Overpower

Overpower, the 2023 action title, proves to be a demanding showcase for the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 mobile combo. The data shows a system that delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all resolutions, with the RTX 4080 providing the primary performance ceiling. The combination of the 16-core Dragon Range CPU and the Ada Lovelace GPU results in a top-tier experience, though the scaling patterns reveal where the bottleneck shifts as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this pairing at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 194 FPS at 1920x1080 to 173 FPS at 2560x1440, a decline of roughly 11%. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with the 4K Low average falling to 147 FPS, representing a 15% reduction from the 1440p figure. This total 24% decrease from 1080p to 4K on Low settings suggests the CPU is still contributing meaningfully at lower graphical loads, but the GPU is beginning to take over.

The scaling pattern changes dramatically when moving to higher graphical presets. At Medium settings, the average frame rate goes from 121 FPS at 1080p to 108 FPS at 1440p, then down to 92 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are consistent at roughly 11% and 15% respectively, but the absolute frame rate penalties become larger. At High settings, the progression is 113 FPS to 100 FPS to 85 FPS across the three resolutions, showing a similar relative pattern. The Ultra preset shows the steepest scaling curve, with 93 FPS at 1080p dropping to 83 FPS at 1440p and finally 71 FPS at 4K.

The most telling data point comes from comparing the scaling at Low versus Ultra settings. At Low, the 4K average of 147 FPS is 76% of the 1080p figure. At Ultra, the 4K average of 71 FPS is 76% of the 1080p figure as well. This consistency suggests a uniform GPU load scaling factor across the resolution spectrum. However, the absolute difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 101 FPS, while at 4K it narrows to 76 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, while at 4K, the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, never appears to be the primary constraint in this dataset, as frame rates remain high even at 1080p Low where CPU load is typically highest.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting the highest refresh rate displays, the Low preset at 1080p delivers an average of 194 FPS, which is the only configuration in the measured data that approaches 200 FPS. This setting is clearly optimized for maximum frame throughput, sacrificing visual fidelity for competitive responsiveness. The 4K Low result of 147 FPS still exceeds the 144Hz threshold, making it viable for high-refresh 4K gaming, though the visual trade-offs are significant.

The Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. At 1080p, it averages 121 FPS with a minimum of 103 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes. The 1440p Medium result of 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS provides a consistently fluid experience for standard 144Hz monitors. At 4K, Medium yields 92 FPS, which remains above the 60 FPS baseline for enjoyable play. The measured minimum frame rates for Medium settings show the system maintains stability, with the 4K minimum of 78 FPS staying well above stutter territory.

High settings introduce a noticeable performance penalty over Medium, with the average dropping by 7-8 FPS at each resolution. The 1080p High average of 113 FPS is still excellent, but the 4K High average of 85 FPS falls below the 90 FPS threshold that some players prefer for smoother motion. Ultra settings push the system further, with 1080p Ultra averaging 93 FPS and 4K Ultra dropping to 71 FPS. The Ultra preset appears to enable effects that tax the GPU heavily without providing proportional visual gains, based on the measured frame rate deltas.

The data suggests that Medium is the optimal preset for this combo. It provides the best frame rate per visual quality trade-off, with 4K Medium delivering 92 FPS compared to 85 FPS on High and 71 FPS on Ultra. For players with 144Hz 1080p or 1440p displays, Medium offers frame rates that fully utilize the refresh rate, while 4K users get a stable experience above 60 FPS. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate outweighs visual considerations.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks 911th out of 2980 tested combos in Overpower, placing it in the 69th percentile of all configurations. This ranking places it in the upper third of all tested systems, though not at the absolute top tier. The average benchmark score for this combo is 76212, which positions it close to several high-end rivals in the CPU benchmark data.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX scores within 0.1% of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, with a delta of just 0.1%, making them effectively equivalent in overall processing power. The AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX both score 0.4% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D scores 0.6% higher. This tight clustering indicates that the 8945HX is competitive with the fastest mobile and desktop processors available, with no single rival holding a decisive advantage.

The GPU benchmarks show a similar pattern. The RTX 4080 scores within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER, making them indistinguishable in this data. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 1.1% higher, while the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and Radeon 8060S score 2.6% and 2.7% higher respectively. This places the RTX 4080 in a strong position relative to its direct successor, though slightly behind some competing AMD offerings in raw benchmark scores.

The 911th rank out of 2980 combos reflects the combined performance of both components in Overpower specifically. Given the CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 86th percentile among all GPUs, the combo's 69th percentile in-game ranking suggests that Overpower is particularly sensitive to factors beyond raw compute power. The game likely benefits from higher bandwidth or specific architectural features that favor other configurations, though the measured frame rates remain excellent in absolute terms.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 194 FPS, making it the only measured configuration to break the 190 FPS barrier. Medium averages 121 FPS with a minimum of 103 FPS and a maximum of 140 FPS, providing a wide performance envelope. High averages 113 FPS, while Ultra averages 93 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 101 FPS, indicating substantial headroom for players who prioritize frame rate over visuals.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected resolution penalty. Low averages 173 FPS, a 21 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium averages 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS. High averages 100 FPS, while Ultra averages 83 FPS. The 1440p results show that this combo is well-suited for high refresh rate gaming at this resolution, with even Ultra settings maintaining an average above 80 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload increases significantly. Low averages 147 FPS, which is still exceptionally high for 4K gaming. Medium averages 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, providing a smooth experience for standard 60Hz displays and most 120Hz panels. High averages 85 FPS, while Ultra averages 71 FPS. The 4K Ultra results show a minimum frame rate below 60 FPS, though the average remains playable.

The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum frame rates across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the range spans from 103 to 140 FPS, a 37 FPS variance. At 1440p, the range is 92 to 124 FPS, a 32 FPS variance. At 4K, the range narrows to 78 to 106 FPS, a 28 FPS variance. This decreasing variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's consistent work at 4K reduces frame pacing fluctuations, while at 1080p, CPU scheduling and driver overhead introduce more variability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This large memory capacity and high bandwidth are critical for Overpower's 4K performance, where the game's textures and effects demand substantial video memory. The measured 4K results, with averages above 71 FPS even at Ultra settings, indicate that the 16 GB frame buffer is sufficient for this title, preventing any memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 2205 MHz and a boost of 2505 MHz, with memory running at 1400 MHz or 22.4 Gbps effective. These clocks, combined with 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs, deliver a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS provides substantial compute headroom for the game's action sequences. The 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores suggest the GPU is well-prepared for ray tracing and DLSS workloads, though the measured FPS data does not specify whether these features were enabled during testing.

The RTX 4080's benchmark results show a Passmark G3D score of 34457 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567. These scores place the GPU in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, confirming its high-end positioning. The GPU's average benchmark score of 54247 is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209, indicating that the non-SUPER variant offers comparable performance in synthetic tests. The GPU's TDP of 320 W and triple-slot design suggest it requires substantial cooling, which aligns with the performance levels observed in Overpower.

The GPU's role in this combo is clearly dominant, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling patterns. The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads provide ample processing power, with Cinebench R23 multi-core scores of 42713 and single-core scores of 6030. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios. However, the benchmark data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is the primary determinant of frame rates at 1440p and 4K, while at 1080p Low, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes more relevant.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Overpower with this combo?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 on Medium settings provides 108 FPS average with a 92 FPS minimum, making it the sweet spot for high refresh rate gaming. At 4K, the Medium preset averages 92 FPS, which is also playable, but 1440p offers more headroom above 100 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Overpower at 4K 120Hz?

A: Based on the measured results, no. The highest 4K average is 147 FPS on Low settings, but the Medium preset averages 92 FPS and Ultra averages 71 FPS. No 4K configuration in the data reaches 120 FPS when considering the average frame rates.

Q: How much performance does the Ultra preset cost compared to Medium?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 93 FPS versus 121 FPS on Medium, a 28 FPS difference. At 1440p, the gap narrows to 25 FPS (83 vs 108), and at 4K, it narrows to 21 FPS (71 vs 92). The Ultra preset consistently costs roughly 23% of the Medium frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary limiter at resolutions above 1080p. The frame rate drops from 1440p to 4K are consistent across settings, indicating GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p Low, the 194 FPS average suggests the CPU is still capable, but the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the constraint as resolution increases.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER in this setup?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score is 54247, which is within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209. The delta of 0.1% indicates the two GPUs perform nearly identically in synthetic tests, so Overpower results would likely be similar.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate guarantee for this combo?

A: The data only provides minimum frame rates for the Medium preset. The lowest recorded minimum is 78 FPS at 4K Medium, while 1440p Medium shows a 92 FPS minimum and 1080p Medium shows a 103 FPS minimum. This suggests the system maintains smooth performance without major drops at Medium settings.