Road 96

Road 96 is a stylized adventure title, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER shows a system that is heavily overqualified for the task, delivering high frame rates at every preset. The measured results indicate that this combination is not a bottleneck for the game, but rather a setup that will allow for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness on high-refresh-rate displays. The data suggests that this pairing is positioned in the 86th percentile for GPUs, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of installed graphics cards, and the CPU sits in the 85th percentile of all processors, making it a very capable foundation for this and other titles.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a clear pattern: the frame rate is primarily dependent on the resolution, with settings having a significant, but secondary, impact. At 1080p, the average FPS at Low settings is 353, which drops to 208 at High settings and 163 at Ultra. This massive headroom at 1080p indicates the game is not demanding on the GPU at this resolution, and the system is likely being limited by the CPU's single-thread performance or the game's engine itself. The 45% drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows that even at the highest settings, the GPU is not being fully saturated, as the frame rates remain exceptionally high.

Moving to 1440p, the average FPS at Low settings is 224, which is a 37% decrease from the 1080p Low figure. This is a substantial drop, showing that the increased pixel count is starting to put more load on the GPU. At Ultra settings, the frame rate falls to 104 FPS, a 36% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result of 163 FPS. This consistent percentage drop across settings suggests that the scaling is primarily driven by the resolution, and the GPU is beginning to become the limiting factor, though it still has plenty of performance to spare for a smooth experience.

At 4K, the trend continues, with the average FPS at Low settings at 119, which is a 47% drop from 1440p Low. At Ultra settings, the game runs at 55 FPS, a 47% drop from the 1440p Ultra score. This significant decrease in performance at 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at this resolution. The data shows that while the CPU is capable of handling high frame rates at lower resolutions, the sheer number of pixels at 3840x2160 demands more from the RTX 4080 SUPER, bringing the system closer to the 60 FPS threshold at the most demanding settings. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a 66% reduction in average FPS, emphasizing that 4K is a dramatically more demanding workload for this component pairing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. With a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, it offers strong single-threaded performance, as reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655. This is crucial for games like Road 96, which often rely heavily on a single primary thread for game logic and physics. The high boost clock ensures that the CPU can keep up with the game's demands, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The data at 1080p, where the system achieves over 200 FPS on high settings, confirms the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with enough data.

The processor's multi-core performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891. While Road 96 may not utilize all 10 cores effectively, this headroom ensures that background tasks or other applications won't cause stuttering. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4412 places it well above average, and its overall percentile of 85% against all CPUs confirms its strong position. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 225 is nearly identical in average benchmark score to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, with a delta of 0%, and is only 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i9-12900T, showing that its performance is competitive with a previous generation flagship.

In the context of Road 96, the CPU's role is to ensure that frame times are consistent and that the GPU is never starved of work. The benchmark data shows that even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 55, the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the performance drop is consistent with the increased GPU load. The high single-core performance suggests that the game's engine is running well within the CPU's capabilities, allowing the RTX 4080 SUPER to be the primary determinant of frame rate. The data indicates that this CPU is more than sufficient for this game, and any frame rate limitations are almost solely due to the GPU's rendering workload.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a powerhouse graphics card with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are more than adequate for Road 96's textures and assets, ensuring that there are no memory-related stutters even at 4K resolution. The GPU's core is the AD103 chip, built on a 5 nm process, and it features a boost clock of 2550 MHz. Its raw compute power is substantial, with 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which allows it to handle the game's rendering with ease at 1080p and 1440p.

The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a PassMark G3D score of 34245 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6600, place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 54209 is nearly identical to the standard RTX 4080, with a delta of -0.1%, indicating that the SUPER variant offers a marginal performance improvement over its predecessor. The data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the defining component in this system for Road 96, as its performance scaling with resolution is the primary driver of the frame rate changes observed.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly important as the resolution increases. At 1080p, the card is underutilized, as evidenced by the 353 FPS average at Low settings, but it still maintains a high frame rate at Ultra. At 4K, the card is finally pushed, and the average FPS at Ultra settings drops to 55. This shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER is capable of handling 4K Ultra in this game, but it is not able to maintain a high refresh rate at that setting. The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is likely not a limiting factor in this title, as even at 4K Ultra, the game's memory requirements are likely well below this threshold, allowing the card to focus on compute and pixel throughput.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and RTX 4080 SUPER handle Road 96 at 4K?

A: Yes, the data shows it can. The average FPS at 4K with High settings is 70, which is playable, and at Medium settings it is 87. However, at Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 55, which is below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience on many displays.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Road 96 with this hardware?

A: According to the measured FPS, 1440p is the sweet spot. At this resolution, the game runs at 133 FPS average on High settings and 104 FPS on Ultra, providing a high-refresh-rate experience without compromising visual quality.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in this system?

A: Based on the average benchmark scores, the RTX 4080 SUPER has a score of 54209, while the nearest rival, the RTX 4080, has a score of 54247. This gives a delta of -0.1%, meaning their performance is essentially identical in synthetic benchmarks.

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

A: The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. The consistent frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K indicate that the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU to achieve over 350 FPS on Low settings.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the average FPS on Low settings is 353, while on Ultra settings it is 163. This represents a 54% reduction in performance, showing that the Ultra preset places a significant load on the GPU, even at a lower resolution.

Q: Does the game have a minimum FPS that might cause stuttering?

A: The data only provides minimum FPS values for the Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 219, at 1440p Medium it is 140, and at 4K Medium it is 74. These are all high enough to prevent significant stuttering, indicating a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is derived directly from the measured FPS table. It details the average frame rates achievable with this specific combination of CPU and GPU.

At 1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low settings yield an average of 353 FPS.
• Medium settings yield an average of 258 FPS, with a minimum of 219 and a maximum of 297 FPS.
• High settings yield an average of 208 FPS.
• Ultra settings yield an average of 163 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low settings yield an average of 224 FPS.
• Medium settings yield an average of 164 FPS, with a minimum of 140 and a maximum of 189 FPS.
• High settings yield an average of 133 FPS.
• Ultra settings yield an average of 104 FPS.

At 3840x2160 (4K):

• Low settings yield an average of 119 FPS.
• Medium settings yield an average of 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100 FPS.
• High settings yield an average of 70 FPS.
• Ultra settings yield an average of 55 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy, with 1080p offering the highest frame rates and 4K the lowest. The Medium preset consistently provides a stable frame rate with a recorded minimum, suggesting it is a well-optimized setting level for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on your display's refresh rate and resolution. For users with a 1080p or 1440p display with a high refresh rate (144Hz or higher), the Ultra preset is the recommended choice. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 163 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra, it averages 104 FPS. Both are well above the 60 FPS threshold and will provide a visually rich experience without compromising smoothness. The data shows that the GPU has enough headroom at these resolutions to maintain high frame rates even with all settings maxed out.

For 4K users, the choice is more nuanced. The High preset, which averages 70 FPS, is the best option for a smooth experience on a 60Hz display. It provides a significant improvement in visual quality over Medium (87 FPS) while still staying above the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at 4K, averaging 55 FPS, is only recommended for those who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate and have a display capable of variable refresh rate (VRR) to mitigate the slight drop below 60 FPS. The Medium preset, while offering a higher average of 87 FPS, may not provide a noticeable visual difference over High, making High the better balance of performance and quality for 4K.

If you are looking to maximize frame rates for competitive play or on a very high refresh rate monitor, the Low preset at 1080p or 1440p will deliver exceptionally high FPS, with averages of 353 and 224 respectively. However, the visual sacrifice is substantial. The data indicates that the High preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions, providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium with a relatively small performance cost. The Ultra preset is best reserved for 1440p or lower, where the performance penalty is acceptable.