The Long Drive

The Long Drive is a driving simulation that rewards high frame rates, and this pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers them in abundance. The benchmark data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but still possesses enough CPU headroom to push extreme frame rates at 1080p. The measured results across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a clear hierarchy of performance, with the RTX 5090's raw power being the primary driver of the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, confirming that the RTX 5090 is the limiting component in this configuration. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 389.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 152.7 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 60%. This pattern holds for other presets: High settings drop from 211 FPS to 78.7 FPS, and Ultra settings fall from 150.6 FPS to 56.5 FPS. The scaling is nearly linear with the pixel count increase, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

The data indicates that at 1440p, the system still delivers excellent performance, with the Low preset hitting 267.6 FPS and High reaching 139.6 FPS. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K is where the most significant losses occur. For example, at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 223 at 2560x1440 to 123.5 at 3840x2160. This suggests that while the RTX 5090 can handle 4K, the frame rates become more moderate, particularly on the Ultra preset where the average dips to 56.5 FPS. The 1080p results, exceeding 339 FPS on Medium and 389 FPS on Low, show that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to saturate it at lower resolutions, but the GPU's workload becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the undisputed star of this benchmark, and its specifications explain the measured performance. With a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, it offers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for feeding the high-resolution textures and draw distances common in driving simulations. The GPU's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, and it operates with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 21,760 shading units, allow for the high pixel rates seen in the benchmarks.

The GPU's performance is further contextualized by its benchmark scores. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 39,650 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 380,114, placing it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, scores nearly identically with a deltaPct of only 0.1%, meaning the two are essentially matched. The RTX 5090 is also notably ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6600, which trails by 1.3%. In practical terms, the GPU's dominance is clear: at 1080p Low, it achieves 389.8 FPS, which is more than enough to push high refresh rate monitors to their limits, but at 4K Ultra, the 56.5 FPS average shows that even this flagship card has limits with the most demanding settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F serves as the supporting cast, and its specifications show why it does not bottleneck the RTX 5090 in most scenarios. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it offers substantial multi-threading capability, which is reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,443 and a Passmark multithread score of 41,765. The CPU's boost clock of 5.40 GHz is crucial for single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,003. This clock speed ensures that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's frame generation, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the limiting factor.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals shows a tightly contested field. The benchmark data lists the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X as its nearest competitor, scoring 54,450 on the average benchmark, which is only 0.6% higher than the i7-14700F's 54,097. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is also close, with a deltaPct of -1.1%. This indicates that the i7-14700F is a very capable processor that holds its own against the latest AMD offerings. In the context of The Long Drive, the CPU's role is most evident in the 1080p Low preset, where the system reaches 389.8 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU can handle the game's physics and logic without issue, and it is only when the resolution drops that the GPU becomes the sole determinant of performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The data shows an average of 223 FPS at this setting, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. This is a significant improvement over the High preset, which achieves 139.6 FPS at the same resolution. The jump from Medium to High costs a substantial frame rate drop, but the visual difference may not justify the loss for competitive play.

For users targeting 4K, the Low preset is the most practical choice, as it delivers 152.7 FPS, which is smooth and playable. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 123.5 FPS, which is still acceptable, but the High preset at 78.7 FPS begins to show the strain on the GPU. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended for consistent gameplay, as the 56.5 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the baseline for a smooth experience. At 1080p, the Medium preset at 339.4 FPS is the sweet spot, as it offers a high frame rate with better visual fidelity than Low, while the High preset at 211 FPS is still excellent for those who prefer more detail.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 7th out of 1,734 tested combos in The Long Drive. This top-tier placement underscores the synergy between the two components. The ranking confirms the CPU's ability to feed the GPU without creating a bottleneck, even with the RTX 5090's immense processing power. The data suggests that this combo is near the top of the performance hierarchy for this game, and the only combos that could outperform it would likely feature even more powerful CPUs or GPUs, though the margin would be small given the CPU's close scores to its rivals.

The high rank is also reflected in the absolute frame rates achieved. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 389.8 FPS, which is in the top tier of performance. The fact that it maintains over 150 FPS at 4K Low shows that it is not just a 1080p champion, but a versatile performer across resolutions. The benchmark data indicates that this is a serious pairing for anyone looking to maximize their experience in The Long Drive.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in The Long Drive?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 389.8 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its closest rival in the benchmark data?

A: The RTX 5090’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, which has a deltaPct of 0.1%, meaning the two GPUs perform nearly identically in average benchmark scores.

Q: Is the Core i7-14700F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in this game?

A: The data shows the CPU is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU is the limiting component, while the CPU's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures it can keep up at lower resolutions.

Q: What settings are recommended for a 4K monitor?

A: The Low preset at 3840x2160 delivers 152.7 FPS, which is the most playable option for 4K. The Medium preset at 123.5 FPS is also viable, but the Ultra preset at 56.5 FPS is not ideal for consistent, smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i7-14700F scores 54,097 on the average benchmark, while its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, scores 54,450. This puts the Intel chip only 0.6% behind in overall performance.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 7th out of 1,734 tested combinations for The Long Drive, placing it in the top 0.4% of all systems tested.