Road 96

Road 96 is a narrative-driven adventure where the performance demands are modest, but the data reveals a clear hierarchy between the CPU and GPU at different settings. With the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, the benchmark results show that this combination is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides a stable foundation that allows the GPU to stretch its legs at 1080p. The pairing lands at rank 2629 out of 3713 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database, which is a direct reflection of the aging hardware rather than any specific bottleneck.

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

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It lacks hyper-threading, which means it offers exactly one thread per core, and that can be a limiting factor in modern titles that leverage more than six threads. In Road 96, however, the data does not suggest a CPU bottleneck at any tested resolution. The processor's 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s) provide adequate bandwidth for this game's asset streaming, which is not particularly demanding for a narrative adventure.

The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range standing. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6629 in multi-core and 935 in single-core, which places it at the 47th percentile against all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259 on average, a mere 0.2% difference, showing that the i5-9400 is statistically tied with that part in general compute. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is only 0.4% behind, while the Intel Core i3-10305 is 0.4% ahead. These tight margins indicate that the i5-9400 sits in a crowded performance band where single-digit percentage differences define the competition.

For Road 96 specifically, the measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 170 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can feed the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 78, meaning the CPU is not the constraining factor; the GPU is. The lack of a min FPS metric for most settings makes it harder to assess frame-pacing issues, but the fact that the CPU's single-core performance (Cinebench R23 score of 935) is sufficient to drive such high frame rates in this title suggests that the game's logic and physics are not heavily threaded. This is expected for an adventure game where the world is relatively static compared to fast-paced shooters or simulators.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost of 1650 MHz, and it houses 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU's transistor count of 10,800 million on a 445 mm² die gives it a density of 24.3M per mm², which was impressive for its 12 nm process node. In terms of raw compute, it offers 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is modest by today's standards but more than adequate for Road 96.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 18093. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, is only 0.4% ahead, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% ahead. Interestingly, the AMD Radeon RX 460 shows a 1.5% delta, which seems anomalous given the architectural gap, but the data is the data. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of VRAM is a key asset; in Road 96, even at 4K Ultra, the game does not appear to exceed this capacity, as the FPS drops are consistent with compute limits rather than memory swapping.

The GPU's role in this game becomes evident when examining the resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the GPU pushes 170 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 57 FPS, a 66% reduction. This steep decline points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, which is typical for a mid-range card. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are present, but Road 96 does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS, so those features remain idle. The data shows that the GPU's raw rasterization performance is what matters here, and it delivers playable frame rates up to 1440p High, but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting to play Road 96 with this combo for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1440p High yields an average of 64 FPS, which is above 60. For a more comfortable margin, 1080p Ultra averages 78 FPS, while 1440p Medium averages 79 FPS. 4K High is not viable, as it only achieves 34 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 170 FPS, which is a high frame rate that the CPU can support. However, the FPS drops as settings increase (100 FPS at High, 78 FPS at Ultra), indicating that the GPU's rendering load is the constraint, not the CPU's processing power.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER's VRAM affect performance in Road 96?

A: The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game. There is no evidence of memory-related stuttering or frame drops. The FPS declines from 1080p to 4K are consistent with GPU compute limits rather than VRAM capacity issues, as the game's textures and assets fit within the 8 GB allocation.

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

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 57 FPS. Medium settings drop to 42 FPS, High to 34 FPS, and Ultra to 26 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS at 4K, this hardware is insufficient, as even Low settings are close to the threshold.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its nearest rivals in general compute, and does that matter here?

A: The i5-9400 is statistically tied with the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% behind) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% ahead). In Road 96, this parity means any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates, as the game is not CPU-bound.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 2629 out of 3713 tested combos in Road 96, placing it in the 71st percentile from the bottom. This indicates that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the worst, and it can still deliver a playable experience at lower resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2629 out of 3713 tested combos in Road 96. This position, which is in the 71st percentile of the lower end, suggests that the hardware is aging but not obsolete. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance ceiling, as the CPU's percentile (47) is significantly lower than the GPU's (62), but the game's light CPU load mitigates this gap. In practical terms, this rank means that roughly 70% of tested configurations deliver better performance, which aligns with the hardware's release dates (CPU from 2018, GPU from 2019).

The ranking is also a reflection of the GPU's standing among its peers. The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 18093 puts it just behind the RTX 3060 Mobile and Radeon Pro 5700, but the delta is less than 0.5%. This indicates that the GPU is still competitive with newer entry-level and mid-range mobile parts, but it cannot match the absolute performance of desktop GPUs from later generations. For Road 96, the rank is somewhat forgiving because the game's visual complexity is not extreme, allowing the combo to remain playable at 1080p and 1440p despite its lower-tier position.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system averages 170 FPS, which is an excellent result for this hardware. Moving to 1440p Low drops the frame rate to 108 FPS, a 36% reduction, and at 4K Low, it falls to 57 FPS, a 66% reduction from 1080p. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the pixel count directly impacts the render time. The CPU's influence is minimal, as it can produce high frame rates at low resolutions without breaking a sweat.

The settings scaling also reveals the GPU's limitations. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 92 FPS (170 vs 78), which is a 54% drop. At 1440p, the drop is 58 FPS (108 vs 50), and at 4K, it is 31 FPS (57 vs 26). The percentage drop from Low to Ultra increases with resolution: 54% at 1080p, 54% at 1440p, and 54% at 4K. This consistency indicates that the GPU's compute units are being saturated at all resolutions, and the settings are scaling the workload uniformly. The data suggests that the limiting component is the GPU's shading units and TMUs, as the VRAM bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) is sufficient for the game's needs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system delivers high frame rates across all settings. Low averages 170 FPS, Medium averages 124 FPS with a min of 106 and max of 143, High averages 100 FPS, and Ultra averages 78 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RTX 2060 SUPER is not taxed heavily at this resolution, and the i5-9400 is more than capable of keeping up. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, but even the lowest average (78 FPS) is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable but still playable. Low averages 108 FPS, Medium averages 79 FPS with a min of 67 and max of 91, High averages 64 FPS, and Ultra averages 50 FPS. The 1440p Ultra setting is the first point where the average dips below 60 FPS, which could be a concern for gamers with high refresh rate monitors. The min FPS at Medium (67) shows that there is some frame pacing variance, but it remains above the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low averages 57 FPS, Medium averages 42 FPS with a min of 36 and max of 48, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. Only Low settings can achieve frame rates near 60 FPS, and even then, it is not a guaranteed lock. The Medium setting's min FPS of 36 indicates that there can be significant drops during intense scenes, which is expected for a mid-range GPU at 4K. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Road 96, with 4K reserved for the lowest settings or for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.