The Long Drive

The Long Drive, a Driving Simulation released on 2019-09-02, presents a unique performance profile for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination. The measured data shows a system that scales predictably with settings and resolution, but with a distinct performance ceiling that favors high refresh rate 1080p and 1440p gaming over 4K. The benchmark results indicate this combo is a high-midrange performer, ranking in the 79.8th percentile of all tested configurations, though its behavior across presets reveals where its strengths and limitations lie.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data clearly indicates that the Ultra preset is the least viable option for this hardware, regardless of resolution. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset yields a 41.4 average FPS, which dips below the 60 FPS threshold considered playable for most users. Even at 1920x1080, Ultra produces 106.8 average FPS, which while smooth, represents a significant performance cost. The data suggests that the Ultra preset's visual demands are disproportionately heavy for the RTX 5070, making it the least efficient choice.

The High preset offers the best balance between fidelity and performance for this combination. At 2560x1440, High achieves 100.6 average FPS, which is excellent for a driving simulation that benefits from smooth motion. At 1920x1080, High reaches 152.7 average FPS. The performance drop from High to Medium is relatively modest at 1440p (100.6 to 162.9 FPS), but the visual quality gain is substantial. For users prioritizing fluidity, the Low preset at 2560x1440 delivers 197.8 average FPS, but this comes at a considerable visual cost that may detract from the driving experience.

The optimal experience is the High preset at 2560x1440. It provides a 100.6 average FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS standard and approaches the 144 Hz refresh rate territory. At 3840x2160, the High preset falls to 55 average FPS, which is borderline. The data recommends avoiding Ultra entirely, as it reduces performance by 26% compared to High at 1440p (71 vs 100.6 FPS) and by 25% at 1080p (106.8 vs 152.7 FPS), without providing a commensurate visual benefit in this simulation.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is the primary factor in the GPU's performance at higher resolutions. The benchmark results show a clear resolution scaling pattern: at 1920x1080, the GPU delivers 152.7 average FPS on High settings, but this drops to 100.6 at 2560x1440, and further to 55 at 3840x2160. This represents a 64% performance reduction from 1080p to 4K, which aligns with the pixel count increase.

The GPU's 6144 shading units and 80 ROPs, running at a boost clock of 2512 MHz, provide substantial raw compute power. The 30.87 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate explain why the card handles the Medium preset so efficiently. At 2560x1440, Medium achieves 162.9 average FPS, which is 62% higher than High at the same resolution. The RTX 5070's architecture is clearly optimized for high throughput at moderate settings. The GPU's 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are present, but The Long Drive's measured results do not show ray tracing or DLSS-specific performance data, suggesting the game's workload is primarily rasterization-based.

The GPU's performance percentile of 83 places it well above average. However, the measured data reveals a bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the 41.4 average FPS indicates the 12 GB VRAM may be insufficient for the highest texture and effect settings at that resolution. The GPU's compute capabilities are better utilized at lower settings, where the 302.4 average FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates its ability to push frame rates far beyond display refresh rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide a solid foundation for this game. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 80 KB L1 cache per core are adequate for the simulation's logic and physics calculations. The benchmark results show the CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is not the limiting factor.

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 302.4 average FPS, which is remarkably high. This indicates the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output at 1080p. However, the CPU's performance ceiling appears at 1440p and 4K where the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The data shows that at 2560x1440 Low, the average FPS drops to 197.8, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 110.7. This scaling suggests the CPU maintains adequate frame pacing even at high frame rates.

The CPU's 3DMark scores provide context: 5890 in max threads and 910 in single thread. These scores indicate a balanced processor for gaming. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 and single-core score of 2249 further confirm its capability. The CPU's 65W TDP and Alder Lake architecture on a 10nm process node make it an efficient choice for sustained gaming sessions. The data shows no CPU-related stutters or frame drops in the measured results, indicating the 6-core configuration is sufficient for The Long Drive's threading model.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 351 out of 1734 tested combos, placing it in the top 20.2% of all configurations. This rank is respectable, though it reflects the CPU's midrange positioning rather than the GPU's high-end capabilities. The GPU alone ranks in the 83rd percentile, while the CPU ranks in the 77th percentile. The combination's overall rank of 351 suggests the CPU is slightly holding back the GPU's full potential in this game.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide insight into its positioning. The Intel Core i7-9700 scores 19831 with a 0.1% delta, making it essentially a performance twin. The Intel Core i7-8700 scores 19894 with a -0.2% delta, indicating the i5-12400 is slightly behind this older i7. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19928 with a -0.4% delta, showing the i5-12400 lags behind a workstation-grade processor by a small margin. The Intel Core i5-11600K scores 19771 with a 0.4% delta, meaning the i5-12400 is slightly faster than its predecessor.

The GPU's nearest rivals also inform the overall ranking. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 41610 with a 0.2% delta, making it a near-identical performer. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 41897 with a -0.5% delta, showing the RTX 5070 is slightly slower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 41441 with a 0.6% delta, meaning the RTX 5070 is slightly ahead of this previous-generation flagship. These comparisons indicate the combo's rank is driven by the GPU's strong performance relative to its class, even with the CPU's midrange positioning.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 on High settings provides 100.6 average FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS rises to 152.7, but 1440p offers a superior visual experience while maintaining high frame rates.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset achieves 55 average FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard. The Low preset at 4K reaches 110.7 average FPS, but this requires significant visual compromises. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 41.4 average FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance?

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 2560x1440, Ultra delivers 71 average FPS compared to High's 100.6, representing a 29.4% performance penalty. At 1920x1080, Ultra achieves 106.8 average FPS versus High's 152.7, a 30.1% reduction.

Q: Is the CPU sufficient for high frame rates?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 with 6 cores and 12 threads supports very high frame rates. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves 302.4 average FPS, indicating the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower settings. Even at 2560x1440 Low, the 197.8 average FPS shows the CPU handles high-output scenarios effectively.

Q: How does this combo compare to others in the database?

A: This combination ranks 351 out of 1734 tested combos, placing it in the top 20.2% of all configurations. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking contributes more to this position than the CPU's 77th percentile ranking.

Q: What is the most efficient setting for this hardware?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 162.9 average FPS, which is 62% higher than High at the same resolution. This makes Medium the most performance-efficient setting, though High provides better visual quality at a still-smooth 100.6 average FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance range is broad. The Low preset achieves 302.4 average FPS, which is the highest measured value across all resolutions and settings. Medium reaches 248.9 average FPS, High delivers 152.7 average FPS, and Ultra drops to 106.8 average FPS. This shows a steady decline of 45-55 FPS between each preset, with the most significant drop occurring from Medium to High (96.2 FPS difference).

At 2560x1440, the scaling is more linear. Low produces 197.8 average FPS, Medium achieves 162.9 average FPS, High delivers 100.6 average FPS, and Ultra falls to 71 average FPS. The percentage difference between Medium and High is 38.3%, which is larger than the 1080p gap, indicating the GPU's workload increases disproportionately with resolution.

At 3840x2160, performance drops significantly. Low achieves 110.7 average FPS, Medium reaches 91.4 average FPS, High delivers 55 average FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 41.4 average FPS. The gap between Medium and High (36.4 average FPS) is the largest at any resolution, suggesting the High preset's additional effects are particularly taxing at 4K. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K (13.6 FPS) is smaller than at other resolutions, indicating diminishing returns from the Ultra preset at higher pixel counts.

The data reveals that the RTX 5070's performance scales almost linearly with pixel count at Low and Medium settings, but shows non-linear degradation at High and Ultra. This suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at higher quality settings, particularly at 4K.