Road 96

Road 96 is an adventure title from 2021, and the measured performance data for this specific configuration—the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B570—paints a clear picture of a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions. The benchmark results show a dramatic shift in playability depending on the settings and resolution chosen, moving from a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience at 1080p to a slideshow at 4K Ultra. The data suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier powerhouse, the GPU is the decisive factor in determining the final frame rates, especially as the resolution scales upward.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for achieving 60 FPS or higher in Road 96?

A: According to the measured data, the only configurations that achieve an average FPS of 60 or higher are at 1920x1080 resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset averages 145 FPS, the Medium preset averages 106 FPS, and the High preset averages 85 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p falls short at 67 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570's performance compare to its closest rivals based on average benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20,556, which places it nearly equal to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534, a 0.1% difference) and the Intel Arc A750 (20,582, a -0.1% difference). It is also slightly ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, which has a score of 20,480, a 0.4% difference.

Q: What is the FPS drop when moving from 1440p High to 4K High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 54 FPS at 2560x1440 High settings to 29 FPS at 3840x2160 High settings. This represents a significant performance hit of approximately 46% when moving up to 4K.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus a high-performing CPU compared to other processors in the database?

A: Yes, the CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 84,003 is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, making it the closest rival in terms of performance.

Q: What is the only 4K preset that manages to stay above 30 FPS on average?

A: The only 4K preset to average above 30 FPS is the Low preset, which achieves an average of 49 FPS. The Medium preset averages 36 FPS, while the High and Ultra presets average 29 and 23 FPS, respectively.

Q: Does the measured data include minimum and maximum FPS values for all presets?

A: No, the data only includes minimum and maximum FPS values for the Medium preset at each resolution. For example, at 1920x1080 Medium, the FPS ranges from a minimum of 90 to a maximum of 122.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the primary component determining the performance ceiling in Road 96, as evidenced by the large FPS swings across different settings. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. Its core operates at a static 2500 MHz for both base and boost clocks, a design that simplifies its performance profile. The memory clock is listed at 2375 MHz, translating to 19 Gbps effective. With 2304 shading units and 18 ray tracing cores, the GPU is architecturally capable, but the data shows its limits are quickly reached in this game.

The benchmark results clearly indicate that the Arc B570's performance is the limiting factor at higher quality presets. For instance, at 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 92 FPS on Low to 43 FPS on Ultra, a decrease of more than half. This scaling is typical of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits by the increased shading and texture work demanded by higher settings. The GPU's overall standing is in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,556. This puts it in a performance class comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which has an average score of 20,534, and the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20,582. The data suggests that for Road 96, the Arc B570 is a capable mid-range performer that offers a smooth experience at 1080p but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, particularly with higher graphics presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B570 places this system at rank 2,324 out of 2,903 tested combinations in Road 96. This ranking, which puts the combo in the bottom 20% of all tested systems, is a strong indicator that the overall experience is not competitive with the majority of other hardware pairings. This seems counterintuitive given the strength of the individual components, but the data clarifies the situation. The CPU is a top-tier part, with an average benchmark score of 84,003, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. However, the GPU, while respectable, is not in the same performance tier.

The combo's low rank is almost certainly a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling in this specific game. The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20,556 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, which is a solid mid-range result. However, in a demanding scenario like Road 96 at high resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, dragging the entire system's rank down. The data shows that the system can achieve very high frame rates at 1080p Low (145 FPS), but this is not enough to boost its overall standing against systems with more powerful graphics cards. The ranking suggests that for this game, the CPU's potential is largely untapped, and the user experience is fundamentally tied to the Arc B570's capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience in Road 96 depends entirely on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the 1920x1080 resolution is the only viable option. At this resolution, the High preset delivers an average of 85 FPS, which is an excellent balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset offers an even higher 106 FPS average, but the High preset is likely the sweet spot for those who want better visuals without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with an average of 67 FPS, is also playable and provides the best visual fidelity, but it is the least performant of the 1080p options that still exceed 60 FPS.

At higher resolutions, the choices become more constrained. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that easily maintains a high frame rate, averaging 92 FPS. The High preset manages a respectable 54 FPS, which is playable for a story-driven adventure game, but it is not as fluid. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 67 FPS, which is a good option if the user's monitor is 1440p and they can tolerate Medium settings. For 4K, the data shows that the Low preset is the only reasonable choice for playability, with an average of 49 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 36 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but it is below the 60 FPS target most would prefer. Therefore, the recommendation is to prioritize resolution and adjust settings, with 1080p High being the best overall experience, and 1440p Low being the best fallback for higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how the system performs across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is clearly CPU-bound or at least not heavily GPU-limited. The Low preset produces an average of 145 FPS, which is the highest of any configuration. The Medium preset averages 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 and a maximum of 122 FPS. The High preset averages 85 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS. This shows a linear and expected decline in performance as settings increase, but all presets remain at playable levels.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly, indicating the GPU is becoming a larger factor. The Low preset still performs well, with an average of 92 FPS. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS, with a minimum and maximum of 57 and 78 FPS, respectively. The High preset drops to an average of 54 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 43 FPS. At this resolution, the system is still capable of providing a good experience on lower settings, but the higher presets are starting to show strain.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset is the only one that provides a comfortable experience, with an average of 49 FPS. The Medium preset averages 36 FPS, with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 41 FPS, which is on the edge of playability. The High preset averages 29 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 23 FPS, making them effectively unplayable for a smooth experience. The data shows a consistent pattern: the system's performance is highly dependent on resolution, and the GPU's limitations are most evident at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a flagship processor, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of handling the demands of Road 96. It features 24 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 3.70 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. With a 36 MB shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, the CPU has the resources to feed even the most powerful graphics cards. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 and a single-core score of 7,303, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of this game, the CPU's role appears to be secondary. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the system can achieve very high frame rates, suggesting that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. However, the system's overall rank of 2,324 out of 2,903 combos indicates that the CPU's power is not being fully utilized. The data implies that the game is not heavily multi-threaded or CPU-intensive, as the performance scales more with resolution and graphics settings than with CPU capability. The CPU's closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, has a near-identical average benchmark score of 83,807, just 0.2% lower, which shows that the 290K Plus is at the top of its class, but this strength does not translate into a high rank for this combo because the GPU holds it back.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shifting bottleneck from a balanced system to a GPU-limited one. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 85. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 54 FPS, a 36% decrease. When moving to 4K High, the average plummets to 29 FPS, another 46% decrease from 1440p. This pattern is consistent across all settings, with the performance drop becoming more pronounced at higher resolutions. For instance, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 145 at 1080p to 92 at 1440p (a 37% decrease) and then to 49 at 4K (a 47% decrease).

This scaling behavior is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p, but as the resolution increases, the GPU must work much harder to render each frame. The 10 GB of VRAM and the 160-bit memory bus of the Arc B570 are likely not sufficient to maintain high throughput at 4K with higher quality settings. The data suggests that the system is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can deliver a high-refresh-rate experience, and that users with 1440p or 4K monitors will need to significantly lower their graphics presets to achieve playable frame rates. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a roughly 66% reduction in FPS on the High preset, underscoring that the Arc B570 is the definitive limiting factor in this configuration for Road 96.