Road 96

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In the context of Road 96, a narrative-driven adventure title, the CPU’s role is less about brute-force physics calculations and more about maintaining a stable frame pacing floor. The processor’s 3DMark scores—5873 for 16 threads and 910 for single-thread—indicate a balanced throughput that prevents hitches during scene transitions. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and the 10 nm process node contribute to efficient data handling, but the benchmark data shows that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. The i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, scores 18697, a negligible delta of -0.1%, while the Intel Core i3-14100F trails by 0.9% with a score of 18519. In Road 96, the CPU’s 12 threads ensure that background tasks, such as asset streaming for the procedurally generated road segments, do not interfere with the main render thread. The data suggests that even at 1080p Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 86, the processor still has headroom, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The 65W TDP and the fact that it is not multiplier-unlocked (locked multiplier) mean it operates within a predictable power envelope, but the performance metrics are what matter here. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 further confirm that the i5-12400 provides a solid foundation, though in this specific game, the variance between settings and resolutions is driven overwhelmingly by the graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for Road 96 with this combination of Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER provides a clear hierarchy of presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 187 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of typical displays, making it a waste of potential visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 137 FPS average, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS, offering a smooth experience but still leaving performance on the table. The High preset at 1080p produces 110 FPS average, which is still exceptionally playable and provides better visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 86 FPS average, which is the most demanding setting but remains fluid for an adventure game. The data indicates that the optimal experience balance is achieved at 1440p with the High preset, which delivers 70 FPS average. This is because 1440p High offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 87 FPS average, but the High setting provides a more consistent visual experience without a steep cost. At 4K resolution, the High preset only achieves 37 FPS average, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay, while the Low preset at 4K hits 63 FPS average, making it the only viable 4K option. Therefore, the recommended preset is 1440p High, as it gives the best combination of visual quality and performance, with 70 FPS average, avoiding the steep penalties of Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario for this title. When moving from 1080p to 1440p on the High preset, the average FPS drops from 110 to 70, a reduction of 36%. This significant decrease indicates that the rendering load is increasing substantially with pixel count, which points to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER as the primary limiting component. The RTX 2070 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is sufficient for 1440p, but at 4K, the demand for texture data and fill rate becomes overwhelming. The transition from 1440p High (70 FPS) to 4K High (37 FPS) is a staggering 47% reduction in average FPS. This steep cliff is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are simply not enough to sustain high frame rates at 3840x2160. The data for the Low preset shows a similar pattern: 187 FPS at 1080p, 119 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is 66%, confirming that the GPU’s compute resources, specifically its 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, are being saturated. The CPU, Intel Core i5-12400, shows no signs of bottlenecking, as the frame rate scales inversely with resolution consistently. This behavior is a textbook example of a system where the graphics card is the limiting factor, and the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are more than adequate to feed the GPU at all tested resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable at 1080p with this setup?

A: The highest average FPS recorded at 1920x1080 is 187 FPS, which occurs with the Low settings preset. This is the maximum frame rate measured for this combination.

*Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER capable of running Road 96 at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only with compromises. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 63, which is playable. However, at 4K with High settings, the average FPS drops to 37, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K yields only 29 FPS average.

Q: How does the Medium preset perform at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 87, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. This is a smooth experience, but the High preset at the same resolution offers a better visual balance at 70 FPS average.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 187 FPS average, while the Ultra preset achieves 86 FPS average. This represents a 54% reduction in average FPS when moving to the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-12400 bottleneck the RTX 2070 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The data shows that FPS scales consistently with resolution, from 187 FPS at 1080p Low to 63 FPS at 4K Low. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU’s performance headroom is sufficient to avoid constraining frame rates.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60 FPS target?

A: For a 60 FPS target, the 1440p High preset is the best fit, as it delivers 70 FPS average. The 4K Low preset also exceeds 60 FPS at 63 FPS average, but 1440p High offers superior visual quality with a higher frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the dominant component in this system for Road 96. Its Turing architecture, built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, features 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU’s base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz, combined with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, are the primary drivers of the measured frame rates. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, yielding 14 Gbps effective speed and a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is critical for the game’s texture streaming and scene complexity. The GPU’s benchmark scores indicate its position in the market: it ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, scores 20480, a delta of -1%, while the Intel Arc B570 is -1.3% behind with a score of 20556. These comparisons show that the RTX 2070 SUPER is a mid-to-high-tier performer, but its age is evident at higher resolutions. The raw compute power of 9.062 TFLOPS FP32 is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K results show its limitations. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 29, which is a direct consequence of the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth constraints. The data shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the bottleneck across all settings, as the CPU’s performance remains constant while FPS fluctuates with the graphics load. The GPU’s 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are present, but Road 96 is not a ray-tracing heavy title, so their impact is minimal. The 215W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with its performance class, but the benchmark data is the definitive measure of its capability in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 187 FPS on Low, 137 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 116 and maximum of 157), 110 FPS on High, and 86 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that even at the highest settings, the frame rate remains well above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p an easy task for this combination. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 119 on Low, 87 on Medium (min 74, max 100), 70 on High, and 55 on Ultra. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls below 60 FPS, indicating that this is the first point where the GPU starts to struggle. The High preset at 1440p, with 70 FPS average, is the sweet spot for quality and performance. At 3840x2160, the results are more challenging. The Low preset achieves 63 FPS average, which is just above 60, while the Medium preset drops to 46 FPS average (min 39, max 53). The High preset at 4K yields only 37 FPS average, and the Ultra preset produces just 29 FPS average. These figures illustrate a clear gradient: as resolution increases, the performance penalty becomes more severe, particularly on the higher presets. The minimum FPS data, available only for the Medium preset, shows that at 1080p the minimum is 116 FPS, at 1440p it is 74 FPS, and at 4K it is 39 FPS. This indicates that frame pacing remains stable even under load, but the overall headroom shrinks dramatically at 4K. The data confirms that this system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K only viable on the lowest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2154 out of 3713 tested combinations in Road 96. This places it in the 58th percentile of all combos, indicating that it performs better than the median but is not a top-tier setup. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, where the i5-12400’s solid 6-core/12-thread performance is matched with a GPU that is a generation old. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 18683 is closely matched by its rivals, with the AMD EPYC 7643 at 18697 (-0.1%) and the Intel Core i3-14100F at 18519 (+0.9%). This suggests that the CPU is not a differentiator in this ranking. Instead, the GPU’s 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 20282, is the primary factor. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s nearest rivals—the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (-1%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (-1.2%), and the Intel Arc B570 at 20556 (-1.3%)—are all within a narrow performance band. This indicates that the GPU is positioned in a crowded mid-range segment. In the context of Road 96, the combo’s rank of 2154 out of 3713 means that while it handles the game competently at 1080p and 1440p, it falls behind combos with more modern GPUs, especially at 4K. The data shows that the system’s performance is constrained by the GPU’s inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K, which is reflected in the overall ranking. For a game like Road 96, which is not graphically demanding, this combo still provides a good experience, but the ranking indicates that there is substantial room for improvement with a newer graphics card.