Overpower

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Overpower with the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B390 spans three resolutions and four settings presets. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average frame rates are consistently below the 60 FPS playability threshold. With Low settings, the average is 54 FPS; Medium drops to 34 FPS (with a measured range of 29 to 39 FPS); High yields 32 FPS; and Ultra falls to 26 FPS. No minimum or maximum values are recorded for the Low, High, or Ultra presets at this resolution, only the Medium preset includes a min/max range.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the Low preset averages 64 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a narrow margin. Medium averages 40 FPS with a range of 34 to 46 FPS. High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. As with 4K, only Medium includes min/max data at this resolution; the other presets have only average values recorded.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Low preset averages 72 FPS, the highest recorded average across all resolutions and settings. Medium averages 45 FPS with a range of 38 to 52 FPS. High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. Again, only Medium provides a min/max range; Low, High, and Ultra list only average FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: lowering the resolution from 4K to 1440p improves average FPS by roughly 10 to 12 frames per setting tier, and moving from 1440p to 1080p adds another 5 to 8 frames per tier. However, the gap between settings tiers remains fairly stable across resolutions. For example, the difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 27 FPS, at 1440p it is 24 FPS, and at 4K it is 20 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is much smaller: 3 to 4 FPS at each resolution. High to Ultra is similar, with a 6 to 7 FPS drop at each resolution. This suggests that the Medium preset is a significant performance cliff relative to Low, while High and Ultra impose similar additional loads.

CPU and GPU Roles

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores show a single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark, a PassMark single-thread score of 3444, and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674. Multi-thread performance is notably lower relative to its single-thread strength: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 11860, and PassMark multi-thread scores 14015. The CPU ranks in the 68th percentile against all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494.

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, with 1536 shading units, 48 texture units, and 24 ROPs. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6. Its only recorded benchmark is 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile against all GPUs. The GPU's boost clock is 2500 MHz, with a base clock of 300 MHz, and it uses system-shared memory.

For Overpower specifically, the measured FPS scaling indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at every resolution. Consider the transition from 1080p Low (72 FPS) to 1440p Low (64 FPS), a 12.5% drop, and then to 4K Low (54 FPS), a further 18.8% drop from 1440p. These drops are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where pixel throughput decreases as resolution increases. The CPU's single-thread performance is adequate for the game's demands, as evidenced by the fact that even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU is most stressed, the average FPS is 35, not a CPU-limited value.

The scaling across settings reinforces the GPU-bound interpretation. At a fixed resolution, reducing settings from Ultra to Low yields a large FPS increase: at 1080p, from 35 to 72 FPS (a 105% improvement); at 1440p, from 31 to 64 FPS (a 106% improvement); at 4K, from 26 to 54 FPS (a 108% improvement). This near-uniform scaling across resolutions indicates that the GPU's workload scales almost linearly with settings, and the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck. If the CPU were the constraint, the FPS gains from lowering settings would diminish at higher resolutions, which they do not.

The CPU's role is more evident in the min/max data for Medium presets. At 1080p Medium, the range is 38 to 52 FPS, a spread of 14 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 34 to 46 FPS, also a 14 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 29 to 39 FPS, a 10 FPS spread. The similar spread across resolutions suggests that frame time variance is not strongly resolution-dependent, which points to a CPU or memory latency component in frame pacing. However, the average FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium (45 to 34 FPS) is still substantial, meaning the GPU workload dominates the average performance.

Overall, the database indicates that the Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU ranking is the binding constraint. The CPU, ranked in the 68th percentile, has enough headroom to support the GPU's output at all tested settings. Users upgrading the GPU would see immediate FPS gains, while upgrading the CPU alone would yield little improvement in this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

The playable threshold for Overpower is 60 FPS, and the verdict data identifies which settings at each resolution meet that threshold.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves an average of 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 54 FPS, which is 6 FPS short. Medium, High, and Ultra are progressively lower at 34, 32, and 26 FPS respectively. Therefore, 4K is not playable at any setting for this combination.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that clears 60 FPS, averaging 64 FPS. Medium (40 FPS), High (37 FPS), and Ultra (31 FPS) all fall below the threshold. The best playable setting is Low, with a recorded average of 64 FPS. This leaves 4 FPS of headroom above the threshold, which is a narrow margin and may be subject to dips depending on scene complexity.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 72 FPS, the highest playable result in the dataset. Medium (45 FPS), High (42 FPS), and Ultra (35 FPS) remain below 60 FPS. The best playable setting is Low at 72 FPS, providing 12 FPS of headroom. This is a more comfortable margin than at 1440p, though still not large enough to enable Medium settings.

The data shows that the Medium preset is consistently 20 to 27 FPS below Low across all resolutions. This large gap means that even at 1080p, where Low achieves 72 FPS, Medium only reaches 45 FPS. The game's settings tiers are not evenly spaced; Medium imposes a heavy performance cost relative to Low, while High and Ultra add smaller incremental loads.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the recorded values show that 1080p Ultra averages 35 FPS, 1440p Ultra averages 31 FPS, and 4K Ultra averages 26 FPS. These are all well below the 60 FPS threshold and would likely feel stuttery in an action game. The only viable path to 60 FPS is to use Low settings at 1080p or 1440p.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i3-12100F, based on average benchmark score, provide context for CPU performance. The Intel Core 3 N355 has an average score of 13492, essentially identical to the i3-12100F's 13494, with a delta of 0%. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, 0.3% lower. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% higher. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, 1.1% lower. These CPUs would deliver near-identical CPU-bound performance in Overpower, meaning that if the i3-12100F is not the bottleneck, swapping to any of these would produce the same FPS at the same settings and resolution.

For the Intel Arc B390, the nearest rivals are all significantly older NVIDIA parts, reflecting the GPU's low 9th percentile ranking. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. These GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Overpower, within roughly 1 to 3% of the Arc B390. In practical terms, the measured FPS at any resolution and setting would be nearly indistinguishable.

However, it is important to note that these rival GPUs are from a much older era and may lack modern driver support or feature sets. The Arc B390 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, which may be relevant for Overpower's rendering path. But based purely on the recorded benchmark scores, the performance envelope is essentially the same as those older NVIDIA parts.

The combination of the i3-12100F with any of these rival GPUs would yield the same overall system performance profile: CPU-bound scenarios would be identical, and GPU-bound scenarios would differ by only a few percent. The bottleneck analysis for Overpower would remain unchanged: the GPU is the limiting factor, and the CPU has ample headroom.

For users considering a CPU upgrade while keeping the Arc B390, the nearest rivals show that no meaningful gain is available. A CPU with a 5% higher score, such as the Intel Core 5 120UL, would not change the measured FPS because the GPU is already at 100% utilization. Conversely, upgrading the GPU to a part with even 10% higher score would directly translate to higher FPS, though such a GPU is not listed in the nearest rivals.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Overpower at 4K with any settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest recorded average FPS is 54 on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium averages 34 FPS, High 32 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: The Low preset at 2560x1440 averages 64 FPS, which is the only setting at that resolution that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 72 FPS while Ultra averages 35 FPS. That is a 37 FPS difference, or roughly 105% higher average frame rate on Low.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F or the Intel Arc B390 the bottleneck in Overpower?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 68th percentile. FPS scales nearly linearly with settings changes and resolution reductions, which is typical of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What GPU is most similar to the Intel Arc B390 in performance?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX is the closest, with a score of 1463 versus the B390's 1482, a 1.3% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710 are also within 2.7% of the B390's score.

Q: Does the system ever exceed 60 FPS at Medium settings or higher?

A: No. The only settings that exceed 60 FPS are Low at 1080p (72 FPS) and Low at 1440p (64 FPS). Every Medium, High, or Ultra preset at any resolution averages below 60 FPS, with the highest being 45 FPS at 1080p Medium.

The Verdict

The recorded data for Overpower with the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B390 shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited. At 3840x2160, no settings preset reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best result is Low at 54 FPS, which is 6 FPS short. Medium, High, and Ultra are all far below, ranging from 26 to 34 FPS. Therefore, 4K is not playable with this combination.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 64 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with only 4 FPS of headroom. This is playable, but the margin is thin. Medium, High, and Ultra at 1440p are all below 60 FPS, with averages of 40, 37, and 31 FPS respectively. Users who want a more stable frame rate would need to accept Low settings or reduce the resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 72 FPS, providing 12 FPS of headroom above the threshold. This is the most comfortable playable configuration in the dataset. Medium (45 FPS), High (42 FPS), and Ultra (35 FPS) all remain below 60 FPS. The system can run Overpower at 1080p Low without issue, but it cannot handle higher settings at any resolution.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 4K is unplayable at all settings; 1440p is playable only on Low with a 64 FPS average; 1080p is playable on Low with a 72 FPS average. The system cannot run the game at Medium or above at any resolution while maintaining 60 FPS. For an action game, the 35 FPS averages at Ultra or 45 FPS at Medium would likely feel sluggish, and the min FPS values for Medium (38 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, 29 FPS at 4K) suggest noticeable frame drops during intense scenes.

The Intel Core i3-12100F itself is not the limiting factor. Its 68th percentile ranking and strong single-thread scores (1674 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 3444 in PassMark) indicate that it can feed the GPU adequately. The Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU ranking and its nearest rivals being GT 710-class parts confirm that the GPU is the bottleneck. Users who want to play Overpower at higher settings would need a significantly stronger GPU, not a stronger CPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3301 out of 3713 tested combos in Overpower, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems in the database. This low ranking is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile performance and the fact that the system cannot exceed 60 FPS at any setting above Low.

The rank of 3301 means that roughly 89% of tested combinations deliver better performance in this game. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 72 FPS, but many other GPUs would easily exceed that at Medium or High settings. The combo's position is dragged down primarily by the Arc B390, which has an average benchmark score of only 1482, comparable to decade-old entry-level discrete GPUs.

For context, the CPU alone ranks in the 68th percentile, meaning it is above average compared to all CPUs in the database. If the Arc B390 were replaced with a GPU ranking in the 50th percentile, the combo rank would improve substantially. However, with the current GPU, the system is firmly in the lower quartile of gaming performance.

The rank of 3301 out of 3713 also indicates that there are 412 combos that perform worse than this one. Those would likely feature even older or weaker GPUs, such as the GT 710-class parts listed as nearest rivals. The combo is not the absolute worst, but it is far from a capable gaming system for Overpower at anything above Low settings.

In summary, the Intel Core i3-12100F provides adequate CPU performance, but the Intel Arc B390 holds the system back. The combo ranks near the bottom of the database for this game, and users should expect to run Overpower at 1080p Low for a playable experience, with 1440p Low as a marginal alternative. Higher settings are not viable with this hardware.