Road 96

Road 96 is an adventure title where frame rate consistency matters more than raw CPU muscle, and the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER show a combination that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but capable of extreme frame rates at 1080p. The data indicates a system that can easily push past 200 FPS on High settings at 1080p, yet the same preset drops to 70 FPS at 4K, revealing a clear performance curve that favors fast-paced, lower-resolution play.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. Its cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 24 MB L3 cache. This configuration places it in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48,995.

In synthetic tests, the CPU shows strong single-threaded performance with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,648 points, which is critical for games like Road 96 that rely on a few primary threads for game logic and scene management. Its multi-core score of 32,924 in the same test suggests ample headroom for background tasks, but the game's adventure genre typically does not scale heavily beyond a few cores. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,394 reinforces this, indicating the CPU can handle the game's instruction stream without bottlenecking the GPU.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 245 sits within a tight band. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 by 0.5% in average benchmark score, while leading the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%. These deltas are minuscule, meaning the CPU's raw processing power is effectively on par with these alternatives for gaming purposes. For Road 96 specifically, the 14 threads are more than sufficient; the game's measured FPS at 1080p Low (353 FPS average) shows the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions, as the GPU is pushing frames far beyond typical display refresh rates.

The L3 cache of 24 MB shared across the cores is adequate for the game's asset streaming, and the DDR5 memory support with dual-channel bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s ensures data can flow quickly to the cores. However, the benchmark data reveals that even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 55 is still a playable figure, suggesting that the CPU's clock speed and IPC are sufficient to keep up with the RTX 4080 SUPER's demands even when the GPU is under heavy load. The lack of a multiplier unlock means overclocking is not an option, but the stock boost clock of 5.10 GHz is high enough to avoid any perceived sluggishness in this title.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the star of this pairing, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process and a massive 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. Its boost clock is 2,550 MHz, with a base of 2,295 MHz, and memory runs at 1,438 MHz (23 Gbps effective). This hardware places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,209.

In Road 96, the GPU's role becomes dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 208, which is a staggering figure that exceeds most high-refresh monitors' capabilities. At 1440p High, it drops to 133 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 70 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER's raw compute power (52.22 TFLOPS FP32) is being utilized more heavily as pixel count rises, but the game is not exceptionally demanding, allowing for high frame rates even at 4K.

The 16 GB VRAM is more than enough for Road 96, which is not a texture-heavy title; even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 55 shows the GPU is not running out of memory, but rather hitting a compute or bandwidth limit. The memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s is ample for the game's visual effects, and the 112 ROPs ensure efficient pixel output. Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 SUPER is slightly behind the RTX 4080 by 0.1% and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1%, but ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.7% and the AMD Radeon 8060S by 2.8% in average benchmark score. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,600 and PassMark G3D score of 34,245 confirm its high-end status. For Road 96, the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates at 4K, where the difference between Low (119 FPS) and Ultra (55 FPS) is more than double, showing that the GPU's workload scales significantly with settings. At 1080p, the GPU is often idle waiting for the CPU, but at 4K, it becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the FPS dropping from 353 at 1080p Low to 119 at 4K Low.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p High, the system averages 208 FPS, which drops to 133 FPS at 1440p High (a 36% reduction) and then to 70 FPS at 4K High (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline from 1440p to 4K indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance headroom is not fully taxed until the GPU is saturated.

At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 353, which is an exceptionally high number that suggests the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU more frames, but the GPU is likely hitting a rendering limit even at Low settings. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p shows a drop from 353 to 258 FPS (a 27% reduction), while the jump from High to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop from 208 to 163 FPS (a 22% reduction). These diminishing returns are typical of a GPU that is already performing at a high level.

At 4K, the scaling is more pronounced. Low gives 119 FPS, Medium gives 87 FPS, High gives 70 FPS, and Ultra gives 55 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 64 FPS, which is a 54% drop. This large delta confirms that the GPU's compute resources (52.22 TFLOPS) and memory bandwidth (736.3 GB/s) are being pushed hard at 4K, with each settings tier adding significant load. The fact that the game still maintains 55 FPS at 4K Ultra demonstrates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is a capable 4K card for this title, but it is clearly the bottleneck when compared to the CPU's ability to push 353 FPS at 1080p Low.

The pattern suggests that for Road 96, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is never the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU is most likely to be stressed, the 353 FPS average indicates the CPU has substantial headroom. The GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases, which is expected given the RTX 4080 SUPER's high-end specifications. This means that for players targeting high refresh rates at 1080p or 1440p, the CPU is more than adequate, while at 4K, the GPU is the deciding factor for playable settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 220th out of 2,903 tested combos in Road 96, placing it in the top 7.6% of all configurations. This rank is impressive, but it is not at the very top, which suggests that there are other CPU-GPU pairings that yield higher frame rates in this game. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, with the combo's performance being a balanced mix of CPU and GPU capabilities.

Given that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, the combos that rank above this one likely feature either a faster GPU (such as a higher-tier RTX 40-series card) or a CPU with better single-threaded performance to push higher FPS at 1080p. The Core Ultra 5 245's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, has a similar average benchmark score (0.8% higher), but the RTX 4080 SUPER is already a high-end card, so the CPU's contribution to the combo rank is more about avoiding bottlenecks than adding raw FPS.

The data shows that this combo is well-balanced for Road 96. At 1080p High, it achieves 208 FPS, which is a very high score that would place it above many mid-range combos. The rank of 220 out of 2,903 means that 2,683 other combos score lower, indicating that this is a top-tier setup for this game. However, the fact that it does not break into the top 100 suggests that there are a few dozen combos with either a stronger GPU (like an RTX 4090) or a CPU with higher single-core clocks that can push past 300 FPS at 1080p Low, which this combo does achieve (353 FPS), but the average across all settings pulls the rank down slightly.

The combo's performance is consistent with its hardware tier. The CPU's 90th percentile and GPU's 86th percentile rankings align with a combo that is in the top 10% of tested systems. For Road 96, this means the user can expect high frame rates at any resolution, with the only caveat being that 4K Ultra will require dialing back to High or Medium for smoother gameplay. The rank confirms the fact that both components are well-matched, with no single part dragging the other down.

FAQ

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

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 208 FPS. This is a high frame rate that exceeds most standard 144Hz monitors, providing a smooth experience.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 55. This is a playable frame rate for an adventure game, but it is noticeably lower than the 133 FPS seen at 1440p High, indicating the GPU is under heavy load.

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

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 353, which suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck. As resolution increases to 4K, the FPS drops significantly, indicating the RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary constraint.

Q: What is the combo's rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 220th out of 2,903 tested combinations in Road 96. This places it in the top 7.6% of all tested setups, indicating strong overall performance.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K?

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score that is 0.8% higher than the Core i5-14600K. In practical terms, this means the CPU performance is nearly identical, with no significant difference in gaming frame rates.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS on Low settings is 224, while on Medium settings it is 164 FPS, a drop of 60 FPS. This shows that the GPU is sensitive to settings changes, with Medium providing a substantial visual upgrade at a cost to frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the data suggests that High settings are the sweet spot for this combo. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 208, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 133, which is still excellent for a high-refresh monitor. Even at 4K High, the average FPS of 70 is playable, making High the most versatile preset across all resolutions.

If the goal is maximum frame rate for competitive play or a 240Hz monitor, Low settings at 1080p provide 353 FPS, but this sacrifices visual fidelity. Medium settings at 1080p offer 258 FPS, which is a good middle ground if you want higher visual quality without a massive FPS hit. At 1440p, Medium gives 164 FPS, which is still very high, and Ultra at 1440p yields 104 FPS, which is acceptable for most players.

For 4K gaming, the choice is between High (70 FPS) and Medium (87 FPS). Ultra at 4K drops to 55 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience, so it is recommended to avoid Ultra unless you have a variable refresh rate monitor and prioritize visual fidelity. The data indicates that High settings at 4K provide a good balance, with a 70 FPS average that is smooth for an adventure game. In summary, High is the recommended preset for this combo, as it delivers high frame rates across all resolutions without requiring compromises.