Road 96

Road 96 is an adventure title from 2021, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 reveals a configuration that is dramatically over-specified for the game’s demands, yet still produces interesting scaling behavior across resolutions and presets. The measured frame rates show a system that can push far beyond standard display refresh rates at 1080p, but which also reveals clear performance cliffs when moving up to 4K with higher settings. The data suggests that the game engine itself, rather than the hardware, becomes the limiting factor at lower resolutions, while the GPU takes over as the bottleneck at 4K Ultra.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a mobile processor built on the Meteor Lake architecture, featuring 16 cores and 22 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, and it carries a 24 MB shared L3 cache alongside 2 MB L2 per core. The processor’s integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG 128EU, but in this configuration the discrete RTX 4080 handles all rendering. The CPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 84th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 34083. Its nearest rivals are separated by less than one percent: the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H scores 33989 (0.3% ahead), the AMD EPYC 4244P scores 34220 (0.4% behind), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 scores 34222 (0.4% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X scores 34260 (0.5% behind). This clustering indicates that the 165H is competitively positioned within its performance class, offering multi-threaded performance nearly identical to those alternatives.

For Road 96, which is an adventure game rather than a simulation or strategy title, the CPU workload is typically modest. The game’s narrative-driven gameplay and stylized visuals do not demand the kind of heavy physics or AI calculations seen in other genres. The measured FPS data supports this interpretation: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 254 FPS average, and even at 1080p Medium it reaches 186 FPS. These frame rates are far above what a CPU-bound scenario would produce if the processor were struggling. The 16-core, 22-thread configuration provides substantial headroom, and the 14551 multi-core score in Cinebench R23 reflects a chip capable of handling far more demanding workloads than this game presents. The single-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 score of 1759, is also sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck in a title that relies on a single primary thread for game logic.

The data implies that the CPU is never the limiting component at any resolution or preset tested. At 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 40, the GPU is clearly the constraint, as the CPU’s performance headroom remains largely untapped. The difference between the 1080p Low result of 254 FPS and the 1080p Ultra result of 118 FPS further indicates that the game’s settings, rather than CPU capability, dictate the frame rate. The CPU’s power envelope is rated at 28 W TDP, which is low for a processor with this many cores, but the benchmark results show it can sustain high performance when needed. The PassMark multi-thread score of 25933 and single-thread score of 3509 reinforce the picture of a balanced mobile processor that is overqualified for Road 96’s requirements.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a desktop-class GPU built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, using the AD103 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, along with 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores. Its base clock is 2205 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, and memory runs at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rivals are closely matched: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209 (0.1% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (1.1% behind), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 (2.7% behind). The 4080 sits in a tight performance band, with the SUPER version essentially identical in average score.

In Road 96, the GPU’s role becomes apparent through the measured FPS across resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 254 FPS, which is well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. At 1080p High, the average drops to 150 FPS, showing that the game’s graphical settings have a substantial impact on performance. The GPU’s 16 GB of VRAM is far more than Road 96 requires, as the game’s visual assets are not particularly demanding. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and memory access are never bottlenecks, even at 4K resolution. The 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute provides ample raw processing power, but the game engine’s limitations become apparent at higher resolutions.

At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 40, which is a significant reduction from the 4K Medium result of 63 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that heavily tax the GPU, likely including higher shadow quality, more detailed geometry, and potentially ray tracing effects. The RTX 4080’s 76 ray tracing cores are capable of handling such effects, but Road 96’s implementation appears to be particularly demanding when combined with 4K resolution. The GPU’s end-of-life production status and launch MSRP of 1,199 USD place it as a high-end component, yet the game still manages to bring it to its knees at the highest settings. The data suggests that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K Ultra, while at lower resolutions and settings, the game engine or CPU-side limitations cap the frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 921 out of 2903 tested combos in Road 96. This places it in the top 31.7% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing but not a top-tier result. The rank reflects the fact that while the RTX 4080 is a very powerful GPU, the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a mobile processor that may not deliver the same level of performance as desktop CPUs paired with this GPU in other systems. The combo’s rank of 921 indicates that there are 920 other configurations that achieve higher measured FPS in this game, likely including systems with more powerful desktop CPUs or GPUs like the RTX 4090.

The percentile rankings of the individual components provide context: the CPU sits at the 84th percentile, and the GPU at the 86th percentile. Combined, one might expect the combo to rank higher than 921st, but the game’s specific behavior and the mobile CPU’s thermal or power constraints could explain the discrepancy. The combo’s rank suggests that in Road 96, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, and the CPU’s mobile nature does not significantly hinder results. The data shows that the combo achieves 254 FPS at 1080p Low, which is a high frame rate, yet the rank implies that many other combos exceed this, possibly those with higher-end GPUs or more optimized CPU-GPU pairings.

The rank of 921 out of 2903 means that the combo outperforms 1982 other configurations, which is a majority of tested systems. This is a respectable position, given that the CPU is a mobile part and the GPU is a previous-generation model that is now end-of-life. The nearest rivals for the GPU, such as the RTX 4080 SUPER, are only 0.1% ahead in average benchmark score, suggesting that the combo’s rank could be improved with a slightly faster GPU. The CPU’s rivals, like the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, are within 0.5%, indicating that the processor is not a significant differentiator in this game. The combo rank data implies that Road 96 is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings, and the CPU’s performance class is sufficient to keep up.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 254 at Low to 118 at Ultra. The Medium preset yields 186 FPS with a minimum of 158 and maximum of 214, while High yields 150 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 68 FPS, and between Medium and High is 36 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 118 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays, but represents a 53.5% reduction from the Low preset.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 162 at Low to 75 at Ultra. The Medium preset yields 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 136, while High yields 96 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings: Low goes from 254 to 162 (a 36.2% reduction), Medium from 186 to 119 (a 36.0% reduction), High from 150 to 96 (a 36.0% reduction), and Ultra from 118 to 75 (a 36.4% reduction). This consistency suggests that the GPU is scaling linearly with pixel count, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 86 at Low to 40 at Ultra. The Medium preset yields 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 and maximum of 72, while High yields 51 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced: Low goes from 162 to 86 (a 46.9% reduction), Medium from 119 to 63 (a 47.1% reduction), High from 96 to 51 (a 46.9% reduction), and Ultra from 75 to 40 (a 46.7% reduction). The 4K results show that the GPU is heavily taxed, especially at Ultra where the frame rate falls below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K, with an average of 63 FPS, is the only setting that maintains a playable frame rate above 60, and it does so with a minimum of 53 FPS.

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

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound behavior. At each settings preset, the frame rate drops by approximately 36% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and by approximately 47% when moving from 1440p to 4K. This is consistent with the theoretical pixel count increase: 1440p has 1.78 times the pixels of 1080p, and 4K has 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p. The observed FPS drops are slightly less than the pixel count increase, which indicates that the GPU is not perfectly scaling but is still the primary bottleneck. The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) reinforces that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions.

The data implies that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any point. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across resolutions at the same settings, or a plateau where the CPU cannot push higher frame rates. Instead, the FPS scales consistently with resolution, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the 254 FPS average is high enough that the CPU could potentially become a factor, but the fact that the FPS drops to 162 at 1440p Low shows that the GPU is still the constraint. The 4K Ultra result of 40 FPS is clearly GPU-limited, as the RTX 4080’s compute and memory bandwidth are stretched to their limits by the combination of high resolution and demanding settings.

The scaling also reveals that the game’s engine is not perfectly optimized for high frame rates. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 254 FPS, but many adventure games would see higher numbers with this hardware if the engine were more efficient. The consistent percentage drops suggest that the GPU’s rendering work scales predictably with pixel count, but the absolute FPS values indicate that the game’s visual effects are heavy relative to its apparent simplicity. The 4K Ultra result of 40 FPS, despite the RTX 4080’s 48.74 TFLOPS of compute, suggests that the game uses expensive shading techniques or inefficient rendering paths at Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the display resolution. At 1080p, the High preset at 150 FPS is the optimal choice, as it provides a smooth experience well above 144 Hz refresh rates while maintaining visual quality. The Ultra preset at 118 FPS is also viable, but the 32 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual improvements in a game like Road 96, which has a stylized art style. The Medium preset at 186 FPS is excessive for most displays, but it offers a high margin for frame time consistency.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 119 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a frame rate above 100 FPS while providing balanced visual quality. The High preset at 96 FPS is also acceptable for 144 Hz displays, but the Medium preset offers a better balance between performance and visuals. The Ultra preset at 75 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced sequences, and the Low preset at 162 FPS is unnecessary for the game’s visual style. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 101 ensures that frame drops are unlikely to be noticeable.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 63 FPS is the only setting that consistently stays above 60 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS. This is the recommended choice for a 60 Hz display, as it provides the best visual quality while maintaining playable frame rates. The Low preset at 86 FPS offers higher performance but sacrifices visual fidelity, and the High preset at 51 FPS drops below 60, which may result in noticeable stutter. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as the frame rate is too low for a smooth experience. The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for 4K, offering a playable frame rate with acceptable visual quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in Road 96?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 921 out of 2903 tested combos, placing it in the top 31.7% of all configurations.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score is 34083, with the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H at 33989 (0.3% ahead), the AMD EPYC 4244P at 34220 (0.4% behind), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 at 34222 (0.4% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X at 34260 (0.5% behind).

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p gameplay?

A: At 1080p, the High preset delivers 150 FPS average, which is the best balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 118 FPS is also viable, but the High preset offers a higher frame rate margin.

Q: Can this combo run Road 96 at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Only at Medium settings, which produces an average of 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS. The Low preset achieves 86 FPS, while High and Ultra drop to 51 and 40 FPS respectively, so 60 FPS is not achievable at those settings.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209 (0.1% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (1.1% behind), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 (2.7% behind).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K Ultra?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The FPS drops from 75 at 1440p Ultra to 40 at 4K Ultra, a 46.7% reduction that scales with pixel count, while the CPU’s performance headroom remains sufficient for the game’s demands.