The Long Drive

The Long Drive, a driving simulation from 2019, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but shows clear limitations when pushed to 4K with maximum settings. The benchmark results show a performance curve that is strongly dictated by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor demonstrates its strength at lower resolutions and higher frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about which component is the bottleneck. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 106.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 67.8 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 38 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 64% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a pattern that strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling is even more dramatic when examining the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 75.1 FPS, but this drops to 48.4 FPS at 1440p and collapses to 25.3 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the generally accepted 30 FPS threshold for playable frame rates, marking this as the only configuration in the dataset that is essentially unplayable. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is substantial, with High delivering 38 FPS versus Ultra's 25.3 FPS, a 50% improvement in frame rate simply by stepping down one preset level.

The Low preset reveals the CPU's capability. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 205.2 FPS, and even at 1440p Low it maintains 133.2 FPS. These high frame rates indicate that the i5-12400 can feed the RTX 4060 efficiently when the graphical load is light. However, the 4K Low result of 73.9 FPS shows that even with minimal graphics settings, the GPU becomes the constraint at this resolution. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a 64% drop, nearly identical to the High preset's scaling, reinforcing that resolution, not settings, is the primary factor driving performance loss.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all four presets deliver playable frame rates, with even Ultra hitting 75.1 FPS. The 2560x1440 resolution is also viable, with three of four presets above 48 FPS, but 3840x2160 drops below 40 FPS on High and below 30 FPS on Ultra.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High?

A: The Ultra preset demands a significant performance cost. At 1080p, Ultra delivers 75.1 FPS versus High's 106.7 FPS, a 42% reduction. At 1440p, the gap widens to 48.4 FPS versus 67.8 FPS, and at 4K, Ultra's 25.3 FPS is 50% slower than High's 38 FPS. The quality difference may not justify this substantial performance hit.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops consistently with resolution increases regardless of settings, suggesting GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, the 205.2 FPS result shows the CPU can handle high frame rates, but the GPU cannot maintain similar performance at 4K even on Low.

Q: Can this system run The Long Drive at 4K?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The Low preset at 4K produces 73.9 FPS, which is smooth, and Medium produces 63.1 FPS. High at 38 FPS is borderline playable, but Ultra at 25.3 FPS falls below acceptable standards for a driving game.

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

A: This combination ranks 984 out of 1734 tested combos, placing it in the middle of the pack. This ranking reflects its balanced but not exceptional performance, with the CPU achieving a 77th percentile score against all CPUs and the GPU a 66th percentile against all GPUs.

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

A: At 1080p, Medium delivers 165 FPS versus High's 106.7 FPS, a 55% advantage for Medium. At 1440p, Medium hits 109.3 FPS versus 67.8 FPS, a 61% advantage. At 4K, Medium produces 63.1 FPS versus 38 FPS, a 66% advantage for Medium.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores demonstrate strong single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and a passmark_single_thread score of 3456. This single-thread strength is crucial for driving simulation games, which often rely heavily on a few primary threads for physics and game logic.

The processor's multi-threaded capabilities are equally solid. It scores 5890 in 3dmark_max_threads and 15935 in cinebench_r23_multicore, showing that it can handle workloads that spread across its 12 threads. In The Long Drive, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 205.2 FPS, a result that requires the CPU to maintain high frame pacing and feed the GPU with enough draw calls to avoid becoming the bottleneck.

The i5-12400's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide adequate memory for game assets. Its passmark_multithread score of 18747 places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the Intel Core i7-9700 at a 0.1% difference in average score. The processor's performance is well-matched to the RTX 4060, as evidenced by the fact that at 1080p, even High settings allow the system to exceed 100 FPS, suggesting the CPU is not holding back the GPU in most scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 984 out of 1734 tested combos in The Long Drive, placing it in the 57th percentile of all tested configurations. This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the component-level data, as the CPU sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs while the GPU sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% faster), the Intel Core i7-8700 (0.2% slower), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (0.4% slower). This tight grouping around the 19800-19900 average score range indicates that the i5-12400 is performance-competitive with older and even some higher-tier processors, though the Threadripper's inclusion in this list is notable for its much different architecture.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% faster), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (0.7% faster), Intel Arc B580 (0.7% slower), and AMD Radeon 760M (0.8% slower). The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 23181 puts it in a competitive position with these cards, though the GTX 780 Ti's presence suggests that raw benchmark scores do not always translate directly to gaming performance.

The combo's rank of 984 out of 1734 suggests that while this system is not among the top performers, it is also far from the bottom. The data shows that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combination sits in a comfortable performance zone, with the 4K results being the primary weakness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its strongest performance. The Low preset achieves 205.2 FPS, providing an exceptionally smooth experience. Medium delivers 165 FPS, still far above the threshold for high refresh rate monitors. High produces 106.7 FPS, which remains excellent for most displays. Ultra drops to 75.1 FPS, which is still playable but shows the significant cost of maximum settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable. Low yields 133.2 FPS, Medium hits 109.3 FPS, and High produces 67.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 48.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but remains playable for a driving simulator. The step from Medium to High at 1440p is substantial, with a 42 FPS drop, suggesting that High settings introduce rendering features that heavily tax the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low produces 73.9 FPS, which is adequate, and Medium achieves 63.1 FPS, still acceptable. High drops to 38 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter in a driving game, and Ultra falls to 25.3 FPS, which is generally considered unplayable for this genre. The scaling from Medium to High at 4K shows a 40% performance penalty, while High to Ultra shows an additional 50% reduction.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 106.7 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset's 75.1 FPS is still smooth, but the 42% performance cost over High is difficult to justify for the visual improvements it provides. Players with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors should consider the Medium preset, which at 165 FPS fully utilizes such displays.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 109.3 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience. High at 67.8 FPS is playable but may feel less fluid, while Ultra at 48.4 FPS approaches the lower limit of acceptable performance. The Low preset at 133.2 FPS is an option for competitive play or for users who prioritize frame rate over visuals.

For 4K, the Low preset at 73.9 FPS provides the most playable experience, though it sacrifices visual fidelity. Medium at 63.1 FPS is a viable middle ground, offering better visuals while maintaining a playable frame rate. High at 38 FPS is borderline and only recommended for users who can tolerate lower frame rates, while Ultra at 25.3 FPS should be avoided due to the unacceptable performance level.

Overall, the data suggests that the Medium preset provides the most consistent experience across all resolutions, with frame rates of 165 FPS at 1080p, 109.3 FPS at 1440p, and 63.1 FPS at 4K. This preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance for the Intel Core i5-12400 and RTX 4060 combination.