Overpower

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 reveal a pronounced sensitivity to resolution scaling in Overpower. The data shows a clear, consistent drop in average FPS as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which indicates that the graphics subsystem is the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 65 FPS at 1080p to 58 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 7 FPS, and then further declines to 49 FPS at 4K, representing a total drop of 16 FPS from the baseline. This 24.6% decrease from 1080p to 4K at Low settings suggests that even at the least demanding visual configuration, the GPU is struggling to maintain performance as pixel count rises.

The pattern intensifies when moving to Medium settings. Here, the average FPS starts at 41 at 1080p, drops to 36 at 1440p, and bottoms out at 31 at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Medium is 10 FPS, which is a 24.4% reduction. Interestingly, the High preset shows a similar relative decline: 38 FPS at 1080p, 34 at 1440p, and 28 at 4K, a total loss of 10 FPS or 26.3%. The Ultra preset follows the same trajectory, beginning at 31 FPS at 1080p, falling to 28 at 1440p, and reaching 24 at 4K, a drop of 7 FPS or 22.6%. The consistency of these percentage losses across all settings is a strong indicator that the limiting component remains the same regardless of visual load; it is the GPU that is being saturated.

At 4K Ultra, the combination produces just 24 FPS, which is below playable thresholds for most action titles. The measured FPS data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 25 FPS (49 vs 24), while at 1080p that same gap is 34 FPS (65 vs 31). This compression of the settings range at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU’s raw throughput is the ceiling. The Intel Arc B370, with a benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, placing it near the bottom of the performance stack. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000, all of which have average scores within 1.4% of the Arc B370. These are legacy or entry-level parts, and the data reflects that this GPU is not designed for high-resolution gaming.

The frame rate drops observed here are not linear with pixel count; going from 1080p to 4K quadruples the pixel count, yet the FPS does not quarter. This non-linearity suggests that the CPU, while not the primary limiter, still provides enough of a floor to prevent a catastrophic collapse. The Intel Core i5-10400F has a boost clock of 4.30 GHz and 6 cores with 12 threads, which is sufficient to feed frames at these moderate rates. Had the CPU been the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the GPU would be waiting on the processor. Instead, the steady decline with each resolution increase points squarely at the Arc B370 as the component that determines the playable ceiling.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F plays a secondary but non-negligible role in this combination’s Overpower performance. The CPU is based on the Comet Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 14 nm process, and features 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, and it boosts up to 4.30 GHz, which provides adequate single-threaded performance for an action game. The benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 688 in 3DMark, while the 2-thread score is 1350, indicating that the processor can handle lightly threaded workloads without significant issue. For a game like Overpower, which typically relies on a few primary threads for game logic and physics, this CPU is capable of keeping up with the GPU’s frame output at most settings.

The multi-threaded capabilities are also relevant. The 3DMark 16-thread score is 4748, and the max-thread score is 4735, showing that scaling beyond 8 threads yields diminishing returns. The 8-thread score of 3929 is notably lower, suggesting that the CPU’s performance plateaus quickly. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score is 10283, and the single-core score is 1451. These numbers indicate that the i5-10400F is a solid mid-range processor from its generation, sitting in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 14185 places it in close competition with the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163, 0.2% higher), Intel Core 7 160UL (14232, 0.3% lower), AMD EPYC 7552 (14115, 0.5% higher), and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277, 0.6% lower). This grouping shows that the CPU’s raw compute power is competitive with a range of server and mobile parts, but none of these rivals are gaming-focused, and the i5’s value here lies in its balanced throughput.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU’s influence is most visible at 1080p Low, where the GPU has less work to do. At 65 FPS, the combination is likely approaching the CPU’s frame delivery limit. If the GPU were the sole bottleneck, we would expect to see higher frame rates at this low resolution and settings combo. The fact that the average FPS at 1080p Low is 65, while at 1440p Low it drops to 58, suggests that the CPU can still push frames, but the GPU is starting to become the constraint. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 34 FPS, which is the largest gap across all resolutions, indicating that at lower pixel counts, the GPU has headroom to render more complex scenes, but the CPU must keep up with the increased draw calls.

The CPU’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient for this game’s demands. The data does not show any signs of stutter or frame pacing issues that would indicate CPU overload; the min FPS values recorded for Medium settings (34 at 1080p, 31 at 1440p, 26 at 4K) are consistent with the average FPS, suggesting smooth frame delivery. Overall, the i5-10400F is not the star of this show, but it provides a stable foundation. The benchmark results indicate that the processor is capable of delivering frames at rates well above what the Arc B370 can render at higher settings, meaning that the GPU is the definitive limiting factor in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2742 out of 2980 tested combos in Overpower. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, which is a poor result for a gaming PC. The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s low performance, as the CPU is in the 68th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 5th percentile. This stark contrast highlights an imbalanced pairing: a relatively capable CPU is hamstrung by a very weak GPU. The combo rank reflects the overall system capability, and with a GPU that scores only 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, the system is not positioned for competitive or high-fidelity gaming.

In the context of other tested combos, this rank means that 238 other combinations perform worse, but the vast majority (2741) perform better. This is not a configuration that would be recommended for Overpower at any resolution above 1080p with high settings. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (average score 1190, 0.5% higher) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher), both of which are over a decade old. The fact that the Arc B370 is competing with these legacy parts in terms of raw benchmark score is telling; despite being a modern Intel product with a 3 nm process and Xe3-LPG architecture, its performance is on par with ancient discrete GPUs.

The combo rank also suggests that the CPU is not being fully utilized. If the GPU were less of a bottleneck, the i5-10400F could likely push higher frame rates, given its 3DMark scores. However, the measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, the system only achieves 65 FPS, which is far below what the CPU alone could deliver. This implies that the GPU is holding back the entire system, and the combo rank suffers accordingly. For a user looking at this data, the takeaway is clear: this is a low-end configuration that will struggle with Overpower at any resolution above 1080p, and even at 1080p, only the Low preset offers a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Overpower provides a detailed view of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 65 FPS on Low, 41 FPS on Medium, 38 FPS on High, and 31 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting also recorded a min FPS of 34 and a max FPS of 47, indicating some variance but generally stable performance. At this resolution, only the Low preset delivers an average above 60 FPS, which is the typical target for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 38 FPS is playable but not ideal for an action game, and Ultra at 31 FPS approaches the edge of playability.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops across the board: 58 FPS on Low, 36 FPS on Medium, 34 FPS on High, and 28 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset here shows a min of 31 and a max of 42, which is a tighter range than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is more consistently saturated. At 1440p, no preset achieves 60 FPS, and even Low falls short by 2 FPS. This resolution is not suitable for this combo if a high refresh rate is desired. The High preset at 34 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 28 FPS is likely to feel sluggish in fast-paced action scenes.

At 3840x2160, the performance is marginal. The average FPS values are 49 on Low, 31 on Medium, 28 on High, and 24 on Ultra. The Medium preset recorded a min of 26 and a max of 35, showing that frame rates can dip below 30 FPS, which is often considered the minimum for playable performance. The Low preset at 49 FPS is the only setting at 4K that approaches a playable level, but it still falls short of 60 FPS. Ultra at 24 FPS is essentially a slideshow, and the data clearly indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combination.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: the Low preset provides the best frame rates, with a 65 FPS average at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset offers a middle ground, with 41, 36, and 31 FPS respectively. The High preset is only slightly better than Medium in some cases (38 vs 41 at 1080p is actually worse), which is unusual and suggests that the High preset may incur additional GPU overhead without a corresponding visual benefit. The Ultra preset consistently delivers the lowest frame rates, with 31, 28, and 24 FPS. The min FPS data for Medium settings shows that the system can maintain frame rates within a 10-13 FPS range, which is decent for a low-end GPU. Overall, the data paints a picture of a system that can handle Overpower at low settings and lower resolutions, but struggles significantly as demands increase.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where any preset achieves an average above 60 FPS (Low at 65 FPS). At 2560x1440, the highest average is 58 FPS on Low, and at 3840x2160, the highest is 49 FPS on Low. For a smooth experience, 1080p is the recommended resolution.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F or the Intel Arc B370 the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Arc B370 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 68th percentile. The frame rates drop consistently with resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation.

Q: Can this system run Overpower at 4K?

A: Technically yes, but not well. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 49 FPS, Medium averages 31 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. Only Low is close to playable, and even then, it is below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B370’s average benchmark score is 1184. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% higher), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% lower). These are all legacy parts, indicating the Arc B370 is at the very bottom of the performance scale.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 65 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 31 FPS, a difference of 34 FPS. This is the largest gap between settings at any resolution, showing that the GPU has some headroom at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance affect Overpower?

A: The i5-10400F has a 3DMark max-thread score of 4735, which is close to its 16-thread score of 4748. This indicates that the CPU is well-utilized at 12 threads, but its performance plateaus beyond 8 threads. For an action game, the CPU provides enough throughput to avoid being a limiting factor, as shown by the GPU-bound frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for Overpower with this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only option that delivers a smooth 65 FPS average, which is ideal for maintaining high frame rates. The Medium preset at 41 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive, while High at 38 FPS and Ultra at 31 FPS are not recommended for an action game where quick reactions are needed. For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, Medium offers a reasonable compromise, but the data suggests that Low is the best choice for consistent performance.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is again the top performer with 58 FPS, which is slightly below the 60 FPS target but still acceptable. The Medium preset at 36 FPS is playable but with noticeable compromises, and High at 34 FPS and Ultra at 28 FPS are not ideal. The min FPS values for Medium (31) are close to the average, indicating stable frame delivery, but the overall experience will be better on Low. For 1440p gamers, Low is the recommended preset, as it provides the highest frame rate and the lowest risk of stutter.

At 3840x2160, the situation is grim. The Low preset averages 49 FPS, which is the only setting that approaches playability, but it is still below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 31 FPS is borderline, and High at 28 FPS and Ultra at 24 FPS are not recommended for any serious gameplay. The data shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo, and users should either drop to 1440p or accept low frame rates at 4K if they insist on that resolution. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 26 at 4K indicates that frame rates can dip below 30 FPS, which can cause noticeable judder.

Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is achieved with the Low preset at 1920x1080, delivering 65 FPS. For users who want to play at higher resolutions, Low is still the best choice, but they must accept lower frame rates. The High and Ultra presets offer marginal visual improvements over Medium but come with significant FPS penalties, making them poor choices for this hardware. The data clearly supports a Low-settings approach for any resolution, with 1080p being the sweet spot for playable performance.