Road 96

Road 96 is a stylized adventure game that leans more on narrative than raw graphical fidelity, which makes the performance profile of this particular CPU and GPU pairing particularly interesting. The data shows a system that is more than capable of delivering a smooth experience at mainstream resolutions, but which begins to show its practical limits when pushed towards 4K with maximum settings. This Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination sits in the 1742nd position out of 2903 tested combos for this title, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database and indicating a solid, if not flagship, performance level.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the rate of that degradation is telling. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 106 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 67 FPS, a 37% reduction. Pushing further to 2160p results in a 36 FPS average, which is another 46% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep curve suggests that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

However, the scaling is not uniform across all settings. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 179 FPS at 1080p to 114 FPS at 1440p, and then to 60 FPS at 2160p. The 4K Low result of 60 FPS is remarkably high and shows that the RTX 4060 has enough raw throughput to handle the game at its most basic visual configuration even at 4K. The gap between Low and High settings at 1080p is 73 FPS, while at 4K, that same gap narrows to just 24 FPS. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the game is less demanding, allowing for a wider spread in performance based on settings, whereas at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that the difference between presets becomes less impactful on the final frame rate.

The most significant performance cliff appears between 1440p and 2160p. The transition from High at 1440p (67 FPS) to High at 2160p (36 FPS) represents a massive 31 FPS loss. This suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel processing capabilities, which are rated at 272.0 GB/s and 118.1 GPixel/s respectively, become the limiting factor at 4K. The pixel rate, in particular, is likely the bottleneck, as the RTX 4060's 48 ROPs are tasked with filling over 8 million pixels on a 4K display. The data makes it clear that this is not a 4K-focused configuration for Road 96, but rather a sweet spot for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Analyzing the measured rows, the optimal experience depends heavily on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is entirely viable, delivering an average of 83 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a comfortable margin for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1080p is even more fluid at 106 FPS, but the visual quality difference between High and Ultra in a game with Road 96's art style may justify the lower frame rate for some users. Given that the data shows Ultra is playable, it is the recommended preset for 1080p to get the best visual experience.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. The Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS, which, while playable, is not ideal for a smooth experience. The High preset, at 67 FPS, offers a much better balance. It provides a frame rate that is likely to be more consistently smooth than the 53 FPS from Ultra. The Medium preset at 83 FPS is also a strong candidate for those prioritizing frame rate above all else, but High is the sweet spot where visual fidelity and performance intersect most effectively. The data shows a clear step down from High to Ultra at this resolution, making High the best choice for the majority of users.

For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Ultra preset is not a good experience, with an average of just 28 FPS. The High preset is borderline, at 36 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth play. The Medium preset, at 44 FPS, is the most playable of the higher quality options, but it still requires some compromise. Interestingly, the Low preset at 4K produces a perfect 60 FPS average. This is the only setting at 4K that hits this target, and it is the recommended choice for any user wishing to play at this resolution. The data suggests that for 4K, the game's stylized visuals can be appreciated even at Low settings, and the smooth 60 FPS will be a better experience than a stuttery 44 FPS on Medium.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the clear driver of performance in this title, particularly as resolution increases. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for Road 96 at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it is a limiting factor at 4K, where the frame rates are significantly lower. The GPU's boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz are standard for the 40-series and contribute to its overall throughput.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (deltaPct of -0.2%), the AMD Radeon 780M (deltaPct of 0.3%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (deltaPct of 0.5%). These are all significantly older or lower-tier parts, which shows that while the RTX 4060 is not a high-end part, it is a clear step above these integrated and older dedicated solutions. In Road 96 specifically, the GPU's performance is what allows for the playable frame rates at 1440p and the 60 FPS cap at 4K Low.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 and a Passmark G3D score of 19545 provide a general idea of its capabilities, but the in-game data is more relevant. The fact that the 4K Ultra setting yields only 28 FPS while 4K Low yields 60 FPS highlights the GPU's struggle with the highest graphical presets. This is not a reflection of poor optimization, but rather a clear indication that the RTX 4060 is designed for high-refresh-rate 1080p and solid 1440p gaming, not for maxing out titles at 4K. The architecture, Ada Lovelace, supports modern features, but raw pixel pushing at 4K is not its forte.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a detailed look at the performance envelope of this combo. At 1920x1080, the results are consistently high. With Low settings, the average FPS is 179. Medium settings average 131 FPS, with a minimum of 111 and a maximum of 151. High settings average 106 FPS, while Ultra settings average 83 FPS. All of these are excellent results that would provide a smooth experience on any monitor, including high-refresh-rate models.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limitations. Low settings average 114 FPS. Medium settings average 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96. High settings average 67 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 53 FPS. This is a very playable range, with High being the best balance of quality and speed. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 37-40% of the frame rate at each setting level, which is a significant but expected cost.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a sharp turn. Low settings manage an average of 60 FPS, which is a playable result. Medium settings average 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 51. High settings drop to 36 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 28 FPS. The results at 4K are clear: the system is playable only on Low settings. The data shows a stark contrast between the 1080p and 4K experiences, with the 4K Ultra result being less than half the 1080p High result, underscoring the resolution's heavy toll on the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 achieves a rank of 1742 out of 2903 tested combos for Road 96. This places it in the 60th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a majority of the configurations in the database. This is a respectable position, indicating that the system is well-balanced for this game, but it is not at the top tier. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU is likely not the primary bottleneck in this title.

This ranking is consistent with the GPU's individual performance percentile of 61%. The system is performing as expected for its components, which are designed to be a mainstream mobile solution. The fact that it sits in the 1742nd position out of 2903 combos suggests that while many systems can run this game, a significant number of them are more powerful, likely featuring higher-end desktop GPUs or newer mobile parts. The combo is not a top performer, but it is clearly above average and more than capable of delivering a good experience in this adventure title.

The game's age and its non-demanding nature are important context for this rank. Road 96 was released in 2021, and its stylized graphics are not extremely taxing. This means that even mid-range hardware can achieve high frame rates at lower resolutions. The rank of 1742 is a reflection of the fact that many systems are capable of playing this game well, so the competition is stiff. The RTX 4060's performance is enough to put this combo in the upper half of the results, but it is not enough to push it into the top tier where the most powerful GPUs reside.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its architecture is Meteor Lake, built on a 7 nm process. With an L3 cache of 18 MB shared, this CPU has the multi-threaded muscle to handle modern games, but the data for Road 96 suggests its role is secondary to the GPU. The CPU's percentile rank of 81st among all CPUs indicates it is a strong processor in general compute tasks, but in this specific game, it does not appear to be the limiting factor.

The measured FPS scaling shows that the CPU is keeping up with the GPU at all resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 179 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that could potentially stress a weaker CPU. The fact that the Core Ultra 5 135H can feed the RTX 4060 enough data to reach this frame rate shows it is not a bottleneck in this scenario. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and single-core score of 1700 are indicative of its strong performance, but they don't need to be fully utilized to play this game.

The processor's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, with a deltaPct of -0.1%, and the Intel Core i5-13500HX, with a deltaPct of -0.6%. This shows that the 135H is competitive with these desktop and high-end mobile parts in synthetic benchmarks. For Road 96, this means the CPU will not be a source of frame drops or stutters. The game is not a CPU-heavy title, so the 18 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks while gaming. The data suggests that the CPU's primary job is to ensure the GPU is fed with draw calls, and it does so effectively, allowing the RTX 4060's performance to be the deciding factor in the frame rate.