The Long Drive

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 303rd out of 3,725 tested combinations in The Long Drive. This places the combo comfortably within the top 8.1% of all tested systems, indicating a very high-performing pairing for this driving simulation. The rank reflects the combined capability of both components working together, and given the game’s relatively modest visual demands compared to modern AAA titles, this position is expected.

The CPU itself sits in the 91st percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 51,947. Its nearest rivals in overall CPU performance include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (average score 52,073, a delta of -0.2%), the AMD EPYC 8124P (average score 52,121, delta -0.3%), and the Intel Core i9-13900F (average score 51,730, delta 0.4%). The i9-13900F actually edges out the 5950X by 0.4%, while the other two trail by fractions of a percent. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, meaning the 5950X is effectively neck-and-neck with these rivals in raw compute.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080 holds the 86th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 54,247. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores nearly identically at 54,209 (a 0.1% delta). The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828) is 1.1% ahead, while the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698) and Radeon 8060S (55,757) lead by 2.6% and 2.7% respectively. These margins are small enough that the RTX 4080 remains highly competitive, especially in a game like The Long Drive where the combination’s overall rank proves the pairing works well.

The data indicates this is a balanced system where neither component dramatically bottlenecks the other. The 303rd rank out of 3,725 suggests that while many higher-ranked combos exist, this pairing delivers a smooth experience at nearly every resolution and settings level tested, as detailed in the measured FPS breakdown below.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, housing 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It features 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2205 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, and its memory runs at an effective 22.4 Gbps. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for The Long Drive’s open-world driving environments.

In this game, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the CPU’s high single-thread performance can keep pace with the GPU, but at 4K, the RTX 4080’s raw throughput becomes the primary driver of frame rates. The card’s pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s allow it to handle the game’s terrain and vehicle rendering efficiently. Its 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are largely unused in this title, as The Long Drive does not heavily utilize ray tracing or DLSS-based features in the measured settings.

The GPU’s 86th percentile ranking among all graphics cards underscores its capabilities. Compared to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, the performance delta is a mere 0.1%, meaning the two cards are virtually interchangeable in this game. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X outperforms the RTX 4080 by 1.1% in synthetic benchmarks, but the measured FPS data in The Long Drive shows the RTX 4080 delivering extremely high frame rates, so these synthetic deltas do not translate to any observable disadvantage here.

Resolution Scaling

Frame rates scale predictably across resolutions, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 317 FPS on average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 235 FPS (a 25.9% decrease), and at 4K Low it falls to 131 FPS (a 44.3% drop from 1440p). This scaling pattern is typical for a high-end GPU paired with a strong CPU: at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows and frame rates decline accordingly.

The Medium settings tell a similar story. At 1080p, the average is 294 FPS with a minimum of 250 and maximum of 339. At 1440p, it drops to 194 FPS (minimum 165, maximum 223), a 34% reduction. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 108 FPS (minimum 91, maximum 124), another 44.3% drop from 1440p. This consistent pattern indicates that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K.

High settings show the same trend: 184 FPS at 1080p, 121 FPS at 1440p (34.2% lower), and 67 FPS at 4K (44.6% lower than 1440p). Ultra settings follow with 127 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p (33.9% lower), and 47 FPS at 4K (44.0% lower). The uniformity of these percentage drops across all settings levels suggests that resolution scaling is purely GPU-bound, with the Ryzen 9 5950X never becoming a limiting factor even at 1080p Ultra where the CPU’s high core count and boost clock of 4.90 GHz are sufficient to avoid bottlenecks.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K displays, the High preset delivers 67 FPS on average, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced driving. Medium at 4K yields 108 FPS, providing a much smoother experience with a minimum of 91 FPS that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at 4K drops to 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS mark and may introduce stutter in a driving game where smoothness is critical. Therefore, Medium at 4K is the recommended balance, offering high frame rates with a minimum above 90 FPS.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset achieves 84 FPS, which is smooth for most players, while High hits 121 FPS and Medium reaches 194 FPS. Given that the game benefits from higher frame rates in a driving context, High at 1440p offers an excellent compromise: 121 FPS average with no reported minimum dips. Ultra at 1440p is also viable if visual fidelity is prioritized, but the 84 FPS average is noticeably lower than High.

For 1080p, all presets exceed 120 FPS. Ultra delivers 127 FPS, High 184 FPS, Medium 294 FPS, and Low 317 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 250 FPS and maximum of 339 FPS indicate exceptional consistency, making it the best choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. If a 144Hz display is in use, High at 1080p provides ample headroom with 184 FPS, while Medium ensures no dips below 250 FPS for 240Hz panels. In all cases, Ultra at 1080p is unnecessary unless maximum visuals are desired, as the drop from Medium to Ultra is substantial (from 294 to 127 FPS).

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p:

• Low: 317 FPS average. This is the highest frame rate recorded at any resolution or settings combination.
• Medium: 294 FPS average, with a minimum of 250 and maximum of 339 FPS. The tight range indicates stable performance.
• High: 184 FPS average, no min/max reported.
• Ultra: 127 FPS average, no min/max reported.

1440p:

• Low: 235 FPS average.
• Medium: 194 FPS average, with a minimum of 165 and maximum of 223 FPS.
• High: 121 FPS average.
• Ultra: 84 FPS average.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 131 FPS average.
• Medium: 108 FPS average, with a minimum of 91 and maximum of 124 FPS.
• High: 67 FPS average.
• Ultra: 47 FPS average.

The data shows that the combo can handle 4K Medium at 108 FPS, which is a strong result for a driving simulation. The 1440p Medium preset’s minimum of 165 FPS ensures no perceptible stutter even in complex scenes. At 1080p, the Medium preset’s minimum of 250 FPS means the system is never GPU-bound, and the CPU’s performance is the key enabler for such high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Long Drive?

A: At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers 194 FPS average with a minimum of 165 FPS, making it the sweet spot for smooth gameplay. For 4K, Medium at 108 FPS is the highest playable preset, while Ultra at 4K drops to 47 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 5950X compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51,947, which is 0.4% behind the Intel Core i9-13900F (51,730) and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52,073). These differences are negligible for gaming.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 significantly worse than the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: No. The RTX 4080 scores 54,247 in average benchmarks, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209, a delta of only 0.1%. In practical terms, they are identical in performance.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 317 FPS, and the Ryzen 9 5950X’s 16 cores and 32 threads with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz provide ample headroom. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution, indicating no CPU limitation.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded in the measurements?

A: The lowest average FPS is 47 at 4K Ultra settings. The lowest reported minimum FPS is 91 at 4K Medium.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems?

A: It ranks 303rd out of 3,725 tested combinations, placing it in the top 8.1% of all systems tested for The Long Drive.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture (codename Vermeer), manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a TDP of 105 W. The CPU features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and a total of 64 MB of L3 cache. Its memory support includes dual-channel DDR4 with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes.

In The Long Drive, the CPU’s role is to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 317 FPS, which is only possible with strong single-thread performance. The 5950X scores 1,614 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 944 in 3DMark single-thread, indicating solid per-core capabilities. Its multi-thread performance is also exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,017, but this game does not heavily utilize all 16 cores.

The CPU’s 91st percentile ranking reflects its standing among all processors. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (-0.2%), AMD EPYC 8124P (-0.3%), and Intel Core i9-13900F (+0.4%). These deltas are within the margin of error, meaning the 5950X is not clearly better or worse than these chips in synthetic tests. However, in The Long Drive, the combination with the RTX 4080 yields the 303rd rank out of 3,725, showing that the CPU does not hold the GPU back at any resolution tested.

The data indicates that at 1080p Medium, where FPS reaches 294 on average, the CPU is still not the limiting factor, as the minimum FPS of 250 is high. Even at 1080p Ultra (127 FPS), the CPU maintains frame rates well above 60 FPS. The Ryzen 9 5950X’s high boost clock and efficient Zen 3 architecture ensure that the GPU receives a steady stream of frames, making this combo a well-balanced choice for The Long Drive across all settings and resolutions.