Road 96

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

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread desktop processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process node. It carries a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache layout includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support spans DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration, and the chip uses Intel Socket 1700.

This CPU sits in the 83rd percentile of all processors tested, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are tightly clustered: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32233 (0.1% behind), the Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226 (0.2% behind), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354 (0.2% ahead), and the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121 (0.5% behind). In synthetic multi-threaded tests, the chip posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055, while Geekbench results show 11268 multi-core and 2058 single-core. PassMark multi-thread performance is 25470, and single-thread is 3701.

In the context of Road 96, an adventure title, the CPU’s role is less about brute force and more about maintaining consistent frame pacing. The game’s measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 139 average, which is a high ceiling that suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower settings. The 10-core/16-thread configuration provides ample headroom for background tasks and engine overhead, but the data indicates that the GTX 1070 becomes the binding constraint as resolution and settings scale upward. The CPU’s 83rd percentile ranking places it well above the median, so it is unlikely to bottleneck in this title under any of the tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 3071 out of 3713 tested combos in Road 96. That places this pairing in the bottom 17% of all configurations tested for this game, which is a notable finding given the CPU’s strong standalone performance. The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU side of the equation, as the GTX 1070 sits in the 47th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 9780.

The GPU’s nearest rivals are all professional or workstation-class parts: the AMD FirePro W5000 scores 9803 (0.2% ahead), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M scores 9832 (0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA Tesla M10 scores 9724 (0.6% behind), and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 scores 9716 (0.7% behind). This grouping shows that the GTX 1070 is not just old — it is outpaced by modern entry-level parts and even some legacy prosumer hardware. The combo rank of 3071 reflects that the GTX 1070 is the weak link, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the GPU’s relative position in this benchmark database.

It is importantly the combo rank is specific to Road 96’s measured results. The game is not particularly demanding on CPU resources, so the i5-14400F’s 83rd percentile standing is effectively neutralized by the GPU’s 47th percentile. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a stronger GPU would dramatically improve the combo’s rank, but as configured, the system lands in the lower quartile of all tested pairings.

Resolution Scaling

Frame rates scale predictably with resolution, and the pattern reveals where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 139 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 89 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 47 FPS, which is 66% lower than the 1080p Low result. This steep drop-off with resolution is a clear sign that the GPU is the performance limiter.

The scaling under Medium settings tells a similar story. At 1080p Medium, the average is 102 FPS with a min of 87 and max of 117. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 65 FPS (min 55, max 75), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 34 FPS (min 29, max 39). The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K under Medium are roughly 67%, which is consistent with the Low preset’s 66% decline.

Under High settings, the pattern continues: 1080p High yields 82 FPS, 1440p High yields 52 FPS, and 4K High yields 28 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 66% again. Ultra settings show 64 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K, a 66% reduction from the lowest to highest resolution.

The consistency of these percentages — all near 66% — indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are the dominant factors. The GTX 1070 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth, and a pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s. As resolution increases, the number of pixels to shade grows quadratically, and the GPU’s fillrate limits become more apparent. The CPU’s performance does not degrade with resolution, so the FPS drops are attributable solely to the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings is playable. The Low preset delivers 139 FPS average, which is well above any refresh rate target. Medium settings produce 102 FPS average with a min of 87 and max of 117, indicating smooth frame delivery with minimal variance. High settings drop to 82 FPS average, still comfortable for 60 Hz displays. Ultra settings yield 64 FPS average, which is marginally above the 60 FPS threshold but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the situation tightens. Low settings still provide 89 FPS average, which is good for high-refresh monitors. Medium settings fall to 65 FPS average with a min of 55 and max of 75, meaning some scenes will dip below 60 FPS. High settings drop to 52 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS target and will be noticeable on standard displays. Ultra settings yield 41 FPS average, which is a significant compromise for visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles across all presets. Low settings produce 47 FPS average, which is playable but not smooth. Medium settings yield 34 FPS average with a min of 29 and max of 39, indicating frequent drops below 30 FPS. High settings drop to 28 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 22 FPS average. None of the 4K presets achieve a consistent 60 FPS experience, and even the Low preset is marginal.

The min/max data available only for Medium settings across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p, the spread is 30 FPS (87 to 117); at 1440p, the spread is 20 FPS (55 to 75); and at 4K, the spread is 10 FPS (29 to 39). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions is further evidence of GPU-bound behavior, as the variance in frame times shrinks when the GPU is fully saturated.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture GPU built on TSMC’s 16 nm process, with a chip designated GP104. It contains 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die, with a transistor density of 22.9M per mm². The GPU has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz, and memory runs at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) across 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are modest by modern standards: FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS, texture rate is 202.0 GTexel/s, and pixel rate is 107.7 GPixel/s. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The card is dual-slot, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 450 W. Its dimensions are 267 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 40 mm in width.

In benchmark terms, the GTX 1070 scores 13498 in PassMark G3D, 6102 in PassMark GPU compute, and 44700 in Geekbench OpenCL. Its Vulkan score is 22121 and Metal score is 18801. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result is 1082. The GPU’s 47th percentile ranking places it just below the median of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all workstation parts with similar aggregate scores.

For Road 96, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s assets, as no settings combination appears to exceed memory capacity. The bottleneck is raw throughput: the 256.3 GB/s bandwidth and 107.7 GPixel/s pixel rate are the limiting factors at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the binding constraint in nearly every configuration, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance: 102 FPS average with a min of 87 and max of 117, which is smooth and consistent. The High preset at 82 FPS is also viable, but the 20 FPS gap between Medium and High does not justify the visual uplift for most users. Ultra at 64 FPS is borderline, and Low at 139 FPS is overkill for any standard display.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 65 FPS average with a min of 55 and max of 75. This is the only preset that stays near the 60 FPS target while offering reasonable visual quality. Low settings at 89 FPS are viable for competitive play, but the visual compromise is significant. High settings at 52 FPS and Ultra at 41 FPS both fall below the 60 FPS threshold and will exhibit noticeable stutter in fast-moving scenes.

At 4K, no preset achieves a smooth experience. Low settings at 47 FPS is the only option that is remotely playable, but it requires substantial visual sacrifices. Medium at 34 FPS and High at 28 FPS are below the 30 FPS playability floor for many users. Ultra at 22 FPS is not recommended under any circumstances. The data suggests that 4K gaming on this combo is not a practical goal.

For the best overall experience, the 1080p Medium preset is the clear winner, with 1440p Medium as a strong alternative for users with higher-resolution displays who can tolerate slight dips below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in Road 96?

A: The combo ranks 3071 out of 3713 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 17% of all pairings tested for this game.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F scores 32279 on average. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U is 0.1% behind at 32233, the Intel Core i9-11900 is 0.2% behind at 32226, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is 0.2% ahead at 32354, and the Intel Core i7-12800H is 0.5% behind at 32121.

Q: What FPS can the combo achieve at 1080p on High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 82. For comparison, Low settings yield 139 FPS, Medium yields 102 FPS, and Ultra yields 64 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes. The GTX 1070 sits in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 83rd percentile. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistently around 66%, indicating GPU-bound performance.

Q: What are the min and max FPS at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the min is 87 and max is 117. At 1440p Medium, the min is 55 and max is 75. At 4K Medium, the min is 29 and max is 39.

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

A: Not effectively. The best 4K result is 47 FPS at Low settings. Medium yields 34 FPS, High yields 28 FPS, and Ultra yields 22 FPS. None of these meet a 60 FPS target, and only Low is marginally playable.