The Long Drive

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a fascinating case study in system bottlenecking within The Long Drive. The 16-core Raptor Lake processor is a high-end desktop part, while the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Panther Lake architecture. This combination yields a predictable outcome where the CPU's substantial capabilities are largely held in check by the GPU's limitations, a dynamic clearly reflected in the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. Its core configuration is substantial for a desktop part, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The processor features a 30 MB shared L3 cache, alongside 2 MB per core of L2 cache and 80 KB per core of L1 cache. This high core count and rapid boost capability are designed for heavy multitasking and demanding productivity workloads, a fact supported by its benchmark scores. For instance, in Cinebench R23, the processor scores 30745 points in multi-core and 2116 points in single-core tests. Similarly, its Geekbench scores are 19429 for multi-core and 2529 for single-core.

Given this compute power, the CPU is not the primary constraint in The Long Drive at most settings. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 95 FPS. This suggests the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates, but the frame rate is likely capped or limited by the GPU even at this low resolution. The processor's percentile ranking of 89 among all CPUs further underscores its high-end positioning. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with delta percentages of -0.2% and -0.3%, respectively. This places the i7-13700K in a performance tier where it would rarely bottleneck a discrete graphics card in a simulation game.

However, the measured FPS in The Long Drive tells a different story. When comparing the CPU's potential with the actual game performance, it becomes clear that the processor's role is to feed frames as fast as possible, but it is not the limiting factor. The game's physics and driving simulation can be CPU-intensive, but the i7-13700K's 16 cores and high clock speeds are more than adequate. The bottleneck lies elsewhere, as the frame rates scale more dramatically with resolution and settings changes, which is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's headroom is vast, and it is unlikely that any of the settings presets tested would cause the processor to break a sweat.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU (IGP) with a 3 nm process node and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with a base clock of 300 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a significant limitation for gaming. The GPU features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its raw compute is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, it scores 1482 points, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. This is a very low score, indicating entry-level performance.

The GPU's nearest rivals are older, low-end dedicated graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, with delta percentages of 1.3% and 2.7%, respectively. This context is crucial. The Arc B390 is performing in the same league as decade-old entry-level GPUs. In The Long Drive, this means the GPU is the primary bottleneck in almost all scenarios. The 3DMark score of 1482 is a strong indicator that the integrated graphics cannot handle high resolutions or demanding settings.

The data confirms this. At 4K Ultra, the system manages only 12 FPS, which is unplayable. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is just 34. The GPU's lack of dedicated memory and low pixel throughput (60.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (120.0 GTexel/s) are the culprits. The rendering load in The Long Drive, which involves drawing vast open landscapes, is too much for the Arc B390 to handle efficiently at higher quality presets. The system shared memory architecture also means that the GPU and CPU are competing for the same memory bandwidth, further hampering performance. The data suggests that this GPU is only capable of providing a smooth experience at the lowest settings and resolution.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern. As resolution increases, the frame rate drops significantly, but the rate of the drop is heavily influenced by the settings preset. This behavior is a clear indicator that the graphics processor is the limiting component.

At Low settings, the system achieves 95 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. This is a drop of approximately 34% from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 44% from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is about 63%. This scaling shows that even at the lowest quality, the GPU is struggling to keep up with the increasing pixel count. The frame rate is not remaining constant, which would indicate a CPU bottleneck; instead, it is falling in line with the increased rendering load.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar, with 78 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The scaling is relatively consistent, with a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 43% drop from 1440p to 4K. This further confirms the GPU is the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller drop in frame rates when increasing resolution, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant.

At High settings, the scaling becomes more severe. The system achieves 49 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, and from 1440p to 4K is 44%. Again, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The absolute frame rates are lower than at Medium settings because the increased graphical fidelity adds more work for the GPU.

Finally, at Ultra settings, the system achieves 34 FPS at 1080p, 22 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, and from 1440p to 4K is 45%. The pattern is consistent across all quality presets. The frame rate drops are all proportional to the increase in resolution, which is the definitive signature of a GPU-bound system. The CPU is likely waiting for the GPU to finish rendering each frame, and its performance is not the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

Here is the exact data from the measured FPS table:

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS of 35. This is the only playable setting at 4K, though still below the 60 FPS target.
• Medium: Average FPS of 29, with a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 33. This is a playable frame rate for a slow-paced driving sim, but not smooth.
• High: Average FPS of 18. This is a slideshow and not recommended for gameplay.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 12. This setting is effectively a static image for gameplay purposes.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS of 63. This is a playable frame rate, though not high-refresh territory.
• Medium: Average FPS of 51, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. This is a good balance of visual quality and performance.
• High: Average FPS of 32. This is playable but with noticeable stutter.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 22. This is a poor experience, with frame rates dipping into the low 20s.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS of 95. This is the best performance available, providing a smooth and responsive experience.
• Medium: Average FPS of 78, with a minimum of 66 and a maximum of 90. This is an excellent frame rate, well above the 60 FPS threshold.
• High: Average FPS of 49. This is a playable frame rate, but with some dips.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 34. This is a playable frame rate, but it is not smooth.

The data shows a clear hierarchy. Low settings at 1080p are the only configuration that breaks the 90 FPS mark. Medium settings at 1080p are also very good. The performance drops off significantly as resolution and settings increase, with 4K Ultra being the worst at 12 FPS.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: Based on the data, the only configuration achieving a 60+ FPS average is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields 95 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p also provides a high frame rate of 78 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS. All other tested configurations at 1440p and 4K fail to reach the 60 FPS mark.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of raw GPU performance?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM. This indicates it is performing in the same performance tier as these older, entry-level dedicated graphics cards.

Q: Is the Core i7-13700K the bottleneck in this system for The Long Drive?

A: No. The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. This is evidenced by the significant frame rate drops when increasing resolution at all settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's high benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745, indicate it has ample headroom.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 32 FPS. This is a significant drop from the 78 FPS achieved at 1080p with Medium settings, highlighting the GPU's struggle with higher resolutions.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most significant performance jump from the lowest to the highest quality?

A: At 1080p, the drop from Low (95 FPS) to Ultra (34 FPS) is a 64% reduction in frame rate. This shows the substantial performance cost of the Ultra preset. The Medium preset offers a more moderate 18% reduction from Low, making it a more balanced choice.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The data clearly indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component in this system. Therefore, the primary goal for a playable experience is to reduce the GPU's workload. The best experience, defined as the highest frame rate, is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 95 FPS. This provides a smooth and responsive experience, ideal for a driving game where reaction time matters.

However, if visual fidelity is a priority, the 1920x1080 Medium preset is the best compromise. It delivers an average of 78 FPS, which is still very smooth, and provides a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p results in a 37% performance loss (from 78 FPS to 49 FPS), which is a steep price for the visual improvements. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it provides the lowest frame rates (34 FPS at 1080p, 22 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K) without a proportional increase in visual quality for this GPU.

At higher resolutions, the options are limited. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that provides a playable frame rate above 60 FPS, hitting 63 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 51 FPS, is also viable for a less demanding player. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is remotely playable at 35 FPS, and even this is below the ideal 60 FPS target. For the best balance of performance and visual quality, the data suggests that 1080p with Medium settings is the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2594 out of 2934 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places it in the bottom 12% of all systems tested. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The Arc B390's 3DMark performance score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. These are not components known for modern gaming performance.

The CPU, on the other hand, is a high-end part, ranking in the 89th percentile among all CPUs. This stark contrast between the CPU's potential and the GPU's limitations creates a severely unbalanced system. While the i7-13700K is more than capable of running the game's simulation logic, the Arc B390 simply cannot render the frames fast enough to utilize the CPU's power. The rank of 2594 reflects this bottleneck. The system is held back by its graphics solution, and its overall performance in this game is closer to systems with much older, lower-end CPUs paired with similarly weak GPUs.

The data shows that this combo is not suited for a high-quality gaming experience in The Long Drive. The rank suggests that users with this configuration will have to make significant compromises in graphical settings and resolution to achieve playable frame rates. The system’s placement in the bottom 12% of all tested combos reinforces the conclusion that the Intel Arc B390 is a severe limiting factor, effectively negating the considerable processing power of the Intel Core i7-13700K.