The Long Drive

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2594 out of 2934 tested combinations in The Long Drive, placing it in the bottom 12th percentile of all tested combos. This is a low ranking that reflects a fundamental imbalance: the CPU is a strong mainstream performer, but the GPU is positioned near the very bottom of the graphics hierarchy, and the game's demands ultimately expose that weakness. The data shows a combo that can produce playable frame rates at lower settings and resolutions, but it falls apart quickly when graphical load increases.

The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is just 9, meaning roughly 91% of all tested graphics cards outperform it. Its average benchmark score of 1482 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% ahead). These are all entry-level or legacy parts, which tells the story clearly: the Arc B390 is not a gaming powerhouse. In contrast, the CPU sits at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279, placing it within 0.5% of several modern mobile and desktop processors like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and the Intel Core i7-12800H. The combination of a high-tier CPU and a bottom-tier GPU creates a system where the graphics card is the overwhelming bottleneck in almost every scenario.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the best result achieved is 95 FPS average at 1080p with Low settings. That is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh territory. The worst result is 12 FPS average at 4K with Ultra settings, which is effectively unplayable. Between those extremes, the combo delivers a range of experiences that depend heavily on both resolution and quality preset. The ranking of 2594 out of 2934 suggests that while this combo is not the absolute worst, it is far closer to the bottom than to the middle, and users should have modest expectations for this hardware pairing in this specific title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F provides the computational foundation for this combo, and its specifications are substantial for a mainstream desktop part. It features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The CPU is built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture using a 10 nm process, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a capable processor for gaming workloads, as evidenced by its benchmark scores: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055, alongside a Geekbench multi-core score of 11268 and single-core score of 2058.

In The Long Drive, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics simulation, and the driving mechanics that are central to the title. The benchmark results suggest that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this combo, because the frame rates scale dramatically with resolution and settings changes in ways that point to GPU limitation. For example, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 95, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 34. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect less variation across settings at a fixed resolution. The fact that the frame rate nearly triples from Ultra to Low at the same resolution indicates that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting in determining performance.

The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for the game's threading requirements, and its single-thread performance is strong enough to avoid stuttering in most scenarios. However, this strength is largely wasted in this pairing because the Arc B390 cannot keep up. The CPU's average benchmark score of 32279 places it in the same performance band as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233, 0.1% difference) and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354, -0.2% difference), both of which are capable mobile processors. This means that if the GPU were upgraded, the CPU would not hold back performance in The Long Drive. But with the current GPU, the CPU sits idle waiting for the graphics card to finish its work, which is a common symptom of a severely imbalanced system.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in The Long Drive?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 95, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 90 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. It is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all very close scores, indicating the B390 performs in the same class as these older entry-level parts.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this combo?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 95 at Low settings to 34 at Ultra settings, a nearly threefold difference. If the CPU were the limiting factor, changing graphical settings would have a much smaller impact on frame rates.

Q: What is the playable frame rate at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 51, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. This is a playable range for many users, though it is not high-refresh territory.

Q: How does the CPU rank relative to other tested processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F sits at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its closest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233, 0.1% ahead), Intel Core i9-11900 (32226, 0.2% ahead), AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354, 0.2% behind), and Intel Core i7-12800H (32121, 0.5% ahead).

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Long Drive?

A: At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 35 with Low settings. Medium settings yield 29 FPS (min 24, max 33), High yields 18 FPS, and Ultra yields 12 FPS. These results are generally below the threshold for smooth gameplay, except possibly at Low settings, which is still below 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the results are the strongest. With Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 95 FPS, which is the single best result in the entire dataset. Medium settings deliver 78 FPS on average, with a minimum of 66 and a maximum of 90, which is a comfortable range for most displays. High settings drop the average to 49 FPS, which is still playable but begins to show the GPU's limitations. Ultra settings bring the average down to 34 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that many users prefer.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings produce an average of 63 FPS, which is still respectable. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59, putting it right on the edge of smoothness. High settings average 32 FPS, which starts to feel choppy in a driving simulation where smooth motion is important. Ultra settings average 22 FPS, which is a marginal experience at best. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each settings level is significant, showing that the GPU struggles as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the combo is largely out of its depth. Low settings average 35 FPS, which is technically playable but far from ideal. Medium settings average 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 33, which means the frame rate dips into the low 20s during demanding moments. High settings average 18 FPS, and Ultra settings average 12 FPS. Neither of these latter configurations is viable for actual gameplay. The data shows a clear pattern: this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming, and even then, only at Low or Medium settings for a consistently smooth experience.

The Medium settings rows across all resolutions include min and max FPS values, which provide insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 66 to 90 FPS, a 24 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 44 to 59 FPS, a 15 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 24 to 33 FPS, a 9 FPS spread. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is more consistently maxed out, whereas at lower resolutions, there is more variance as the GPU occasionally catches up to the CPU's output.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 34% at Low settings (95 to 63), 35% at Medium settings (78 to 51), 35% at High settings (49 to 32), and 35% at Ultra settings (34 to 22). This consistent drop of roughly one-third across all settings indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with pixel count. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect a smaller drop when the resolution increases, because the CPU workload would remain similar while the GPU workload grows.

From 1440p to 4K, the drops become even more severe. Low settings drop from 63 to 35 FPS, a 44% reduction. Medium settings drop from 51 to 29 FPS, a 43% reduction. High settings drop from 32 to 18 FPS, a 44% reduction. Ultra settings drop from 22 to 12 FPS, a 45% reduction. The fact that the percentage drop increases as the resolution climbs further confirms that the GPU is being pushed past its comfortable operating range. The Arc B390, with its 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, simply does not have the raw throughput to handle 4K rendering in this game.

The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads boosting up to 4.70 GHz, has more than enough compute headroom for The Long Drive at any resolution. The evidence is in the scaling pattern: if the CPU were the limit, we would see diminishing FPS drops as resolution increases, because the GPU would become relatively less stressed. Instead, we see accelerating drops, which is the classic signature of a GPU bottleneck. This means that users who want to improve performance in this game should focus on the graphics card, not the processor, as the CPU is unlikely to be holding back the system in any measurable way.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This preset delivers an average of 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 and a maximum of 90, which provides a smooth and consistent experience for a driving simulation. The minimum of 66 FPS ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above the 60 FPS threshold that most users consider the baseline for playable performance. The maximum of 90 FPS shows that the system has headroom for less demanding areas, making this the best balance of visual quality and performance.

For users who prioritize frame rate above all else, 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh territory, averaging 95 FPS. This is the recommended choice for competitive play or for users with 144Hz or higher displays, though the visual quality reduction is noticeable. Low settings at 1440p also achieve a respectable 63 FPS average, which is a viable alternative for users who prefer higher resolution over higher settings.

The High and Ultra presets are not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p High, the average drops to 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may introduce perceptible stutter in a game that relies on smooth motion. At 1080p Ultra, the average falls to 34 FPS, which is a significant compromise. At 1440p and 4K, High and Ultra settings produce averages below 32 FPS and 18 FPS respectively, which are not suitable for a playable experience. The data shows that Medium settings at 1080p is the sweet spot for this hardware combination, offering a frame rate that is both smooth and consistent while retaining a reasonable level of visual fidelity. Users should avoid 4K entirely with this combo, as even Low settings only achieve 35 FPS average, which is below the playable threshold for most users.