Overpower

Overpower, the 2023 action title, proves to be a demanding benchmark for the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 processor and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 graphics card. The measured frame rates across various resolutions and settings reveal a system that is consistently capable of delivering playable performance, though the margin for error shrinks considerably as the graphical load increases. The data indicates a pairing where the GPU is the primary driver of performance scaling, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that rarely becomes the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Overpower shows a clear and predictable decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the Low settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 136 FPS at 1080p to 121 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 103 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.3% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K. The relatively modest drop suggests that at Low settings, the system is not entirely bound by the GPU, and the CPU’s 10 cores and 10 threads are able to keep up with the rendering demands.

Moving to the Medium preset reveals a steeper scaling curve. The average frame rate at 1080p is 85 FPS, which falls to 76 FPS at 1440p and 65 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 23.5%, which is similar to Low, but the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating a heavier load on the GPU. The minimum FPS figures for Medium settings also show a notable decline, from 72 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p and 55 FPS at 4K. This suggests that the RTX 5050, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus, is beginning to feel the pressure of higher pixel counts.

The High preset continues this trend. At 1080p, the average is 79 FPS, which drops to 70 FPS at 1440p and 60 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K here is a 24.1% reduction. The fact that the 4K High result lands at exactly 60 FPS is significant, as it represents a common target for smooth gameplay. However, this leaves no headroom for demanding scenes. At the Ultra preset, the system is clearly GPU-limited. The average frame rate at 1080p is 66 FPS, falling to 58 FPS at 1440p and 50 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 24.2%, but the absolute numbers are the lowest of any preset, confirming that the RTX 5050’s 2560 shading units are working at their limit.

The pattern across all settings indicates that the RTX 5050 is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The consistent percentage drop of roughly 24% from 1080p to 4K across all presets suggests a scaling behavior that is largely independent of the settings chosen, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU, with its boost clock of 4.90 GHz, appears to be providing sufficient performance to avoid becoming a bottleneck, as the frame rate decline is proportional to the increase in pixel count rather than a sudden cliff. The data shows that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the primary determinant of performance, and its 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely a contributing factor to the severe drop at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall ranking for Overpower, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 achieves a rank of 1808 out of 2980 tested combos. This places it in the lower half of all systems tested, which is a significant data point for contextualizing its performance. The percentile ranking for the CPU is 85, indicating that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a strong performer relative to all other CPUs in the database. The GPU, however, has a percentile rank of 66, which is lower, reflecting its mid-range positioning.

The combo rank of 1808 suggests that while the CPU is capable, the GPU holds the overall system back in a demanding game like Overpower. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with a deltaPct of 0, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with a deltaPct of -0.2, have nearly identical average benchmark scores. This indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is performing exactly as expected for its class. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT with a deltaPct of 1.6, meaning the RTX 5050 is 1.6% slower than that card in average benchmarks, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL with a deltaPct of -0.6, meaning it is 0.6% faster.

These rival comparisons show that the RTX 5050 sits in a very specific performance tier. It is neither a standout nor a laggard in its immediate competition. However, the combo rank in Overpower indicates that this performance tier is not sufficient to place the system in the upper echelons of the database. The data shows that a system with a higher-ranked GPU would likely achieve a much better combo rank in this title. The CPU’s strong 85th percentile ranking is negated by the GPU’s 66th percentile ranking, resulting in an overall system that is positioned in the 60.7th percentile of all combos (1808 divided by 2980). This is a clear indication that for Overpower, the graphics card is the component that defines the system’s overall capability.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has an average score of 36945, resulting in a deltaPct of 0, meaning they are statistically tied. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower, and the Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% slower.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K with High settings, the average FPS is exactly 60. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average drops to 50 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. At 4K Medium, it averages 65 FPS, and at 4K Low, it averages 103 FPS.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 has a percentile rank of 66, meaning it performs better than 66% of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 21035.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate scales consistently with resolution changes across all settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU’s high percentile rank of 85 and its 10 cores with a 4.90 GHz boost clock indicate it has ample headroom.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 64 and the maximum FPS is 87, with an average of 76 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS experience at 4K, the High preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of exactly 60 FPS. Dropping to Medium at 4K provides a slight improvement to 65 FPS average, but the High preset offers better visual fidelity for the same performance target. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as it falls below 60 FPS with an average of 50 FPS.

At 1440p, the Medium preset provides a solid experience with an average of 76 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p averages 70 FPS, and the Low preset averages 121 FPS. For users with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset could be used to push frame rates beyond 120 FPS, but this comes at a significant visual cost. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 58 FPS, which is just below 60 FPS and may result in noticeable stuttering in demanding scenes.

For 1080p gaming, the system has more flexibility. The Medium preset averages 85 FPS, and the High preset averages 79 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 66 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS but with less headroom. The Low preset averages 136 FPS, making it suitable for competitive play where high refresh rates are prioritized. The data indicates that the best balance of visual quality and performance for most users would be the High preset at 1080p or 1440p, as it provides a playable frame rate without sacrificing too many graphical details. For a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, High is the only viable option. The recommendation is to prioritize the High preset for a stable experience, as it offers the best compromise between the measured frame rates and visual fidelity across all resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 136 FPS. The Medium preset shows an average of 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. The High preset averages 79 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 66 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 70 FPS, demonstrating the significant impact of settings on performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 121 FPS. The Medium preset averages 76 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. The High preset averages 70 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 58 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 63 FPS. The reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 1440p is 15 FPS for Low, 9 FPS for Medium, 9 FPS for High, and 8 FPS for Ultra. This shows that the performance penalty for increasing resolution is relatively consistent across presets.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 103 FPS. The Medium preset averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. The High preset averages 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 50 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 53 FPS. The reduction in average FPS from 1440p to 4K is 18 FPS for Low, 11 FPS for Medium, 10 FPS for High, and 8 FPS for Ultra. The data shows that the Low preset at 4K still maintains a high frame rate, but the higher presets suffer significantly. The minimum FPS values for the Medium preset are the only ones provided, with 72 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. This indicates that even at Medium settings, the system can experience frame time spikes, particularly at higher resolutions.

The full table of measured results is as follows:

• 3840x2160, High: 60 avg
• 3840x2160, Low: 103 avg
• 3840x2160, Medium: 65 avg, 55 min, 74 max
• 3840x2160, Ultra: 50 avg
• 2560x1440, High: 70 avg
• 2560x1440, Low: 121 avg
• 2560x1440, Medium: 76 avg, 64 min, 87 max
• 2560x1440, Ultra: 58 avg
• 1920x1080, High: 79 avg
• 1920x1080, Low: 136 avg
• 1920x1080, Medium: 85 avg, 72 min, 98 max
• 1920x1080, Ultra: 66 avg

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The processor features a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. Its average benchmark score is 36938, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Overpower, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes, which would not be the case if the CPU were the bottleneck. A CPU bottleneck would typically manifest as a plateau in frame rates, where increasing resolution does not significantly reduce performance. The data does not show this pattern. For instance, the drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 33 FPS (from 136 to 103), which is a substantial decrease that indicates the GPU is struggling with the pixel count.

The CPU’s strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, is likely sufficient for the game’s logic and physics. The 10 cores and 10 threads provide ample multi-threading capability. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has a nearly identical average benchmark score (36945 vs 36938), indicating that the Core Ultra 5 225 is performing at the expected level for its class. The data suggests that in Overpower, the CPU is not a limiting factor, and its high percentile rank of 85 confirms its capability. The power draw of 65 W TDP also indicates an efficient processor that does not generate excessive heat, which is beneficial for sustained gaming sessions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the clear performance driver in this system for Overpower. It features 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, along with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. The GPU has a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 21035, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

The measured FPS data strongly indicates that the RTX 5050 is the limiting component. The frame rates at 4K Ultra (50 FPS) and 4K High (60 FPS) show that the GPU is struggling to maintain high performance at the highest resolution. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor, as modern action games like Overpower can exceed this capacity at high resolutions and settings, leading to texture swapping and frame drops. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings, which are 55 at 4K, 64 at 1440p, and 72 at 1080p, suggest that memory pressure can cause stuttering.

The GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, is 1.6% faster in average benchmarks, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL is 0.6% slower. This places the RTX 5050 in a narrow performance band. The 66th percentile ranking is respectable, but it is not high enough to excel in a demanding title like Overpower at 4K. The GPU’s 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a theoretical measure that does not always translate directly to game performance, but the measured data confirms that the RTX 5050 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates at Medium to High settings. At 4K, the GPU is only capable of a playable experience at Low to High settings, with Ultra being outside its comfortable range.