Road 96

Road 96 is an adventure game that, on the surface, does not appear to be a demanding showcase title. However, the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination reveals a complex performance profile that shifts dramatically based on resolution and graphical presets. The dataset shows this pairing is capable of extremely high frame rates, but the relationship between the CPU and GPU changes as the workload scales, making the choice of settings a critical factor for the optimal experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo for Road 96?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks 257th out of 3713 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (25284, 0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (25201, 0.4% delta). It is slightly behind the Intel Core 5 120 (25362, -0.3% delta) and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, -0.3% delta).

Q: What is the GPU's standing among its peers based on average benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080's average score of 54247 is effectively tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209, 0.1% delta). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828, -1.1% delta), AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698, -2.6% delta), and AMD Radeon 8060S (55757, -2.7% delta).

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate is 354 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 55 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the frame rate more limited by the CPU or GPU at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves 165 FPS. Since this is a high frame rate, it is likely that the CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, is providing sufficient headroom, but the data does not isolate the specific bottleneck. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings (260 FPS to 165 FPS) suggests a growing reliance on the GPU, but not a hard limit.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the game scales with graphical presets. Across all resolutions, the progression from Low to Ultra settings has a substantial impact on performance, but the relative cost of each preset is consistent. The data shows that the most balanced experience, prioritizing both visual fidelity and high refresh rates, is the High preset.

At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 209 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 354 FPS on Low but still far above the Medium preset's 260 FPS. More importantly, the High preset provides a substantial visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. Moving to Ultra at this resolution yields 164 FPS, a 21.5% reduction from High for what is typically a marginal visual improvement.

This pattern is even more pronounced at 2560x1440. The High preset achieves an average of 133 FPS, comfortably above the 104 FPS seen on Ultra. While the Medium preset (165 FPS) offers a higher frame rate, the difference between Medium and High is usually more noticeable visually than the difference between High and Ultra. The High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot, offering a near-ideal balance for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate panels.

At 3840x2160, the High preset produces an average of 71 FPS, which is playable but does not fully utilize high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset (87 FPS) provides a smoother experience, but the High preset remains the recommended choice for the best visual quality at a playable frame rate. Pushing to Ultra at 4K results in 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience. Therefore, the data strongly supports the High preset as the optimal choice for this hardware combination, delivering a strong balance of visual quality and performance at every resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is well-documented, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191. These scores indicate a strong processor that is well-suited for a variety of tasks.

In the context of Road 96, the CPU's role appears to be providing a high enough frame rate ceiling to avoid bottlenecking the GPU, particularly at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 354 FPS. This extremely high number suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach frame rates that are limited only by the GPU's raw processing speed at that preset. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7314 and the max-thread score of 7307 show that the CPU's multi-threaded performance is consistent, which is beneficial for games that can utilize multiple cores.

However, the CPU's influence can be inferred from the scaling of frame rates. At 1080p, the frame rate difference between Low (354 FPS) and High (209 FPS) is substantial. This suggests that as the GPU workload increases with higher settings, the limiting factor shifts towards the GPU. The CPU is likely not the primary constraint at higher settings or resolutions, but its strong single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core score of 1996) ensures it does not hold back the system in this adventure game. The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory also contribute to its ability to handle game logic and asset streaming without becoming a bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware, this specific combination of an Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is placed at rank 257 out of 3713 total combos for Road 96. This percentile placement of roughly 93% indicates that this system outperforms the vast majority of other configurations tested for this game.

The ranking reflects the strength of both components. The RTX 4080 is a high-end GPU, sitting in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. The CPU, while not a top-tier flagship, is in the 77th percentile of all CPUs with an average score of 25292. The combination of a very strong GPU with a solid mid-to-high-range CPU results in a system that is well-balanced for high-resolution gaming.

The ranking also suggests that the system is not being held back by a weak link. If the CPU were significantly underpowered for the GPU, the combo would likely rank lower, as the GPU would be unable to reach its full potential. Instead, the data indicates that the Core i5-13400F provides sufficient performance to allow the RTX 4080 to operate effectively, resulting in a top-tier ranking that reflects the capability of the entire system. This is a strong pairing for a game like Road 96, where the high frame rates achieved are a direct result of the GPU's power being fully utilized.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing. It is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz. Its raw compute power is substantial, with 9728 shading units and an FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS.

In Road 96, the GPU's role is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows a clear relationship between GPU load and frame rate. At 3840x2160, the frame rate drops from 119 FPS on Low to 55 FPS on Ultra. This 53.8% performance reduction is a direct result of the increased graphical workload placed on the GPU. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game at any setting, so memory capacity is not a limiting factor. Instead, the GPU's compute units are the primary constraint at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's strength is also evident in the high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the 354 FPS average shows that the GPU can easily handle the workload, and the CPU becomes the more likely limiting factor. However, as settings are increased to High at 1080p, the frame rate settles at 209 FPS, which is still very high. The performance scaling suggests that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the game's demands at all but the most extreme settings. The RTX 4080's performance percentile of 86% and its benchmark scores, such as the Passmark G3D score of 34457, confirm its position as a high-end graphics card that can dominate a game like Road 96.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 354 FPS. The Medium preset, with a measured range of 221 to 298 FPS, averages 260 FPS. The High preset averages 209 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 164 FPS. All presets at this resolution are well above the threshold for smooth gameplay, even on 144Hz or 240Hz monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains very high. The Low preset averages 226 FPS. The Medium preset shows a range of 140 to 190 FPS, with an average of 165 FPS. The High preset averages 133 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 104 FPS. This resolution provides an excellent balance, with all presets still providing a highly playable experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to feel the strain. The Low preset averages 119 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset has a range of 74 to 101 FPS, averaging 87 FPS. The High preset averages 71 FPS, which is playable. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 55 FPS. This is the only configuration in the dataset that falls below the 60 FPS target, indicating that 4K Ultra is a significant challenge for even this powerful GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the changing relationship between the CPU and GPU. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 354 FPS at 1080p to 226 FPS at 1440p and finally to 119 FPS at 4K. This indicates that even at the lowest graphical settings, the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the workload scales with the number of pixels.

The scaling is more pronounced at higher settings. For the High preset, the transition from 1080p (209 FPS) to 1440p (133 FPS) represents a 36.4% drop. The transition from 1440p to 4K (71 FPS) represents a 46.6% drop. This increasing rate of decline suggests that the GPU's rendering capabilities are being saturated as the pixel count grows. The game is not simply adding more pixels; the increased resolution also demands more from the GPU's shaders and memory bandwidth.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the primary limiting factor at any resolution tested. At 1080p Low, the 354 FPS result suggests the CPU is capable of handling a very high frame rate, but the GPU is still able to keep up. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates across different resolutions at the same settings. Instead, the frame rates continue to drop as resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the dominant constraint on performance. The RTX 4080's powerful architecture is the key to achieving high frame rates, but even its capabilities are finite when faced with the demands of 4K Ultra settings in this title.