Overpower

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly unbalanced configuration for Overpower, where the integrated graphics solution acts as the definitive performance bottleneck. The data indicates that while the CPU provides a massive reservoir of processing power, the GPU’s output is the sole determinant of frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent decline as resolution increases, but the percentage of the drop is heavily influenced by the graphics settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 72 FPS at 1920x1080 to 64 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 11.1%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 54 FPS, which is 25% lower than the 1080p result. This indicates that even at the lowest graphical load, the GPU is the limiting factor, though the scaling is more gradual.

In contrast, the Medium preset shows a steeper decline. The average FPS goes from 45 at 1920x1080 to 40 at 2560x1440, and then to 34 at 3840x2160. The jump from 1080p to 4K represents a 24.4% performance loss. The High preset follows a similar trend, with averages of 42, 37, and 32 FPS across the three resolutions, respectively. The most punishing scaling is observed with the Ultra preset, where the average frame rate plummets from 35 FPS at 1080p to 31 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 26 FPS at 4K. This represents a 25.7% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The data suggests that the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is relatively minor across all settings, typically a loss of 4 to 5 FPS. However, the transition to 4K imposes a much heavier load. The fact that the FPS at 4K Ultra is 26, which is below the 30 FPS playability threshold, confirms that the GPU is saturated. The component is clearly the limiting factor; a more powerful processor would not improve these numbers, as the Intel Arc B390 is unable to keep up with the rendering demands of the higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It features a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. With an L3 cache of 64 MB and support for DDR5 memory, the CPU is an extremely powerful component. Its benchmark scores are high, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32172 and a single-core score of 2253. The Geekbench scores are similarly impressive, with a multicore score of 22174 and a single-core score of 3010.

Despite this processing power, the CPU's role in Overpower with this specific GPU is to remain largely idle. The frame rates are entirely dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The CPU will have no trouble feeding the Intel Arc B390 with draw calls and game logic. The data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, where CPU bottlenecks are most likely to appear, the average FPS is only 72. This is a modest frame rate for such a powerful processor; it is far from the limits of the 9900X. The 24 threads and high boost clocks are more than sufficient for this game, meaning that any perceived performance issues are not related to the CPU. The processor's 3DMark scores, such as 13929 for max threads and 12552 for 16 threads, further illustrate its capability, but these are irrelevant to the final FPS output in this configuration. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is a silent partner in this pairing, with the GPU taking full responsibility for the visual output.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience is found at Low settings across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 72 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 64 FPS, and even at 3840x2160, it manages a playable 54 FPS average. While the visual quality will be reduced, the performance gain is substantial.

The Medium preset is the only other viable option, but it comes with a significant performance cost. At 1080p, the average FPS drops to 45, which is a 37.5% decrease compared to Low. At 1440p, it is 40 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 34 FPS. The Medium preset also provides the only min/max data, showing a range of 38-52 FPS at 1080p, 34-46 FPS at 1440p, and 29-39 FPS at 4K. This indicates noticeable frame time variance.

The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for a smooth experience. High settings produce average frame rates between 32 and 42 FPS, which is borderline. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with average frame rates ranging from 26 to 35 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average of 26 FPS is not suitable for smooth gameplay. The data clearly shows that the best experience, defined by the highest and most stable frame rates, is achieved by playing on the Low preset. If a user prioritizes visual fidelity, Medium at 1080p is the maximum recommended setting, as moving to higher resolutions or presets will result in average frame rates that frequently dip below 30 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and the Intel Arc B390 is ranked 2638 out of 2980 tested combos in Overpower. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, which is consistent with the GPU's individual performance percentile of 9. The CPU, on the other hand, is in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, highlighting the massive disparity between the two components.

The combo's low rank is directly attributable to the GPU. The Intel Arc B390’s average benchmark score is only 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. These are all entry-level or legacy parts. The Arc B390 is 1.3% ahead of the GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. This microscopic performance delta against such old hardware underscores the Intel GPU's lack of capability in this gaming scenario.

In contrast, the CPU's nearest rivals are the AMD EPYC 9015, Intel Core i9-14900, and AMD EPYC 7313. The Ryzen 9 9900X is 0.1% slower than the EPYC 9015, 0.2% faster than the EPYC 7313, and 1.1% slower than the Core i9-14900. This places the processor in a completely different performance tier, one that is entirely wasted in this pairing. The benchmark results indicate that the combo rank is a direct reflection of the weakest link, which is the integrated graphics processor.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 24 raster output units, and 12 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. Critically, the memory specifications are listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent", meaning it relies on the main system's DDR5 memory, which is a major disadvantage for gaming performance.

In Overpower, the GPU's role is entirely constraining. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is unable to deliver high frame rates even at 1080p Low. The 1536 shading units are not enough to handle the game's rendering load efficiently. The low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s further limit its throughput. The GPU's performance percentile of 9 places it in the bottom tier of all GPUs, and its benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad is minimal.

This component is not a gaming GPU. Its 80 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for basic display output rather than intensive 3D workloads. The benchmark results confirm this, as the Arc B390 is only able to match the performance of GPUs from over a decade ago, such as the GeForce GT 710. The GPU's boost clock of 2500 MHz is high for an integrated part, but the sheer lack of memory bandwidth (System Dependent) and limited execution resources prevent it from translating that clock speed into playable frame rates in a demanding action title like Overpower.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured FPS data for this configuration:

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS of 72.
• Medium: Average FPS of 45, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52.
• High: Average FPS of 42.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 35.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS of 64.
• Medium: Average FPS of 40, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46.
• High: Average FPS of 37.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 31.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS of 54.
• Medium: Average FPS of 34, with a minimum of 29 and a maximum of 39.
• High: Average FPS of 32.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 26.

The data shows a consistent pattern. The Low preset is the only one that can maintain an average above 60 FPS, and only at 1080p. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fail to reach 60 FPS at any resolution. The average FPS for these higher presets is consistently in the 26 to 45 range, suggesting a sub-optimal gaming experience. The Ultra preset at 4K is the worst performer, with an average of just 26 FPS. The lack of min/max data for most settings indicates that only the Medium preset was tested for frame time consistency, and its data shows a spread of roughly 10 FPS between minimum and maximum, indicating some volatility.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings to use for this combo in Overpower?*

A: The data indicates that the Low preset is the only way to achieve smooth gameplay. The highest average FPS is 72 at 1920x1080. At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 64 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it achieves 54 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X the reason for the low frame rates?

A: No. The CPU is in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs and has benchmark scores like 32172 in Cinebench R23 multicore. The frame rates are limited by the Intel Arc B390, which is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to other GPUs?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482. It is only 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, placing it in the same performance tier as these legacy mobile and OEM parts.

*Q: Can this combo run Overpower at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only with significant compromises. At 4K with the Low preset, the average FPS is 54. At 4K with Medium settings, it drops to 34 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 26 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 72 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 35 FPS. This represents a 51.4% reduction in performance when moving from Low to Ultra.

*Q: How does this specific combo rank against other tested CPU/GPU pairings in Overpower?*

A: This combination is ranked 2638 out of 2980 tested combos. This low ranking is directly caused by the GPU, as the CPU's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-14900 and AMD EPYC 7313, indicating a high-end processor paired with a very low-end graphics solution.