Overpower

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination in Overpower shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, with the most significant performance drop occurring between 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 160 FPS, but dropping to 1440p Low reduces the average to 145 FPS, a decrease of 15 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is more severe, with the average falling to 123 FPS, indicating that the GPU is beginning to face a heavier workload as pixel count grows. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets: moving from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 9-10% performance, while the jump to 4K costs an additional 15-16% relative to the 1440p figure. This scaling behavior suggests that at 1080p, the system is likely balanced between CPU and GPU, but as resolution climbs, the RX 7700 becomes the limiting component, which is typical for a mid-range GPU paired with a six-core processor from an older generation.

The data indicates that the RX 7700 handles 1440p well, but 4K pushes it to its limits, particularly at higher settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 59, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many users consider playable, while 4K High maintains a more comfortable 71 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent loss of performance: at 1080p, the difference between Low (160 FPS) and Ultra (78 FPS) is 82 FPS, or roughly half the performance. At 1440p, the same Low-to-Ultra gap is 75 FPS (145 to 70), and at 4K, it is 64 FPS (123 to 59). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU's raw throughput, not the CPU's processing power, is the primary constraint when pixel count increases.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall ranking of tested combinations for Overpower, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 sits at position 1409 out of 2980 combos. This places it squarely in the middle of the pack, meaning that roughly 47% of all tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates, while about 53% perform worse. The percentile ranking of 47th for the CPU and 58th for the GPU individually suggests that the graphics card is the stronger component in this pairing, but the older processor holds the combo back from achieving a higher overall standing. The CPU's average benchmark score of 2254 puts it in the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with its nearest rivals being the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (scoring 2259, 0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, 0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, 0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, 0.4% higher). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that the i5-9400 is extremely competitive with these specific alternatives, but none of them represent a significant upgrade.

The GPU, on the other hand, has an average benchmark score of 15852, placing it in the 58th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862, 0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16014, 1% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15679, 1.1% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129, 1.7% higher). The small deltas here, ranging from -1.7% to +1.1%, show that the RX 7700 is tightly clustered with these competitors, but it does not decisively outperform any of them. In Overpower specifically, the combo's rank of 1409 out of 2980 reflects a system that can handle the game at playable frame rates across most settings, but it is not optimized for maximum performance. The gap between the CPU's 47th percentile and the GPU's 58th percentile suggests that upgrading the processor could yield better results than upgrading the graphics card for this specific title, as the GPU likely has headroom that the i5-9400 cannot fully utilize.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combo in Overpower depends on the target resolution and whether the user prioritizes smoothness over visual fidelity. For 1080p, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 160 FPS, but this comes at the cost of visual quality. The Medium preset at 102 FPS offers a balanced experience, with the data showing a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, ensuring that frame times remain consistent enough for a smooth experience even in demanding scenes. The High preset at 94 FPS is also viable, but the Ultra preset at 78 FPS, while still above 60 FPS, leaves less headroom for frame drops in action-heavy moments. For most users at 1080p, the Medium preset provides the best combination of visual quality and performance, as the 102 FPS average is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the minimum of 86 FPS indicates that it rarely dips into uncomfortable territory.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again appears to be the sweet spot, with an average of 91 FPS and a minimum of 77 FPS. The High preset at 84 FPS is also acceptable, but the Ultra preset at 70 FPS starts to approach the lower bound of what is considered fast-paced gaming. For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 123 FPS is the only option that provides a high refresh rate experience, but it sacrifices significant visual detail. The Medium preset at 77 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS is playable, but the High preset at 71 FPS and the Ultra preset at 59 FPS are borderline, with Ultra dropping below 60 FPS, which can result in noticeable stutter on standard 60Hz displays. The data suggests that for 4K, users should stick to Medium settings to maintain a stable frame rate, while for 1080p and 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset for a balance of visual quality and performance. The measured minimum frame rates for Medium settings at all three resolutions (86, 77, and 65 FPS respectively) show that this preset provides the most consistent experience, with the gaps between average and minimum being relatively small.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination in Overpower provides a comprehensive look at how the system performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves the highest average at 160 FPS, followed by Medium at 102 FPS, High at 94 FPS, and Ultra at 78 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, indicating a 31 FPS range between the lowest and highest frame rates. The High and Ultra presets do not have recorded minimum or maximum values, so only the averages are available for comparison. The scaling from Low to Medium at 1080p results in a 58 FPS drop, which is substantial, but the transition from Medium to High is only 8 FPS, and from High to Ultra is another 16 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset is where the most significant visual quality improvements can be obtained for a relatively small performance cost, while the jump from Medium to High is more efficient than the jump from Low to Medium.

At 2560x1440, the pattern is similar but with lower overall numbers. The Low preset averages 145 FPS, Medium averages 91 FPS, High averages 84 FPS, and Ultra averages 70 FPS. The Medium preset again provides the only recorded minimum and maximum values, with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 104 FPS, a range of 27 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium at 1440p is 54 FPS, slightly less than at 1080p, but the Medium to High gap narrows to just 7 FPS, and High to Ultra drops by 14 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 123 FPS, which is still quite high, but the Medium preset falls to 77 FPS, High to 71 FPS, and Ultra to 59 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum at 4K is 65 FPS, and its maximum is 89 FPS, a 24 FPS range. The Low-to-Medium transition at 4K is a 46 FPS drop, which is the smallest of the three resolutions, while Medium-to-High is only 6 FPS, and High-to-Ultra is 12 FPS. The data shows that the performance cost of increasing settings is not linear, with the largest penalty occurring when moving from Low to Medium, and diminishing returns as settings are raised further.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 plays a central role in Overpower's performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This memory configuration is substantial for a mid-range card and ensures that the GPU does not become bottlenecked by memory capacity or bandwidth in this title, even at 4K with high-resolution textures. The card's boost clock is rated at 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz and a base clock of 1900 MHz. These clocks are moderate for the RDNA 3.0 architecture, but the 5 nm process node from TSMC allows the card to operate efficiently within its 200 W TDP. The GPU's 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation processors provide raw compute power that is well-suited for a game like Overpower, which appears to scale predictably with resolution.

The GPU's benchmark scores further contextualize its role. In 3DMark Steel Nomad (DX12), the card scores 2865, and its PassMark G3D score is 20974, with a PassMark GPU compute score of 10963. These synthetic benchmarks place the RX 7700 in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, indicating that it is a capable performer but not at the top of the stack. In Overpower, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 59 FPS, just below the 60 FPS target. At 4K Low, the card delivers 123 FPS, showing that it has enough headroom for lower settings, but the Ultra preset's demands exceed its capabilities. The GPU's 40 ray tracing cores are present but likely not heavily utilized in this action title, as the performance scaling from High to Ultra does not show any unusual spikes that would indicate ray tracing overhead. The card's memory clock of 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) and its 96 ROPs contribute to its fill rate of 236.1 GPixel/s, which is sufficient for the pixel throughput required at 4K with reduced settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Overpower?*

A: The highest average FPS is 160, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The second highest is 145 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings, followed by 123 FPS at 3840x2160 with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 4K achieves 71 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 77 FPS, both of which are above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259), 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248), 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246), and 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264).

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15852. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, scores 15862, which is 0.1% higher.

Q: Which settings preset shows the smallest performance gap between average and minimum FPS?

A: At all three resolutions, the Medium preset shows the smallest gap. At 1080p, the average is 102 FPS and the minimum is 86 FPS, a 16 FPS gap. At 1440p, the average is 91 FPS and the minimum is 77 FPS, a 14 FPS gap. At 4K, the average is 77 FPS and the minimum is 65 FPS, a 12 FPS gap.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1409 out of 2980 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the field. The CPU's 47th percentile and GPU's 58th percentile suggest the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing.