Road 96

Road 96 is not a typical GPU stress test, but the benchmark data for this Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination reveals a clear performance hierarchy that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The frame rates show that this pairing is overwhelmingly capable of running the adventure title at maximum refresh rates at 1440p, while 4K Ultra demands more from the graphics card than the rest of the system. The data indicates a system where the CPU is rarely the limiting factor, with the GPU taking on a larger role as resolution increases, though even at 4K Ultra the playability remains solid.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, but the pattern tells a distinct story about which component is driving the frame rates. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 354.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 222 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 121.7 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 65.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is a massive hit that clearly demonstrates the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The scaling is not perfectly linear, but the trend is unmistakable: as pixel count rises, the RTX 4080 SUPER's workload increases dramatically.

At Ultra settings, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. The frame rate drops from 165.6 FPS at 1080p to 104.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 52.9 FPS at 4K. The jump from 1440p to 4K Ultra cuts performance by nearly half, which is a strong indicator that the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and the GPU's rendering pipeline are being pushed to their limits at 4K. The fact that 1080p Ultra still produces 165.6 FPS, while 4K Ultra barely holds above 50 FPS, suggests that Road 96's visual effects at the highest settings are heavily resolution-dependent.

The delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution also reveals the GPU's headroom. At 1080p, the difference between Low (354.6 FPS) and Ultra (165.6 FPS) is 189 FPS, showing that the settings have a massive impact on the GPU load even at lower resolutions. At 4K, the gap narrows to 68.8 FPS (121.7 vs 52.9), which means the resolution constraint becomes more dominant than the settings themselves. This is classic behavior for a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 4080 SUPER's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is being fully utilized.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of Road 96, this specific combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 107th out of 1684 tested combos, placing it in the top 6.4% of all configurations evaluated. This is an exceptional result, but it does not put the combo at the very top of the leaderboard. The ranking suggests that some combinations with more powerful GPUs or different CPU pairings achieve higher average frame rates in this particular title, likely due to the fact that Road 96 is not heavily multithreaded and may respond better to certain architectural strengths.

The combo's rank is influenced by both components. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 97 places it in the top 3% of all processors, while the GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 88 puts it in the top 12% of all graphics cards. However, the GPU's lower percentile compared to the CPU suggests that the graphics card is more likely to be the performance limiter in this pairing. The fact that the combo ranks 107th out of 1684, rather than higher, indicates that there are other configurations that better leverage the game's engine, possibly with GPUs that have higher raw rasterization scores or better optimization for this specific title.

The data shows that this combo is not the absolute best for Road 96, but it is firmly in the upper echelon. The 4K Ultra average of 52.9 FPS is respectable but not exemplary, and the 1440p High average of 134 FPS is excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming. The ranking reflects a system that can handle the game smoothly at most settings, with the caveat that 4K Ultra requires some compromises if you target 60 FPS consistently.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It also includes 36 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In Road 96, which is an adventure game that typically does not scale well beyond a few cores, the CPU's massive core count and high boost clock are more than sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU. The benchmark results for the CPU show a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 49872 and a single-core score of 7040, indicating exceptional raw performance that outpaces the game's demands.

The CPU's role in this game is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, and the data suggests it does so without breaking a sweat. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 354.6 FPS is likely near the engine's limit or the GPU's maximum output, and the CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock ensures that no CPU-bound frame drops occur. The Passmark single-thread score of 4697 and the Geekbench single-core score of 3064 further confirm that the i9-14900K has the single-threaded strength needed for Road 96's logic-heavy scenes.

However, the CPU's influence diminishes as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 52.9 FPS, which is clearly GPU-limited, as the CPU has plenty of headroom to process the game's data. The 24 cores and 32 threads are overkill for this title, but they do not hurt performance either. The CPU's 97th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it is one of the fastest available, and its 125W TDP is a small price for the performance it delivers in this context.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Looking at the exact measured frame rates, the pattern is consistent across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 354.6 at Low, 258.3 at Medium, 210.1 at High, and 165.6 at Ultra. These numbers indicate that even at the highest settings, the combo can drive a 165Hz monitor to its limits. At 2560x1440, the averages are 222 FPS at Low, 163.5 FPS at Medium, 134 FPS at High, and 104.1 FPS at Ultra. This is a sweet spot for the RTX 4080 SUPER, as all settings except Ultra easily exceed 120 FPS, and Ultra stays above 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates take a noticeable hit. Low settings produce 121.7 FPS, which is still excellent for 4K, but Medium drops to 87.1 FPS, while High manages 71.8 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 52.9 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The data shows that at 4K, the GPU's 16 GB of VRAM and 736.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth are not the limiting factors; rather, the pixel throughput and shading units are being pushed hard. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 10240 shading units and 112 ROPs are responsible for these numbers, and the 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is clearly being taxed at 4K Ultra.

The min and max FPS values are not provided, but the average FPS alone tells a story of a capable system. At 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are high enough that any dips would be imperceptible on standard monitors. At 4K, the averages suggest that the game is playable, but the lack of min FPS data means we cannot assess frame-time consistency. The benchmark indicates that this combo is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, with 4K being a secondary consideration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the clear performance driver in this pairing, especially at higher resolutions. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Road 96's textures and effects at 4K. The GPU's boost clock of 2550 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz, combined with its 10240 shading units, deliver the raw compute needed to handle the game's rendering. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 and the Passmark G3D score of 34245 place the GPU in the 88th percentile, which is strong but not top-tier.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the GPU is likely not fully utilized, as the CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock can keep up with the low pixel count. But at 4K Ultra, the GPU is the sole bottleneck, as the frame rate of 52.9 FPS is a direct result of the RTX 4080 SUPER's pixel throughput and ROP count. The 112 ROPs and 285.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are the key specifications here, as they determine how quickly the GPU can fill the 4K frame buffer.

The GPU's ray tracing cores (80) and tensor cores (320) are not heavily used in Road 96, which is an adventure game with limited RT effects. The FP32 performance of 52.22 TFLOPS is more relevant, as it drives the traditional rasterization workload. The GPU's 320W TDP and triple-slot design are indicative of its high power draw, but the benchmark results show that this power is translated into frame rates. The fact that the GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores only 0.2% higher in average benchmarks, yet the RTX 4080 SUPER has a higher percentile, suggests that NVIDIA's architecture is better optimized for this game's workload.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system in Road 96?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at High settings produces 134 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. For 4K, Medium settings at 87.1 FPS provide a good balance, while Ultra drops to 52.9 FPS.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 121.7, which is smooth. At 4K High, it drops to 71.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 52.9 FPS, which is below 60 FPS but still playable.

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

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock keeps up, but at 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the limiting factor.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 107th out of 1684 combos, placing it in the top 6.4%. The CPU scores in the 97th percentile, while the GPU scores in the 88th percentile.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low produces 222 FPS, while Ultra produces 104.1 FPS. This is a difference of 117.9 FPS, showing that settings have a significant impact at this resolution.

Q: Does the CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads matter for this game?

A: Not significantly. Road 96 is not heavily multithreaded, and the CPU's single-core performance (Cinebench R23 score of 7040) is more important. The extra cores do not hurt, but the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates.