Road 96

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 combination delivers a playable experience for Road 96 only when settings are managed carefully. The data shows a 6-core, 6-thread CPU from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation paired with a 4 GB GDDR5 graphics card, placing this combo at rank 1624 out of 1684 tested configurations. This pairing sits near the bottom of the database, yet the measured frame rates reveal that the game's stylized adventure design allows for smooth performance at lower presets, particularly at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Road 96?

A: The data shows the 1920x1080 Low preset achieves an average of 79.8 FPS, which is the highest measured performance. For a balance of visual quality and speed, the 1920x1080 Medium preset delivers 60.7 FPS, while High drops to 50.5 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1650's average benchmark score is 8713, which is 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile and 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon 550X. It also trails the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 by 0.5% but leads the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 by 0.5%.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this GPU in Road 96?

A: The CPU's benchmark scores are modest, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969. The GPU's percentile rank is 43, while the CPU sits at the 50th percentile. The measured FPS scaling suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, but the CPU is not a high-end part either.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 54.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages only 22.8 FPS. This represents a drop of 32.1 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset is too demanding for this combo at this resolution.

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

A: The data shows that 4K performance is poor. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only reaches an average of 24.6 FPS, and the High preset drops to 14.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 13 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it relate to performance?

A: The GTX 1650 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This limited memory size and bandwidth likely contribute to the significant performance drops seen at higher resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is built on the Turing architecture and features 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Its base clock is 1485 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz, and it delivers 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The GPU's memory subsystem consists of 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, which provides 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This configuration is modest by modern standards, and the data reflects that in Road 96.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 8713, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, which scores 8746 (0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon 550X, which scores 8749 (0.4% higher). The GTX 1650 also trails the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 by 0.5% but beats the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 by 0.5%. These close margins indicate that the GTX 1650 is competitive with entry-level workstation and mobile parts from the same era.

In Road 96, the GPU's role is critical. The measured FPS shows that at 1080p, the GPU can handle the workload well at Low and Medium settings, but struggles at Ultra. The 4 GB VRAM likely becomes a constraint at higher resolutions, as the 4K results are uniformly poor. The GPU's pixel rate of 53.28 GPixel/s and texture rate of 93.24 GTexel/s are adequate for the game's art style, but the limited memory bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s appears to be a bottleneck. The data implies that this GPU is best suited for 1080p gaming at lower presets in Road 96.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system averages 79.8 FPS, which is the highest recorded score. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 54.9 FPS, a reduction of 31.2%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 24.6 FPS, which is a 69.2% drop from the 1080p result.

This scaling behavior indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. The GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the increased pixel count at 1440p and 4K. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is likely capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, but the GPU cannot maintain performance as resolution climbs.

The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 44.9 FPS (79.8 vs 34.9). At 1440p, the gap narrows to 32.1 FPS (54.9 vs 22.8), and at 4K it shrinks to 11.6 FPS (24.6 vs 13). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even reducing settings does not provide significant relief. The resolution scaling analysis points to a system that is firmly in the 1080p class, with 1440p being a stretch at low settings and 4K being impractical.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system performs best, with the Low preset averaging 79.8 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 60.7 FPS, which is a solid result for a smooth experience. High drops to 50.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34.9 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the Ultra preset being 56.3% slower than Low.

At 2560x1440, performance takes a notable hit. The Low preset averages 54.9 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 31.2% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 37.4 FPS, High drops to 32.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 22.8 FPS. The 1440p results suggest that only Low settings are viable for smooth gameplay, as the other presets dip below the 40 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. The Low preset averages 24.6 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. Medium averages 23 FPS, High drops to 14.7 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 13 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, indicating that this resolution is beyond the capabilities of the GTX 1650 in Road 96. The data shows that the best experience is at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, where the system can maintain frame rates above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 1624 out of 1684 tested combos in Road 96. This places it in the bottom 3.6% of all configurations, indicating that it is a low-end setup for this game. The CPU's average benchmark score is 2305, which places it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU's average score is 8713, placing it at the 43rd percentile. Neither component is particularly strong, and their combination is not well-suited for demanding titles.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2300 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core i3-1125G4, which scores 2299 (0.2% lower). The Intel Xeon E-2134 scores 2295 (0.4% lower), while the Intel Core i7-8809G scores 2319 (0.6% higher). These close margins show that the i5-9400 is statistically equivalent to several mid-range parts from the same generation.

The GPU's rank is similar, with the GTX 1650 being 0.4% behind the RTX 3050 A Mobile and the Radeon 550X. This combination's low rank in Road 96 is driven by the GPU's limited VRAM and bandwidth, which are insufficient for the game's higher resolution settings. The data suggests that this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming at lower presets, which aligns with the measured FPS results.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo in Road 96 are clear. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 60.7 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Low preset offers higher performance at 79.8 FPS, but Medium provides a better visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset drops to 50.5 FPS, which is still playable but may not be worth the visual upgrade over Medium.

For users who prioritize frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p is the best choice, as it provides the highest average FPS at 79.8. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 54.9 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below 40 FPS, making them less desirable for a smooth experience.

The 4K resolution is not recommended for this combo, as even the Low preset only averages 24.6 FPS. The data implies that the GTX 1650 is not capable of handling Road 96 at 4K, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p at low settings. The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, which provides a 60.7 FPS average, followed closely by 1080p Low at 79.8 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It has 9 MB of shared L3 cache and a TDP of 65 W. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. Its Cinebench R23 scores are 7969 for multi-core and 1125 for single-core, which are modest but functional for gaming.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 2305, placing it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2300 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core i7-8809G, which scores 2319 (0.6% higher). These results show that the i5-9400 is a mid-range CPU that is neither a bottleneck nor a performance leader.

In Road 96, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales primarily with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound tasks. At 1080p, the CPU can maintain frame rates above 50 FPS at High settings, indicating that it has enough processing power for this game. The 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for the game's adventure genre, which likely does not require heavy multi-threading. The CPU's 4.10 GHz boost clock provides adequate single-thread performance for game logic, but the overall system is limited by the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield more significant performance gains than upgrading the CPU.