The Long Drive

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 2594 out of 2934 tested combos in The Long Drive, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. This is a decidedly low-tier position, but the data suggests the pairing is workable for this specific driving simulation if you adjust expectations and settings accordingly. The combo is not a high-performance outlier; rather, it sits firmly in the entry-level segment, where the experience is defined by compromise and careful tuning.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2594 out of 2934 is a clear indicator that this system is not built for maximum fidelity or high refresh rates in The Long Drive. The measured data shows a configuration that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings and resolutions. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-9400, sits at the 47th percentile when compared to all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (deltaPct -0.2), Intel Core i7-10710U (deltaPct 0.3), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (deltaPct 0.4), and Intel Core i3-10305 (deltaPct -0.4). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the i5-9400 is in a dead heat with those processors, offering no meaningful performance advantage over them.

The GPU side is where the bottleneck becomes severe. The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482 and sits at only the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (deltaPct 1.3), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (deltaPct 1.5), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (deltaPct 2.5), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (deltaPct 2.7). The Arc B390 is only about 1-3% ahead of these ancient, low-end cards, which underscores its position at the very bottom of the graphics hierarchy. In fact, the GPU is so weak that it drags the entire combo down, regardless of the CPU's relatively moderate standing. The data shows that while the CPU is mid-pack, the GPU is effectively at the floor, making the overall rank almost entirely a reflection of the graphics solution's limitations.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the only preset that delivers a consistently smooth experience is Low at 1080p, which yields an average of 95 FPS. This is the clear sweet spot for this combo. Medium at 1080p offers 78 FPS average (with a minimum of 66 and maximum of 90), which is also playable and a decent step up in visual quality, but it comes with a noticeable 17 FPS drop from Low. High at 1080p drops further to 49 FPS, which is borderline for a driving game where smoothness matters for control precision.

For 1440p, the story is similar but with lower absolute numbers. Low at 1440p averages 63 FPS, which is acceptable. Medium at 1440p averages 51 FPS (min 44, max 59), which is still in the playable range but requires a tolerance for occasional dips. High at 1440p drops to 32 FPS, which is not recommended for a smooth driving experience. Ultra settings are effectively off the table; at 1080p Ultra only averages 34 FPS, and at 1440p it falls to 22 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average is just 12 FPS, making it a slideshow.

The practical recommendation is to run Low settings at 1080p for the best balance of performance and stability. If you want better visuals, Medium at 1080p is the highest you should go without sacrificing playability. The data indicates that the system cannot handle High or Ultra presets at any resolution without dropping below the 60 FPS threshold that is generally considered ideal for this genre. For users with a 1440p monitor, Low is the only sensible preset, accepting the 63 FPS average.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are stark and reveal the limiting component clearly. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 95 FPS at 1080p to 63 FPS at 1440p, a 34% reduction. Moving to 4K Low, the average drops to 35 FPS, which is a 63% reduction from 1080p. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions, as the processor's load would be similar regardless of pixel count.

The data confirms the GPU is the primary constraint. The Arc B390, with its low benchmark scores and position at the 9th percentile, simply lacks the raw throughput to drive higher resolutions. The 4K numbers are uniformly poor: 35 FPS on Low, 29 FPS on Medium, 18 FPS on High, and 12 FPS on Ultra. Even the best-case 4K scenario is below the minimum threshold for a smooth experience. The 1440p numbers are more usable but still show a significant performance cliff compared to 1080p. The GPU's memory is "System Shared," which means it relies on the system's DDR4 memory rather than dedicated VRAM, further limiting its ability to handle high-resolution textures and buffers. The scaling behavior makes it clear that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K being impractical.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Here is the complete breakdown of the measured FPS data for this combo in The Long Drive.

1080p:

• Low: 95 FPS average. This is the best performing configuration, providing a smooth and responsive experience.
• Medium: 78 FPS average, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. This is the highest preset that maintains a comfortable frame rate.
• High: 49 FPS average. This is playable but noticeably less smooth than Medium, with a significant drop of 29 FPS.
• Ultra: 34 FPS average. This is not recommended for actual gameplay, as the frame rate becomes choppy.

1440p:

• Low: 63 FPS average. A solid result, keeping the game playable at a higher resolution.
• Medium: 51 FPS average, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS. This is on the edge of playability; the minimum dips can cause noticeable stutter.
• High: 32 FPS average. This is below the threshold for a smooth driving experience.
• Ultra: 22 FPS average. This is effectively unplayable.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 35 FPS average. This is the only 4K setting that approaches playability, but it still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS.
• Medium: 29 FPS average, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS. The minimum of 24 FPS is particularly problematic.
• High: 18 FPS average. A slideshow.
• Ultra: 12 FPS average. The lowest measured result, confirming that 4K Ultra is not a viable option.

The data is consistent: each step up in settings or resolution results in a substantial hit to performance. The combination of the i5-9400 and Arc B390 is only capable of delivering a reliable experience at the lowest settings and resolution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the dominant factor in this combo's performance, and its specifications explain why. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, but its memory is "System Shared" with a bus width and bandwidth also listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent" respectively. This means the GPU has no dedicated VRAM; it borrows from the system's DDR4 memory. This is a significant handicap in a game like The Long Drive, which likely requires substantial texture memory for its vast environments.

The GPU's compute capabilities are modest: 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. It offers 12 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, but that feature set is irrelevant when the raw rasterization performance is this low. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 7.680 TFLOPS. These numbers place it in the same league as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GT 710, according to the nearestRivals data, which are cards from over a decade ago. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking is a clear indication that it cannot handle demanding modern titles at high settings.

The lack of dedicated memory is particularly telling. The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482, which is only 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. This is not a GPU designed for gaming; it is an integrated solution that happens to be in the system. The measured FPS data reflects this, with the GPU being the clear bottleneck at every resolution. The CPU is capable of more, but it is held back by the graphics solution. For this game, the GPU's role is to limit the experience to low settings and 1080p, and any attempt to push beyond that results in a sub-30 FPS experience.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running The Long Drive at 4K?

A: Technically yes, but not playably. The measured data shows 4K Low averages 35 FPS, 4K Medium averages 29 FPS, 4K High averages 18 FPS, and 4K Ultra averages 12 FPS. None of these are recommended for a smooth driving experience.

Q: What is the best preset for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: The 1080p Low preset is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, with an average of 95 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset comes close at 78 FPS but the 1440p Low preset drops to 63 FPS, which is also above the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The Arc B390 is only 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, according to the average benchmark scores. It sits at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is among the weakest graphics solutions.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 or the Intel Arc B390 the main bottleneck?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases (e.g., 95 FPS at 1080p Low to 35 FPS at 4K Low), which is a classic sign of a GPU limitation. The CPU's performance is consistent with its mid-pack ranking, but the GPU's low scores hold the entire system back.

Q: What is the highest resolution this combo can handle at a playable frame rate?

A: Based on the data, 1440p at Low settings is the highest resolution that remains playable, averaging 63 FPS. However, 1080p is the sweet spot, as it allows for Medium settings at 78 FPS or Low settings at 95 FPS.

Q: Does the Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," and the bandwidth is "System Dependent." This means it uses the system's DDR4 memory, which limits its performance, especially at higher resolutions and settings.