The Long Drive

The Long Drive, a driving simulation from 2019, presents an interesting case when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The benchmark data shows a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet the CPU still manages to flex its muscles at lower settings. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data to determine where the bottlenecks are, how the components interact, and what settings deliver the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a classic shift in system balance. At 1080p with Low settings, this combo produces an average of 337 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings drops that figure to 260 FPS, a reduction of 77 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 144 FPS. This scaling behavior is indicative of a system that is heavily CPU-bound at 1080p, where the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly, but the processor becomes the limiting factor in feeding the frames.

The pattern continues across all settings presets. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 203 at 1080p, to 134 at 1440p, and finally to 74 at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 4K at High settings is 129 FPS. This large gap suggests that as resolution increases, the rendering workload on the GPU grows exponentially, allowing the RTX 4090 to become the primary constraint. The data indicates that the GPU is doing progressively more work per frame, which is the expected behavior for a high-end graphics card.

The Medium preset offers a clearer view of this transition. With a measured minimum FPS of 267 at 1080p, the system maintains a very high frame rate. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 182 FPS, and at 4K Medium, the minimum is 101 FPS. The scaling here shows that the GPU is still capable of handling the increased load, but the frame times are becoming longer. The fact that the 4K Medium minimum of 101 FPS is still above 60 FPS shows the raw power of the RTX 4090.

When comparing the Ultra preset, the trend is even more pronounced. The average FPS at 1080p is 141, which is lower than the 203 FPS at High settings. This suggests that Ultra settings are introducing a significant amount of additional GPU work, such as higher shadow quality and more complex post-processing. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 93 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 51 FPS. This 90 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K on Ultra is the largest scaling gap in the data, confirming that the resolution is the dominant factor in determining performance at the highest visual fidelity.

The limiting component changes based on the resolution and settings. At 1080p and Low settings, the CPU is the bottleneck, as the 4090 cannot stretch its legs. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is undoubtedly the limiting factor, as the processor is likely idle while the graphics card struggles to maintain 60 FPS. The data shows a system that is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, but is pushed to its limits at 4K with maximum settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the star of the show in this configuration. It features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a massive 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. This VRAM capacity is far beyond what a driving simulation like The Long Drive requires, but it ensures that there are no memory-related stutters at any resolution. The 24 GB buffer is a safety margin that eliminates any concern about texture streaming or high-resolution assets.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a key factor. It has a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. These high frequencies, combined with the 16,384 shading units, allow the card to process a huge number of pixels per second. The data shows that at 4K Medium, the card can still produce 119 FPS on average, which confirms its raw compute power. The GPU is clearly the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions.

The RTX 4090's architecture, Ada Lovelace, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, which are essential for modern game engines. The benchmark results show that the card is not just fast in synthetic tests, but also in real-world gaming scenarios. The measured FPS data for The Long Drive shows a GPU that can handle 4K resolution with ease, provided the settings are not maxed out.

The GPU's memory clock is listed as 1313 MHz, with an effective speed of 21 Gbps. This high-speed memory is crucial for maintaining the massive bandwidth figure. The role of the GPU in this game is clear: it is the component that scales with resolution. As the resolution increases, the GPU's workload increases proportionally, and the FPS drops accordingly. The 4090's strength is in its ability to maintain playable frame rates even at 4K, which is a feat that fewer than 12% of other GPUs can accomplish, given its 88th percentile ranking.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 134 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 struggle to maintain 60 FPS at 4K?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 51, which is below 60. However, at 4K High, the average is 74 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 119 FPS, showing that it only struggles at the highest preset.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 337. This high number indicates the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU has extra headroom to render frames quickly.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium?

A: The minimum FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 101 FPS.

Q: Is there a large performance difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: Yes. At 1440p, High settings yield 134 FPS, while Ultra yields 93 FPS, a difference of 41 FPS. At 4K, the gap is even larger, with High at 74 FPS and Ultra at 51 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maximize FPS?

A: The data shows that 1080p provides the highest frame rates, with a maximum average of 337 FPS on Low settings. However, for a balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p is a strong choice, as it maintains high frame rates across all presets.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience for this specific hardware combination. The Ultra preset pushes the system too hard at 4K, resulting in an average of 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, Ultra is playable at 93 FPS, but the drop from High settings is substantial.

The High preset appears to be the sweet spot for this game. At 4K, it delivers an average of 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, it reaches 134 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1080p, it produces 203 FPS, which is more than enough for any display. The High preset offers a significant visual improvement over Medium while maintaining performance that is well within acceptable limits.

The Medium preset is a viable alternative for users who want to prioritize frame rates. It provides a 119 FPS average at 4K and a 214 FPS average at 1440p. The minimum FPS values for Medium are also strong, with 101 FPS at 4K and 182 FPS at 1440p. This preset ensures that the system never dips below 100 FPS, which is a very smooth experience.

The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play or for users with extremely high refresh rate monitors (240Hz or higher). At 1080p, it achieves 337 FPS, but the visual quality will be significantly reduced. For most users, the High preset at 1440p is the best recommendation, as it provides a balance of visual fidelity and high performance. The data shows that the system is well-suited for High settings, as it offers the best combination of average and minimum FPS across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 rank 137th out of 3725 total combos for The Long Drive. This places the configuration in the top 3.7% of all tested systems, which is a very strong result. The high ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's exceptional performance, which allows the system to achieve high frame rates even at demanding resolutions.

The CPU's contribution to this ranking is also notable. The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25,005, which puts it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. This score is very close to its nearest rivals, with a 0.2% difference from the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and a 0.3% difference from the Intel Core i7-11850H. This indicates that the CPU is not a weak link in this configuration; it provides adequate performance to feed the RTX 4090.

The GPU's ranking is even more impressive. It sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. This places it ahead of many other high-end cards. The combination of a top-tier GPU and a solid mid-range CPU results in a system that is well above average for this game. The rank of 137 out of 3725 is a clear indicator that this combo is one of the better-performing setups for The Long Drive, delivering high FPS across most settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 141 on Ultra to 337 on Low. The Medium preset averages 314 FPS, with a minimum of 267 and a maximum of 361. The High preset averages 203 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates, with the Low preset being the only one that breaks the 300 FPS barrier.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 93 on Ultra to 260 on Low. The Medium preset averages 214 FPS, with a minimum of 182 and a maximum of 246. The High preset averages 134 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent drop in performance, but the system still maintains high frame rates on all presets except Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 51 on Ultra to 144 on Low. The Medium preset averages 119 FPS, with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 137. The High preset averages 74 FPS. At 4K, the system is still very capable, but the Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy: Low is the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra, which is the most demanding preset.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F plays a supporting role in this configuration. It is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This CPU has a TDP of 65 W and supports DDR5 memory on the AM5 socket. The data shows that it is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, but it does have a significant impact at 1080p.

The CPU's benchmark scores are respectable. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20,851 and a single-core score of 2,943. Its 3DMark max threads score is 6,165. These numbers are comparable to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, which has a similar average benchmark score. The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core provide adequate data for the game to access.

In The Long Drive, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p with Low settings, where the system achieves 337 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is capable of processing the game logic and physics quickly enough to feed the GPU. However, at 4K, the CPU's performance is less critical, as the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 8400F is a capable partner for the RTX 4090, providing enough processing power to avoid creating a significant CPU bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions.