Overpower

Overpower’s benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination shows a system that is heavily skewed toward CPU performance, yet consistently held back by the graphics card at higher settings. The measured frame rates reveal a clear pattern: the 6-core, 12-thread Zen 5 processor has ample headroom, while the Turing-based GPU dictates the experience in most scenarios.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which explains its strong showing in synthetic tests. The chip’s passmark single-thread score of 4570 and geekbench single-core score of 3363 indicate excellent per-core performance, which is critical for a game like Overpower that appears to scale with single-thread efficiency.

In multithreaded workloads, the processor scores 25525 in cinebench r23 multicore and 30027 in passmark multithread. These results place the 9600X at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28246. Compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tight cluster: it is 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13490F (avgScore 28173) and the AMD Ryzen 5 230 (avgScore 28164), while sitting 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (avgScore 28369) and 0.5% behind the Intel Core i5-14500T (avgScore 28377). This suggests the 9600X is squarely in the middle of its performance tier, neither dominating nor trailing.

The processor’s L3 cache is 32 MB shared, with 1 MB L2 per core and 80 KB L1 per core. Memory bandwidth is rated at 89.6 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5. For Overpower, the implication is that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 132.1 FPS, which is only 11.8% higher than the 116.2 FPS at 1440p Low — a small drop that suggests the CPU is still feeding frames adequately even as resolution increases. However, the gap widens dramatically when settings rise, pointing to the GPU as the limiting factor.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card (TU106 chip) built on a 12 nm process. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). Its 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs give it a theoretical FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS.

In the benchmark database, the RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 19774. Its nearest rivals are all older or lower-tier cards: it is 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (avgScore 19706), 0.5% ahead of the RTX 2070 (avgScore 19680), 0.8% ahead of the Quadro K5200 (avgScore 19623), and 1.3% ahead of the Tesla K40m (avgScore 19519). This places the 2060 SUPER at the edge of its class, just barely outperforming cards that are not direct successors.

The GPU’s impact on Overpower is most visible when comparing settings at the same resolution. At 4K, moving from Low (98.4 FPS) to Medium (59 FPS) is a 40% drop, and from Medium to High (54.7 FPS) another 7.3% drop. This steep falloff indicates that the 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are working hard to keep up with higher texture and shading loads. At 1080p, the jump from Low (132.1 FPS) to Medium (79.1 FPS) is a 40.1% reduction, confirming that the GPU is the primary constraint once detail levels increase.

FAQ

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in Overpower?*

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting component. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra (61.1 FPS) to Low (132.1 FPS) more than doubles performance, while the CPU’s high single-thread score (4570 in passmark) suggests it has headroom.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems in the database?

A: This combination ranks 1263rd out of 1744 tested combos in Overpower, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field. The CPU is at the 85th percentile, but the GPU is only at the 63rd, dragging the overall rank down.

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay with this setup?

A: At 1440p Medium, the system averages 72.8 FPS, which is close to the 1080p Medium result of 79.1 FPS. For a balance of quality and frame rate, 1440p Medium appears to be the sweet spot, as 4K High (54.7 FPS) dips below 60 FPS.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues at higher settings?

A: The frame rate drops suggest VRAM pressure. At 4K, Ultra (49.3 FPS) is 16.3% slower than High (54.7 FPS), and the gap between 4K Low (98.4 FPS) and Medium (59 FPS) is severe, indicating the memory subsystem is strained.

Q: How does this CPU perform relative to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X is virtually tied with the Intel Core i5-13490F and AMD Ryzen 5 230 (both 0.3% ahead), and it is 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and 0.5% behind the Intel Core i5-14500T. Performance is within a 1% band.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming at all?

A: At 4K Low, it achieves 98.4 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K High (54.7 FPS) and Ultra (49.3 FPS), frame rates fall below 60 FPS, making 4K only viable with reduced detail settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X + RTX 2060 SUPER combination ranks 1263rd out of 1744 tested combos in Overpower. This places it in the 27.6th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 72% of combos perform better. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s mid-tier standing: the CPU is strong (85th percentile), but the GPU’s 63rd percentile average score of 19774 pulls the overall position down.

Compared to the GPU’s nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER is barely ahead of the GTX TITAN (0.3%) and RTX 2070 (0.5%), which is telling. These cards are all in the same performance bracket, so the combo’s rank is not about being uniquely weak, but rather about being in a crowded middle tier. The CPU’s nearest rivals show a similar clustering, with deltas of 0.3% to 0.5% separating the 9600X from its competition. This suggests that swapping the CPU for a slightly faster chip would not meaningfully change the Overpower experience, whereas a GPU upgrade would have a much larger impact.

The data indicates that the combo’s rank is primarily determined by the GPU’s inability to keep up with the CPU’s output. At 1080p Low, the system hits 132.1 FPS, which is respectable, but this is a CPU-limited scenario. As settings increase, the GPU takes over, and the rank reflects that limitation.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for this combo is at 1440p with Medium settings, yielding an average of 72.8 FPS. This provides a smooth frame rate while maintaining visual fidelity above Low. At 1080p Medium, the average is 79.1 FPS, which is only 8.6% higher than 1440p Medium, making 1440p the better choice for higher resolution without sacrificing much performance.

For players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low offers 132.1 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. At 1440p Low, the system still achieves 116.2 FPS, a 12% drop from 1080p, but a worthwhile trade-off for sharper images. Dropping to 4K Low (98.4 FPS) is also viable, but the 26.4% decrease from 1080p Low suggests diminishing returns.

Ultra settings are not recommended. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 61.1 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but at 1440p Ultra it falls to 53.1 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it drops to 49.3 FPS. High settings are a middle ground: 1080p High (78 FPS) and 1440p High (67.1 FPS) are playable, but 4K High (54.7 FPS) is borderline. The data suggests Medium is the optimal preset for a stable experience across resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS ranges from 132.1 (Low) to 61.1 (Ultra). The incremental drops are: Low to Medium is a 40.1% decrease (from 132.1 to 79.1), Medium to High is a 1.4% decrease (from 79.1 to 78), and High to Ultra is a 21.7% decrease (from 78 to 61.1). The minimal difference between Medium and High is notable, suggesting that High offers no meaningful benefit over Medium at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the range is 116.2 (Low) to 53.1 (Ultra). Low to Medium drops 37.3% (from 116.2 to 72.8), Medium to High drops 7.8% (from 72.8 to 67.1), and High to Ultra drops 20.9% (from 67.1 to 53.1). The pattern is similar to 1080p, with Medium being the most efficient step.

At 3840x2160, the range is 98.4 (Low) to 49.3 (Ultra). Low to Medium drops 40.0% (from 98.4 to 59), Medium to High drops 7.3% (from 59 to 54.7), and High to Ultra drops 9.9% (from 54.7 to 49.3). The 4K Medium result of 59 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, making 4K Low the only smooth option at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals which component is under stress. At Low settings, the drop is 25.5% (from 132.1 at 1080p to 98.4 at 4K), which is relatively modest and indicates the CPU is still capable of feeding frames. At Medium settings, the drop is 25.4% (from 79.1 to 59), showing a similar proportional decline.

However, at High settings, the drop is 29.9% (from 78 to 54.7), and at Ultra settings, it is 19.3% (from 61.1 to 49.3). The larger proportional drop at High settings suggests the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases. The absolute FPS difference between 1080p and 4K is 33.7 FPS at Low, but only 11.8 FPS at Ultra — meaning the GPU is so constrained at Ultra that resolution matters less.

The data implies that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-detail 4K, but the CPU can handle the workload. The 4K Low result of 98.4 FPS shows that the system can still deliver high frame rates if the GPU is not overburdened. This scaling pattern confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck; the GPU’s raw throughput and memory bandwidth cap the experience as resolution and settings increase.