High On Life

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a robust experience in High On Life, with benchmark data indicating strong performance across all tested resolutions and settings. The combination of a 6-core, 12-thread CPU and a 12 GB GDDR6X GPU places this configuration in the 74th percentile of all tested combos in this game, ranking 984th out of 3718. The measured frame rates show that the system is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K Ultra proving to be the only scenario where the frame rate dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the measured average FPS is 147. This represents a strong baseline for high-refresh-rate monitors, as the frame rate remains well above the 144 Hz mark.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, which places it 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (score 37628) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (score 37507). It is 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (score 38135).

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance score in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F scores 2024 points in the Cinebench R23 single-core test. This indicates solid per-core performance for the Rocket Lake architecture, which is relevant for games that rely heavily on a few threads.

Q: Does the GPU maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 76, and with High settings it is 63. However, at Ultra settings, the average drops to 47 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 4070?

A: The RTX 4070 has a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, supported by a 192-bit bus and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. This bandwidth is a key factor in handling texture-heavy scenes at high resolutions.

Q: How does the i5-11400F's score in Geekbench multicore compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-11400F has a Geekbench multicore score of 7737. The CPU's average benchmark score of 17177 is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7H12 (score 17120) and 0.6% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (score 17074), while being 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-12450H (score 17239).

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the primary driver of frame rates in High On Life, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, which are relatively high frequencies that allow for consistent performance under load. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, paired with a 192-bit memory bus, provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This is crucial for High On Life's vibrant, detailed environments, as the GPU must rapidly stream textures and geometry.

The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 4070's compute capabilities are substantial. With 5888 shading units and a FP32 performance of 29.15 TFLOPS, the GPU has ample raw power for this title. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores also suggest that ray tracing and DLSS features are well-supported, though the measured FPS data does not explicitly test these features. The GPU's score in Passmark G3D is 26927, which places it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, confirming its high-end positioning.

In the context of High On Life, the GPU's role is most evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 104, and at 4K High it drops to 63. This 39% reduction in frame rate when moving to 4K demonstrates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU has less influence on performance when the pixel count increases. The data shows that the RTX 4070 is a capable 4K60 GPU for this game, but only if settings are kept at High or below.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 984 out of 3718 tested combos in High On Life. This places the pairing in the 74th percentile, indicating that it performs better than roughly three-quarters of all tested systems. This is a strong result, particularly considering the CPU is not a top-tier model; the GPU is clearly doing the heavy lifting in this pairing.

The CPU itself has a percentile rank of 71 against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17177. Its performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with a delta of only 0.3% compared to the AMD EPYC 7H12 and -0.4% compared to the Intel Core i5-12450H. This suggests that the i5-11400F is not a bottleneck in this system; the frame rates achieved are likely close to what a more powerful CPU would produce in this game.

The GPU, on the other hand, has a percentile rank of 81 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, is only 1.3% faster, which is a negligible difference in real-world gaming. The combo's overall rank of 984 is a direct consequence of the GPU's high performance, as the CPU's mid-range capabilities do not drag the system down significantly in High On Life.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the data shows that even Ultra settings are playable, with an average FPS of 110. However, for users with 144 Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, Medium settings are the best choice, as they deliver an average of 179 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate threshold and provides a smoother experience than High (147 FPS) or Ultra (110 FPS).

At 2560x1440, the situation is slightly more nuanced. High settings provide an average of 104 FPS, which is suitable for most 1440p 144 Hz monitors, though it will not saturate them completely. Medium settings (125 FPS) are the best choice for those who prioritize frame rate, while Ultra (78 FPS) is still playable but not ideal for competitive play. Low settings at 1440p (161 FPS) are unnecessary unless the user has a 165 Hz or 240 Hz monitor.

For 3840x2160, the recommendations are more constrained. High settings (63 FPS) are the maximum that can achieve a consistent 60 FPS average, making this the recommended preset for 4K gaming. Medium settings (76 FPS) offer a slight performance buffer, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often minimal. Ultra settings (47 FPS) should be avoided, as the average frame rate falls below the playable threshold. Low settings (98 FPS) are viable for competitive play at 4K, but the visual quality degradation is significant.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the lowest average FPS is recorded at Ultra settings, with a value of 110. High settings yield an average of 147 FPS, while Medium settings produce 179 FPS, with a minimum of 152 FPS and a maximum of 205 FPS. Low settings achieve the highest average at 200 FPS. These numbers indicate that the system is never CPU-bound at 1080p, as even the most demanding settings maintain a frame rate above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Ultra settings average 78 FPS, High settings average 104 FPS, and Medium settings average 125 FPS, with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 144 FPS. Low settings average 161 FPS. The data shows a clear stepwise progression, with each increase in settings quality reducing the average FPS by approximately 20-25%.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limits. Ultra settings average 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. High settings average 63 FPS, providing a playable experience. Medium settings average 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS, which is the most consistent performance at this resolution. Low settings average 98 FPS, proving that the GPU has headroom when visual quality is reduced.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It features 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The CPU's TDP is 65 W, which is moderate, but its performance in benchmarks is what matters for gaming.

In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 14340 points in the multicore test and 2024 points in the single-core test. The single-core score is particularly relevant for High On Life, as many games are still limited by single-thread performance. The CPU's benchmark scores are consistent with its nearest rivals, with a delta of -0.4% compared to the Intel Core i5-12450H, indicating that the i5-11400F is not a weak link in this system.

The CPU's role in High On Life is most apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU must keep up with the GPU's output. However, the data shows that the CPU is capable of handling this task, as the frame rates at 1080p are not significantly higher than at 1440p. For example, the average FPS at 1080p High is 147, while at 1440p High it is 104. This 29% reduction when moving to a higher resolution suggests that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck, rather than the CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling, which indicates the balance between CPU and GPU load. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops by approximately 29% across all settings. For example, at High settings, the FPS drops from 147 to 104, and at Ultra settings, it drops from 110 to 78. This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at these resolutions.

The transition from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 shows a more significant drop. At High settings, the FPS drops from 104 to 63, a 39% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 78 to 47, a 40% reduction. This larger drop indicates that the GPU is being pushed much harder at 4K, and the CPU's influence on performance diminishes as the pixel count increases.

The data shows a clear trend: the system is CPU-limited at 1080p, where the GPU has ample headroom, but becomes GPU-limited at 1440p and 4K. This is a typical pattern for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The i5-11400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 4070 at lower resolutions, but the GPU's raw power is the determining factor for frame rates at higher resolutions. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings results in a 57% reduction in average FPS, from 147 to 63, which is a substantial but expected drop for a game like High On Life with its detailed visuals.