Road 96

Road 96 is an adventure title that, on the surface, does not appear to demand the absolute maximum from a high-end desktop configuration. However, the measured frame rates for the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination reveal a complex interaction between resolution, settings, and component headroom. The data indicates a system capable of delivering exceptionally high refresh rates at lower resolutions, but one that is progressively brought to heel by the demands of 4K and maximum image quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals a shift in the system's bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 309.5 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average falls to 198 FPS, representing a 36% decrease. Pushing further to 3840x2160 at Low settings, the average drops to 107.1 FPS, which is a 65% reduction from the 1080p figure. This sharp decline suggests that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as the pixel count increases, a typical pattern for a high-end processor paired with a strong, but not flagship, graphics card.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 182.4 at 1080p to 116.2 at 1440p, a 36% reduction, and then to 62.9 at 4K, a 46% reduction from the 1440p figure. The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU is doing much of the heavy lifting, allowing the GPU to push frames quickly. As resolution climbs, the GPU's rendering workload increases, and the frame rate becomes increasingly constrained by the RTX 4070 SUPER's capabilities. The game's stylized visuals and lower geometric complexity compared to modern AAA shooters mean the CPU can feed frames at a very high rate, but the GPU's fill rate and shading power ultimately dictate the ceiling at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how the quality presets trade off against frame rate. For players prioritizing a smooth, high-refresh experience, the Low preset at 1920x1080 offers an average of 309.5 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can show. However, this preset likely sacrifices significant visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p still yields a very high 224.8 FPS, suggesting it is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, offering a substantial performance buffer while presumably improving visual quality over Low.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the optimal balance for this hardware, delivering an average of 145.6 FPS. This is high enough for smooth gameplay on 144Hz displays and likely provides a more detailed image than Low. The High preset at 1440p, with an average of 116.2 FPS, is also viable for 100Hz+ displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 90.8 FPS, which is still playable but begins to sacrifice the high-refresh advantage. At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. The High preset produces an average of 62.9 FPS, which is acceptable for a 60Hz display, while the Low preset at 107.1 FPS is the only way to achieve a triple-digit frame rate at this resolution. The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 46.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and indicates that this setting is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, plays a central role in the performance scaling observed. The memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s is a key factor in how the card handles the increasing data load at higher resolutions. The benchmark results for the GPU show a strong average benchmark score of 42576, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals, such as the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, have similar average scores, with the RTX 4070 SUPER trailing the A6000 by 0.2% and the RX 7650 GRE by 0.3%. This indicates that the card is positioned in a competitive performance tier.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1980 MHz and a boost of 2475 MHz, are relatively high, contributing to its throughput. The architecture supports a substantial number of shaders (7168) and texture mapping units (224), which explains its ability to maintain high frame rates even at 1440p. However, the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combination of high pixel count and demanding effects causes the average FPS to plummet to 46.1. This suggests that while the card is very capable, it does not have enough raw compute or memory bandwidth to handle the most demanding scenario in this game at a high frame rate, pointing to the GPU as the definitive bottleneck in that specific configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the combo's performance across the twelve tested scenarios. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings see an average of 309.5 FPS, Medium 224.8 FPS, High 182.4 FPS, and Ultra 145.2 FPS. This shows a clear and consistent drop as settings increase, with the gap between Low and Ultra being over 160 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 198 FPS, Medium 145.6 FPS, High 116.2 FPS, and Ultra 90.8 FPS. The frame rates remain very playable, but the scaling from 1080p is evident. The performance at 1440p High is comparable to 1080p Ultra, indicating a similar load on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 107.1 FPS, Medium 79.2 FPS, High 62.9 FPS, and Ultra 46.1 FPS. This is the resolution where the hardware is most stressed. The difference between Medium and High at 4K is 16.3 FPS, while the drop from High to Ultra is 16.8 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset has a significant performance cost. The data reveals that the system can handle 4K, but only by moderating settings, with Low being the only preset that offers a comfortable margin above 100 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware to achieve a high refresh rate?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo can easily push past 300 FPS on Low settings, and even the Ultra preset achieves an average of 145.2 FPS. This makes 1080p the ideal resolution for maximum frame rates.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with limitations. The data shows 4K is playable, with the High preset averaging 62.9 FPS and the Low preset at 107.1 FPS. However, the Ultra preset drops to 46.1 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The benchmark data shows the RTX 4070 SUPER has an average score of 42576. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, has a score of 42653, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE is 0.3% higher, while the AMD Radeon Pro 580X is 1.4% lower and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 is 1.6% lower.

Q: Which settings preset offers the best balance of performance and quality at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 145.6 FPS. This is a strong result that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors, providing a significant performance headroom while likely offering a better visual experience than Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the bottleneck shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the frame rates are extremely high, suggesting the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU quickly. As resolution increases to 4K, the frame rates drop dramatically, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: The High preset at 3840x2160 averages 62.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 46.1 FPS. This is a difference of 16.8 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding and can push the system below a desirable frame rate threshold.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a formidable processor, and its characteristics are reflected in the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it is designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads, but its single-core performance is equally strong, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287. This is crucial for gaming, where the main thread often dictates the maximum achievable frame rate. The processor's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz contributes to its ability to process game logic and draw calls quickly.

At 1080p, the CPU's strength is evident. The average FPS on Low settings reaches 309.5, which is a clear sign that the processor is not a limiting factor at this resolution. The CPU's percentile ranking of 96th among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70074, places it in the top tier of processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, has a nearly identical average score of 70104, with a 0% deltaPct, showing they are performance equals. Even compared to the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which has a score of 70420, the i7-14700K is only 0.5% behind. This indicates that the CPU has ample headroom to support the GPU, and it is only when the GPU is overwhelmed at 4K Ultra that the CPU's advantages become less relevant. The data suggests that the i7-14700K is not the bottleneck in any of the tested scenarios; the GPU is.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is placed at rank 297 out of 1684 tested combinations for Road 96. This places the combo in the top 17.6% of all tested systems, indicating a strong overall performance level for this specific game. The rank is a direct result of the measured FPS data, which shows excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p, and merely adequate performance at 4K.

This ranking is somewhat surprising given the high-end nature of the CPU. The CPU's strong benchmark scores and high percentile ranking do not translate into a top-tier rank in this game, suggesting that the GPU is the more critical component for Road 96. The RTX 4070 SUPER, while in the 84th percentile of GPUs, is not a flagship model, and its performance ceiling at 4K is what likely pulls the combo's rank down from the top 10%. The rank is a holistic measure of the system's capability across all tested resolutions and settings. The data implies that while this is a very capable system for most gaming scenarios, it is not at the absolute pinnacle of performance for Road 96, particularly when considering the most demanding 4K Ultra settings. The combo finds its strength in high-refresh 1440p gaming, where it delivers a superior experience relative to the average system.