Overpower

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the Intel Arc B390 is a study in extremes. The CPU is a high-end desktop part with a 94th percentile ranking against all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 9th percentile against all GPUs. This combination results in a system that is profoundly bottlenecked by its graphics component in the game Overpower. The data indicates that this pairing, ranked 2638 out of 2980 tested combos, is not a balanced gaming platform, but rather a configuration where a powerhouse processor is held back by an entry-level integrated graphics solution.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and has a substantial 33 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's cache hierarchy also includes 80 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 per core. This is a desktop-class processor with a multi-core benchmark score of 44167 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 6235 in the same test, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Overpower, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. However, the measured FPS data clearly shows that this processor is not the limiting factor. The game's performance scales almost entirely with resolution and graphics settings, which are GPU-bound tasks. A processor with this much compute power—evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and Geekbench multi-core score of 21462—is more than capable of handling the frame rates being produced. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, has an average benchmark score that is 0.9% lower, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% ahead. This performance class of CPU is designed to push high frame rates in CPU-intensive scenarios, but the data for this combo shows that the system is not reaching that potential.

The bottleneck is evident when examining the frame rate data. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 72 FPS. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see frame rates plateau across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain constant. Instead, we see a steady decline in FPS as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound system. The CPU is effectively idle, waiting for the GPU to finish its work. The 20 cores and 28 threads are largely underutilized in this configuration. The data suggests that the i7-14700KF's performance potential is almost entirely wasted in this pairing, as the GPU cannot keep up with the CPU's ability to issue commands.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2638 out of 2980 tested combos in Overpower. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested pairings, a poor result for a system featuring a top-tier processor. The rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's performance, as the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of just 1482. This score is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that the graphics performance is near the bottom of the database's tested hardware.

The GPU's nearest rivals are all legacy, low-end parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX is 1.3% faster, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M is 1.5% faster, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% faster. This shows that the Arc B390's performance is not just low for modern standards; it is comparable to graphics solutions from over a decade ago. The combo's rank of 2638 is a direct consequence of this GPU performance, as the CPU's high percentile ranking cannot compensate for the GPU's low percentile ranking. The system is effectively held to the performance level of its weakest component, which in this case is the GPU.

When interpreting this rank, it is crucial to understand that the data measures the entire combo's performance in the game. A higher-performing CPU in the same combo would not necessarily yield a better rank, as the GPU would still be the limiting factor. The rank confirms the GPU's inability to render the game at playable frame rates at higher settings. The data suggests that this combo is suitable only for low-resolution, low-detail gaming, and even then, the frame rates are modest. The rank is a clear indicator that this is not a gaming-focused configuration, despite the presence of a high-end CPU.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data for Overpower shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. This trend is the definitive indicator that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component in this system. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, and the scaling is almost perfectly linear with the pixel count, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves an average of 42 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 37 FPS, a decrease of 5 FPS. At 4K, the average falls to 32 FPS, another drop of 5 FPS. This pattern is repeated across all settings. At Low settings, the frame rates are 72 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The consistent drop of roughly 8-10 FPS for each resolution step-up indicates that the GPU is working at its maximum capacity at each resolution, and the increasing pixel load is directly reducing the output.

This data tells a clear story. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be similar across resolutions, as the CPU's workload (game logic, physics, AI) does not change with resolution. Instead, the frame rates drop consistently, which means the GPU is the component that is saturated. The GPU's rendering pipeline is unable to keep up with the increasing number of pixels, leading to lower frame rates. The Arc B390's specifications support this finding. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. These are entry-level integrated graphics numbers, and the data confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint on performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for this combo in Overpower is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K)

• Ultra: 26 FPS average
• High: 32 FPS average
• Medium: 34 FPS average, with a minimum of 29 and a maximum of 39
• Low: 54 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Ultra: 31 FPS average
• High: 37 FPS average
• Medium: 40 FPS average, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46
• Low: 64 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Ultra: 35 FPS average
• High: 42 FPS average
• Medium: 45 FPS average, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52
• Low: 72 FPS average

The data shows that the system can only achieve a playable frame rate (above 60 FPS) at 1080p with Low settings, where it hits 72 FPS. At 1440p, the maximum average FPS is 64 at Low settings, which is also above 60 FPS, but this is the only setting at that resolution that achieves this. At 4K, no setting achieves an average above 60 FPS; the highest is 54 FPS at Low settings.

The differences between settings at the same resolution are also telling. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium results in a 27 FPS drop (from 72 to 45). The jump from Medium to High is only 3 FPS (from 45 to 42), and the jump from High to Ultra is 7 FPS (from 42 to 35). This suggests that the GPU is heavily taxed even at Low settings, and the relative cost of higher settings is not consistent. The data indicates that the GPU's limited resources are quickly exhausted, and the incremental cost of each setting increase is high. The Medium settings at each resolution provide the only data points with min and max FPS values, showing a 10-12 FPS variance, which indicates some frame pacing instability.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It has no dedicated VRAM; instead, it uses "System Shared" memory, with a bandwidth that is "System Dependent". This is a fundamental limitation for gaming, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and its performance is heavily dependent on the system's RAM configuration. The GPU's clock speeds are a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. It has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, along with 12 ray tracing cores.

These specifications are indicative of an entry-level integrated solution, and the benchmark data confirms this. The GPU's single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This score is nearly identical to that of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which is 1.3% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which is 2.7% faster. The GPU's performance in Overpower is directly tied to these specifications. The low number of ROPs (24) and TMUs (48) limits the pixel and texture fill rates, which are 60.00 GPixel/s and 120.0 GTexel/s, respectively. These are the primary factors that determine how quickly the GPU can render a frame, and they are clearly insufficient for higher resolutions and detail settings.

The GPU's role in this combo is the sole determinant of gaming performance. The data shows that the system's frame rates are directly correlated with the GPU's workload. The fact that the GPU has no dedicated VRAM and relies on system memory is a critical disadvantage, as memory bandwidth is a common bottleneck in integrated graphics. The GPU's FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is also low, further limiting its ability to handle complex shaders and effects. In Overpower, this results in the frame rates we see: playable only at the lowest settings and resolutions. The GPU is the clear and definitive bottleneck, and its performance is the single most important factor in the system's overall gaming capability.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings and resolution combination for this system in Overpower?

A: The only configuration that achieves an average frame rate above 60 FPS is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields 72 FPS. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the system achieves 64 FPS, which is also above 60 FPS. For a smoother experience, 1080p Low is the optimal choice.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of raw performance?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. This is 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, 2.5% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF the reason for the low frame rates in Overpower?

A: No. The data shows that frame rates drop consistently as resolution increases, which is a sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 9th percentile, indicating the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the system averages 42 FPS. At 4K High, the average drops to 32 FPS. This is a 10 FPS decrease, or roughly a 24% reduction in performance.

Q: What are the GPU's clock speeds and how do they affect performance?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. These clocks, combined with its 1536 shading units, are too low to provide adequate performance for Overpower at higher settings, as evidenced by the sub-60 FPS averages at most configurations.

Q: How much VRAM does the Intel Arc B390 have?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has no dedicated VRAM. Its memory size, type, and bus width are all "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory, and its bandwidth is "System Dependent." This is a significant factor in its poor gaming performance.