Overpower

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B580 combination delivers a fascinating dataset for Overpower, an action title from August 2023. The measured frames per second reveal a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, yet the underlying component roles are distinct. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing strictly on the provided figures to understand how the 24-core CPU and 12 GB GPU shape the gameplay experience.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a formidable processing foundation, built on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It brings 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This is a desktop part with a 125 W TDP, and its benchmark pedigree is strong; it scores 51,731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7,303 in single-core. The PassMark multithread score of 60,860 and single-thread score of 4,823 further underscore its capability. In the broader market, it sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which is only 0.2% behind, and the AMD EPYC 7F72, which is 1.3% ahead, placing this chip in a tightly contested performance band.

In the context of Overpower, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU and maintain frame pacing. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 125 FPS, which is the highest average across all tested configurations. This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, as the frame rate is high but not unlimited. However, the single-thread performance is critical for game logic. With a Cinebench R20 single-core score of 3,067, the chip ensures that the game’s main thread has ample headroom. The L3 cache is 36 MB (shared), which helps with data locality for frequently accessed game assets.

The 24 threads are relevant because Overpower is an action game that may utilize multiple cores for physics, AI, and streaming. The PassMark physics score of 3,315 indicates robust compute for these tasks. Despite the high core count, the measured FPS does not exceed 125 at any point, which implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p Low, but rather the GPU or game engine’s frame rate cap. As resolution increases, the CPU's workload remains relatively constant, but the GPU's workload rises sharply, which is evident in the FPS drops. The data implies that this CPU is overqualified for the task, providing a stable platform that will not cause frame dips due to processing power. The boost clock of 5.80 GHz is particularly useful for maintaining high minimum FPS, though the data only provides minimums for Medium settings, where 1080p shows 66 FPS and 4K shows 50 FPS.

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

The Intel Arc B580 is a discrete GPU based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. The GPU clocks are fixed at a base and boost of 2670 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). Its compute power is rated at 13.67 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. In the GPU benchmark hierarchy, it sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are interesting: the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP is 0.2% behind in average score, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is 0.6% behind, and the RTX 3080 is 0.7% ahead. This places the Arc B580 in a competitive mid-range segment, despite its modern architecture.

In Overpower, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor in performance scaling. The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, FPS drops proportionally. At 1080p Low, the GPU produces 125 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 95 FPS. This is a 24% reduction, which is expected for a GPU with 12 GB of VRAM. The VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game’s needs, even at 4K, as the memory bus width of 192-bit provides adequate throughput. The 80 ROPs and 160 TMUs are responsible for pixel and texture processing, respectively. The texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s are solid figures that support the measured FPS.

The GPU’s performance is further illustrated by its PassMark G3D score of 15,748, which is a direct measure of 3D graphics capability. The DirectX 12 score of 76 in PassMark is a specific metric for that API, but the game likely uses a modern API. The Vulkan score of 109,672 in Geekbench is strong, suggesting good driver overhead management. The key takeaway is that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 46, which is a significant dip from 1080p Ultra at 60 FPS. This indicates that the GPU’s fill rate and compute are saturated at 4K with high visual fidelity. The 12 GB VRAM is not exhausted, but the raw processing power limits frame rates.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for settings across all three resolutions. The "Low" preset consistently yields the highest frame rates, followed by "High," "Medium," and "Ultra" in descending order of performance. At 1080p, Low produces 125 FPS, High produces 72 FPS, Medium produces 78 FPS, and Ultra produces 60 FPS. It is notable that High (72 FPS) is slightly lower than Medium (78 FPS), which is an anomaly in the data. This could indicate that the High preset enables specific effects that are more demanding than Medium, or it could be a measurement variance. However, the data is clear: Low is the fastest.

For a balanced experience, Medium at 1080p offers 78 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS, which is playable and smooth. The maximum of 90 FPS shows headroom. At 1440p, the story changes slightly. Low yields 111 FPS, Medium yields 70 FPS (min 59, max 80), High yields 65 FPS, and Ultra yields 54 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p is a good sweet spot, offering 70 FPS average with a minimum that stays above 60 FPS. For 4K, the options are more constrained. Low is the only preset that breaks 60 FPS, hitting 95 FPS. Medium yields 59 FPS (min 50, max 68), High yields 55 FPS, and Ultra yields 46 FPS.

The recommendation is to prioritize the Medium preset for the best experience. At 1080p, Medium provides a high frame rate with a stable minimum. At 1440p, Medium is the only preset that maintains a minimum above 59 FPS, which is close to a 60 FPS v-sync target. At 4K, Medium is borderline, with an average of 59 FPS, but the 50 FPS minimum may cause noticeable stutters. The data suggests that for a consistently smooth experience, users should either play at 1440p Medium or 1080p Medium. Ultra is only viable at 1080p, where it hits 60 FPS exactly, but the lack of minimum FPS data for Ultra makes it risky. Low is recommended for competitive play where frame rate is paramount, especially at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2,222 out of 2,980 tested combos in Overpower. This percentile ranking, which puts it in the bottom quarter of all tested systems, is surprising given the individual component scores. The CPU is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Yet, the combined system performance is unremarkable in this game. This suggests that Overpower is heavily GPU-bound, and the high-end CPU does not boost the overall rank.

The rank implies that 2,221 other combinations deliver higher average FPS in this game. This is likely because many other combos feature more powerful GPUs, even if their CPUs are weaker. The Arc B580, while competent, is not a top-tier GPU, and its 68th percentile ranking means many other GPUs outclass it. The data shows that the CPU's contribution to the final FPS is minimal, as the GPU is the limiting factor. The combo rank of 2,222 is a direct reflection of the GPU's performance ceiling in this title.

Comparing to the nearest rivals, the GPU is within 1% of the RTX 3080 and RTX 2080 in average benchmark scores. However, in Overpower, the actual FPS will depend on driver optimization. The data suggests that this combo is a mid-pack performer, not a standout. The CPU's high ranking does not translate to a high combo rank, which reinforces the idea that the game’s performance is dictated by the graphics card. For users, this means that upgrading the GPU would yield a more significant FPS boost than upgrading the CPU, which is already overkill for this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 125, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Only the Low preset at 4K exceeds 60 FPS, with an average of 95 FPS. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS, at 55 and 46 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K's score of 83,807.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and size?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p High settings?

A: At 1440p High, the average FPS is 65. Since the CPU is in the 96th percentile and the GPU is in the 68th percentile, the data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the FPS is moderate despite the powerful CPU.

Q: What is the combo's rank out of all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2,222 out of 2,980 tested combos in Overpower.

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

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings preset. Minimum and maximum FPS are only provided for the Medium preset.

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: 125 FPS average
• Medium: 78 FPS average, 66 FPS minimum, 90 FPS maximum
• High: 72 FPS average
• Ultra: 60 FPS average

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: 111 FPS average
• Medium: 70 FPS average, 59 FPS minimum, 80 FPS maximum
• High: 65 FPS average
• Ultra: 54 FPS average

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: 95 FPS average
• Medium: 59 FPS average, 50 FPS minimum, 68 FPS maximum
• High: 55 FPS average
• Ultra: 46 FPS average

The data shows a consistent trend: for each resolution, the FPS drops as settings increase from Low to Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is significant. At 1080p, the difference is 65 FPS (125 to 60). At 1440p, it is 57 FPS (111 to 54). At 4K, it is 49 FPS (95 to 46). This indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load on the GPU. The minimum FPS data for Medium is crucial. At 1080p, the minimum is 66 FPS, which is above 60. At 1440p, the minimum is 59 FPS, which is just below 60. At 4K, the minimum is 50 FPS, suggesting potential stuttering.

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

The resolution scaling reveals a clear pattern of GPU-limited performance. Moving from 1080p to 4K at the Low preset, the FPS drops from 125 to 95, a reduction of 30 FPS (24%). At the Medium preset, the drop is from 78 to 59, a reduction of 19 FPS (24%). At the High preset, the drop is from 72 to 55, a reduction of 17 FPS (24%). At the Ultra preset, the drop is from 60 to 46, a reduction of 14 FPS (23%). The percentage drop is remarkably consistent across all settings, hovering around 24%.

This consistency is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain similar across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not increase with resolution. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with the number of pixels, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The GPU’s fill rate and shading units are working harder at 4K, producing fewer frames. The 12 GB VRAM is not the issue, as the bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s is sufficient. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is also consistent. For example, at Low, the FPS goes from 125 to 111, a drop of 14 FPS (11%). At High, it goes from 72 to 65, a drop of 7 FPS (10%).

The data implies that the CPU has ample headroom. The 24 cores and 5.80 GHz boost clock are not stressed by this game. The frame rate is entirely dictated by the GPU’s ability to render each frame. The consistent percentage drops across all settings suggest that the GPU’s performance scales linearly with resolution, which is typical for a non-bandwidth-limited GPU. The Arc B580 is a capable card, but its 68th percentile ranking means it is not designed for 4K Ultra gaming. The measured 46 FPS at 4K Ultra confirms this. For users seeking higher frame rates at 4K, lowering settings to Low is the only viable option, yielding 95 FPS. This analysis shows that the path to better performance in Overpower lies in GPU upgrades, not CPU upgrades, as the current CPU is far more powerful than the workload requires.