Road 96

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Road 96, an adventure title where frame pacing matters more than raw competitive speed. The combo ranks 1033rd out of 1684 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This ranking reflects a pairing where the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for high-refresh 1080p play. The data indicates a system that is very capable at 1080p and 1440p, but one that will struggle to maintain smooth 4K performance on higher presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and can boost up to 4.90 GHz, which provides substantial single-thread headroom for game logic and physics. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip scores 3309 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 23444 in multi-core, indicating a balanced profile that handles both lightly-threaded game tasks and background workloads efficiently.

The CPU’s performance in the database places it at the 84th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 27827. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27829 with a delta of 0%, and the Intel Core i5-12600K, which scores 27851 with a delta of -0.1%. This puts the 12600KF essentially on par with a previous-generation flagship, meaning the processor is not a bottleneck in Road 96. The L3 cache is 20 MB shared, and the chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory via a dual-channel bus, though the measured FPS results do not isolate memory type. For Road 96, the 3.70 GHz base clock ensures that even at lower settings where frame rates exceed 180 FPS, the CPU can feed the GPU without stalling, as evidenced by the 185.7 FPS average at 1080p Low.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip, featuring 2560 shading units and 40 RT cores. It runs at a base clock of 1605 MHz and boosts to 1770 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for Road 96’s art style, which does not appear to push VRAM capacity to its limits at 1080p or 1440p, though the 4K Ultra preset may approach the ceiling given the lower average FPS.

The GPU sits at the 65th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 22206. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 at 22307 (delta -0.5%) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 at 21670 (delta 2.5%), showing that the 2070 SUPER is competitive with mid-range options from both camps. The 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 113.3 GPixel/s pixel rate are modest by modern standards, which explains why the card struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra. The 12 nm process node and 215 W TDP indicate an older design that is thermally efficient enough for a dual-slot cooler, but the raw throughput is the limiting factor in this pairing.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 107.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 69.1 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 38.2 FPS, and then to 37.1 FPS at 3840x2160, a further drop of 32.0 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at higher pixel counts, while the CPU has plenty of headroom.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 185.7 FPS at 1080p falls to 122 FPS at 1440p and then to 66.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is still above 60 FPS, which suggests that the GPU can handle the workload if the visual fidelity is reduced. However, the Ultra preset tells a different story: 87.3 FPS at 1080p drops to 55.4 FPS at 1440p and then to 27.3 FPS at 4K, which is unplayable for most users. The data supports the conclusion that the CPU is never the bottleneck in this combo; the 12600KF’s single-thread score of 1016 in 3DMark and 3925 in Passmark single-thread ensures that even the highest frame rates at 1080p Low are CPU-feasible, but the GPU cannot keep pace as pixel count rises.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and playable frame rates across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 136.3 FPS, which is smooth for any display and leaves headroom for dips. At 2560x1440, Medium produces 89.2 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for a responsive experience. At 3840x2160, Medium yields 47.1 FPS, which is borderline but acceptable for a slower-paced adventure game where precise aiming is not required.

High settings are a viable alternative for those with 1440p monitors, as the 69.1 FPS average at that resolution is still fluid, and the 107.4 FPS at 1080p is excellent. However, High at 4K drops to 37.1 FPS, which is below the smoothness threshold. Low settings are only recommended for competitive or high-refresh 1080p play, where the 185.7 FPS average can push a 144Hz or 165Hz display to its limit. Ultra, while visually appealing, is not recommended for any resolution except 1080p, where the 87.3 FPS average is playable but not ideal; at 1440p and 4K, the 55.4 FPS and 27.3 FPS results respectively are too low for a consistent experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 1033rd out of 1684 tested combinations in Road 96, which places it in the 61st percentile of all systems. This ranking is lower than what the individual component percentiles might suggest—the CPU is at the 84th percentile and the GPU at the 65th—which indicates that the pairing is not optimized for this specific title’s demands. The data suggests that many other combos with similar GPUs but faster CPUs, or similar CPUs with faster GPUs, achieve better results. The GPU’s nearest rival, the RTX A400, scores 22307 with a delta of -0.5%, meaning the 2070 SUPER is slightly ahead, but the A400 is a workstation card, not a gaming part.

The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, has an average score of 27829 with a delta of 0%, implying they are functionally identical in general compute, but the 12600KF’s newer architecture does not translate into a meaningful advantage in Road 96’s frame rates. The combo’s rank reflects a system that is good for 1080p gaming but less competitive at higher resolutions, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. For users with a 1440p monitor, the rank is acceptable, but those aiming for 4K should look at combos with a stronger GPU to move up the leaderboard.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves the highest average at 185.7 FPS, followed by Medium at 136.3 FPS, High at 107.4 FPS, and Ultra at 87.3 FPS. All of these are playable, with even Ultra staying above 60 FPS, making 1080p the sweet spot for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 122 FPS for Low, 89.2 FPS for Medium, 69.1 FPS for High, and 55.4 FPS for Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium costs 32.8 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 20.1 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 13.7 FPS. This shows diminishing returns as settings increase, but the Medium preset remains the most balanced choice for 1440p. At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 66.1 FPS for Low, 47.1 FPS for Medium, 37.1 FPS for High, and 27.3 FPS for Ultra. The Low preset is the only one that clears the 60 FPS bar, and even that is by a slim margin. The data confirms that 4K is only viable with significant visual compromises, and the 27.3 FPS at Ultra is a clear outlier that should be avoided.