Overpower

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER occupies a mid-to-low tier position in the Overpower benchmark hierarchy. With a combo rank of 1562 out of 1744 tested configurations, this pairing sits in the 10th percentile of all tested combos, indicating that a significant majority of systems deliver higher frame rates in this title. The data positions this combo as a capable entry-level option, but the performance ceiling is firmly set by the graphics card rather than the processor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1562 out of 1744 places it in the lower 10.4% of all tested systems. This is a decisive indicator that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting factor, as the CPU component alone performs far better relative to its own field. The Intel Core i5-12400 holds a percentile rank of 77 against all CPUs, which denotes a solid mid-range processor capable of handling modern workloads. Its average benchmark score of 19850 places it nearly even with the Intel Core i7-9700, which scores 19831 and sits a mere 0.1% behind. The i5-12400 also edges out the Intel Core i7-8700 by 0.2%, whose average score is 19894. In practical terms, the processor is not the bottleneck in this pairing.

The GPU, conversely, holds a percentile rank of 55 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14286. This places it in a tight cluster of similarly performing graphics cards. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 14314, a 0.2% difference, while the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14315, also a 0.2% lead over the GTX 1660 SUPER. The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT scores 14389, representing a 0.7% advantage. The data shows that the GPU is competitive with integrated and entry-level discrete solutions, which explains the low combo ranking when paired with a relatively strong CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, effective 14 Gbps. The GPU’s base clock is 1530 MHz, with a boost clock of 1785 MHz. These specifications define the card’s role in Overpower: it provides sufficient memory capacity for 1080p and 1440p gameplay, but the 6 GB frame buffer becomes a constraint at higher resolutions with demanding settings.

The card’s compute capabilities are modest, with a FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s. The texture rate is 157.1 GTexel/s, supported by 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. These figures translate directly to the measured frame rates in Overpower. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 45.5 FPS, which drops to 34.6 FPS at 4K Ultra. The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU that is being pushed to its limits, as the processor has ample headroom to feed the graphics card. The gap between the CPU’s strong single-thread score of 910 in 3dmark single-thread testing and the GPU’s moderate performance underscores that the graphics card is the primary determinant of frame rate in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution-dependent scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 100.5 FPS, which drops to 87.4 FPS at 1440p Low, a 13.0% reduction. Moving to 4K Low yields 77.6 FPS, a further 11.2% decline from 1440p. This scaling indicates that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is still the limiting factor, as the frame rate does not scale proportionally with the pixel count reduction.

At Medium settings, the trend continues: 1080p delivers 63.5 FPS, 1440p drops to 52.9 FPS, and 4K falls to 44.8 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 16.7%, while from 1440p to 4K it is 15.3%. This relatively consistent scaling suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are being taxed uniformly across resolution increases. The High settings show a similar pattern, with 56.4 FPS at 1080p, 52.9 FPS at 1440p, and 43.5 FPS at 4K. The 1440p and 1080p High results are notably close, differing by only 6.2%, which suggests a shift toward CPU limitation at this setting level. However, the 4K High result drops by 17.8% from 1440p, reasserting GPU dominance.

Ultra settings exhibit the steepest scaling. The combo produces 45.5 FPS at 1080p, 44.4 FPS at 1440p, and 34.6 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p difference is a mere 2.4%, indicating that the CPU is fully capable of maintaining performance at the higher resolution. The 4K result, however, falls 22.1% below 1440p, showing that the GPU’s memory capacity and compute limits are severely strained at this resolution. The overall pattern across all settings confirms that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the bottleneck, with the CPU only becoming relevant at lower resolutions and higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 100.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset achieves 63.5 FPS, which still provides a playable experience with better visual fidelity. The High preset yields 56.4 FPS, which is marginally below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra drops to 45.5 FPS. For a balanced experience at 1080p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it maintains a playable frame rate while offering improved visual quality over Low.

At 1440p, the Low preset delivers 87.4 FPS, which is sufficient for most displays. The Medium preset matches the High preset at 52.9 FPS, indicating that the GPU is unable to differentiate between these settings at this resolution. The Ultra preset produces 44.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The data suggests that 1440p Low is the most sensible choice, as it provides a significant frame rate advantage over Medium while sacrificing only visual polish. Pushing to Medium or High at 1440p results in a frame rate that is borderline for competitive play.

At 4K, the Low preset achieves 77.6 FPS, which is surprisingly high given the GPU’s tier. The Medium preset drops to 44.8 FPS, a 42.3% reduction, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The High preset yields 43.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34.6 FPS. The data strongly recommends 4K Low as the only viable setting for this combo, as any higher preset results in frame rates below 45 FPS. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is likely a contributing factor, as higher settings at 4K may exceed the frame buffer, causing performance degradation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers a wide range of performance across settings. The Low preset achieves 100.5 FPS, the highest measured result for this combo. The Medium preset produces 63.5 FPS, a 36.8% reduction from Low, while the High preset reaches 56.4 FPS, an 11.2% drop from Medium. The Ultra preset yields 45.5 FPS, which is 19.1% below High. This progression shows that each settings tier imposes a significant performance cost, with the gap between Low and Medium being the largest.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 87.4 FPS, which is 13.0% lower than the 1080p Low result. The Medium and High presets both achieve 52.9 FPS, a notable convergence that indicates the GPU is hitting a performance ceiling. The Ultra preset produces 44.4 FPS, which is 16.1% below the Medium and High results. The identical frame rates for Medium and High suggest that the GPU’s compute resources are fully saturated at this resolution, and additional visual settings do not impact performance.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 77.6 FPS, which is 11.2% lower than 1440p Low. The Medium preset delivers 44.8 FPS, a 42.3% drop from Low, while the High preset reaches 43.5 FPS, a marginal 2.9% reduction. The Ultra preset yields 34.6 FPS, which is 20.5% below the High result. The steep decline from Low to Medium at 4K, combined with the minimal difference between Medium and High, indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth is the primary constraint at this resolution. The combo’s performance at 4K is limited to the Low preset for acceptable frame rates, while 1440p offers more flexibility with Low being the recommended setting. At 1080p, the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with the Low preset available for players prioritizing frame rate.