Road 96

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Road 96, but the data reveals that the scaling from 1080p to 4K is heavily dictated by the GPU, with the CPU providing ample headroom throughout. The measured results indicate that this combination is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, where it maintains fluid frame rates even at maximum settings, while 4K remains playable only when settings are moderated.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression across resolutions in Road 96 follows a predictable pattern that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces 111 FPS, but this drops to 70 FPS at 1440p and further to 37 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and an additional 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K, demonstrating that the RTX 3070 Ti's rendering workload scales nearly linearly with pixel count.

The data becomes more revealing when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 239 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suggests the CPU is capable of pushing far beyond typical display refresh rates. However, this drops to 152 FPS at 1440p Low and 81 FPS at 4K Low. The fact that 1080p Low nearly doubles the 4K Low result indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the limiting factors as resolution increases, while the i5-12400F's 6 cores and 12 threads handle the game's logic without issue.

Interestingly, the Medium preset shows the most consistent scaling pattern with the only recorded minimum and maximum frame times. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS, while 1440p Medium averages 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS, and 4K Medium averages 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS. The minimum frame rates at each resolution stay within 85% of the average, indicating stable frame pacing without significant stutters or drops.

The High preset tells a similar story, with 141 FPS at 1080p, 90 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. This 3x reduction from 1080p to 4K at High settings confirms that the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and 608.3 GB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized at higher resolutions, while the CPU's performance remains largely irrelevant to the frame rate outcome once resolution exceeds 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this particular CPU-GPU combination ranks 1330 out of 3713 tested combos for Road 96, placing it in the 64th percentile of all possible pairings. This is a solid mid-to-upper tier ranking that reflects the balanced nature of the i5-12400F and RTX 3070 Ti pairing, though it is not positioned among the top performers.

The CPU's individual performance metrics support this ranking. The i5-12400F achieves a 73rd percentile score among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 19039. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, scores 19047, a difference of 0%, while the Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056, just 0.1% higher. The Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X both score 18982 and 18979 respectively, placing them 0.3% behind the i5-12400F. This cluster of results shows that the i5-12400F is competitively positioned within a tight performance band.

The GPU similarly holds a 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile scores 29928, just 0.1% lower, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, which is 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, 0.5% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433, 1.6% higher. These margins are minimal, indicating that the RTX 3070 Ti sits in a highly competitive performance tier.

When considering the combo's rank in Road 96 specifically, the 1330th position out of 3713 indicates that while this pairing is capable, there are many combinations that achieve higher frame rates in this particular title. The game's modest graphical demands mean that newer or higher-end GPUs can push much higher frame rates, but the i5-12400F + RTX 3070 Ti combination still provides a strong experience for most users.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 111 FPS, which is sufficient for most gaming monitors, but the High preset at 141 FPS offers a better balance for 144Hz displays. The Medium preset at 175 FPS is ideal for 165Hz or 180Hz panels, while the Low preset at 239 FPS approaches the limits of what most monitors can display.

For 1440p, the High preset at 90 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it provides a solid balance between visual quality and smoothness. The Medium preset at 112 FPS is better suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, though the visual fidelity reduction may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 70 FPS is playable but falls below the 75 FPS threshold that many gamers consider the minimum for smooth gameplay, so it is only recommended for gamers who prioritize visual quality over frame rate.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Medium preset at 59 FPS is borderline playable, with the minimum frame rate of 50 FPS indicating occasional dips below 60 FPS. The High preset at 48 FPS is not recommended for fast-paced gameplay, while the Ultra preset at 37 FPS is only suitable for screenshots or cinematic viewing. The Low preset at 81 FPS is the only 4K option that provides a consistently smooth experience, though it significantly reduces visual quality.

The data suggests that the sweet spot for this combo is 1440p High, which delivers 90 FPS with good visual fidelity. This configuration takes advantage of the RTX 3070 Ti's capabilities while remaining well within the CPU's performance envelope. For gamers with 1080p monitors, the High or Medium presets provide the best experience, while 4K gaming is best approached with the Medium preset as a compromise.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete FPS measurements across all resolutions and settings are as follows:

At 3840x2160 (4K), the Ultra preset achieves 37 FPS average, the High preset achieves 48 FPS, the Medium preset achieves 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and maximum of 68 FPS, and the Low preset achieves 81 FPS. The progression from Ultra to Low shows an improvement of 44 FPS, or 119%, which demonstrates the significant impact of settings adjustments at 4K.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the Ultra preset achieves 70 FPS, the High preset achieves 90 FPS, the Medium preset achieves 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and maximum of 128 FPS, and the Low preset achieves 152 FPS. The range from Ultra to Low spans 82 FPS, with each settings tier providing roughly a 20-25% improvement over the previous one.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset achieves 111 FPS, the High preset achieves 141 FPS, the Medium preset achieves 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS and maximum of 202 FPS, and the Low preset achieves 239 FPS. The jump from Medium to Low is particularly notable, adding 64 FPS over the already high 175 FPS Medium result.

The Medium preset is the only configuration with recorded minimum and maximum frame times across all resolutions. The consistency of these measurements, with minimums staying within 10-15% of averages, suggests that the Medium preset is the most stable configuration for this combo. The 1080p Medium result of 175 FPS average with a 149 FPS minimum indicates that even during demanding scenes, the frame rate never drops below 149 FPS, providing a very smooth experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti's specifications play a critical role in determining the frame rates observed in Road 96. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming at all settings, but at 4K Ultra, the 8 GB capacity may be pushed to its limits, contributing to the relatively low 37 FPS average.

The GPU's clock speeds are 1575 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost, with memory running at 1188 MHz or 19 Gbps effective. These clocks, combined with 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, produce a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS provides ample compute power for the game's rendering tasks.

The RTX 3070 Ti's 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores are present but are unlikely to be heavily utilized in Road 96, which is an adventure game that does not emphasize ray-traced effects. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with modern rendering features, but the game's stylized visuals mean that raw rasterization performance is the primary driver of the measured results.

The GPU's 290 W TDP and suggested 600 W PSU requirement indicate that this is a power-hungry component, but the measured frame rates show that this power is effectively converted into performance. The 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945, places it in the upper tier of graphics cards, and the nearest rival comparisons show it trading blows with the RTX 5070 Mobile and RX 6800 within 0.5%.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Road 96?

A: Yes, but only at reduced settings. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 59 FPS average with a 50 FPS minimum, while the High preset drops to 48 FPS and Ultra falls to 37 FPS. The Low preset provides 81 FPS but at significantly reduced visual quality.

Q: What is the best resolution for this setup?

A: The data shows 1440p High as the sweet spot, delivering 90 FPS. This provides a strong balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, with the 1440p Medium option at 112 FPS serving as an alternative for higher refresh rate displays.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-12400F scores 19039 on average benchmarks, placing it 0% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047) and 0.1% behind the Intel Core 3 201E (19056). It outperforms the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X by 0.3%, with both scoring 18982 and 18979 respectively.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Road 96?

A: Yes, for 1080p and 1440p gaming at all settings, the 8 GB GDDR6X memory is adequate. At 4K Ultra, the 37 FPS result suggests the memory bandwidth and capacity may be contributing factors to the lower performance, but the game remains playable at Medium settings.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p?

A: The measured results show 239 FPS at Low, 175 FPS at Medium (with a 149 FPS minimum), 141 FPS at High, and 111 FPS at Ultra. All presets provide smooth gameplay at 1080p, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 100 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This pairing ranks 1330 out of 3713 tested combos in Road 96, placing it in the 64th percentile. The CPU holds a 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU holds a 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs.