The Long Drive

# The Long Drive with Intel Core i7-14700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 lands at rank 1054 out of 3725 tested combos in The Long Drive, placing it in the upper third of all systems evaluated. This combination of a 20-core Raptor Lake Refresh processor and an Ampere-generation GPU produces a dataset that is heavily weighted toward high refresh rates at lower resolutions, while 4K Ultra presents a clear ceiling. The measured frames per second across twelve configurations reveal distinct scaling patterns that point to the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher settings, with the CPU's substantial multi-threaded headroom becoming more relevant only when graphical load is reduced.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1054 out of 3725 tested combinations places it in the 72nd percentile of all systems tested for this driving simulation. That is a solid position, though not elite — the data suggests that roughly 28 percent of tested configurations outperform this pairing in The Long Drive. The i7-14700KF itself sits at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70163, which indicates the processor is far more capable than the combo's overall rank might suggest. The RTX 3080, by contrast, holds the 68th percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 23172, meaning the graphics card is the more modest contributor to this pairing's standing.

Benchmark comparisons for the CPU place it within a tight cluster of rivals. The i7-14700KF scores 0.2 percent higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, 0.4 percent higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and 0.9 percent higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. It trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1 percent. These are negligible margins — sub-one-percent differences — which indicates that in CPU-bound scenarios, swapping among these four processors would yield nearly identical frame rates. The GPU's nearest rivals, however, are notably different: the RTX 3080 scores 0.3 percent lower than the NVIDIA P106-100 and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, and 0.4 percent lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X. This is an unusual grouping, likely reflecting that the average GPU benchmark score does not directly translate to gaming performance in this specific title.

What this rank means in practice is that the combo is well above average for The Long Drive, but it is not a top-tier configuration. The CPU's high percentile and the GPU's mid-range percentile combine to a result that is strong for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K remaining a challenge at higher quality presets.

GPU Role

The RTX 3080 brings 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1188 MHz, which translates to 19 Gbps effective. The GPU's base clock is 1440 MHz with a boost clock of 1710 MHz. These specifications are central to understanding the measured results, as The Long Drive's open-world driving environments place consistent load on memory bandwidth and fill rate.

The card features 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, along with 68 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores. Its pixel rate is 164.2 GPixel/s and texture rate is 465.1 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 29.77 TFLOPS. In the benchmark database, the RTX 3080 scores 25086 in PassMark G3D, 152423 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 33620 in Geekbench Vulkan. These figures position it as a capable 1440p-class card, which aligns with the measured results.

The 10 GB VRAM capacity is worth noting in the context of 4K gaming. At 3840x2160, the card's memory allocation becomes a limiting factor — not necessarily in terms of capacity exhaustion, but in terms of the bandwidth required to sustain high frame rates with heavy texture loads. The GPU's 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs is consistent with the measured fps data, which shows the card handling 1440p Medium at 145 fps but dropping to 35 fps at 4K Ultra. The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant constraint when resolution and settings increase, while the CPU's role diminishes.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data reveals clear scaling patterns as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the combo delivers 268 fps at 1080p, 176 fps at 1440p, and 98 fps at 4K. This represents a 34 percent drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 44 percent drop from 1440p to 4K. The frame rate at 4K Low is still highly playable, but the scaling shows that even at minimal graphical load, resolution significantly impacts performance.

At High settings, the pattern shifts. The combo produces 138 fps at 1080p, 91 fps at 1440p, and 50 fps at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34 percent, and from 1440p to 4K is 45 percent. These percentages are nearly identical to the Low settings scaling, which suggests a consistent resolution penalty regardless of quality preset. At Medium settings, the numbers are 221 fps at 1080p, 145 fps at 1440p, and 81 fps at 4K — a 34 percent drop and then a 44 percent drop, again consistent.

Ultra settings tell a different story. The combo achieves 95 fps at 1080p, 63 fps at 1440p, and 35 fps at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34 percent, and from 1440p to 4K is 44 percent. The consistency of these percentages across all four settings presets is notable — it indicates that the resolution scaling is governed by the GPU's fill rate and bandwidth characteristics rather than by specific settings interactions. The GPU is clearly the limiting component as resolution rises, with the CPU providing sufficient frame generation headroom even at 4K Low where 98 fps is achieved.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 268 fps average, which is the fastest measured configuration in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 221 fps with a minimum of 188 fps and maximum of 254 fps. High settings drop to 138 fps, and Ultra settings produce 95 fps. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is substantial — 173 fps — which indicates that the settings presets have a dramatic impact on graphical load. The Medium settings range of 188 to 254 fps shows a 66 fps spread, suggesting variability in scenes with different object densities.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. Low settings deliver 176 fps, Medium settings produce 145 fps with a range of 123 to 167 fps, High settings reach 91 fps, and Ultra settings fall to 63 fps. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all settings, with roughly a 34 percent reduction in frame rate. The Medium settings minimum of 123 fps ensures that even in demanding scenes, the experience remains above 120 fps, which is important for driving simulations where smooth motion is critical.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle at higher presets. Low settings still deliver 98 fps, which is respectable for 4K. Medium settings produce 81 fps with a range of 68 to 93 fps, keeping the experience playable. High settings drop to 50 fps, and Ultra settings fall to 35 fps. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 fps threshold that most players consider smooth, and even the High settings result at 50 fps is marginal. The 4K data clearly shows that this combo is best suited to Low or Medium settings at this resolution, with High and Ultra reserved for lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings at 95 fps provide the best balance of visual quality and smoothness — the frame rate is well above the 60 fps threshold, and the visual fidelity of Ultra settings is the highest available. Players prioritizing maximum frame rates will find Low settings at 268 fps excessive for most displays, but Medium at 221 fps offers a strong middle ground with a minimum of 188 fps.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings produce 63 fps, which is above 60 fps but not by a large margin. Medium settings at 145 fps with a minimum of 123 fps provide a more comfortable buffer, and the visual difference between Medium and Ultra in this title may not justify the 82 fps loss. High settings at 91 fps offer a balanced option that maintains high frame rates while preserving substantial visual quality. For most players at 1440p, High settings represent the best measured compromise, with Medium as a strong alternative for those who prioritize frame rate consistency.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations change significantly. Ultra settings at 35 fps and High settings at 50 fps are both below the smoothness threshold. Medium settings at 81 fps with a minimum of 68 fps provide the best playable experience at 4K, offering frame rates that remain above 60 fps in most scenes. Low settings at 98 fps are also viable, though the visual quality reduction may be noticeable. The data indicates that 4K Medium is the recommended preset for this resolution, as it maintains an average above 80 fps while keeping the minimum above 60 fps.

Across all resolutions, Medium settings show the most consistent performance profile, with measured minimums that indicate stable frame delivery. The combo's strength lies in its ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with Ultra settings, while 4K requires a compromise to Medium for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in The Long Drive?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 1054 out of 3725 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of all systems evaluated for this game.

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

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo delivers 91 fps, which provides a strong balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings reach 95 fps. At 3840x2160, the maximum playable preset is Medium at 81 fps, as High and Ultra drop to 50 fps and 35 fps respectively.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting component at 4K. The RTX 3080's performance drops significantly as resolution increases, with frame rates falling from 98 fps at Low to 35 fps at Ultra. The CPU's benchmark scores, which place it at the 94th percentile among all processors, indicate it has ample headroom that the GPU cannot utilize at this resolution.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i7-14700KF scores 0.2 percent higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, 0.4 percent higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and 0.9 percent higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. It trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1 percent.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers an average of 95 fps. This is sufficient for smooth gameplay, though players with high refresh rate monitors may prefer Medium settings at 221 fps or High settings at 138 fps for higher frame rates.

Q: Does the RTX 3080's VRAM capacity affect performance at 4K?

A: The RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory with 760.3 GB/s bandwidth. The measured data shows that 4K Medium produces 81 fps while 4K Ultra drops to 35 fps, indicating that memory bandwidth and capacity constraints become significant at this resolution, particularly at higher settings presets.