Road 96

Road 96, an adventure title from 2021, is not typically the kind of game used to stress top-tier hardware, yet the measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER reveals a fascinating scaling curve that tells a clear story about component bottlenecks. The frame rates across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions show a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher settings, but the sheer headroom available at lower presets suggests the CPU is more than capable of keeping pace. This combination lands at rank 479 out of 2903 tested combos, placing it in the top 16.5% of all pairings in our database for this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a dramatic and consistent drop in frame rates, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 182 FPS at 1920x1080 to 116 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally down to 61 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 36% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% decrease from 1440p to 4K, demonstrating that the rendering load is scaling almost perfectly with the pixel count increase. The data implies that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary limiter here; the CPU is not holding back performance at any resolution, as the frame rates are high enough to suggest the GPU is doing the heavy lifting.

Looking at the Low preset, the scaling is even more revealing. At 1080p, the system achieves a massive 308 FPS average, which drops to 196 FPS at 1440p and then to 104 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 36% and another 47%, respectively, which is nearly identical to the High preset's scaling. This consistency indicates that even when the graphical workload is reduced, the GPU is still the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates at lower resolutions and settings, where the CPU's maximum draw call throughput would be reached. Instead, the frame rate continues to scale with resolution, confirming that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the binding constraint across all tested configurations.

The Ultra preset shows the same trend, but with lower absolute numbers. The 143 FPS at 1080p drops to 91 FPS at 1440p and then to 48 FPS at 4K. The scaling pattern is uniform, reinforcing the notion that the game's engine and the GPU's rendering capabilities are the decisive factors. The data suggests that for players aiming for 4K gaming, the RTX 4070 SUPER can handle the game, but the frame rates will be in the lower range of playability for an adventure title, especially with the most demanding settings enabled.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER's specifications align perfectly with the observed performance scaling. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, the card provides a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is sufficient for the textures and assets in Road 96, even at 4K. The core clocks, with a base of 1980 MHz and a boost of 2475 MHz, are well-suited for the sustained loads of this adventure game. The data shows that the GPU is consistently the limiting factor, as the performance delta between resolutions is strictly proportional to the pixel count, which is a classic sign of a shader-bound or fill-rate-bound scenario.

Interestingly, the GPU's benchmark scores place it at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43223. Its nearest rivals in our database include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile, with performance deltas of only -0.1% and -1.0%, respectively. This indicates that the desktop RTX 4070 SUPER is performing as expected for its class, and the frame rates in Road 96 are a direct reflection of this mid-to-high-end positioning. The GPU's ability to maintain over 60 FPS at 4K on High settings, while not being able to hit that threshold on Ultra, shows that the 12 GB frame buffer and the AD104 chip's compute power are the defining characteristics of its performance envelope here.

The fact that the 4K Ultra preset drops to 48 FPS, while 4K High holds at 61 FPS, suggests a significant jump in the rendering complexity between these settings. This is not a memory capacity issue, as the 12 GB VRAM is likely sufficient, but rather a raw compute and fill-rate limitation. The data indicates that the GPU is the component that determines the playable experience, and users should not expect the CPU to compensate for any graphical settings changes.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as the 143 FPS average is far beyond the 60 FPS standard and provides excellent smoothness for an adventure game. The High preset at 182 FPS offers a marginal benefit for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual fidelity increase from High to Ultra is likely more valuable than the extra 39 FPS, given that the game is not a fast-paced competitive title.

At 1440p, the High preset, with an average of 116 FPS, strikes the best balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset, at 144 FPS, offers a 24% performance increase, but the drop to High is more than acceptable for a story-driven experience. The Ultra preset at 91 FPS is also playable, but it is on the edge of what might be considered a smooth experience for some users, and the jump from High to Ultra does not provide enough of a visual benefit to justify the 22% frame rate reduction.

For 4K, the data points to a clear recommendation: the High preset. The 61 FPS average is just above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only preset that provides a consistently smooth experience at this resolution. The Medium preset, at 76 FPS, could also be viable for those who prioritize frame rate stability, but the High preset offers the best visual experience without dipping below playable frame rates. The Ultra preset, at 48 FPS, should be avoided, as the frame rate is too low for a game that relies on atmosphere and narrative pacing.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 479th out of 2903 tested combos in Road 96, placing it in the top 16.5% of all systems in our database. This is a strong showing, but it is not at the very top, which is expected given that the RTX 4070 SUPER is not the highest-end GPU on the market. The ranking suggests that this combo is capable of delivering a high-quality experience in this game, but it also indicates that there are many other combinations that can achieve higher frame rates, particularly those with more powerful GPUs.

The combo's rank is a reflection of the GPU's 83rd percentile standing, rather than the CPU's 90th percentile standing. This reinforces the idea that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting factor in this pairing. The CPU, with its high benchmark scores, is performing well above the average, but the game's performance is tied to the GPU's capabilities. This is a common scenario for games that are not heavily CPU-bound, and it suggests that users with this CPU could upgrade the GPU in the future to see significant performance gains in Road 96.

When compared to other combos, the rank shows that this system is more powerful than 83.5% of the other tested configurations. This is a robust result, but it also highlights the competitive nature of high-end hardware. The data implies that for a game like Road 96, the combination of a strong CPU and a good GPU is more than sufficient, but it is not a top-tier setup that will dominate the benchmark charts.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 182 FPS at 1920x1080 with the High preset.

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

A: Yes, it can, but only at the High preset, where it averages 61 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 48 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target.

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

A: The data clearly shows the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution at all settings, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4090 Mobile?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score that is 1.0% lower than the RTX 4090 Mobile, according to the nearestRivals data.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate?

A: The Medium preset, with an average of 144 FPS, is the only preset that matches a 144Hz refresh rate. The High preset at 116 FPS is also viable if you prefer higher visual quality.

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

A: The Low preset averages 104 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 48 FPS, representing a 56 FPS difference between the two extremes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 61 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 104 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 76 | 65 | 88 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 48 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 116 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 196 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 144 | 122 | 165 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 91 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 182 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 308 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 226 | 192 | 260 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 143 | - | - |

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a supporting role in this game, as the data indicates it is not a bottleneck. With 14 cores and 14 threads, this is a desktop processor that lacks Hyper-Threading, yet its performance in synthetic benchmarks is strong. It achieves a multi-core score of 32924 in Cinebench R23, placing it at the 90th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and the Intel Core i5-14600K, have average scores that are within 0.5% and 0.8% of the Core Ultra 5 245, respectively.

The CPU's boost clock of 5.10 GHz is high, which is beneficial for single-threaded tasks, but in Road 96, the performance is clearly dictated by the GPU. The fact that the frame rates at 1080p Low reach 308 FPS shows that the CPU is capable of delivering a massive number of frames, far beyond what the GPU can render at higher settings. This suggests that the CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and its Arrow Lake architecture are more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics.

The data implies that the CPU is not a significant factor in the frame rate results. The performance differences between the tested settings and resolutions are entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering load. For users considering this CPU for adventure games like Road 96, the data confirms that it will not hold back a mid-range GPU like the RTX 4070 SUPER, and it has ample headroom for even more powerful graphics cards in future upgrades.