Overpower

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an unusual combination in the Overpower benchmark database, mixing a mid-range 14th Gen processor with the flagship Blackwell GPU. This combo ranks 50th out of 2980 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1.7% of all tested pairs. The data shows this pairing delivers high refresh rates across all resolutions, but the processor’s position as the potential bottleneck becomes clear when examining the FPS scaling from 1440p to 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured results, the GPU’s role, the CPU’s contribution, and what settings provide the best experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 50 out of 2980 tested combos is a strong result, placing it well within the top 2% of all pairings in the Overpower database. This rank reflects the combined capability of the two components, but it does not mean the parts are perfectly balanced. The CPU’s own percentile versus all CPUs is 83, meaning it outperforms 83% of tested processors, while the GPU’s percentile versus all GPUs is 92, outperforming 92% of tested graphics cards. The gap between these percentiles suggests the GPU is relatively stronger than the CPU, which is a typical pattern when pairing a high-end graphics card with a mid-range processor.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the i5-14400F’s average benchmark score of 32279 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233, 0.1% delta), the Intel Core i9-11900 (32226, 0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354, -0.2% delta). The i7-12800H trails slightly at 32121 (0.5% delta). These deltas are all within half a percent, meaning the i5-14400F performs essentially on par with those four rivals in general CPU benchmarks. This is important context: the CPU is not a standout performer, but it is also not a weak link in synthetic tests.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a different story. The RTX 5090 D’s average benchmark score of 77712 sits 1.1% above the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904) and 1.6% below the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940). The NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants are 2.1% and 2.4% lower. These deltas are small, but the RTX 5090 D’s 92nd percentile ranking means it sits above most GPUs in the database. In Overpower specifically, the combo’s 50th rank is driven primarily by the GPU’s ability to push high frame rates, while the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions.

The rank of 50 also implies that 49 other combos outperform this pairing in Overpower. Given the GPU’s high percentile, those higher-ranked combos likely feature stronger CPUs. The measured FPS data supports this: at 4K Ultra the combo hits 119 FPS average, but at 1080p Low it reaches 245 FPS. The scaling from 4K to 1080p is not linear, which points to CPU limitations at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. In short, the combo ranks well because the GPU carries most of the weight, but the CPU prevents it from reaching the very top of the list.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the primary driver of Overpower’s performance in this combo. Its memory configuration is substantial: 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are directly relevant to Overpower’s demands, as the game’s high-resolution textures and effects can consume significant VRAM. At 4K Ultra settings, the GPU’s 32 GB ensures no capacity-related stutters, which is reflected in the measured 119 FPS average.

The GPU’s core clocks are 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost. These clocks, combined with 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, produce a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS, which is the raw compute throughput available for game logic and graphics shaders. The RT cores (170) and tensor cores (680) are present but their specific impact on Overpower is not directly measured; however, the base and boost clocks give an indication of sustained performance headroom.

The GPU’s benchmark results reinforce its capability. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 14326. Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores are 310674 and 376915, respectively. Passmark G3D score is 44065, with a G2D score of 1487. The Passmark DirectX tests show scores of 231 (DX10), 371 (DX11), 219 (DX12), and 434 (DX9). These numbers are useful for comparing the GPU to others in the database, but for Overpower, the measured FPS is the most direct evidence.

The GPU’s role in this combo is to deliver high frame rates at all settings. At 4K Medium, the GPU produces 155 FPS average with a minimum of 132 and maximum of 178. At 4K Low, it reaches 224 FPS average. The fact that 4K Low (224 FPS) is higher than 1440p Ultra (140 FPS) shows that settings have a larger impact than resolution on this GPU. This is typical for a high-end card where the bottleneck shifts from the GPU to the CPU as settings drop. The GPU is also the reason the combo ranks 50th overall, as its 92nd percentile performance overshadows the CPU’s 83rd percentile.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers 144 FPS average, which is ideal for a 144 Hz display. Medium provides 155 FPS average (with a min of 132 and max of 178), which adds a small margin over High but with a slightly lower minimum. Ultra drops to 119 FPS average, which may be acceptable for 120 Hz displays but introduces a larger gap from the High preset. Low reaches 224 FPS, but that comes with reduced visual quality. For 4K, High is the sweet spot: it maintains a high average while preserving more visual fidelity than Medium or Low.

At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 169 FPS average, which is sufficient for 165 Hz monitors. Medium gives 182 FPS average (min 155, max 209), a solid improvement over High. Ultra drops to 140 FPS average, which still clears 120 Hz but misses 144 Hz. Low reaches 236 FPS, which exceeds most high-refresh displays. For 1440p, Medium is the recommendation because it provides the highest average (182 FPS) while keeping the minimum above 155 FPS, ensuring smooth frame pacing. High is a close second, and Ultra is only worth it if you prioritize visual detail over frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 204 FPS average (min 174, max 235), which is the best balance of quality and speed. High reaches 189 FPS average, still very smooth, while Ultra drops to 157 FPS. Low hits 245 FPS, which is the maximum measured in this category. For 1080p, Medium is the clear choice: it offers a 204 FPS average with a minimum above 170 FPS, making it suitable for 200 Hz+ displays. High is fine for 144 Hz monitors, and Ultra is playable but not ideal for competitive play.

The data suggests that this combo is powerful enough to run Overpower at high refresh rates even at 4K. The recommendation is to use High at 4K (144 FPS), Medium at 1440p (182 FPS), and Medium at 1080p (204 FPS). These presets provide the best measured combination of average FPS and minimum FPS stability. Ultra settings are only advisable if you have a 120 Hz display and prioritize image quality over frame rate headroom. Low settings are unnecessary given the GPU’s headroom, except for extreme competitive scenarios where every frame counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured results show a clear progression from Low to Ultra. Low averages 224 FPS, Medium averages 155 FPS (with a minimum of 132 and maximum of 178), High averages 144 FPS, and Ultra averages 119 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 69 FPS, which is a significant drop, indicating that Medium settings introduce substantial GPU load. The gap between Medium and High is only 11 FPS, suggesting that High is close to Medium in cost. Ultra is 25 FPS below High, making it the most demanding preset. The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium (132), which shows that even at 4K, the combo maintains a playable floor.

At 2560x1440, the averages are higher across the board. Low hits 236 FPS, Medium averages 182 FPS (min 155, max 209), High averages 169 FPS, and Ultra averages 140 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 54 FPS, similar to 4K but slightly smaller. Medium to High is a 13 FPS drop, and High to Ultra is a 29 FPS drop. The minimum for Medium is 155 FPS, which is higher than the 4K Medium minimum of 132 FPS, showing that resolution scaling affects both average and minimums. At 1440p, even Ultra stays above 140 FPS, which is suitable for 144 Hz displays.

At 1920x1080, the results are the highest measured. Low averages 245 FPS, Medium averages 204 FPS (min 174, max 235), High averages 189 FPS, and Ultra averages 157 FPS. The Low-to-Medium gap is 41 FPS, Medium-to-High is 15 FPS, and High-to-Ultra is 32 FPS. The minimum for Medium is 174 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold. Interestingly, the 1080p Ultra average (157 FPS) is higher than the 4K Medium average (155 FPS), indicating that the GPU is still the dominant factor at 1080p Ultra, but the CPU begins to limit at lower settings.

Comparing across resolutions, the 4K Low (224 FPS) is lower than 1080p Low (245 FPS), but 4K Medium (155 FPS) is close to 1080p Ultra (157 FPS). This suggests that the GPU’s load scales more with settings than resolution in Overpower. The measured data shows that the combo can exceed 200 FPS at 1080p Low and 1440p Low, while staying above 140 FPS at 4K Ultra. The only preset where the combo drops below 120 FPS is 4K Ultra (119 FPS), which is still a solid result for a demanding resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this hardware in Overpower?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 with Medium settings gives 182 FPS average (min 155, max 209), which is the best balance of speed and stability. For 4K, High at 144 FPS is recommended, while 1080p Medium at 204 FPS (min 174, max 235) is ideal for high-refresh displays.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K Ultra?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo delivers an average of 119 FPS. This is the lowest measured average across all presets, but it still clears 60 FPS by a wide margin and is suitable for 120 Hz displays, though not for 144 Hz.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting in this combo?

A: The GPU is the stronger component, with a 92nd percentile ranking versus the CPU’s 83rd. The FPS scaling from 4K to 1080p shows that the CPU limits at lower resolutions: 1080p Low (245 FPS) is only 21 FPS higher than 4K Low (224 FPS), while 1080p Ultra (157 FPS) is 38 FPS higher than 4K Ultra (119 FPS). This indicates the CPU becomes a bottleneck at low settings and low resolutions.

Q: What minimum FPS can I expect at Medium settings?

A: Medium settings have the only measured minimum FPS values. At 4K, the minimum is 132 FPS; at 1440p, it is 155 FPS; at 1080p, it is 174 FPS. These minimums are all well above typical refresh rates, ensuring smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 D’s average benchmark score (77712) is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904) and 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940). It also sits 2.1% above the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 2.4% above the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB.

Q: Does this combo achieve 240 FPS in Overpower?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 Low, the combo averages 245 FPS, which exceeds 240 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, it averages 236 FPS, which is just below 240 FPS. No other preset at any resolution reaches 240 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is the supporting component in this combo, and its specifications explain its behavior in Overpower. It has 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The 65 W TDP is modest, and the architecture is Raptor Lake-R on a 10 nm process. The cache configuration includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 20 MB shared L3. This is not a high-end CPU, but it is adequate for gaming.

The CPU’s benchmarks show solid single-thread performance. Cinebench R23 single-core scores 3055, and Geekbench single-core scores 2058. Multi-core scores are 21645 (Cinebench R23) and 11268 (Geekbench). Passmark single-thread is 3701, and multithread is 25470. These numbers place the CPU in the 83rd percentile, which is respectable but not top-tier. In Overpower, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and its 10 cores and 16 threads are sufficient for the game’s demands, but they do not match the GPU’s raw power.

The measured FPS data shows the CPU’s impact most clearly at low settings. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 245 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 224 FPS, a difference of only 21 FPS. This small delta indicates that the GPU is still the main contributor even at low settings, but the CPU’s single-thread performance caps the maximum frame rate. Similarly, at 1080p Ultra (157 FPS) versus 4K Ultra (119 FPS), the difference is 38 FPS, which shows that the GPU is doing more work at higher settings. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.70 GHz helps maintain frame pacing, but it cannot push frame rates beyond what its 10 cores allow.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores are all within 0.5% of its average score, meaning that swapping the i5-14400F for a Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, Core i9-11900, Ryzen 7 6800HS, or Core i7-12800H would likely produce similar Overpower results. The CPU’s 20 MB L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 or DDR5) are adequate, but the lack of integrated graphics (N/A) means the GPU is solely responsible for rendering. The CPU’s PCIe Gen 5 support with 16 lanes ensures the RTX 5090 D has full bandwidth, but this does not translate into a performance advantage in the measured FPS.

In practical terms, the CPU is not the star of this combo, but it is also not a severe bottleneck. At 4K Ultra, the CPU allows the GPU to achieve 119 FPS, which is a strong result. At 1440p Medium, the combo hits 182 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, 204 FPS. These numbers are all playable and high, but they fall short of what a top-tier CPU might achieve at low settings. If a user were to pair this GPU with a stronger processor, the 1080p Low result might exceed 245 FPS, but the 4K results would likely remain similar due to the GPU’s dominance. For Overpower specifically, the i5-14400F does its job without holding the GPU back to a noticeable degree in most scenarios, but the data suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p Low and 1440p Low.