Road 96

Road 96 is not a demanding title by modern standards, and the data for the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination confirms this, delivering exceptionally high frame rates across all tested configurations. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p, the CPU's capabilities become a more significant factor in the extreme frame rates achieved. The system consistently pushes well past the refresh rate of standard monitors, making the experience exceptionally smooth, though the performance scaling reveals a clear hierarchy of bottlenecks depending on the selected resolution and preset.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling pattern in Road 96 shows a dramatic and predictable decline in average frame rate as pixel count increases, but the magnitude of the drop is heavily influenced by the graphics preset. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 results in a substantial reduction from 353 FPS to 224 FPS, a 36.5% decrease. Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Low settings brings the frame rate down further to 119 FPS, a 46.9% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep curve indicates that even at the lowest settings, the sheer pixel throughput required at 4K begins to tax the GPU, although the RTX 4080 SUPER still manages to keep the experience well above the 100 FPS threshold.

At High settings, the scaling is more moderate in percentage terms but still significant. The system produces 208 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 133 FPS at 1440p, a 36.1% decline, and then to 70 FPS at 4K, a 47.4% decline from the 1440p result. The pattern at Ultra settings follows a similar trajectory, with 163 FPS at 1080p dropping to 104 FPS at 1440p and then to 55 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that the limiting component shifts from being primarily CPU-bound at 1080p Low to a state where the GPU is the clear bottleneck at 4K Ultra. The fact that the 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold indicates that this is the first point where the hardware is truly challenged by the game's rendering load.

The Medium preset offers the most complete data set, including minimum and maximum frame rates, which provides deeper insight into the scaling. At 1080p Medium, the average is 258 FPS, with a minimum of 219 FPS and a maximum of 297 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 164 FPS, with a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. The relative consistency of the frame pacing, as indicated by the narrow gap between minimum and maximum, suggests that the game is well-optimized for this hardware and does not exhibit significant stuttering or frame time spikes in the measured scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER plays a dominant role in shaping the performance results for Road 96, particularly as resolution increases. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for the textures and assets present in this stylized adventure game. The benchmark results confirm that memory capacity is not a limiting factor, as even at 4K Ultra, the game runs without any indication of texture thrashing or memory-related performance cliffs. The high memory bandwidth ensures that the GPU can feed its 10240 shading units efficiently, allowing for the high fill rates observed at lower resolutions.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2550 MHz, are indicative of its performance class, and the raw compute power is reflected in its Passmark G3D score of 34245, which places it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores slightly below the standard RTX 4080 by a delta of -0.1%, and it is 1.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X. However, it outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by a margin of 2.7% and the AMD Radeon 8060S by 2.8% in synthetic benchmarks. These close margins in synthetic tests do not translate to significant differences in Road 96, where the game's moderate graphical demands allow the GPU to operate well within its comfort zone.

The GPU's role becomes most apparent when examining the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the 4080 SUPER is able to render 353 FPS at 1080p, but this drops to 119 FPS at 4K, showing that the pixel fill rate becomes a constraint. The architecture, built on a 5 nm process from TSMC, provides the efficiency needed to maintain high clock speeds without excessive power draw, although the 320 W TDP indicates a substantial power appetite. The data shows that for the vast majority of the tested configurations, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, and its capabilities ensure that the game remains highly playable at all settings except for the most demanding 4K Ultra preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F serves as the supporting component in this system, and its influence on Road 96's performance is most evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide ample processing power for the game's logic and physics. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Passmark single-thread score of 3481 and a multithread score of 19433, placing it in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and single-core score of 1680 further demonstrate its capability to handle both lightly threaded and heavily threaded workloads.

The CPU's role is particularly highlighted by the frame rate difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 353 FPS, which is likely approaching the CPU's limit for frame generation in this game. The fact that increasing resolution to 1440p Low only drops the frame rate to 224 FPS, while the jump to 4K Low results in 119 FPS, indicates that the CPU is able to keep up with the GPU's output at the lower resolution but becomes less relevant as the GPU takes on more work. The data suggests that Road 96 is not heavily multithreaded, as the CPU's multithreaded performance, while strong, does not show any signs of being a limiting factor even at the highest frame rates.

Comparing the i5-12400F to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks shows a very tight grouping. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047, which is essentially identical to the i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19039, with a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 3 201E is 0.1% ahead, while the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X are both 0.3% ahead. These negligible differences in synthetic tests suggest that the specific CPU choice within this performance class has minimal impact on Road 96's frame rates, as the game is not particularly demanding on processor resources. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory ensure that it can feed the GPU with data without creating a bottleneck, even in the high-frame-rate scenarios at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend on the user's refresh rate and resolution priorities, but the Medium preset stands out as the most balanced choice across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 258 FPS with a minimum of 219 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor and provides a smooth, stutter-free experience. The High preset at 1080p offers 208 FPS, which is still exceptional, but the drop in frame rate is not accompanied by a perceivable visual improvement that justifies the performance cost in a game with Road 96's art style.

For users with 1440p displays, the Medium preset again provides the best experience, with an average of 164 FPS and a minimum of 140 FPS. This ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above the 144 Hz threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming. The High preset at 1440p, with an average of 133 FPS, is also viable for 120 Hz displays, but the Medium preset offers a 23.4% performance increase over High while likely providing a visually similar experience given the game's aesthetic. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with 104 FPS, is a good option for those who prioritize visual fidelity, but it comes with a significant performance cost.

At 4K, the recommendations shift, as the Medium preset provides an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, which is suitable for 60 Hz displays and offers headroom for VRR technology. The High preset at 4K, with 70 FPS, is also playable, but the Medium preset provides a 24.3% performance increase over High. The Ultra preset at 4K, with 55 FPS, dips below the 60 FPS threshold and is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience, as the frame rate may drop further in more demanding scenes. Therefore, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation for the majority of users, offering the best balance between visual quality and performance across all tested resolutions. The Low preset, while providing the highest frame rates, sacrifices too much visual detail for a game that is not competitive in nature.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this hardware in Road 96?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 353 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER capable of running Road 96 at 4K Ultra settings smoothly?

A: No, the data shows that at 3840x2160 Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 55 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is 0.1% lower than the standard RTX 4080's score of 54247.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The minimum frame rate recorded for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is 140 FPS, with an average of 164 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU become a bottleneck at any resolution and settings combination?

A: The data suggests the CPU is likely the limiting factor at 1920x1080 Low settings, where the system achieves 353 FPS, as the GPU has less work to do at this low resolution and preset.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 353 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 163 FPS, representing a 116.6% performance increase for Low over Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for each resolution and settings combination, with minimum and maximum values included where available.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average 353 FPS
• Medium: Average 258 FPS, Minimum 219 FPS, Maximum 297 FPS
• High: Average 208 FPS
• Ultra: Average 163 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average 224 FPS
• Medium: Average 164 FPS, Minimum 140 FPS, Maximum 189 FPS
• High: Average 133 FPS
• Ultra: Average 104 FPS

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average 119 FPS
• Medium: Average 87 FPS, Minimum 74 FPS, Maximum 100 FPS
• High: Average 70 FPS
• Ultra: Average 55 FPS

The data reveals a consistent performance hierarchy, with the Medium preset offering the most balanced experience. The 4K Ultra configuration is the only one that fails to maintain a 60 FPS average, indicating that this is the point where the hardware's limits are reached. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep, with the Low preset showing a 66.3% drop in average FPS from 353 to 119, while the Ultra preset shows a 66.3% drop from 163 to 55. This consistency suggests that the GPU's workload scales linearly with resolution, and the CPU's role remains constant across the different presets. Overall, the system provides an excellent experience for Road 96, with the only compromise being the Ultra preset at 4K.