Overpower

Overpower is a demanding Action title that stresses both processor and graphics card, and the Intel Core i5-9400 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination delivers a mixed bag of results depending on your target resolution and quality settings. The data shows that this pairing is capable of smooth 1080p play, but it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, making it a setup that requires careful settings management to get the most out of it.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, revealing a clear GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo achieves 53.8 FPS, which falls to 48.1 FPS at 1440p and further to 38.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 29% performance loss from 1080p to 4K at the highest quality preset, indicating that the GTX 1070's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus are being pushed to their limits.

The scaling pattern becomes more telling when looking at Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 107.6 FPS, which drops to 95.9 FPS at 1440p and 81.5 FPS at 4K. The smaller percentage drop at Low settings (24% from 1080p to 4K) suggests that the CPU has more headroom to work with when the GPU isn't as heavily loaded. However, even at Low settings, the 4K result shows the GPU is still the limiting factor, as the frame rate falls well below the 1440p result.

The most interesting data point is at Medium settings, where 1080p produces 63.4 FPS, 1440p produces 58.3 FPS, and 4K produces 50.8 FPS. The relatively small differences between resolutions here (a 20% drop from 1080p to 4K) suggest that Medium settings are hitting a sweet spot where both CPU and GPU are reasonably balanced. This makes Medium the most resolution-agnostic preset, which is useful for players who want consistent performance regardless of their display.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 brings 6 cores and 6 threads to the table, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 7969 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1125 points in single-core, placing it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. This mid-range positioning means it provides adequate processing power for Overpower but doesn't offer the headroom that higher-end chips would.

The CPU's nearest rivals are separated by less than 1% in average benchmark scores, with the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4 both scoring 0.2% higher, while the Intel Xeon E-2134 is 0.4% ahead. This tight grouping indicates that the i5-9400 is right at the edge of its performance class, and any gains from the CPU side would require a significant upgrade.

In Overpower specifically, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 107.6 FPS, which is close to the practical ceiling for a 6-core, 6-thread processor in this title. The fact that 1080p High only reaches 60.1 FPS (a 44% drop from Low) suggests that the game's graphics settings have a larger impact on performance than the CPU's clock speed at this resolution. However, when comparing 1080p Medium (63.4 FPS) to 1440p Medium (58.3 FPS), the CPU maintains a consistent frame rate, showing it can keep up with the GPU's workload without becoming a bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Overpower?

A: The data shows 4K performance ranges from 38.1 FPS at Ultra to 81.5 FPS at Low, with High settings producing 45.9 FPS. This means 4K is only playable at Low settings, while Medium (50.8 FPS) and High (45.9 FPS) are borderline, and Ultra falls below 40 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: 1080p is clearly the strongest resolution, with every settings preset producing playable frame rates. The lowest result at 1080p is 53.8 FPS (Ultra), while 1440p dips to 48.1 FPS at Ultra and 4K falls to 38.1 FPS at Ultra. For consistent performance, 1080p Medium (63.4 FPS) or High (60.1 FPS) offers the best balance.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GTX 1070 is 0.7% faster than the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 in average benchmark scores, while the GeForce GTX 880M is 1.3% faster and the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER is 1.4% faster. These differences are minimal, suggesting the 1070 performs similarly to these cards in Overpower.

Q: Does the i5-9400 bottleneck the GTX 1070?

A: At 1080p Low, the system reaches 107.6 FPS, which is a typical ceiling for this CPU generation. However, at higher settings, the GPU becomes the primary limitation, as shown by the 38.1 FPS result at 4K Ultra. The CPU appears sufficient for most settings except very low presets at 1080p.

Q: What is the most demanding settings preset?

A: Ultra is the most demanding preset, producing the lowest frame rates at every resolution: 53.8 FPS at 1080p, 48.1 FPS at 1440p, and 38.1 FPS at 4K. High and Medium settings are significantly less demanding, with Medium being the most efficient preset.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 1459 out of 1744 tested combinations in Overpower, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects the aging hardware, as both the CPU and GPU are end-of-life products with a 50th and 51st percentile standing, respectively.

Settings Recommendations

The data clearly points to Medium settings as the best overall experience for this combo. At 1080p Medium, the system produces 63.4 FPS, which is only 3.3 FPS higher than High (60.1 FPS) but 10.1 FPS lower than Low (107.6 FPS). The 4K Medium result of 50.8 FPS is also the highest 4K result above 45 FPS, making it the only preset that provides a semi-playable 4K experience without sacrificing too much visual quality.

For players with 1080p displays, High settings at 60.1 FPS is a reasonable target, as it provides better visual fidelity than Medium with only a 3.3 FPS loss. However, the jump from High to Ultra costs 6.3 FPS (dropping to 53.8 FPS), which is a noticeable reduction for minimal visual gains. Low settings are only recommended for competitive play, as the 107.6 FPS result provides the highest frame rate possible, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 1440p, the situation is more challenging. High settings produce 57.9 FPS, which is nearly identical to Medium (58.3 FPS), making High the better choice since it offers better visuals at no performance cost. Ultra at 48.1 FPS is borderline, and Low at 95.9 FPS is the only preset that provides a strong frame rate. For 4K users, Low at 81.5 FPS is the only fully playable option, with Medium (50.8 FPS) being the minimum for an acceptable experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination ranks 1459 out of 1744 tested combos in Overpower, placing it in the bottom 16% of the database. This ranking is consistent with the hardware's age and market positioning: the CPU sits at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 51st percentile, meaning both components are squarely in the middle of their respective performance curves.

The combo's performance in Overpower is slightly weaker than its synthetic benchmark scores suggest. The CPU's 2305 average benchmark score places it just 0.2% above the Intel Core i3-10305 and 0.2% above the Intel Core i3-1125G4, while the GPU's 12331 average score is 0.7% above the NVIDIA Quadro K4200. Despite these close margins in synthetic tests, the combo ranks poorly in Overpower because the game's demanding nature exposes the limits of both components simultaneously.

The ranking suggests that most other tested combos provide better frame rates in Overpower, likely due to newer architectures with higher boost clocks or more cores. However, the data shows that this combo can still deliver a satisfactory experience at 1080p Medium or High settings, which may be sufficient for players who prioritize value over top-tier performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p:

• Low: 107.6 FPS
• Medium: 63.4 FPS
• High: 60.1 FPS
• Ultra: 53.8 FPS

1440p:

• Low: 95.9 FPS
• Medium: 58.3 FPS
• High: 57.9 FPS
• Ultra: 48.1 FPS

4K:

• Low: 81.5 FPS
• Medium: 50.8 FPS
• High: 45.9 FPS
• Ultra: 38.1 FPS

The most notable pattern in these numbers is the diminishing returns from Low to Medium settings. At 1080p, the drop from Low to Medium is 44.2 FPS, but the drop from Medium to High is only 3.3 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 6.3 FPS. This suggests that Medium settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the jump to High offers minimal gains while the jump to Ultra costs significantly more frame rate. At 1440p, the Medium and High results are nearly identical (58.3 vs 57.9 FPS), making High the better choice at that resolution. The 4K results show a more linear decline, with each settings tier costing roughly 10-12 FPS, which reflects the GPU's memory bandwidth limitations at that resolution.