Overpower

# Overpower with Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a high-end combination that ranks 26th out of 2,980 tested combos in Overpower, placing it comfortably in the top 1% of all systems measured. The RTX 5090 D carries a 32 GB GDDR7 frame buffer on a 512-bit bus, while the i7-12700K brings 12 cores and 20 threads from the Alder Lake architecture. The measured frame rates across all four resolutions and four settings presets show a system that is never caught short, though the scaling pattern reveals where the bottleneck shifts as resolution climbs.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a predictable but important trend: as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, average FPS drops across every settings preset, but the magnitude of that drop varies significantly depending on the quality level. At Low settings, the system delivers 265 FPS at 1920x1080, 255 FPS at 2560x1440, and 242 FPS at 3840x2160 — a remarkably shallow decline of only 23 FPS from 1080p to 4K, representing roughly a 9% reduction. This shallow curve at Low settings indicates the GPU is not the limiting factor at lower quality levels; the i7-12700K's single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,308, is sufficient to keep feeding frames even at 4K.

At Medium settings, the scaling steepens slightly. The system runs 204 FPS at 1080p, 182 FPS at 1440p, and 155 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 49 FPS, or about 24% — a more noticeable penalty that suggests the GPU is starting to take on more work as shader complexity increases. The 4K Medium result of 155 FPS is still exceptionally high for a modern action game, but the gap between 1080p and 4K has widened compared to Low.

High settings show a similar pattern with a slightly larger absolute drop. The system produces 189 FPS at 1080p, 169 FPS at 1440p, and 144 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-4K penalty is 45 FPS, or about 24%, closely matching the Medium scaling. This consistency between Medium and High suggests that the rendering load scales in a similar fashion across those two presets, with the RTX 5090 D's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute being the primary driver of the frame rate at these settings.

Ultra settings produce the steepest scaling curve. At 1080p the system hits 157 FPS, at 1440p it drops to 140 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 119 FPS. The 1080p-to-4K loss is 38 FPS, or about 24% — again proportionally similar to Medium and High, but from a lower absolute starting point. What is notable is that even at 4K Ultra, the system never dips below 119 FPS average, which means the limiting component at this resolution is squarely the GPU's raw rasterization throughput. The RTX 5090 D's pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are the specifications that keep 4K Ultra playable without compromise.

The overall scaling pattern tells a clear story: this combination is GPU-bound at Medium, High, and Ultra across all resolutions, but at Low settings the CPU's 3DMark max-thread score of 9,979 and PassMark multithread score of 34,404 are enough to keep the pipeline full even at 1080p. The shallow Low-settings curve from 265 FPS at 1080p to 242 FPS at 4K indicates that the CPU is the ceiling at lower quality levels, but that ceiling is still above 240 FPS at 4K — hardly a practical limitation for any display.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, and the data confirms it is doing the heavy lifting at all but the lowest settings. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process at TSMC, the GPU packs 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. Its 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs provide the raw compute muscle, while 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores handle the game's more specialized workloads. The boost clock of 2,407 MHz and base clock of 2,017 MHz translate into a FP32 throughput of 104.8 TFLOPS, which is the figure that most directly correlates with the measured frame rates.

Memory is where the RTX 5090 D separates itself from typical GPUs. The 32 GB GDDR7 frame buffer runs at 1,750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed across a 512-bit bus, yielding 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. In Overpower, this bandwidth is likely a significant factor in the 4K results, where large texture sets and high-resolution buffers demand substantial memory throughput. The fact that the 4K Ultra average is 119 FPS — a very playable number — suggests that the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are not being stressed to the point of stuttering or frame drops. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and PassMark G3D score of 44,065 both place this GPU in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with the strong in-game results.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all notably different products, which highlights the RTX 5090 D's unique position. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 1.1% higher on average, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT trails by 1.6%, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is 2.1% behind, and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is 2.4% behind. These are primarily mobile or compute-oriented parts, and the margins are small in synthetic averages, but the in-game data shows the RTX 5090 D delivering frame rates that these rivals would struggle to match in a real action title — the synthetic scores do not capture the 32 GB frame buffer or the Blackwell-specific optimizations that Overpower evidently leverages.

At 1080p Low, the GPU is clearly not the bottleneck — the CPU's limits cap the frame rate at 265 FPS. But at 1080p Ultra, the GPU takes over and delivers 157 FPS, a 41% reduction from Low that is almost entirely attributable to increased shading and texture work. The same pattern holds at 4K, where Low hits 242 FPS (CPU-bound) and Ultra drops to 119 FPS (GPU-bound). The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 123 FPS, or 51%, which is a substantial quality-vs-speed trade-off that the GPU's massive compute resources cannot fully offset when all settings are maxed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake-S processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core provide the memory hierarchy needed to feed the RTX 5090 D at high frame rates. The CPU's benchmark results show a balanced profile: a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043, a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,850.5, and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19,784. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,013 and multithread score of 34,404 both contribute to the CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs.

In Overpower, the CPU's role is most visible at Low settings, where frame rates exceed 240 FPS at all resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 265 FPS; at 1440p Low, 255 FPS; and at 4K Low, 242 FPS. The fact that these numbers are so close together despite the massive increase in pixel count from 1080p to 4K is direct evidence that the CPU is the limiting factor at Low settings. The i7-12700K's 20 threads are being fully utilized, as indicated by the 3DMark max-thread score of 9,979 and the Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 12,229, but even this level of multi-threaded performance cannot push past the roughly 265 FPS ceiling that the game's engine imposes on the CPU side.

At Medium, High, and Ultra settings, the CPU's influence diminishes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 2-thread 3DMark score of 2,065 and 4-thread score of 4,011 suggest that the game may not be perfectly optimized for many-core processors, but the i7-12700K's strong single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core 2,308) ensures that even lightly-threaded sections of the game do not drag down frame rates. The CPU's nearest rivals are all extremely close in synthetic average scores: the Intel Core i5-13600T is 0.1% behind, the Core i7-12700KF is 0.2% behind, the Core i7-13700T is 0.3% behind, and the Intel Core 5 213PE is 0.4% behind. This cluster of similar scores means that swapping the CPU for any of these alternatives would produce nearly identical in-game performance, particularly at higher settings where the GPU dominates.

The 125 W TDP of the i7-12700K is worth considering for system builders, as it means the CPU does not require exotic cooling to sustain its boost clocks during extended gaming sessions. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but irrelevant when the RTX 5090 D is installed, though it provides a fallback for troubleshooting. The PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 lanes is sufficient for the RTX 5090 D's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, though the GPU will run at Gen 4 speeds without issue in this configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data covers 12 distinct scenarios: four resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). At 1920x1080, the system achieves 265 FPS on Low, 204 FPS on Medium, 189 FPS on High, and 157 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset includes min/max frame data of 174/235 FPS, showing a 61 FPS spread that indicates some frame-time variance, though the average is solid. At 2560x1440, the results are 255 FPS on Low, 182 FPS on Medium (min 155, max 209), 169 FPS on High, and 140 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p Medium min of 155 FPS is notable because it remains well above 144 Hz, meaning the system can drive high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors even on a mid-tier preset.

At 3840x2160, the system delivers 242 FPS on Low, 155 FPS on Medium (min 132, max 178), 144 FPS on High, and 119 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Medium min of 132 FPS is the lowest single-metric in the entire dataset, but it still clears 120 FPS, which is the threshold for smooth motion on high-refresh displays. The 4K Ultra average of 119 FPS is just below the 120 FPS mark, meaning players targeting a strict 120 Hz experience at 4K may need to drop from Ultra to High — a change that yields 25 FPS more (144 FPS) with a relatively minor visual penalty.

The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution follows a consistent pattern: Low is always roughly 60-70% faster than Ultra. At 1080p, the spread is 265 FPS down to 157 FPS (a 41% drop); at 1440p, 255 FPS down to 140 FPS (45% drop); at 4K, 242 FPS down to 119 FPS (51% drop). This widening spread at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU's workload scales non-linearly with resolution, and the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB frame buffer is being taxed more heavily as pixel count rises, though never to the point of failure.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Overpower at 4K with a 144 Hz monitor?

A: Yes, at High settings the system averages 144 FPS at 3840x2160, which exactly matches a 144 Hz refresh rate. At Medium settings it averages 155 FPS, and at Ultra it drops to 119 FPS, so for a strict 144 Hz cap, High is the recommended preset at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play in Overpower?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 on Low settings produces the highest average frame rate at 265 FPS. This is ideal for competitive play where maximum frame output matters, and the CPU is the limiting factor at this setting, not the GPU.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra, the system delivers 157 FPS at 1920x1080 and 119 FPS at 3840x2160, a drop of 38 FPS or approximately 24%. This is the largest absolute penalty across all settings, but the 4K Ultra result remains fully playable.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB VRAM necessary for Overpower?

A: The game does not appear to exceed the memory capacity at any setting, since no min FPS crashes or severe frame drops are recorded. However, the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth and 512-bit bus are likely contributors to the consistently high 4K averages, particularly at Medium and High settings.

Q: Does the i7-12700K bottleneck the RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: At Low settings, yes — the CPU caps frame rates at around 265 FPS regardless of resolution. At Medium, High, and Ultra, the GPU is the limiting factor, so the CPU is not a bottleneck in practical terms for those presets.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested systems in Overpower?

A: This combination ranks 26th out of 2,980 tested combos, placing it in the top 1% of all systems. The CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing maximum frame rate and competitive responsiveness, the Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers 265 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the dataset. This setting is CPU-bound, so the frame rate will not improve further by upgrading the GPU, but it provides the lowest latency possible for fast-paced action. At 2560x1440, Low still achieves 255 FPS, making it a strong choice for high-refresh 1440p monitors without sacrificing much visual quality.

For the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the standout recommendation. It averages 169 FPS, which comfortably exceeds 144 Hz, and the visual uplift from Low to High is substantial in a modern action game. At 4K, High averages 144 FPS, which exactly matches the refresh rate of most 4K gaming monitors, making it the recommended choice for 4K users who want to max out their display's capabilities.

The Medium preset offers a safety margin for those who dislike frame drops: at 1440p it averages 182 FPS with a min of 155 FPS, and at 4K it averages 155 FPS with a min of 132 FPS. The min-FPS data is only recorded for Medium settings, so these are the only scenarios where worst-case performance is known. Players who are sensitive to stutter should consider Medium, as the 132 FPS minimum at 4K ensures the system never dips below 120 FPS.

Ultra settings are viable but demand concessions. At 1440p, Ultra averages 140 FPS, which is still smooth on a 144 Hz display, but at 4K it drops to 119 FPS — just below the 120 FPS threshold that many players consider the floor for high-refresh gaming. If visual quality is the absolute priority and 119 FPS is acceptable, 4K Ultra is playable; otherwise, 4K High is the better choice, offering a 25 FPS improvement (144 FPS) with a modest reduction in graphical fidelity. The data suggests that High is the "sweet spot" preset for this combination across all resolutions, as it consistently delivers frame rates that match or exceed 144 Hz at every resolution tested.