Overpower

Overpower, an Action title released in 2023, responds predictably but with some notable nuances to the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four settings presets reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher quality settings, yet shows surprising headroom at lower presets. This analysis breaks down the performance data, contextualizes it against rival components, and offers practical guidance based solely on the provided benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is steep but not uniform across all settings, which tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 222 at 1080p to 168 at 4K, a decline of 54 FPS or roughly 24%. This relatively modest drop indicates that at Low presets, the CPU is still doing significant work, and the GPU has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates even at 4K. The 222 FPS at 1080p Low is the highest average recorded for this combo, suggesting the RTX 5090 is far from saturated at that resolution and preset.

Moving to Medium settings, the scaling is more pronounced. The average FPS goes from 139 at 1080p to 124 at 1440p and then down to 105 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 34 FPS, or about 24.5%, which is similar in percentage to the Low preset. However, the absolute numbers are lower, indicating that the increased graphical load is starting to consume more of the GPU's resources. At High settings, the pattern continues: 129 FPS at 1080p, 115 at 1440p, and 98 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 31 FPS, or 24%, again a consistent percentage.

The Ultra preset shows the most significant scaling, with 107 FPS at 1080p dropping to 95 at 1440p and finally 81 at 4K. The 26 FPS drop from 1080p to 4K represents a 24.3% reduction. This consistency across all four presets—roughly a 24% reduction in average FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K—is striking. It suggests that Overpower's rendering engine scales resolution in a linear fashion, and the RTX 5090's massive 32 GB VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are not being stressed by memory capacity or bandwidth limits at any resolution.

What the data implies about the limiting component is nuanced. At Low settings, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, especially at 1080p where 222 FPS is achieved. The Core Ultra 7 265HX, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, can push high frame rates, but it appears to cap out around that 222 FPS mark. At Ultra settings, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as the 81 FPS at 4K is a substantial workload for any mobile GPU, even one as powerful as the RTX 5090. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical across all presets indicates that neither component is catastrophically weak; rather, they are well-matched, with the GPU taking over as the limiting factor only when graphical complexity increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 222, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed closely by 198 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings, showing that the RTX 5090 can deliver very high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63173, which places it 0.1% above the Intel Core i7-13790F (63080) and 0.5% above the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 (62839). It is 0.2% below the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G (63331) and 0.7% above the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (62738).

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded, and at what settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 81, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and it still maintains a playable frame rate.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top percentile for Overpower?

A: The combo ranks 561 out of 2980 tested combos in Overpower, placing it in the top 18.8% of all combinations. This is a strong showing, though not the absolute top, indicating that other hardware configurations can achieve higher performance in this specific game.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Medium and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 124 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 95 FPS. This represents a 29 FPS difference, or about 23.4% higher performance at Medium settings.

Q: What is the GPU's average benchmark score compared to its nearest rival?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, which is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605) and 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79396). It is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940) and 1.4% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (80959).

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz, boosting up to 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The processor's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration is designed for high multi-threaded performance, which is reflected in its benchmarks: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40642 and a single-core score of 5737.

In Overpower, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, but it still sets the ceiling for frame rates at lower settings. The 222 FPS at 1080p Low is likely near the CPU's limit for this game, as the 20 threads can handle the game's logic and draw calls efficiently. The PassMark multi-thread score of 47985 and single-thread score of 4500 support this, showing strong per-core performance that is essential for high-FPS scenarios.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 63173. Its nearest rivals are all within 1% of its score, indicating that the 265HX is competitively positioned. The 0.1% lead over the Intel Core i7-13790F and 0.7% lead over the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX suggest that this processor offers slightly better overall performance than its immediate peers, though the differences are minimal.

When the GPU is under heavy load at Ultra settings, the CPU has more headroom. At 4K Ultra, the 81 FPS average is likely a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU can easily feed the RTX 5090 at that rate. The data shows a clear pattern: at Low settings, increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K only reduces FPS by 24%, while at Ultra settings, the same resolution change reduces FPS by 24.3%. This consistency implies the CPU is not causing any unexpected stalls, and the game scales smoothly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 222 FPS, which is the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce this to 139 FPS, High to 129 FPS, and Ultra to 107 FPS. The Medium preset also reports a minimum of 118 FPS and a maximum of 160 FPS, indicating some variance but overall stable performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 198 FPS, showing only a 10.8% drop from 1080p. Medium settings deliver 124 FPS (with a min of 105 and max of 142), High delivers 115 FPS, and Ultra delivers 95 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 103 FPS, or about 52%, which is significant but expected given the graphical demands.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset still manages 168 FPS, which is impressive for 4K. Medium settings drop to 105 FPS (min 90, max 121), High to 98 FPS, and Ultra to 81 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 87 FPS, or about 51.8%, similar to the 1440p gap. This consistency across resolutions suggests that the RTX 5090 is scaling linearly with the settings, and the CPU is not introducing any non-linear bottlenecks.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that at 4K, the minimum is 90 FPS, which is 85.7% of the average. At 1440p, the minimum is 105 FPS (84.7% of average), and at 1080p, it is 118 FPS (84.9% of average). These consistent minimum-to-average ratios indicate smooth frame pacing, with no major stutters or drops.

How This Combo Ranks

In Overpower specifically, the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 561 out of 2980 tested combos. This places it in the 81.2th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly 81% of all tested configurations. While this is a strong result, it is not in the top tier, suggesting that other CPU-GPU pairings can extract higher frame rates in this game.

The rank is likely influenced by the CPU's position relative to its rivals. The 265HX's average benchmark score of 63173 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G being 0.2% faster and the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX being 0.7% slower. This tight grouping means that the choice of CPU within this performance class has minimal impact on the combo's rank. Instead, the GPU is the primary differentiator, and the RTX 5090's performance is what propels this combo to the 561st position.

The GPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a PassMark G3D score of 39650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355. These figures place the RTX 5090 in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. However, its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, are within 0.3% of its score, indicating that the 5090 is not head-and-shoulders above the competition in synthetic benchmarks. In Overpower, this translates to a strong but not dominant rank.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 222 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. However, for a better visual experience without sacrificing too much performance, the Medium preset at 139 FPS is a reasonable middle ground, offering nearly 2.5x the frame rate of Ultra while still providing decent visuals.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 198 FPS, which is still excellent for high refresh rates. The Medium preset at 124 FPS is a strong recommendation for most users, as it balances visual fidelity with smooth gameplay. The High preset at 115 FPS is also viable, but the 9 FPS difference between High and Medium is not worth the potential visual gains for many players. Ultra at 95 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 168 FPS is surprisingly high and could be a good choice for 4K gaming on high-refresh displays. The Medium preset at 105 FPS is the best balance for 4K, offering a smooth experience without the visual compromises of Low. The High preset at 98 FPS is nearly identical to Medium, making it a less attractive option. Ultra at 81 FPS is the most demanding but still maintains a playable frame rate, though it is likely to be the choice only for users who prioritize visual quality over performance.

In summary, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot across all resolutions, delivering the best combination of frame rate and visual quality. The data shows that the jump from Medium to High yields minimal FPS gains (typically 10-15%), while the jump from Medium to Ultra costs significantly more performance (20-30% FPS loss).

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a powerhouse, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its chip, GB202, is built on a 5 nm process by TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. The GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz, boosting to 2407 MHz, and it has 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. Its FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6.

In Overpower, the GPU is clearly the dominant component at higher settings. The fact that the RTX 5090 can achieve 222 FPS at 1080p Low and 168 FPS at 4K Low demonstrates its immense raw power. The 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any resolution in this game, and the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and memory-intensive effects do not cause stutters, as evidenced by the consistent minimum FPS percentages.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its position. With a Geekbench OpenCL score of 334370 and a Vulkan score of 376728, the 5090 excels at both compute and graphics tasks. Its PassMark G3D score of 39650 is strong, but its nearest rivals are close, with the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT just 1.1% behind. This suggests that while the 5090 is a top-tier GPU, its performance in Overpower is not overwhelmingly superior to other high-end options, which is reflected in the combo's mid-80s percentile rank.

The GPU's role in Overpower is to provide the graphical headroom that allows the CPU to shine at lower settings, while also handling the heavy lifting at Ultra settings. The data shows that the RTX 5090 is not a bottleneck at 1080p or 1440p for any preset, and it only becomes the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the 81 FPS average is still respectable. This makes the combo well-suited for users who want to play at high resolutions without compromising on frame rates.