Road 96

# Road 96 with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination delivers a broad range of frame rates across Road 96, from a floor of 57 FPS at 4K Ultra to a ceiling of 367 FPS at 1080p Low. The measured data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at lower resolutions, with the CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads providing ample headroom for this adventure title. The combo ranks 183rd out of 2,903 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.3% of all systems in the database for this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions that gradually shifts toward a more balanced workload as pixel count increases. At High settings, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 sees average FPS drop from 217 to 138, a reduction of 79 FPS or roughly 36%. Moving from 1440p to 3840x2160 brings the average down from 138 to 73, another 65 FPS drop or approximately 47%. This pattern of larger percentage drops at higher resolutions indicates the RTX 5080's rendering throughput is becoming the primary constraint as pixel count rises.

The Low preset shows even more dramatic scaling behavior. At 1080p Low, the system produces 367 FPS, which drops to 234 FPS at 1440p — a 133 FPS decrease. At 4K Low, the average falls to 124 FPS, representing a further 110 FPS reduction. The fact that 1080p Low produces nearly triple the frame rate of 4K Low (367 vs 124 FPS) underscores how heavily the resolution-dependent pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth of the RTX 5080 dictate performance in this configuration.

Medium settings provide the most complete dataset, including minimum and maximum frame times. At 1080p Medium, the average is 269 FPS with a minimum of 229 and maximum of 309. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 171 FPS with a range of 146 to 197. At 4K Medium, the figures fall to 91 FPS average, 77 minimum, and 104 maximum. The spread between minimum and maximum FPS narrows from 80 FPS at 1080p to 51 FPS at 1440p and 27 FPS at 4K, suggesting that frame time consistency actually improves as resolution increases — likely because the GPU becomes the uniform bottleneck, reducing CPU-related frame pacing variability.

Ultra settings present the steepest scaling curve. The 1080p Ultra average of 170 FPS drops to 108 FPS at 1440p and 57 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS is the only measured point below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this combination requires either lower settings or a resolution reduction for smooth 60 FPS gameplay at maximum quality. The data suggests the limiting component at 1080p and 1440p is the GPU, as evidenced by the massive headroom the CPU demonstrates at these resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 brings substantial hardware to this title, with 10,752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Road 96's visual complexity. The GPU's base clock of 2295 MHz and boost clock of 2617 MHz represent the Blackwell 2.0 architecture's operating range, with the measured frame rates indicating the card is rarely thermal or power limited in this game.

The RTX 5080's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 879.3 GTexel/s texture rate are far beyond what Road 96 requires at any settings combination. This is evident from the 367 FPS result at 1080p Low, where the GPU is essentially idle relative to its capabilities. The pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s becomes more relevant at 4K, where the card must fill over 8.3 million pixels per frame. The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS suggests the pixel fill and shader work at maximum quality finally approach the GPU's practical limits.

Memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s appears to be a significant factor in the scaling behavior. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings (138 to 73 FPS) represents a 47% drop, which correlates with the 2.25x increase in pixel count. The GDDR7 memory running at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective) provides sufficient bandwidth for the game's textures and geometry, but the data indicates that 4K Ultra pushes the memory subsystem closer to its effective ceiling. The GPU's 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores are present but likely underutilized in this adventure title, which does not heavily feature ray tracing or AI-enhanced rendering.

The RTX 5080's benchmark scores place it in the 87th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 56,083. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 8060S, scores 55,757, representing a 0.6% delta in favor of the RTX 5080. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55,698 (0.7% behind), while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828 (2.3% behind). The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57,367, which is 2.2% ahead of the RTX 5080. These close margins in synthetic benchmarks contrast with the measured game performance, where the RTX 5080's real-world results speak for themselves.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides 10 cores and 10 threads running at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This Arrow Lake-S architecture chip, built on TSMC's 3 nm process, has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 cache per core. The 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth indicate this is a mainstream desktop processor, yet the measured results show it is never the bottleneck in Road 96.

The CPU's single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 3,655 points, while multi-core performance reaches 25,891 points. PassMark single-thread testing yields 4,412 points, and multithread testing produces 30,459 points. These figures place the Ultra 5 225 in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36,938. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36,945 (0% delta), while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37,018 (-0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37,093 (-0.4% delta), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37,112 (-0.5% delta).

In Road 96 specifically, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The 367 FPS result at 1080p Low demonstrates that the processor can sustain frame rates well beyond typical display refresh rates. Even at 1080p Ultra with 170 FPS, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as evidenced by the smooth scaling to 4K where the GPU takes over as the primary constraint. The 10 threads are sufficient for this adventure game, which likely does not heavily utilize multi-threaded rendering paths.

The CPU's boost clock of 4.90 GHz provides strong single-thread performance for game logic and physics calculations. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU is present but irrelevant in this configuration since the RTX 5080 handles all rendering. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 CPU lanes ensures the GPU has full bandwidth available for data transfer. The 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die represent a dense, efficient design that maintains high clocks without excessive power draw, though the measured game performance suggests power is rarely a limiting factor anyway.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Road 96 experience with this hardware combination. At 1080p, all settings presets produce frame rates well above 144 Hz, with Medium at 269 FPS, High at 217 FPS, and Ultra at 170 FPS. Even the most demanding 1080p configuration delivers 170 FPS, so players with 1080p displays can select Ultra without concern for frame rate. The 1080p Low setting at 367 FPS is unnecessary unless targeting extremely high refresh rates beyond 360 Hz.

At 1440p, the recommendations become more nuanced. Ultra settings yield 108 FPS, which is smooth for most displays and suitable for 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors. High settings provide 138 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz displays. Medium at 171 FPS offers headroom for high-refresh 165 Hz or 180 Hz panels, while Low at 234 FPS is excessive for nearly all 1440p monitors. The 1440p Medium data shows a minimum of 146 FPS and maximum of 197 FPS, indicating consistent frame delivery that should feel smooth in gameplay.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. The Ultra preset's 57 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS threshold, potentially causing noticeable stutter on standard 60 Hz displays. High settings at 73 FPS provide a playable experience with some headroom, while Medium at 91 FPS with a 77 FPS minimum is the recommended choice for consistent 60+ FPS performance. The 4K Low setting at 124 FPS is available for players prioritizing frame rate over visual quality. Given that the Medium preset at 4K delivers 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS and maximum of 104 FPS, this represents the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for 4K displays.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Road 96 at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured 4K Ultra average is 57 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. While technically playable, the frame rate may not be consistently smooth. High settings at 4K produce 73 FPS, and Medium settings yield 91 FPS with a 77 FPS minimum.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: High settings at 1440p produce 138 FPS average, which is ideal for 144 Hz displays. Ultra settings deliver 108 FPS for 100 Hz monitors, while Medium provides 171 FPS for high-refresh panels. The choice depends on whether visual quality or frame rate headroom is prioritized.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080's average benchmark score is 56,083, placing it in the 87th percentile. It is 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S, 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, and 2.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is 2.2% ahead of the RTX 5080.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a bottleneck for the RTX 5080 in this game?

A: No. The CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads with a 4.90 GHz boost clock are sufficient for Road 96. The 367 FPS result at 1080p Low confirms the processor can sustain very high frame rates, and the scaling patterns indicate the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions and settings.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with this combination?

A: All presets exceed 170 FPS. Low settings produce 367 FPS, Medium yields 269 FPS, High delivers 217 FPS, and Ultra achieves 170 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 229 FPS and maximum of 309 FPS, demonstrating consistent performance.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Road 96?

A: This combination ranks 183rd out of 2,903 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.3% of all systems in the database. This ranking reflects the strong performance of both the RTX 5080 and the Ultra 5 225 in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear hierarchy across settings. Low settings produce an average of 367 FPS, representing the absolute ceiling for this combination at this resolution. Medium settings yield 269 FPS with a minimum of 229 and maximum of 309 FPS, providing the only complete min/max dataset at 1080p. High settings deliver 217 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 170 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 197 FPS range, with each settings tier reducing frame rate by roughly 50-100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings achieve 234 FPS, Medium reaches 171 FPS with a minimum of 146 and maximum of 197 FPS, High delivers 138 FPS, and Ultra produces 108 FPS. The 1440p results show a 126 FPS range from Low to Ultra, indicating that the GPU is beginning to assert its influence more strongly at this resolution. The Medium preset's minimum of 146 FPS ensures smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates compress significantly. Low settings produce 124 FPS, Medium yields 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 and maximum of 104 FPS, High delivers 73 FPS, and Ultra achieves 57 FPS. The 4K results show a 67 FPS range from Low to Ultra, demonstrating that the GPU is now the dominant constraint. The Ultra preset's 57 FPS is the only measured result below 60 FPS, while the Medium preset's 77 FPS minimum ensures consistent performance above the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination ranks 183rd out of 2,903 tested combos in Road 96, placing it in the top 6.3% of all systems tested for this game. This ranking reflects the strong synergy between the CPU and GPU, though the data indicates the RTX 5080 is the primary driver of this high placement. The GPU's 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with the CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, suggests a well-matched pairing where neither component significantly limits the other in this title.

The ranking becomes more meaningful when considering the specific demands of Road 96. As an adventure game with a 2021 release date, it likely does not push hardware to the same extremes as modern AAA shooters or simulators. The 367 FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates that this combination has substantial headroom, while the 57 FPS at 4K Ultra shows the limits of even this powerful hardware when maximum quality is prioritized. The 183rd ranking out of 2,903 indicates that most combinations in the database are less capable, but also that there are 182 systems that outperform this pairing in Road 96 — likely those with even higher-end GPUs or more favorable CPU-GPU pairings for this specific workload.

The rank position relative to the combo's component percentiles (GPU at 87th, CPU at 85th) suggests the pairing performs slightly below what the individual component rankings would predict, though the difference is minimal. The data shows this is a top-tier configuration for Road 96, capable of excellent performance at all resolutions and settings, with only the most demanding 4K Ultra configuration falling short of the 60 FPS threshold.