranks in the bottom 8% of tested systems. This is a poor result for a desktop setup, especially considering the CPU’s performance class. The Intel Core i5-14400F is a relatively strong processor, but its capabilities are essentially wasted in this configuration for this game. The benchmark results indicate that the majority of other tested combinations, even those with older or weaker CPUs, are likely achieving better frame rates because they are paired with more powerful discrete graphics cards.

This ranking is not an indictment of the CPU but rather a clear demonstration of how a weak GPU can define the entire gaming experience. The combo’s position, 2700 out of 2934, suggests that if a user is looking for a system to play The Long Drive at acceptable quality levels, this pairing should be avoided. The data implies that almost any other combination of hardware would yield a better result, highlighting the extreme imbalance between the processor and the graphics component.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive factor in this combo’s poor performance. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770. These are legacy parts, and the delta percentages are telling: the Arc B370 is 0.2% slower than the HD 5570, 0.5% slower than the HD 5770, and 0.7% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M. This puts its raw compute performance in the same tier as integrated graphics from over a decade ago, which aligns with the measured FPS data.

The GPU’s specifications confirm its limited scope. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, but its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. This forces the GPU to compete with the CPU for system memory bandwidth, which is a major contributor to the poor scaling at higher resolutions. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in a best-case scenario with dual-channel DDR4 or DDR5 memory, still cannot provide the bandwidth of a dedicated GDDR6 or GDDR6X solution.

With 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units, the Arc B370 is architecturally capable of rendering frames, but its pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are simply too low for modern gaming at high resolutions. The FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS is a nominal figure, but it does not translate into playable frame rates in The Long Drive due to the memory bottleneck. The GPU’s 25 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm its design as a low-power integrated solution, not a gaming powerhouse. The data makes it clear that the Arc B370 is the primary reason why this combo fails to deliver a smooth experience at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 86 FPS, which occurs at the Low preset with a resolution of 1920x1080.

Q: Can this system run the game at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that at 4K (3840x2160), the average frame rates range from 31 FPS on Low settings to 11 FPS on Ultra. None of these results are playable, as even the low preset dips below a stable 30 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rival in terms of 3DMark score?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its closest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which makes the Arc B370 0.2% slower.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and High presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 56 FPS, while the High preset averages 29 FPS. This is a difference of 27 FPS, or approximately 48% lower performance on High.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p with the Low preset?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p. While the CPU is powerful, the 86 FPS ceiling at Low settings is a direct result of the GPU’s limited fill rate and shared memory architecture, as the CPU would be capable of higher frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset, and at which resolution?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset is 22 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160. The minimum FPS values for other settings were not recorded.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F does not appear to be the source of the performance issues in The Long Drive. This is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. The Geekbench scores of 11268 (multicore) and 2058 (single-core) further reinforce that the CPU has ample processing power for gaming workloads.

The CPU’s performance percentile of 83 means it is faster than 83% of all tested CPUs, and it sits close to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and Intel Core i9-11900, with delta percentages of 0.1% and 0.2% respectively. This indicates that the i5-14400F is a high-performing processor that should not bottleneck a mid-range or even high-end GPU. In this combo, however, its power is untapped. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system only hits 86 FPS, a number that a CPU of this class could easily exceed if paired with a stronger GPU.

The fact that the frame rates plummet so severely when moving from 1080p to 1440p and 4K is a hallmark of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across all resolutions, since the CPU workload is largely resolution-independent. Instead, we see a 45% drop from 1080p to 1440p at the High preset, which is a clear sign that the GPU is being overwhelmed by the increased pixel count. The CPU is essentially waiting for the GPU to finish its work, making the i5-14400F a wasted asset in this configuration. The data suggests that the processor has the capability to support much higher frame rates, but the Arc B370 cannot deliver them.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only viable path to a smooth gaming experience with this combo is to prioritize lower resolutions and presets. The 1080p resolution with the Low preset is the only configuration that achieves an average FPS above 60, hitting 86 FPS. This should be considered the default target for any user wanting a fluid experience. The Medium preset at 1080p is also acceptable, with an average of 71 FPS and a minimum of 60 FPS, which provides a better visual quality without sacrificing playability.

For users willing to accept a 60 FPS cap, the 1080p Medium preset is the recommended balance. It offers a minimum FPS of 60, ensuring that frame pacing remains stable during most scenes. The High preset at 1080p, averaging 44 FPS, is playable but not ideal for a driving simulation where smoothness is key. The Ultra preset at any resolution should be avoided entirely; even at 1080p, it only averages 31 FPS, which is below the threshold for a comfortable experience.

At 1440p, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset averages 56 FPS, which is close to playable, but the Medium preset drops to 46 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets fall to 29 and 20 FPS respectively. The data suggests that 1440p should only be considered if the user is willing to use the Low preset and tolerate occasional dips. The 4K resolution is not viable for any preset, with even the Low setting only managing 31 FPS. The conclusion from the data is clear: for the best experience, use 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, or 1920x1080 with the Low preset for maximum smoothness. Any attempt to increase graphical fidelity beyond this will result in a significant and noticeable drop in frame rate.