Overpower

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a high-refresh-rate 1440p experience in Overpower, but the data shows a distinct performance ceiling at 4K Ultra. This combination ranks in the 53rd percentile of all tested combos, indicating a balanced pairing that leans on the GPU for heavy lifting. The benchmark results reveal that while the CPU is capable, the RTX 4070’s 12 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus become the primary constraints at maximum settings.

FAQ

Q: What average frame rate does this combo achieve at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combination produces an average of 74 FPS. This is the most demanding preset tested, and it shows a significant drop from the 153 FPS average achieved at Low settings, indicating that the Ultra preset introduces a substantial graphical load.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, scores 32707 in the aggregate average benchmark, which is a 0% deltaPct, making them statistically identical. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 trails slightly with a 0.1% deltaPct, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is marginally ahead at -0.2%.

Q: Is the RTX 4070’s performance closer to a desktop card or a mobile chip?

A: The data shows the RTX 4070 scores 37648 on the aggregate benchmark average. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P4 with a score of 37628, a deltaPct of 0.1%. Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is only 1.3% faster, suggesting this desktop RTX 4070 is very close to the mobile flagship in overall synthetic performance.

Q: What is the best resolution for maintaining a 60+ FPS average on High settings?

A: The data shows that High settings maintain an average above 60 FPS at all tested resolutions. At 3840x2160, the average is 67 FPS. Moving down to 2560x1440 increases the average to 79 FPS, and at 1920x1080, it reaches 89 FPS, making High a viable setting for 4K.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and does it appear to be a limiting factor?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 56 FPS, which is the lowest recorded score, suggesting the memory configuration is a bottleneck at that extreme resolution.

Q: Does the CPU’s single-thread performance keep up with the GPU in gaming?

A: The Core Ultra 7 155H scores 1743 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3468 in Passmark single-thread tests. While these are solid numbers, the GPU’s performance in synthetic tests (Passmark G3D score of 26927) is proportionally much higher, meaning the CPU is less likely to bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant component in this pairing. Its specifications, including a boost clock of 2475 MHz and 5888 shading units, are designed to handle modern game rendering. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is a key feature; while sufficient for most scenarios, the benchmark results show its limits at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate falls to 56 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s is the conduit for texture data, and at lower resolutions like 1080p Low, the GPU can push an average of 153 FPS, indicating that the memory system is not a constraint when the pixel count and settings are reduced.

The relationship between the GPU’s core clock and memory clock is evident in the scaling. At 4K Medium, the average is 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS, while at 4K High, the average is 67 FPS. This narrow gap suggests that the GPU is being stressed by the increasing resolution, and the 200W TDP and dual-slot cooler are working to maintain these levels. The GPU’s architectural features, such as 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, are present but their impact is not directly measured in these specific FPS tests. The data points to a GPU that excels in high-refresh 1440p gaming but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with the highest visual fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the experience. For players prioritizing a high refresh rate, Low settings at 1920x1080 yields an average of 153 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. However, for a balanced experience, Medium settings at 2560x1440 provides an average of 85 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual quality. This is the sweet spot for this hardware, as it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 4K, the choice becomes more difficult. High settings produce an average of 67 FPS, which is playable but not locked to a 60 Hz refresh. Ultra settings at the same resolution drop the average to 56 FPS, which is below the ideal for smooth motion. The data suggests that High settings at 3840x2160 is the maximum viable option for a stable experience, as Medium settings only increase the average to 73 FPS, a marginal gain over High. The inclusion of min FPS data for Medium settings (62 FPS at 4K, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 81 FPS at 1080p) shows that this preset offers a consistent frame time, which is preferable to the higher average but potentially more variable High preset.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 1574 out of 2980 tested combinations in Overpower. This places it in the 53rd percentile, indicating a solidly mid-range to upper-mid-range performer. The ranking suggests that while this combo is capable, there are many other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates. The CPU’s aggregate benchmark score of 32697 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, which is strong, but the GPU’s 81st percentile ranking is slightly lower. This balance means the combo is not held back by a weak link, but it also doesn't excel in a way that would push it higher in the rankings.

The nearest rival data for the CPU shows it is trading blows with the Intel Core i5-14600T and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, all within a 0.2% margin. For the GPU, the RTX 4070 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Tesla P4, but 1.3% slower than the RTX 4080 Mobile. This implies the combo’s rank is primarily determined by the GPU’s performance tier. The data indicates that a significant portion of the 2980 combos feature either a faster CPU, a faster GPU, or both, which pushes this pairing to the middle of the pack. To improve the rank, the data suggests a GPU upgrade would yield more significant gains than a CPU upgrade.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is a clear indicator of the system’s bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 153 at 1920x1080 to 137 at 2560x1440, a decrease of 10.5%. This is a relatively small drop, indicating that the CPU is able to keep up with the increased pixel count. However, the drop from 1440p to 4K is more substantial, with the average falling from 137 to 116, an additional 15.3% decrease. This trend is consistent across all settings.

At High settings, the scaling is more severe. The average FPS at 1080p is 89, which drops to 79 at 1440p (an 11.2% decrease) and then to 67 at 4K (a 15.2% decrease). This pattern suggests that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases. The CPU has ample headroom, but the RTX 4070’s rendering pipeline cannot maintain the same frame throughput at higher resolutions. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is 24.7% at Low settings (153 to 116) and 24.7% at High settings (89 to 67), showing a consistent scaling pattern that points squarely at the GPU as the primary constraint. The Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling, with a 24.3% drop from 1080p (74 FPS) to 4K (56 FPS), further confirming that the GPU is the limiting component.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

At this resolution, the combo shows a wide range of performance. Low settings deliver an average of 153 FPS, making it the highest score in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce an average of 96 FPS, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS, providing a smooth and consistent experience. High settings average 89 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to an average of 74 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU have enough headroom to handle even the most demanding preset, though the jump from High to Ultra is a significant 16.9% performance hit.

2560x1440:

The 1440p results show the GPU starting to work harder. Low settings average 137 FPS, which is still excellent for high-refresh monitors. Medium settings average 85 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS, maintaining a solid frame time. High settings average 79 FPS, and Ultra settings average 66 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 51.8%, highlighting the substantial cost of the Ultra preset. The data shows that 1440p High is the most balanced option, offering a 79 FPS average that is close to the Medium preset’s performance but with better visual quality.

3840x2160:

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low settings still manage an average of 116 FPS, showing that the hardware can handle the pixel count when visual effects are minimal. Medium settings average 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS, which is the only 4K preset with min/max data. High settings average 67 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 56 FPS. The scaling from High to Ultra is a 16.4% decrease, indicating that the Ultra preset’s additional effects are too demanding for this GPU at 4K. The data suggests that for a 60+ FPS experience at 4K, High settings are the maximum viable option, as the Ultra preset falls below that threshold.