The Long Drive

The Long Drive pairs the Intel Core i7-14700K with the Intel Arc B390, a combination that produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on resolution and settings. The data shows a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor, with the CPU’s strong multi-core and single-core performance unable to compensate for the GPU’s low output at higher loads. This analysis breaks down the measured results, what they mean for playability, and where this combo stands among other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS figures reveal a steep performance drop as resolution increases, which points directly to the Intel Arc B390 as the limiting component. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 95 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 with the same Low preset, the average falls to 63 FPS, a reduction of 32 FPS or roughly 34%. At 3840x2160 Low, the average drops further to 35 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth — both listed as “System Shared” — are the primary bottlenecks.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe than from 1440p to 4K. For High settings, 1080p yields 49 FPS, 1440p yields 32 FPS, and 4K yields 18 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 4K is 14 FPS, while the gap between 1080p and 1440p is 17 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is already saturated at 1440p High, and the additional pixel count at 4K overwhelms it further. The Medium preset shows a similar trend: 78 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, drops from 34 FPS at 1080p to 22 FPS at 1440p and then to 12 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming under any preset, as even Low settings only manage 35 FPS, which is below the typical playability threshold. At 1440p, the results are mixed: Low and Medium presets produce 63 and 51 FPS respectively, which are acceptable for many players, but High and Ultra fall to 32 and 22 FPS. The 1080p resolution is the only one where the combo delivers consistently playable frame rates across most presets, with High at 49 FPS, Medium at 78 FPS, and Low at 95 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p, however, still drops to 34 FPS.

The limiting component is clearly the Intel Arc B390. The GPU’s benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, and it sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, all of which are entry-level or legacy parts. The CPU, by contrast, is a high-end desktop processor with a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The Core i7-14700K has 20 cores, 28 threads, a base clock of 3.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 33440.5, and its single-core score is 2160. These numbers are far above what The Long Drive requires, but the GPU cannot keep up with the CPU’s potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the strongest balance of visual quality and performance. The average FPS is 78, with a minimum of 66 and a maximum of 90. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the frame time variance is acceptable. The Low preset at 1080p is faster at 95 FPS, but the visual downgrade may not be worth the extra 17 FPS. The High preset at 1080p drops to 49 FPS, which is still playable but introduces more noticeable stutter in a driving game where constant motion is expected. The Ultra preset at 1080p is not recommended, as it averages only 34 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently smooth experience, averaging 63 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. This is borderline playable, but the minimum FPS suggests occasional dips below the desired 60 FPS. The High preset at 1440p drops to 32 FPS, which is too low for a driving simulation that relies on quick reactions. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 22 FPS, which is not viable.

At 3840x2160, no preset is recommended. The Low setting averages 35 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and the Medium setting averages 29 FPS with a minimum of 24. The High setting averages 18 FPS, and the Ultra setting averages 12 FPS. These numbers indicate that the GPU is severely underpowered for 4K, and even the lowest settings cannot deliver a playable frame rate.

The data suggests that users should prioritize resolution over settings. If a 1080p monitor is used, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. If a 1440p monitor is used, the Low preset is the best option, accepting a visual downgrade for playability. For 4K, the only reasonable choice is to lower the resolution or upgrade the GPU, as the measured results show no preset can achieve a playable average FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it includes integrated UHD Graphics 770. The CPU’s benchmark results are strong: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 33440.5, single-core scores 2160, Geekbench multi-core scores 20767, and single-core scores 2569. PassMark multi-thread scores 52392, and single-thread scores 4472.

In The Long Drive, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI, which are typically single-threaded or lightly threaded tasks. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 95 FPS, which is the highest measured result. If the CPU were limiting, this number would be capped at a lower level regardless of settings. The fact that FPS scales down consistently as resolution increases — from 95 to 63 to 35 at Low settings — indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions.

The CPU’s single-core performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160 and Geekbench single-core score of 2569, is more than sufficient for The Long Drive’s typical workload. The multi-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5, is also high, but the game likely does not utilize all 20 cores and 28 threads. The nearest rivals for the CPU include AMD EPYC 9115 (deltaPct 0.1), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (deltaPct -0.7), and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (deltaPct -0.9). These rivals have similar average benchmark scores, with the Core i7-14700K performing within 1% of each. This means that swapping the CPU for any of these alternatives would not change the game’s frame rates, as the GPU remains the bottleneck.

The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs reinforces this point. In a game like The Long Drive, which is not known for heavy multi-threading, the Core i7-14700K provides ample headroom. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (95 FPS) is likely close to the game’s engine limit or the GPU’s maximum output, not a CPU limitation. For users considering this combo, the CPU is not the concern; the GPU is.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2594 out of 2934 tested combinations in The Long Drive. This places it in the bottom 12% of all combos, which is consistent with the GPU’s low performance percentile. The Intel Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is only slightly above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, deltaPct 1.3), GeForce 800M (1460, deltaPct 1.5), GT 625 OEM (1446, deltaPct 2.5), and GT 710 (1443, deltaPct 2.7). These rivals are all ancient or entry-level GPUs, confirming that the Arc B390 is not designed for gaming at high resolutions.

The combo rank of 2594 out of 2934 means that 340 other combinations performed worse. This is a small margin, and the data suggests that the Arc B390 is the primary reason for the low rank. If the same CPU were paired with a more capable GPU, the rank would likely improve significantly. However, the measured FPS numbers show that even at 1080p Low, the combo only reaches 95 FPS, which is below what many mid-range GPUs achieve in similar titles. The CPU’s high benchmark scores do not translate to high game FPS because the GPU cannot process frames fast enough.

In the context of the nearestRivals for the GPU, the Arc B390 is only 1.3% to 2.7% faster than those older NVIDIA parts. This means that the combo’s performance is comparable to what a GT 710 or GT 625 OEM would deliver, despite the Core i7-14700K being a modern high-end CPU. The data does not include combos with those GPUs, but the deltaPct values indicate that the Arc B390’s raw compute power is minimal. For The Long Drive, which is a driving simulation with relatively simple graphics, the combo’s rank reflects the GPU’s inability to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions.

The rank also highlights the imbalance of this pairing. The CPU is in the 94th percentile, while the GPU is in the 9th percentile. This is a classic case of a bottleneck, where the GPU limits the system’s overall performance. In games with lower graphical demands, the CPU might shine, but The Long Drive’s measured results show that the GPU is the weak link. Users looking to improve their rank should focus on upgrading the GPU, as the CPU has plenty of headroom.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 95 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 78 FPS at 1920x1080 Medium, followed by 63 FPS at 2560x1440 Low.

Q: Is this combo playable at 4K resolution?

A: No. The best 4K result is 35 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 29 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. All 4K presets produce frame rates that are too low for smooth gameplay.

Q: Which settings preset should I use at 1440p?

A: The Low preset is the only one that averages above 60 FPS, at 63 FPS. Medium averages 51 FPS with a minimum of 44, which may be acceptable for some players, but High (32 FPS) and Ultra (22 FPS) are not recommended.

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

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. It is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% faster than the GT 710 (1443). All of these are low-end GPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700K the bottleneck in this combo?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores are high — Cinebench R23 multi-core 33440.5 and single-core 2160 — and it ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The FPS drops as resolution increases, which indicates the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2594 out of 2934 tested combinations in The Long Drive. This places it in the bottom 12%, driven by the GPU’s low performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). Below is the full breakdown.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 95 FPS. The Medium preset averages 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 and a maximum of 90. The High preset averages 49 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. This is the only resolution where the combo exceeds 60 FPS on multiple presets.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 63 FPS. The Medium preset averages 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. The High preset averages 32 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 22 FPS. Only the Low preset maintains an average above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 35 FPS. The Medium preset averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 33. The High preset averages 18 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 12 FPS. No preset at this resolution reaches even 40 FPS.

The data shows a clear pattern: for every resolution, the difference between Low and Ultra is substantial. At 1080p, the gap is 61 FPS (95 vs 34). At 1440p, the gap is 41 FPS (63 vs 22). At 4K, the gap is 23 FPS (35 vs 12). The percentage drop from Low to Ultra is 64% at 1080p, 65% at 1440p, and 66% at 4K. This consistency indicates that the GPU’s performance scales predictably with load, but the absolute numbers are too low for high-resolution gaming.

The Medium preset at each resolution provides the only min/max data points. At 1080p Medium, the range is 66 to 90 FPS, a spread of 24 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 44 to 59 FPS, a spread of 15 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 24 to 33 FPS, a spread of 9 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is consistently saturated, with less variance in frame times.

For practical advice, the 1080p Medium preset is the best measured configuration, offering 78 FPS average with a minimum of 66 FPS. This ensures that frame drops stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The 1440p Low preset is the only viable option for that resolution, with 63 FPS average. For 4K, the data shows no playable preset, so users should avoid this resolution with this combo. The Intel Arc B390’s system-shared memory and 80 W TDP, combined with its 9th percentile ranking, explain why the measured FPS is so low. The CPU’s 20 cores and 28 threads are wasted in this game, as the GPU cannot deliver frames fast enough to utilize them.