The Long Drive

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 223 out of 3,725 tested combinations in The Long Drive, placing it in the top 6% of all systems evaluated. This is a strong result for a driving simulation that demands both high frame rates and stable rendering. The combo's position reflects the synergy between a 20-core CPU capable of high single-thread performance and a GPU with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, which together handle the game's open-world environment without major bottlenecks. The rank is particularly notable given that the GPU's percentileVsAllGpus score is 86, meaning it outperforms 86% of all GPUs, while the CPU's percentileVsAllCpus is 94, indicating excellent headroom for this title. The data shows that this pairing is not merely adequate but positioned well above the median tested system, with the CPU's strong multi-core benchmarks (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5) complementing the GPU's raw rasterization power.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 plays a critical role in The Long Drive's performance, primarily through its memory configuration and clock speeds. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This is substantial for a driving simulation where texture streaming and draw distances are crucial; the high bandwidth ensures that asset loading remains smooth even at higher resolutions. The GPU's base clock is 2205 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, and memory runs at an effective 22.4 Gbps. These clocks allow the card to maintain high sustained performance, as evidenced by its benchmark scores: a Passmark G3D score of 34457 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567. In the context of this game, the GPU's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are less relevant since The Long Drive is not a ray-traced title, but the raw FP32 throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS ensures that conventional shading and post-processing effects are handled with ease. The GPU's nearest rivals include the RTX 4080 SUPER (deltaPct of 0.1%), meaning the 4080 trails it by a negligible margin, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (deltaPct of -1.1%), which the 4080 beats by a small amount. These comparisons underscore that the 4080 sits at the upper echelon of GPUs, making it well-suited for this game's demands.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how The Long Drive scales across resolutions, and the pattern indicates a GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 358 FPS, but this drops to 131 FPS at 4K with Low settings—a 63% reduction. This steep decline suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases. For Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 294 FPS at 1080p falls to 108 FPS at 4K, a 63% drop. At High settings, the drop from 184 FPS (1080p) to 67 FPS (4K) is a 64% reduction, further confirming GPU-bound behavior. However, at Ultra settings, the scaling is more severe: 127 FPS at 1080p drops to 47 FPS at 4K, a 63% decline, but the absolute numbers are lower, indicating that the game's Ultra preset imposes a heavy load regardless of resolution. The fact that the percentage drops are consistent around 63-64% across all settings suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions; instead, the GPU's rendering capability dictates frame rates as resolution increases. This is typical for a driving sim with expansive draw distances, where fill rate and memory bandwidth become critical at 4K.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i7-14700K and RTX 4080 produce exceptionally high frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 358, providing a very smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings yield an average of 294 FPS, with a minimum of 250 and a maximum of 339, showing tight frame pacing. High settings drop to 184 FPS, which is still well above the threshold for competitive play. Ultra settings at 1080p produce 127 FPS, a significant reduction from Low but still playable for most users.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably. Low settings deliver 235 FPS, while Medium settings average 194 FPS with a range of 165 to 223 FPS. High settings at this resolution yield 121 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 84 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 4080 maintains strong performance at 1440p, making it a viable option for high-refresh 1440p displays even at High settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is pushed harder. Low settings produce 131 FPS, which is still impressive for 4K, while Medium settings average 108 FPS with a minimum of 91 and a maximum of 124 FPS. High settings at 4K yield 67 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 47 FPS. The jump from Medium to High at 4K is notable—a 41 FPS reduction (from 108 to 67)—indicating that the High preset introduces significant rendering costs. Similarly, Ultra at 4K is below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less ideal for smooth gameplay. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings at 4K (91 FPS) show that even in demanding scenes, the combo maintains respectable frame times.

# FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at High settings (121 FPS) offers a strong balance between visual quality and performance, while 1920x1080 at Medium (294 FPS) is ideal for maximum smoothness.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209) and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 47, and given the consistent 63-64% drop from 1080p across all settings, the GPU is the primary bottleneck due to the high pixel count and rendering load.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings is 358, which is the highest recorded in the data set for this combo.

Q: Does the combo support high refresh rates at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average is 194 FPS, and at High settings it is 121 FPS, both of which exceed 120 Hz refresh rates.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance influence the game?

A: The i7-14700K's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 indicates strong parallel processing, but the FPS scaling across resolutions suggests the GPU is more influential in this title, as frame rates drop consistently with increased resolution.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. For The Long Drive, a driving simulation, the CPU's single-thread performance is critical for physics calculations and AI, and the data shows it is more than sufficient. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160 and Geekbench single-core score of 2569 indicate strong per-core throughput, which helps maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 358 FPS, suggesting the CPU is not a bottleneck at this level. Even at 4K, the CPU's role diminishes, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor; the FPS drops are consistent across all settings, which would not occur if the CPU were struggling. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (deltaPct of -0.2%), meaning the i7-14700K is essentially tied with it in average benchmark scores (69355 vs 69515). This parity confirms that the processor is well-matched to the RTX 4080, providing no notable constraint in this game. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache also aids in handling the game's streaming data, though the exact impact is not directly measurable from the FPS data alone.

# Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data suggests prioritizing Medium settings across most resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium yields 294 FPS with a minimum of 250 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stutter even in dense scenes. At 2560x1440, Medium provides 194 FPS (minimum 165), which is ideal for high-refresh monitors without sacrificing smoothness. At 3840x2160, Medium achieves 108 FPS (minimum 91), which is still well above 60 FPS and offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance. High settings at 4K drop to 67 FPS, which is playable but less comfortable, especially for a driving sim where consistent frame times matter. Ultra settings are not recommended for 4K (47 FPS) and are marginal at 1440p (84 FPS), though they are playable at 1080p (127 FPS). Given the data, Medium is the sweet spot, providing 294 FPS at 1080p, 194 FPS at 1440p, and 108 FPS at 4K, all with minimums above 90 FPS. For users with 1440p displays, High at 121 FPS is a viable upgrade from Medium if visual quality is prioritized, but the 73 FPS difference (from 194 to 121) highlights the performance cost. Overall, the measured rows indicate that Medium settings offer the best experience across all resolutions, with High being a reasonable choice for lower resolutions only.