Road 96

Road 96, an adventure title from 2021, demonstrates unusual performance scaling with the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination. This pairing sits at rank 981 out of 3713 tested combos for this game, placing it within the top 26.4% of all configurations analyzed. The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows signs of CPU limitation at 1080p, creating a nuanced performance profile that shifts depending on the settings and resolution selected.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 981 out of 3713 represents a solid, above-median position, though not a top-tier result for such a high-end GPU. The RTX 3080 Ti is a very capable card, as indicated by its 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 41187. However, its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark database—the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (0.8% higher score), NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (1.2% lower), NVIDIA Tesla M40 (1.7% lower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (2% higher)—show that the raw compute performance is competitive but not dominant. The CPU side presents a similar story; the i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 places it in the 72nd percentile, with nearest rivals like the AMD EPYC 7643 (-0.1% delta) and Intel Core i7-1355U (-0.3% delta) being nearly identical in overall performance.

When these two components are combined for Road 96, the resulting rank suggests the game's engine does not fully utilize the available hardware. The 3713-combo pool includes many pairings, and the 981st position indicates that numerous configurations with less powerful components achieve similar or better frame rates. This is typical for adventure games where the visual complexity is moderate, and the bottleneck often shifts away from raw compute power. The data suggests that the i5-12400's six cores and twelve threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost up to 4.40 GHz, provide adequate processing power, but the game's frame pacing may be more dependent on single-thread performance, where the CPU scores 910 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2257 in cinebench_r23_singlecore.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly influence the measured frame rates. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. This memory configuration is crucial for Road 96 at higher resolutions, as the game's texture-heavy scenes and detailed environments require substantial memory throughput. The GPU's boost clock of 1665 MHz, with a base of 1365 MHz, allows it to handle the rendering workload, but the data shows that the card's 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

At 1080p, the GPU is underutilized, as evidenced by the average frame rates exceeding 200 FPS on Medium settings and reaching 276 FPS on Low. These figures indicate that the RTX 3080 Ti has ample headroom, and the frame rate is likely capped or constrained by CPU-side physics or draw call processing. However, at 4K (3840x2160) Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 43, showing the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are being taxed heavily. The 112 ROPs and 186.5 GPixel/s pixel rate become the primary constraints, as the game's shader complexity increases with resolution. The GPU's 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are present but likely underutilized in this adventure title, which may not employ ray tracing extensively. The data implies that the RTX 3080 Ti is capable of delivering playable frame rates at 4K High (55 FPS), but Ultra settings push it below the 60 FPS threshold.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the rate of decline varies significantly across settings. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 276 at 1080p to 175 at 1440p (a 36.6% reduction) and then to 93 at 4K (a 46.9% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline suggests that even at Low settings, the rasterization workload at 4K is substantial, and the GPU's fill rate becomes the limiting factor. In contrast, at Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 127 at 1080p to 81 at 1440p (a 36.2% reduction) and then to 43 at 4K (a 46.9% reduction from 1440p), showing a similar relative decline.

The Medium settings data, which includes min and max FPS values, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 202 FPS with a range from 172 to 232. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 129 FPS with a range of 109 to 148. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 68 FPS with a range of 58 to 78. The consistent scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions above 1080p. At 1080p, the gap between Low (276 FPS) and Ultra (127 FPS) is significant, suggesting that the CPU can still feed the GPU at this resolution, but the frame rate is not purely GPU-limited. The data points to a system where the RTX 3080 Ti's performance scales predictably with resolution, but the i5-12400's processing power becomes more relevant at lower resolutions and higher settings.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 sufficient for the RTX 3080 Ti in Road 96?

A: The data shows the CPU is adequate, but it may limit frame rates at 1080p. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 163 FPS, but at 1080p Low, it reaches 276 FPS, suggesting the CPU can handle the load, but the GPU is not fully saturated at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Road 96?

A: At 1440p High, the combo delivers 104 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay while maintaining visual quality. At 4K High, the average drops to 55 FPS, which is borderline playable but not ideal for fast-paced scenes.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti's memory bandwidth affect 4K performance?

A: The 912.4 GB/s bandwidth is a key factor in 4K performance. The data shows 4K Medium achieves 68 FPS, while 4K Ultra drops to 43 FPS, indicating the memory subsystem is heavily utilized at higher settings.

Q: Why is the 1080p Low setting achieving 276 FPS?

A: This high frame rate is likely due to the reduced pixel count and lower shader complexity, which allows the GPU to render frames quickly. The CPU's single-thread performance (910 in 3dmark_single_thread) is sufficient to keep up with the GPU at this setting.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti overkill for Road 96 at 1080p?

A: The data suggests yes, as the GPU achieves over 200 FPS on Medium and 276 FPS on Low at 1080p. This indicates the GPU has significant headroom, and the frame rate is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, High settings deliver 104 FPS, while Ultra delivers 81 FPS, a 22.1% reduction. This shows that Ultra settings increase the rendering load, likely through higher texture quality and shadow detail, without a proportional visual benefit.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting role in this combo, and its performance characteristics are visible in the benchmark data. With six cores and twelve threads, the CPU provides solid multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its cinebench_r23_multicore score of 15989 and passmark_multithread score of 18747. The CPU's L3 cache of 18 MB shared helps with game data locality, and its boost clock of 4.40 GHz ensures responsive single-threaded execution. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and passmark_single_thread score of 3456 indicate that the CPU's single-core performance is competitive, which is critical for games like Road 96 that may have a primary game thread.

The data shows that the CPU's influence is most pronounced at 1080p, where the frame rates are highest. At 1080p Low, the 276 FPS average suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck, but the frame rate is likely capped by the game's engine or a frame limiter. At 1080p Ultra, the 127 FPS average indicates that the CPU can still feed the GPU, but the GPU's workload is more demanding. The CPU's 65W TDP and 10nm process node (Alder Lake architecture) make it an efficient choice, but its performance in this game is not exceptional, as its percentileVsAllCpus of 72 places it below the top quartile. The nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-14100F (0.9% higher score) and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (-0.7% lower), show that the i5-12400's performance is in a crowded field, and the game's frame rates are more dependent on the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all settings provide playable frame rates, but High settings at 163 FPS offer a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium setting at 202 FPS is smoother, but the visual difference may be minimal in an adventure game. For a consistent 60 FPS experience at 1440p, High settings at 104 FPS are recommended, as they provide a comfortable margin above the threshold. Ultra settings at 1440p (81 FPS) are also viable, but the 22.1% performance drop may not justify the visual improvement.

At 4K, the data indicates that High settings at 55 FPS are borderline, and Medium settings at 68 FPS are the best choice for a stable experience. The Medium settings at 4K have a minimum FPS of 58, which is close to the 60 FPS threshold, but the average of 68 FPS provides a buffer. Low settings at 4K (93 FPS) are an option for players prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, but the graphical compromises may detract from the game's atmosphere. The Ultra setting at 4K (43 FPS) is not recommended due to the sub-60 FPS average, which can lead to stuttering in a narrative-driven game. For the best overall experience, 1440p High settings offer the highest visual quality with frame rates well above the playability threshold, while 4K Medium provides a high-resolution experience with acceptable performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo in Road 96 is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 276 FPS average
• Medium: 202 FPS average (min 172, max 232)
• High: 163 FPS average
• Ultra: 127 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 175 FPS average
• Medium: 129 FPS average (min 109, max 148)
• High: 104 FPS average
• Ultra: 81 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 93 FPS average
• Medium: 68 FPS average (min 58, max 78)
• High: 55 FPS average
• Ultra: 43 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern where each increase in resolution tier reduces the average FPS by roughly 35-45%, regardless of the settings preset. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 149 FPS (276 vs 127), while at 4K, the difference is 50 FPS (93 vs 43). This indicates that the GPU's pixel processing capability is the dominant factor at higher resolutions, while at 1080p, the CPU and other system components have more influence. The Medium settings rows include min and max FPS values, which show a variance of approximately 60 FPS at 1080p (172 to 232), 39 FPS at 1440p (109 to 148), and 20 FPS at 4K (58 to 78). This decreasing variance with resolution suggests that the frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, reducing the impact of CPU-related frame time spikes.