The Long Drive

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F + RTX 4060 combo capable of running The Long Drive at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the combo delivers 72.2 FPS, which is playable. However, at High settings it drops to 41 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 27.1 FPS, indicating that 4K Ultra is not viable for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high-refresh-rate experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo excels across all settings. Low hits 204.3 FPS, Medium reaches 167.7 FPS, and High still maintains 106.1 FPS. Even Ultra at 1080p provides 75.4 FPS, making this resolution the clear choice for maximizing frame rates.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in raw compute?

A: The i7-14700F scores 54097 on average benchmarks, sitting just 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (54450) and 1.1% behind the Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54681). It outperforms the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 1.2% and the AMD EPYC 7313P by 1.7%.

Q: Is the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM a limiting factor in this game?

A: The data shows a steep falloff at higher settings. At 2560x1440, the drop from Medium (112 FPS) to High (71.3 FPS) is 36%, and from High to Ultra (50.4 FPS) is another 29%. This pattern suggests the GPU is hitting a performance wall likely related to memory capacity or bandwidth at higher presets.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each component?

A: The i7-14700F sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the RTX 4060 ranks in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. This indicates the CPU is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU.

Q: How does the GPU's DirectX performance hold up?

A: The RTX 4060 scores 236 in Passmark DirectX 9, 175 in DirectX 11, and 76 in DirectX 12. The lower DirectX 12 score relative to older APIs is notable, but the game's measured FPS across resolutions shows practical results are still solid for this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock runs at 2460 MHz, and the card is built on the TSMC 5 nm process with the AD107 chip. In The Long Drive, the GPU's role is clearly the primary performance bottleneck at higher settings.

The measured FPS data reveals how the RTX 4060 scales with settings. At 1920x1080, the jump from Low (204.3 FPS) to Medium (167.7 FPS) costs 18%, but the jump from Medium to High (106.1 FPS) costs a massive 37%. The Ultra preset (75.4 FPS) takes another 29% hit. This nonlinear scaling points to the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus being stressed as texture and geometry complexity rises.

At 2560x1440, the pattern intensifies. Low runs at 136 FPS, Medium at 112 FPS, but High drops to 71.3 FPS and Ultra to 50.4 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 36%, while the gap between High and Ultra is 29%. These are large jumps that suggest the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth or capacity, not just raw compute. The FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS is respectable, but it cannot compensate for the memory subsystem limitations at higher presets.

The RTX 4060's 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (0.7% slower), and the Intel Arc B580 (0.7% faster). This means the 4060 is right at the edge of its performance class—small tweaks in game settings can push it over the playability threshold.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points strongly toward Medium settings as the sweet spot across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 167.7 FPS, which is nearly 60% faster than High (106.1 FPS) and still looks substantially better than Low (204.3 FPS). The visual upgrade from Low to Medium is typically more noticeable than from Medium to High in driving sims, making Medium the value choice.

At 2560x1440, Medium holds at 112 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. High drops to 71.3 FPS—playable but with less headroom for dips. Ultra at 50.4 FPS is borderline for fast-paced driving. For 1440p users, Medium is the recommended preset unless you have a 60 Hz monitor and prioritize visuals over frame consistency.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Medium only hits 59.7 FPS, barely above the 60 FPS target. Low runs at 72.2 FPS, providing a comfortable buffer. High (41 FPS) and Ultra (27.1 FPS) are not viable for smooth gameplay. For 4K displays, Low settings are the pragmatic choice, accepting lower visual fidelity for playable frame rates.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Medium shrinks as resolution increases. At 1080p, Medium is 18% slower than Low. At 1440p, that gap is 17.6%. At 4K, it's 17.3%. This consistency means the relative cost of Medium is stable, but the absolute FPS at 4K makes Low the safer pick.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F + RTX 4060 combination ranks 948th out of 1734 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places it in the 45th percentile of all combinations—slightly below the midpoint of the database. Given that the CPU sits in the 94th percentile and the GPU in the 66th, the combo's ranking reflects the GPU being the limiting factor in this title.

The rank suggests that in a database filled with higher-end GPUs paired with mid-range and high-end CPUs, this combo lands in the lower-middle tier for this specific game. The CPU's strength (94th percentile) is not fully utilized because the GPU cannot keep up at higher settings. Conversely, the GPU's 66th percentile ranking means it is outclassed by many other cards tested in the same database.

For context, the combo's rank of 948 out of 1734 means 786 combos performed worse and 947 performed better. This is a middle-of-the-pack result, which aligns with the component mix: a high-end CPU paired with a mid-range GPU. The data indicates that this combo is better suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming than for 4K, and its rank reflects that limitation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock runs at 2.10 GHz with a boost up to 5.40 GHz. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, and its 33 MB of shared L3 cache provides ample room for game data.

In The Long Drive, the CPU's role is less about raw core count and more about single-thread performance. The data shows that at 1920x1080 Low (204.3 FPS), the CPU is clearly not the bottleneck—the GPU is. However, as settings drop and resolutions decrease, the CPU's boost clock of 5.40 GHz becomes more relevant to maintaining high frame rates.

The i7-14700F scores 5003 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is strong for this generation. Its multi-core score of 35443 in the same test demonstrates substantial parallel capability, but driving sims like The Long Drive often rely more on single-thread performance. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a top-tier part for gaming workloads.

The benchmark scores show the CPU is not holding back the GPU in this combo. At 1080p Low, the system pushes 204.3 FPS, which is well beyond typical display refresh rates. The CPU's 28 threads handle background tasks and physics calculations without issue, but the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are the primary constraints on higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 204.3 FPS average
• Medium: 167.7 FPS average
• High: 106.1 FPS average
• Ultra: 75.4 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo delivers excellent performance. Low and Medium both exceed 165 FPS, ideal for high-refresh monitors. High still clears 100 FPS, and even Ultra maintains 75.4 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 63% reduction in FPS, highlighting the GPU's limitations at the highest settings.

2560x1440:

• Low: 136 FPS average
• Medium: 112 FPS average
• High: 71.3 FPS average
• Ultra: 50.4 FPS average

At 1440p, the combo remains strong at Low and Medium, both above 110 FPS. High drops to 71.3 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. Ultra at 50.4 FPS is borderline for a driving sim, as dips below 50 FPS can feel stuttery. The gap between Medium and High is 36%, indicating a steep performance cliff.

3840x2160:

• Low: 72.2 FPS average
• Medium: 59.7 FPS average
• High: 41 FPS average
• Ultra: 27.1 FPS average

At 4K, the combo struggles. Low is the only setting that stays above 60 FPS, delivering 72.2 FPS. Medium barely holds 59.7 FPS, while High and Ultra fall to 41 and 27.1 FPS respectively. These numbers confirm that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises in visual quality. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 62%, nearly identical to the 1080p scaling, but the absolute numbers are far lower due to the increased pixel count.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Medium settings at 1080p and 1440p, but the card runs out of headroom at High and Ultra, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU, by contrast, never appears to be the limiting factor, given its strong single-core and multi-core benchmark scores. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, Medium at 1080p or 1440p is the recommended choice, with Low at 4K as a fallback.