The Long Drive

The Long Drive pairs the Intel Core i5-14600K with the Intel Arc B390, a combination that produces a very specific performance profile depending on resolution and quality preset. The data shows a system that is fundamentally limited by the graphics processor, with the CPU providing ample headroom across all tested configurations. This analysis covers the measured FPS, ranking among other tested combos, and the distinct roles each component plays in this driving simulation.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy of playability across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 95 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. Medium at the same resolution produces 78 FPS on average, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. High drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS. For smooth gameplay at 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, as it maintains an average well above 60 FPS while providing a measurable visual improvement over Low. The minimum of 66 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays comfortably within a playable range.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes. Low produces 63 FPS on average, which is still playable, but Medium drops to 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS. High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra drops to 22 FPS. For a consistent experience at this resolution, the Low preset is the only measured option that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset’s minimum of 44 FPS suggests occasional stutter, making Low the more reliable choice for sustained performance.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets reach a playable 60 FPS average. Low averages 35 FPS, Medium averages 29 FPS with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. For users who must run at 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, the experience will be limited. The best overall experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1920x1080, which provides the highest quality settings while maintaining a minimum FPS above 60.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame places this configuration at rank 2594 out of 2934 tested combos. This places it in the lower 12 percent of all tested systems for The Long Drive. Benchmark results indicate that a majority of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The rank reflects the Arc B390’s position in the GPU hierarchy, as the graphics card sits at the 9th percentile of all GPUs based on its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This is a low ranking, and it directly impacts the combo’s overall position.

The CPU, by contrast, is a high performer. The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618 and sits at the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H with a score of 48698 (0.2 percent higher), the AMD EPYC 4345P with a score of 48470 (0.3 percent lower), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX with a score of 48287 (0.7 percent lower), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with a score of 48995 (0.8 percent higher). These deltas are all within one percentage point, meaning the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo’s ranking. The limiting factor is clearly the GPU, which drags the overall rank down despite the CPU’s strong synthetic performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 300 MHz, and the boost clock reaches 2500 MHz. Memory is system shared, meaning the GPU uses the host system’s memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and type are both listed as “System Shared,” and bandwidth is described as “System Dependent.” This is a critical detail for the game’s performance, as the lack of dedicated VRAM forces the GPU to rely on system memory bandwidth, which can bottleneck high-resolution textures.

The GPU’s pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, and FP16 performance is 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1). The TDP is 80 W, and it is an IGP with no power connectors. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B390 scores 1482, placing it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463 (1.3 percent higher), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M with a score of 1460 (1.5 percent higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM with a score of 1446 (2.5 percent higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 with a score of 1443 (2.7 percent higher). These are all low-end or legacy parts, which shows the Arc B390 is positioned at the entry level of GPU performance.

In The Long Drive, the GPU’s limitations are evident in the FPS scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 95 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 35 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU has more than enough compute headroom. The system shared memory further hampers performance at higher resolutions, where texture data demands more bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 95, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-14600K bottleneck the Arc B390 in this game?

A: No. The CPU’s synthetic benchmark scores are in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 9th percentile. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a significant drop, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems for The Long Drive?

A: The combo ranks 2594 out of 2934 tested combos, placing it in the lower portion of the distribution.

Q: Is the Medium preset playable at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 averages 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold but may be acceptable depending on user preference, though Low at 63 FPS is smoother.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B390 scores 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3 percent higher), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5 percent higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7 percent higher).

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 24 FPS, with a maximum of 33 FPS and an average of 29 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial across all presets. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 95 at 1920x1080 to 63 at 2560x1440, and then to 35 at 3840x2160. This represents a 33 percent drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 44 percent drop from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the averages are 78 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The High preset sees 49 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. Ultra drops from 34 FPS at 1080p to 22 FPS at 1440p and 12 FPS at 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent: each resolution increase roughly halves the frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K. This behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload grows with pixel count. The CPU’s performance is not a factor, as its multi-threaded and single-threaded scores are strong enough to handle the game’s logic and draw calls at all resolutions. The system shared memory of the GPU also contributes to the steep drop, as higher resolutions require more memory bandwidth for frame buffers and textures, and the shared memory configuration may not deliver the necessary throughput.

The data indicates that the Arc B390 is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but instead, it scales inversely with pixel count. This means that users seeking higher resolutions will need to lower settings significantly to achieve playable frame rates, as the measured rows show.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz, and its boost clock reaches 5.30 GHz. The CPU has an L3 cache of 24 MB shared, with an L2 cache of 2 MB per core and L1 cache of 80 KB per core. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it uses an Intel Socket 1700. The TDP is 125 W, and the chip is unlocked for overclocking.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 24491 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2064 in single-core. Geekbench scores are 16673 multi-core and 2491 single-core. Passmark multi-thread score is 38682, and single-thread is 4270. The average benchmark score is 48618, placing it at the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in average score are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H at 48698, the AMD EPYC 4345P at 48470, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX at 48287, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 at 48995. All of these are within 0.8 percent of the i5-14600K, indicating that the CPU is performing as expected for its class.

In The Long Drive, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw call submission. The game is a driving simulation, which can be CPU-intensive for vehicle physics and world simulation. However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. At 1080p Low, the 95 FPS average suggests the GPU is still the bottleneck, as a stronger GPU would likely push the frame rate higher. The CPU’s high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 2064 Cinebench R23 score and 4270 Passmark single-thread score, ensures that it can keep up with the GPU’s output at lower resolutions. At higher resolutions, the GPU’s workload increases, and the CPU has even more headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 95 FPS. Medium averages 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. High averages 49 FPS. Ultra averages 34 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with Ultra delivering less than half the frame rate of Low.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 63 FPS. Medium averages 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS. High averages 32 FPS. Ultra averages 22 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 12 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 19 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 10 FPS.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 35 FPS. Medium averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS. High averages 18 FPS. Ultra averages 12 FPS. The differences between presets are smaller in absolute terms at 4K, but the relative drops are similar. The minimum FPS of 24 at Medium 4K is notable, as it shows that even the lower presets can dip below 30 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the Arc B390 struggles to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions, and the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it still only achieves 34 FPS. For users prioritizing frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p offers the best measured performance, while the Medium preset at 1080p provides a reasonable compromise between quality and speed. At 1440p and above, users must accept lower settings to achieve playable frame rates, and 4K is generally not recommended based on the measured averages.