The Long Drive

The Long Drive is a driving simulation that rewards high frame rates for smooth, responsive control, and the pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 produces a wide spectrum of performance. The data shows a system that is exceptionally capable at 1080p, very strong at 1440p, and only at 4K does the GPU begin to show its limits. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings to help you make the most of this hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals the typical balance between CPU and GPU workload. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 233.5 FPS, which is an excellent result that suggests the CPU is doing a massive amount of work to feed the GPU. Moving to 2560x1440 on Low settings, the average FPS drops to 150.5, a reduction of 83 frames. When you jump to 3840x2160 on Low, the average falls to 86.1 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that as resolution increases, the rendering load shifts heavily onto the GPU.

The gap between 1080p and 1440p is substantial, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more pronounced. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 120.3 at 1080p, to 76.4 at 1440p, to 45.6 at 4K. This shows that the RTX 3070’s pixel throughput is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The game is not demanding enough on the CPU at 4K to bottleneck the system; instead, the GPU is working at maximum capacity. The data suggests that 1080p is where the CPU is most relevant, while 4K is almost entirely a test of the GPU's raw power.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the star of this show, and its specifications directly correlate with the measured frame rates. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the GPU has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for the game’s textures at all tested settings. The boost clock of 1725 MHz, combined with 5888 shading units, allows for high throughput. The benchmark results show the GPU holds a percentile of 72 versus all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 28238 puts it just 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT in general compute performance.

The GPU’s performance in this specific game is more telling. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 29.6, which is below playable levels. This is a clear sign that the 8 GB of VRAM and the GPU's overall compute capacity are being fully taxed by the highest settings at that resolution. The data indicates a strong correlation between the graphics preset and the strain on the GPU. From 4K Low at 86.1 FPS to 4K High at 45.6 FPS, the cost of higher fidelity is a 40-frame reduction. This is a classic example of the GPU being the bottleneck in a high-resolution, high-detail scenario.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience, the measured data points to a clear sweet spot. At 1920x1080, even Ultra settings deliver a solid 80.6 FPS average, so you can max out the game without worry. At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best balance, as it provides a playable 76.4 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 55.7 FPS which may feel less fluid. The data shows that at 4K, you must be more conservative.

If you want to play at 3840x2160, the Low preset at 86.1 FPS is the only option that provides a consistently high frame rate. The Medium preset offers 71.4 FPS, which is still acceptable, but High at 45.6 FPS and Ultra at 29.6 FPS are too slow for a driving game where input latency matters. For most users with a 144Hz monitor, the 1080p Medium preset (189.3 FPS) or 1440p Low preset (150.5 FPS) are excellent choices to fully utilize the display's refresh rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured results is as follows:

• 1080p Low: 233.5 FPS
• 1080p Medium: 189.3 FPS
• 1080p High: 120.3 FPS
• 1080p Ultra: 80.6 FPS
• 1440p Low: 150.5 FPS
• 1440p Medium: 126.1 FPS
• 1440p High: 76.4 FPS
• 1440p Ultra: 55.7 FPS
• 4K Low: 86.1 FPS
• 4K Medium: 71.4 FPS
• 4K High: 45.6 FPS
• 4K Ultra: 29.6 FPS

This data shows that the system is most comfortable at 1080p, where it can push frame rates well beyond the 144Hz threshold. The 1440p results are still excellent, with the Medium preset providing a very high 126.1 FPS average. The 4K results are the only ones that require compromises, with the Low preset being the only one to break the 60 FPS barrier. The performance delta between 1080p Low and 4K Low is 147.4 FPS, which highlights the massive impact of resolution on this GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this system achieves at 1080p?

A: The maximum measured average at 1920x1080 is 233.5 FPS, which is achieved with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 able to handle 4K gaming in The Long Drive?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The data shows a 4K Low average of 86.1 FPS, while 4K Medium drops to 71.4 FPS. The 4K High and Ultra presets fall below 50 FPS, with Ultra at just 29.6 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 76.4. At 3840x2160 High, it drops to 45.6 FPS, a reduction of 30.8 frames per second.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 150 FPS mark at 1440p, scoring 150.5 FPS. The Medium preset is also close, offering 126.1 FPS, which is still above the 144Hz refresh rate.

Q: How does the CPU compare to a high-end chip in general benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has a percentile of 72 versus all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 13516, which is only 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The 4K Ultra average is 29.6 FPS, which is a very low score for any CPU to improve, and the performance is entirely constrained by the RTX 3070’s rendering capabilities.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, and it has 12 MB of shared L3 cache. In terms of general processing power, its average benchmark score is 13516, which places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. The CPU’s performance is very close to its nearest rivals, with a score just 0.1% below the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX and 0.6% below the Intel Core i3-10105.

For this game, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The 3DMark benchmark scores show strong single-thread performance, with a single-thread score of 893 and a 2-thread score of 1659. This is important because driving simulations often rely on a few main threads. The data suggests that the i3-12100F is not a bottleneck at 1080p, as evidenced by the very high 233.5 FPS average on Low settings. However, its 4-core design means that at lower resolutions, it is likely pushing near its maximum throughput, while at 4K, the workload shifts to the GPU, allowing the CPU to keep up more easily. The benchmark results confirm that this processor is a capable match for the RTX 3070, providing enough processing power to not hold back the GPU in most scenarios.