Road 96

# Road 96: Intel Core i5-13400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti — Benchmark Analysis

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti produces a characteristically GPU-bound experience in Road 96, with frame rates scaling predictably as resolution increases. Across the measured configurations, this combo delivers playable performance at every tested setting, though the gap between Low and Ultra presets widens considerably at higher resolutions. The combo's rank of 1330 out of 3713 tested combinations places it in the upper-middle tier of systems evaluated for this title, indicating a balanced pairing that leans on the graphics card's strengths while the 10-core, 16-thread processor handles the adventure genre's modest CPU demands without becoming a limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound pattern. At 1080p Low, the system produces 239 FPS, which drops to 152 FPS at 1440p and 81 FPS at 4K — a 66% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline indicates the RTX 3070 Ti is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, as the pixel throughput requirement outpaces what the GPU's 608.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 21.75 TFLOPS FP32 compute can sustain.

The scaling pattern across settings tells a more nuanced story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 128 FPS (from 239 down to 111 FPS), a 54% performance penalty. At 1440p, the same settings swing costs 82 FPS (152 to 70 FPS), a 54% drop. At 4K, the Ultra preset delivers just 37 FPS versus 81 FPS on Low — a 54% reduction as well. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests the GPU's compute resources scale linearly with the workload, with no sudden memory capacity or bandwidth cliff appearing even at 4K Ultra.

The 4K results are particularly telling. High settings yield 48 FPS, Medium delivers 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS, and Ultra drops to 37 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is 11 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is also 11 FPS, indicating a roughly linear cost per quality tier. However, the 4K Ultra result of 37 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold many would consider smooth, suggesting that this combination is best suited to 1440p or 1080p for demanding visual configurations.

At 1440p, the system shows its sweet spot. High settings produce 90 FPS, Medium hits 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS, and even Ultra maintains 70 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1440p High or Medium provides ample headroom for a stable experience, with the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6X memory proving sufficient for the game's texture and geometry demands at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1330 out of 3713 tested combinations in Road 96, placing it in the 64th percentile of all paired CPU/GPU configurations evaluated for this game. This positioning suggests the combination performs slightly better than the average tested system, though it is far from the top tier. The percentile rankings of the individual components support this interpretation: the CPU sits at the 77th percentile among all processors, while the GPU is at the 75th percentile among all graphics cards.

Given that the game is adventure genre with relatively modest system requirements, the combo's rank reflects a pairing that exceeds the typical requirements. The RTX 3070 Ti's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% higher average score), the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% lower). The RTX 3070 Ti's average benchmark score of 29945 is essentially tied with these competitors, meaning the GPU's performance class is well-established.

The Intel Core i5-13400F, with an average benchmark score of 25292, sits near the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (0% difference), Intel Core 5 120 (0.3% lower), and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (0.3% lower). This clustering indicates the processor is competitive with a range of mid-range and upper-mid-range options from both AMD and Intel, making it a versatile pairing partner that won't bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios.

The rank of 1330 out of 3713 also suggests that many combinations with more powerful GPUs or CPUs outperform this pairing, but the consistency of the measured FPS results — never dropping below 37 FPS even at 4K Ultra — demonstrates that this combo maintains playable performance across all tested scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Road 96 at 4K smoothly?

A: At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 48, while Medium delivers 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS. Ultra drops to 37 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, Low settings (81 FPS) are required, though Medium is close to the threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data indicates 1440p is the optimal resolution. High settings produce 90 FPS, Medium reaches 112 FPS, and even Ultra maintains 70 FPS, all above the 60 FPS smoothness threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti scores 29945 on average, essentially tied with the RTX 5070 Mobile (29928, 0.1% higher) and RTX 2080 Ti (29783, 0.5% lower). The Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, just 0.5% higher.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: No. The i5-13400F's 10 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, deliver benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core: 22604, single-core: 3191) that far exceed the requirements for an adventure title. The FPS scaling pattern is clearly GPU-bound.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average is 111 FPS at 1080p Ultra. For comparison, 1080p High yields 141 FPS, Medium produces 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS, and Low reaches 239 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 141 at 1080p to 90 at 1440p and 48 at 4K — a 66% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra, the drop is from 111 to 70 to 37 FPS, also a 66% reduction.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system demonstrates its highest performance ceiling. Low settings produce 239 FPS, while Medium delivers 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 and maximum of 202 FPS. High settings reach 141 FPS, and Ultra maintains 111 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 128 FPS, showing that Road 96's quality presets have a significant impact on rendering load at this resolution.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain strong but show the expected reduction. Low settings hit 152 FPS, Medium achieves 112 FPS (95 minimum, 128 maximum), High reaches 90 FPS, and Ultra delivers 70 FPS. The 82 FPS spread between Low and Ultra indicates a slightly compressed performance range compared to 1080p, as the GPU begins to approach its throughput limits.

At 4K, the system's performance becomes more constrained. Low settings produce 81 FPS, Medium averages 59 FPS with a 50 FPS minimum, High drops to 48 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37 FPS. The 44 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is the smallest of any resolution tested, confirming that at 4K the GPU is the dominant bottleneck regardless of quality preset.

The minimum FPS data provided only for Medium settings across all resolutions reveals a consistent pattern: 149 FPS at 1080p, 95 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. These minimums are 85%, 85%, and 85% of their respective averages, indicating stable frame pacing without severe dips in the Medium preset.

GPU Role

The RTX 3070 Ti's specifications directly explain the measured results. With 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 608.3 GB/s bandwidth, the card has sufficient memory throughput for Road 96's demands at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results suggest the 8 GB capacity may be approaching its limit. The 4K Ultra result of 37 FPS — the lowest measured — likely reflects both compute and memory pressure.

The GPU's boost clock of 1770 MHz, combined with 6144 shading units and 96 ROPs, produces a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s. These figures support the observed scaling: at 1080p the card is never fully saturated, as evidenced by 239 FPS on Low, but at 4K the pixel throughput requirement (approximately 8.3 million pixels per frame at 3840x2160) begins to strain the ROP and shading unit resources.

The GPU's 21.75 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 48 RT cores are ample for this adventure title, which does not appear to use ray tracing heavily based on the FPS scaling. The card's 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945, positions it as a solid mid-to-high-end option that excels in 1080p and 1440p gaming but requires settings compromises at 4K.

The 12-pin power connector and 290 W TDP indicate the card draws significant power under load, which aligns with the performance delivered. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (37 FPS) versus 4K Low (81 FPS) shows a 44 FPS swing, demonstrating that the GPU's performance envelope is wide but depth-limited at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1440p is the standout recommendation. The measured 112 FPS average with a 95 FPS minimum provides smooth gameplay with a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, and the 128 FPS maximum indicates headroom for scene complexity variations. The Medium preset at 1440p also delivers a 95 FPS minimum, which is the highest minimum recorded for any Medium setting outside of 1080p.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 111 FPS is highly recommended for users prioritizing visual fidelity, as it maintains a frame rate well above the smoothness threshold while delivering the highest quality settings. The 141 FPS High preset at 1080p offers an alternative for those seeking additional headroom, though the visual difference between High and Ultra in an adventure game like Road 96 may be minimal.

For 4K users, Medium settings at 59 FPS (50 FPS minimum) provide the closest approach to a smooth experience without dropping to Low. The 4K High preset at 48 FPS is playable but may exhibit noticeable frame pacing issues in fast-moving scenes, while 4K Ultra at 37 FPS is best avoided unless the user prioritizes visuals over fluidity.

The 1440p High preset at 90 FPS represents a strong middle ground for users with 1440p displays, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a 90 FPS average. The 1440p Ultra setting at 70 FPS is also viable, making this resolution the only one where all four presets deliver above 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F contributes to Road 96's performance primarily by staying out of the way. With 10 cores (6 performance and 4 efficiency, based on the core/thread count), 16 threads, and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, the processor provides ample single-thread and multi-thread capability for an adventure title that likely relies on a few primary threads for game logic and rendering setup.

The CPU's benchmark results reinforce this assessment. Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and single-core score of 3191 indicate strong all-around performance, while the Geekbench multi-core score of 11068 and single-core score of 1996 show balanced capabilities. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7314 and max-thread score of 7307 demonstrate that the processor maintains consistent performance as thread counts increase, which is beneficial for games that utilize additional threads for streaming or background tasks.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide sufficient data locality for game assets, while the dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support ensures memory bandwidth is not a constraint. The 65 W TDP suggests the processor runs efficiently, allowing the GPU to draw the majority of the system's power budget.

In the context of Road 96's measured FPS, the CPU's role is evident in the consistency of frame times. The fact that frame rates scale so predictably with resolution changes — a pure GPU workload — indicates the CPU is delivering frames to the GPU faster than the GPU can render them. The 4K Ultra result of 37 FPS is not a CPU limitation; rather, it reflects the GPU's inability to process the increased pixel load at that resolution and quality setting.

The CPU's 77th percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 25292, places it in a competitive position relative to its nearest rivals. The i5-13400F performs essentially identically to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (0% delta), and slightly better than the Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (both 0.3% lower scores). This performance parity ensures that users of this combo experience no CPU-induced frame drops in Road 96, regardless of the resolution or settings chosen.