Overpower

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3301 out of 3713 tested combinations for Overpower. That places this system deep in the lower quartile of all tested hardware combos, meaning it will struggle to deliver a consistently smooth experience at higher settings. The percentile data reinforces this: the CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all processors, while the GPU lands at just the 9th percentile among all graphics cards. The Arc B390 is the clear bottleneck here, dragging the overall ranking down substantially.

Benchmark results indicate this combo is positioned for low-end play. At 1080p with Low settings, the system averages 72 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. However, every other preset at 1080p falls below that mark: Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The pattern worsens as resolution climbs. At 1440p, only Low settings hit 64 FPS; Medium drops to 40 FPS, High to 37 FPS, and Ultra to 31 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches playable framerates, with Low averaging 54 FPS, Medium 34 FPS, High 32 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS.

The ranking is not surprising given the GPU's modest benchmark score. The Arc B390's only recorded benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, is 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU's average benchmark score of 2254 is more respectable, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in a graphics-intensive title like Overpower. The data shows a system that can run the game, but only at the absolute lowest quality settings and only at 1080p or 1440p.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the Intel Arc B390 is heavily skewed toward the GPU in Overpower. The CPU, a 6-core, 6-thread Coffee Lake part with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz, has enough compute headroom for this game. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 indicate a capable processor for gaming workloads. The GPU, however, is the limiting factor at every resolution and preset.

The scaling between resolutions reveals where the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. At 1080p Low, the system hits 72 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces that to 64 FPS, a 12.5% decrease in performance for a 78% increase in pixel count. At 4K Low, the framerate falls to 54 FPS, another 15.6% drop from 1440p. This steep decline with resolution is classic GPU-bound behavior. The CPU's role is largely static across these scenarios; it can feed frames fast enough, but the Arc B390 cannot render them quickly at higher pixel counts.

Preset scaling tells a similar story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium drops performance from 72 FPS to 45 FPS, a 37.5% reduction. High and Ultra continue the decline to 42 and 35 FPS respectively. The gap between Medium and High is relatively small (45 to 42 FPS), while the jump from Low to Medium is severe. This suggests the Arc B390's memory bandwidth, which is system shared and dependent on the platform, is a major constraint when texture quality and shading complexity increase.

At 1440p and 4K, the same preset pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. The CPU's contribution is more visible at low resolutions and low presets, where framerates are higher and the GPU has less work per frame. At 1080p Low, the combination of a 2.90 GHz base clock and 4.10 GHz boost clock on the i5-9400 is sufficient to avoid a CPU bottleneck. Once the resolution or quality preset increases, the GPU's 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs become the clear limiting factor, and the CPU's performance differences become irrelevant.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Overpower at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p Low (72 FPS) and 1440p Low (64 FPS). At 4K, the best result is 54 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. No Medium, High, or Ultra preset reaches 60 FPS at any resolution.

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p?

A: Low settings at 1080p produce 72 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that clears 60 FPS. Medium averages 45 FPS, High 42 FPS, and Ultra 35 FPS, all of which are unplayable by the 60 FPS standard.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GT 710 (1443). These are all very low-end parts, confirming the Arc B390's position in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is far more important. The Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the i5-9400 is in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. The framerate drops sharply with resolution increases, which is a GPU-bound pattern. The CPU has enough performance to keep up at Low presets, but the GPU cannot handle higher quality settings.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the recorded range is 38 to 52 FPS with an average of 45 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 34 to 46 FPS with an average of 40 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 29 to 39 FPS with an average of 34 FPS. These figures highlight how far below the 60 FPS target the system sits.

Q: Does the i5-9400 hold back the Arc B390?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 72 FPS, which is respectable for this hardware tier. The GPU's low percentile ranking and the steep performance drops with resolution increases point to the Arc B390 as the limiting component.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Overpower? The answer is yes, but with significant caveats. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 4K, there are no playable settings at all. The best 4K result is 54 FPS on Low, which misses the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, the system can run the game at Low settings with an average of 64 FPS, just clearing the playable mark. At 1080p, Low settings deliver 72 FPS, which is comfortable above the 60 FPS line.

No other preset at any resolution achieves 60 FPS. The most demanding setting that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low at both 1080p and 1440p. For users who want to play at Medium or higher, this system is not suitable for Overpower. The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 and its 9th percentile ranking among GPUs make it clear that this is a low-end graphics solution. The i5-9400, with its 47th percentile CPU ranking and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629, is a reasonable processor, but it cannot overcome the GPU's limitations in this action title.

For a game released in August 2023, the hardware requirements are not extreme, but this combination falls short of a smooth experience at anything beyond minimal settings. The data shows a system that is playable only in the most constrained configuration. If the goal is to play Overpower at 1080p Low or 1440p Low, this PC will do the job. Anything more demanding will require a different GPU.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals to the Intel Core i5-9400 are all within 0.4% of its average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% higher. Any of these CPUs would deliver essentially identical performance in Overpower, though the i7-1068NG7 and i3-10305 would be marginally faster, and the i7-10710U and Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 would be marginally slower.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals to the Arc B390 are all NVIDIA parts with very similar 3DMark scores. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390's 1482. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower. The GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. All of these GPUs would perform within a few percentage points of the Arc B390 in Overpower, meaning they would also fail to reach 60 FPS at Medium settings or above. The GT 520MX and GeForce 800M are the closest matches, with performance deltas under 2%.

Users considering alternatives should know that the CPU side offers multiple viable options that would not change the outcome in this game. The GPU side, however, has no nearby rival that would meaningfully improve the playable settings. The entire cluster of GPUs around the Arc B390's performance level is confined to low-end territory, so upgrading to a different GPU in this performance class would not change the verdict.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best option is Low, which averages 54 FPS, but this is still below the playable threshold. Medium averages 34 FPS, High 32 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS. The verdict is clear: 4K is not playable with this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the only playable preset is Low, which averages 64 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold with a small margin. Medium averages 40 FPS, High 37 FPS, and Ultra 31 FPS, all of which are well below the target. For users who insist on 1440p, Low is the only viable choice.

At 1920x1080, Low settings average 72 FPS, which is the best result for this system. This is the only preset at any resolution that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium averages 45 FPS, High 42 FPS, and Ultra 35 FPS. The recommendation is to play at 1080p Low for the smoothest experience, as this delivers 72 FPS and leaves some headroom for occasional dips.

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low at 1440p (64 FPS) and Low at 1080p (72 FPS). There is no scenario where Medium or higher settings are playable. The combination of the i5-9400 and Arc B390 is strictly a low-settings system for Overpower.