High On Life

High On Life is a fast-paced FPS that responds strongly to both GPU and CPU resources, and this particular pairing of an Intel Core i5-13400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces a wide spread of results depending on how you configure it. The data shows a system that can deliver buttery-smooth frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but which also reveals a clear bottleneck shift as you push toward 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to help you decide where to set your sights for the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and tells a clear story about what is limiting the system at each resolution. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the system averages 162.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p Ultra drops that to 112 FPS, a 31% reduction. Pushing further to 4K Ultra brings the average down to 71.7 FPS, which is another 36% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases, which is expected given the RTX 5090's immense power.

However, the scaling pattern changes when you look at lower settings. At Low settings, the system hits 246.5 FPS at 1080p, 218.7 FPS at 1440p, and 144.9 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is only 11%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 34%. This suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is holding the system back, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. The fact that 1080p Low (246.5 FPS) is not dramatically higher than 1080p High (210.5 FPS) further supports this, as the difference is only 17%, whereas at 4K, the gap between Low (144.9 FPS) and High (89.8 FPS) is a massive 61%.

The data indicates that for competitive play at high refresh rates, 1080p is the sweet spot, but the CPU will cap your maximum FPS. For a visually rich experience, 1440p offers a great balance, while 4K is playable but demanding, especially on Ultra settings where the average dips below 72 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a monster of a graphics card, and its specifications are reflected in the benchmark data. It comes with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This massive memory allocation ensures that High On Life's textures and geometry are never starved for data, even at 4K resolution. The GPU's 21760 shading units and 170 RT cores are put to work as settings increase, which is why we see such a significant FPS penalty when moving from Low to Ultra at 4K (144.9 FPS vs 71.7 FPS).

The card's boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz are high, but the sheer number of processing units is what drives the performance. At 1440p High, the system maintains 153.5 FPS, showing that the GPU has plenty of headroom. However, the data reveals that at lower resolutions, the GPU is often idle waiting for the CPU. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system only achieves 246.5 FPS, a number that is likely constrained by the processor. The RTX 5090's performance percentile is 94, meaning it outperforms 94% of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 84306 is only slightly above its closest rival, the RTX 5090 D, by 0.1%. This shows that within its own tier, it's a top-tier card, but its full potential in High On Life is only unlocked at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play High On Life with this CPU/GPU combo?

A: The data suggests 1440p is the sweet spot. At High settings, you get 153.5 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience, while 4K High drops to 89.8 FPS, which is still playable but not as fluid.

Q: Will I see a big difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, but not as much as at higher resolutions. The average FPS goes from 246.5 on Low to 162.6 on Ultra, a 34% drop. The CPU appears to limit performance at 1080p, so the visual upgrade from Low to Ultra is more "expensive" in relative terms than at 4K.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 overkill for this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, yes, it seems to be. The CPU becomes the bottleneck, as shown by the small FPS difference between Low and High settings at 1080p (246.5 vs 210.5). The GPU's power is only fully utilized at 4K, where it's needed to maintain high frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its direct rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 84306, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 5090 D's score of 84241. This is a negligible difference in raw compute power.

Q: Can this system handle a 240Hz monitor?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, yes, as the average is 246.5 FPS. At 1080p High, the average is 210.5 FPS, which is still above 200 FPS. However, at 1440p, you would need to stick to Low or Medium settings to get close to 240 FPS.

Q: What is the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The FPS scales almost linearly with settings, dropping from 144.9 on Low to 71.7 on Ultra. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data points to Medium settings at 1440p. This setting provides 181.7 FPS, which is a 18% improvement over High settings (153.5 FPS) while still looking significantly better than Low. If you have a high-refresh-rate 1440p monitor, this is the optimal configuration.

If you prefer 4K, High settings are the recommended choice. The average of 89.8 FPS is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides a much better visual experience than Medium (110.2 FPS) or Low (144.9 FPS). Ultra settings at 4K are not recommended for a smooth experience, as the 71.7 FPS average is on the edge of playability and would likely cause noticeable stutters in fast-paced combat.

For competitive players who prioritize maximum frame rates over visuals, 1080p Low is the clear winner. The 246.5 FPS average ensures the system is never the bottleneck. However, the difference between Low and High at 1080p is only 17%, so High settings at 210.5 FPS is a better choice if you want a better-looking game without sacrificing much performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 246.5 FPS
• Medium: 223.7 FPS
• High: 210.5 FPS
• Ultra: 162.6 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 218.7 FPS
• Medium: 181.7 FPS
• High: 153.5 FPS
• Ultra: 112 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 144.9 FPS
• Medium: 110.2 FPS
• High: 89.8 FPS
• Ultra: 71.7 FPS

The 1080p data shows a tight grouping, with only a 34% difference between Low and Ultra. This indicates a CPU limit. At 1440p, the spread widens to 49% between Low and Ultra, showing the GPU starting to take over. At 4K, the spread is a massive 51% between Low and Ultra, confirming a pure GPU bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its boost clock of 4.60 GHz is solid, but the benchmark data shows that it is the limiting factor in High On Life at lower resolutions. The system's average FPS at 1080p Low is 246.5, and at 1080p High it is 210.5. The fact that these numbers are relatively close suggests that the CPU cannot feed the RTX 5090 enough frames to saturate it.

This is further supported by the CPU's own benchmark scores. It achieves a 3DMark single-thread score of 960 and a multi-thread score of 7314. Its performance percentile is 82, meaning it outperforms 82% of all CPUs, but it is not a top-tier part. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, has an average benchmark score that is 0.5% higher. In a game like High On Life, which is an FPS, single-thread performance is often crucial, and the i5-13400F's scores show it is capable but not exceptional.

At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The FPS drops at 4K are almost entirely due to the GPU's workload, not the CPU. However, the data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is the reason you can't hit 300 FPS. For the best possible performance with this GPU, a stronger CPU would be needed, but for most users, the i5-13400F provides a very solid foundation, especially when paired with a high-resolution monitor.