Road 96

Road 96 is an adventure title from 2021, and the measured frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination reveal a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but transitions to a CPU-limited state at 1080p. The data shows a stark contrast between the raw, unconstrained performance at lower settings and the scaling behavior as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. This analysis examines the recorded FPS across three resolutions and four settings presets, contextualizing the results against the hardware's known specifications and the broader pool of tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data demonstrates a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, with the magnitude of the drop heavily dependent on the selected graphics preset. At the Low settings preset, the frame rate falls from 355 FPS at 1080p to 249 FPS at 1440p, and then to 132 FPS at 4K. This represents a 30% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K, indicating that even at the lowest fidelity, the rendering load at 4K is substantial enough to bring the GPU into play, though the 1080p result of 355 FPS is likely constrained by the CPU's capability to feed frames.

For the High preset, the scaling is similar in trend but more moderate in percentage terms. The average FPS drops from 231 at 1080p to 147 at 1440p (a 36% decrease) and then to 78 at 4K (a 47% decrease from 1440p). The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a larger relative hit than from 1440p to 4K, which suggests that the initial increase in pixel count begins to saturate the GPU's compute units, while the jump to 4K, while massive, is handled by the RTX 4090's substantial memory bandwidth and processing power, resulting in a steadier, albeit lower, performance curve.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most significant performance drop, moving from 181 FPS at 1080p to 115 FPS at 1440p and finally to 61 FPS at 4K. This is a 36% decline from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% decline from 1440p to 4K, mirroring the High preset's scaling pattern. The fact that the Ultra 4K result of 61 FPS is the lowest recorded in the entire dataset, yet still above 60 FPS, indicates that the RTX 4090 is capable of maintaining a playable frame rate in this title even at maximum settings, but the headroom is nearly exhausted.

The scaling analysis reveals that the limiting component shifts depending on the resolution. At 1920x1080, the extremely high FPS figures (355 FPS on Low, 287 FPS on Medium) are far beyond what most displays can refresh, and the performance plateau between the Low and High presets suggests a CPU bottleneck where the Ryzen 5 5600F's six cores and 12 threads are maxed out in feeding the GPU. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the consistent and significant FPS drops across all presets. The data indicates that the RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing for Road 96, with the CPU only becoming a constraint at lower resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested hardware combinations for Road 96, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a combo rank of 140 out of 2903 tested combos. This places the configuration in the top 4.8% of all systems tested for this game, a position that reflects the high-end nature of the GPU. The rank is influenced by the fact that the RTX 4090, with its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, is one of the most capable cards available, and its performance is not significantly hindered by the mid-range Ryzen 5 5600F processor in this specific title.

The percentile standings of the individual components provide further context. The CPU, the Ryzen 5 5600F, holds an 85th percentile ranking against all CPUs based on its average benchmark score of 36945. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with an average score of 36938 (a 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with a score of 37018 (a -0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 with a score of 37093 (a -0.4% delta). This indicates that the 5600F is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not a top-tier part, and its performance is essentially on par with several other modern processors.

Conversely, the GPU, the RTX 4090, holds an 88th percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60347. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (score 60326, 0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (score 60140, 0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (score 58657, 2.9% delta). The high percentile ranking for the GPU, combined with the moderate ranking for the CPU, suggests that the combo's rank of 140 is largely driven by the graphics card's ability to handle the game's rendering demands, while the CPU's role is secondary. The large gap between the combo's rank and the theoretical maximum (rank 1) suggests that other combinations with even more powerful CPUs or more optimized pairings can achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 1080p where the CPU is the bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration for Road 96, and its specifications align with the measured results. The GPU features 16384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 render output units, along with 128 ray tracing cores and 512 tensor cores. These raw compute resources allow it to achieve a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s, which are more than sufficient to handle the game's relatively modest visual demands, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at 4K.

The memory subsystem is a key factor in the resolution scaling observed. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, the RTX 4090 offers a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This immense bandwidth ensures that the GPU is never starved for data, even when rendering at 3840x2160 with High or Ultra settings. The fact that the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K is significant (e.g., from 147 to 78 FPS on High) shows that the increased pixel count does stress the memory interface, but the large bandwidth prevents a catastrophic collapse in performance. The memory clock is listed as 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed, which is a high-speed GDDR6X implementation.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, are high for a large chip. The boost clock is likely sustained during gaming loads, contributing to the high FPS figures. The data shows that the RTX 4090 is not fully utilized at 1080p, where the performance is likely limited by the CPU, but it becomes the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, with the Ultra preset at 4K yielding an average of 61 FPS. This demonstrates that the GPU is capable of delivering playable performance at the highest resolution and settings, though users seeking higher refresh rates would need to drop to High or Medium settings. The GPU's end-of-life production status and launch MSRP of 1,599 USD indicate it is a flagship product from the GeForce 40-series, and its performance in Road 96 is consistent with that positioning.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across 12 distinct scenarios, covering four settings presets at three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 355 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset. The Medium preset yields 287 FPS, with a minimum of 244 and a maximum of 330 FPS, indicating some frame time variance. The High preset drops to 231 FPS, while the Ultra preset settles at 181 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 174 FPS, a significant range that highlights the impact of graphical settings on the CPU-bound regime.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down accordingly. The Low preset records an average of 249 FPS, which is a 30% reduction from the 1080p result. The Medium preset averages 183 FPS, with a minimum of 155 and a maximum of 210 FPS, showing a tighter frame pacing relative to the 1080p Medium result. The High preset averages 147 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 115 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 134 FPS, a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is starting to become a more significant factor.

At 3840x2160, the performance is the lowest across the board. The Low preset averages 132 FPS, which is still highly playable. The Medium preset averages 97 FPS, with a minimum of 82 and a maximum of 111 FPS, indicating that even at 4K, the frame times are relatively stable. The High preset averages 78 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 71 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as the absolute frame rates have dropped significantly from the 1080p values.

The data shows a consistent hierarchy: Low > Medium > High > Ultra at all resolutions. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, and these are provided for 1080p (244-330), 1440p (155-210), and 4K (82-111). This suggests that the Medium preset offers a balanced load that allows for some frame time variability, whereas other presets are either more consistently high (Low, High) or consistently lower (Ultra).

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's performance target and display resolution. For users with a 1920x1080 display, the High preset at 231 FPS is the recommended choice, as it offers a substantial visual upgrade over Medium (287 FPS) and Low (355 FPS) while still delivering frame rates far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The Ultra preset at 181 FPS is also viable, but the 50 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual gains for all users, and the High preset provides a better balance of performance and fidelity.

For 2560x1440 displays, the High preset at 147 FPS is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, as it is above the 144 Hz threshold. The Medium preset at 183 FPS offers an even higher frame rate, which could be beneficial for 165 Hz or 240 Hz displays, but the visual quality reduction may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 115 FPS is still playable and suitable for 120 Hz displays, but it sacrifices a significant amount of performance for the highest settings.

For 3840x2160 displays, the High preset at 78 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience, as it is above the 60 FPS threshold and offers good visual quality. The Medium preset at 97 FPS is excellent for 4K, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and better frame pacing (82-111 FPS) than the High preset. The Ultra preset at 61 FPS is technically playable, but it is on the edge of the 60 FPS target and may result in occasional dips below that threshold. The Low preset at 132 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as the visual quality is heavily compromised for a frame rate that exceeds the display's refresh rate. The data suggests that the Medium preset at 4K offers the best balance of performance and stability, with the High preset being a solid alternative for those prioritizing visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS for this combo at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with the High settings preset is 147 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 bottleneck at 1080p with this CPU?

A: The data suggests a CPU limitation at 1080p, as the frame rates are extremely high (e.g., 355 FPS on Low), and the scaling between presets is less pronounced than at higher resolutions, indicating the GPU is not the primary constraint.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested systems for Road 96?

A: This combo ranks 140th out of 2903 tested combinations, placing it in the top 4.8% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 4K?

A: The minimum FPS for the 3840x2160 Medium preset is 82 FPS, with a maximum of 111 FPS and an average of 97 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600F a capable match for the RTX 4090 in this game?

A: The CPU holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals show a near-zero delta in average score (e.g., 0% vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225), indicating it is a competent mid-range part that does not hold the GPU back at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the highest recorded average FPS in the dataset?

A: The highest average FPS is 355 FPS, recorded at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F plays a supporting role in this configuration, and its influence on the measured frame rates is most evident at 1080p. The processor features 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer codename), with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. This is a 65 W TDP part, indicating a power-efficient design. The CPU has a 32 MB shared L3 cache, which is beneficial for gaming, but its overall benchmark scores place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36945.

The CPU's performance in specific benchmarks shows its strengths. For instance, it scores 59339 in integer math, 34548 in floating-point math, and 19236 in multithreaded tests. However, its single-thread score of 2872 is relatively modest, which could influence performance in games that are not heavily multithreaded. The nearest rivals for the 5600F include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (score 36938, 0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (score 37018, -0.2% delta), showing that it is directly competitive with other mid-range options.

In the context of Road 96, the CPU's impact is clear when examining the 1080p results. The fact that the frame rates are extremely high (e.g., 355 FPS on Low) and that the difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is only 174 FPS, compared to a 71 FPS difference at 4K, suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at low resolutions. The Ryzen 5 5600F, with its six cores, is likely being fully utilized to feed the RTX 4090, and it cannot generate frames fast enough to match the GPU's potential at 1080p. As resolution increases, the GPU's workload becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's relative contribution diminishes, as seen in the more pronounced FPS drops at 1440p and 4K. The data indicates that the 5600F is a sufficient partner for the RTX 4090 in Road 96, especially for users targeting 1440p or 4K, where the GPU is the primary driver of performance.