The Long Drive

The Long Drive, a driving simulation from 2019, presents an interesting challenge for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 pairing. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but quickly becomes constrained as pixel count and visual fidelity increase. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy across the three tested resolutions, with the most dramatic shifts occurring between 1080p and 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark, indicating that the RTX 2060 becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 159 FPS at 1920x1080 to 103.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 55.2 FPS. The gap widens further when moving to 3840x2160, where the average drops to 54.4 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU are relatively balanced, but the GPU's workload increases disproportionately with resolution.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling issues. At 1920x1080, the average is 56.7 FPS, which is playable. At 2560x1440, this falls to 34.6 FPS, and at 4K, it plummets to 18.7 FPS. The data indicates that Ultra settings at 4K are not viable for smooth gameplay, as the frame rate is below 20 FPS. The 6 GB GDDR6 memory buffer on the RTX 2060, with a 192-bit bus and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, likely contributes to this bottleneck at higher resolutions and detail levels.

Interestingly, the scaling from Medium to High is less punishing than the jump to Ultra. For example, at 2560x1440, High settings deliver 54.8 FPS, while Medium provides 85.9 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that disproportionately impact the GPU's throughput. The data points to a system where 1080p is the sweet spot for high refresh rates, while 1440p requires a careful balance of settings to maintain playability.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Low settings?

A: The measured average is 159 FPS, which is the highest score recorded for this combo in any configuration.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate is 18.7 FPS, indicating that this configuration is not suitable for playable 4K Ultra gaming.

Q: Is the system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: The data suggests a balanced load at 1080p, as the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads can feed the GPU effectively at lower resolutions. The GPU’s performance percentile is 58, while the CPU sits at 77.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High at 2560x1440?

A: The average frame rate at Medium is 85.9 FPS, while High delivers 54.8 FPS, a difference of 31.1 FPS in favor of Medium.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 2560x1440 with any preset?

A: Yes, the Low preset achieves an average of 103.8 FPS, and Medium achieves 85.9 FPS, both exceeding the 60 FPS target. High settings fall short at 54.8 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in the benchmark database?

A: The combo ranks 1412 out of 1734 tested combinations for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings 6 cores and 12 threads to the pairing, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake architecture processor has an 18 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 and a single-core score of 2249. The processor’s percentile rank against all CPUs is 77, placing it above the median.

In the context of The Long Drive, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions. The data shows that frame rates scale inversely with resolution at the same settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. However, at 1080p Low, the 159 FPS average indicates that the CPU is not holding back the GPU, as this frame rate is likely near the RTX 2060’s maximum output for that preset.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-9700 with a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Core i7-8700 with a delta of -0.2%. This puts the i5-12400 in a competitive position, performing nearly identically to those older i7 parts in synthetic benchmarks. For this game, the CPU’s 12 threads provide ample headroom for physics and simulation tasks, but the measured FPS data does not show a scenario where the CPU becomes the primary bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1412 out of 1734 tested combinations in The Long Drive, placing it in the lower half of the database. This rank reflects the RTX 2060’s position as a mid-range GPU, with a percentile rank of 58 against all GPUs. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S with a delta of 0.5%, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with a delta of -1.7%.

The CPU’s stronger standing relative to the GPU suggests that the processor is not the limiting factor in this pairing. The i5-12400’s average benchmark score is 19850, with a percentile of 77, while the RTX 2060’s average is 16074, with a percentile of 58. This discrepancy in percentile rankings indicates that the GPU is the weaker component in the combo, which aligns with the resolution scaling data. The overall rank is likely dragged down by the GPU’s performance at higher settings, where the frame rates fall below 30 FPS at 4K with High settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce 159 FPS, Medium yields 126.2 FPS, High drops to 80.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 56.7 FPS. This represents a wide spread of playable options, with even Ultra exceeding the 30 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates compress. Low settings average 103.8 FPS, Medium hits 85.9 FPS, High manages 54.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34.6 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is significant, suggesting that High settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a steep decline. Low settings average 54.4 FPS, Medium drops to 48.3 FPS, High falls to 31.3 FPS, and Ultra collapses to 18.7 FPS. The only viable option for a smooth experience at 4K is Low, which just barely stays above 50 FPS. High settings at 4K are borderline playable, while Ultra is not recommended.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 80.1 FPS provides a strong balance of visual quality and smoothness, while Ultra remains playable at 56.7 FPS for those prioritizing image fidelity. For high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, the Medium preset at 126.2 FPS is the best choice.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 85.9 FPS offers the best experience, as it maintains a high frame rate while improving visual detail over Low. High settings at 54.8 FPS are acceptable for slower-paced gameplay but may feel less fluid. Ultra at 34.6 FPS is borderline and not recommended for consistent performance.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 54.4 FPS is the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience. Medium at 48.3 FPS is tolerable, but High at 31.3 FPS and Ultra at 18.7 FPS are too demanding for this GPU. The data clearly shows that the RTX 2060 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring significant compromises in settings.