Overpower

Overpower is an action title that stresses both the CPU and GPU depending on the settings and resolution chosen. The measured data for this combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti shows a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, but begins to show its GPU limits as the resolution climbs. The benchmark results indicate a clear hierarchy where the graphics card becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the processor’s strength is more visible at lower resolutions and higher frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable but significant drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 210 FPS at 1080p to 188 FPS at 1440p, and then to 159 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is substantial, but the absolute numbers remain high enough for smooth gameplay even at the highest resolution. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 10% drop, while the jump from 1440p to 4K is a 15% drop, showing that the cost of each additional pixel increases as you push towards 4K.

At Medium settings, the trend is similar. The average FPS goes from 131 at 1080p to 117 at 1440p, and then down to 100 at 4K. This is a 24% total drop from 1080p to 4K, mirroring the Low setting pattern. The min FPS values at Medium settings also scale consistently, dropping from 112 at 1080p to 100 at 1440p, and finally to 85 at 4K. This indicates that the frame time consistency is also affected by the resolution increase, with the 4K minimum falling below the 90 FPS threshold that many users consider the floor for a high-refresh experience.

High settings show a more pronounced impact from resolution scaling. The average FPS drops from 122 at 1080p to 109 at 1440p, a 11% reduction, and then further to 92 at 4K, a 16% reduction from 1440p. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 25%. Ultra settings follow the same pattern, with average FPS falling from 101 at 1080p to 90 at 1440p, and then to 77 at 4K. This is a 24% total reduction. The fact that the percentage drop is similar across all settings suggests that the scaling is primarily resolution-driven, not settings-driven, which points to the GPU being the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound at Low settings, where the frame rate exceeds what the RTX 3080 Ti would typically deliver in a GPU-bound scenario. As resolution increases, the workload shifts to the GPU, and the FPS drops accordingly. The 4K results, especially at Ultra, show the combination is still playable, but the headroom for future titles or more demanding scenes is limited.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the key component when analyzing the higher resolution results. This GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. The base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. The memory runs at 1188 MHz, which translates to 19 Gbps effective. These specifications are directly relevant to the performance seen in Overpower, as the game’s asset streaming and texture loading at 4K will heavily utilize the memory subsystem.

The GPU’s performance in this game can be contextualized by its benchmark scores. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 26896 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077. Its percentile rank among all GPUs is 83, meaning it outperforms the majority of graphics cards. However, its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, which has an average score that is 2% higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, which is 0.8% lower. This indicates that while the 3080 Ti is a strong performer, it is not at the top of the current hierarchy, and its age is showing against newer architectures.

In Overpower, the GPU’s role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 82 FPS (159 vs 77), which is a massive performance swing. This shows that the GPU’s compute and memory resources are being taxed heavily by the higher quality presets. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the measured settings, as there is no indication of a memory capacity bottleneck in the data. The bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s appears to be the more relevant factor, as the FPS drops significantly when moving from 1440p to 4K, where the demand for texture data increases.

The GPU’s compute capability, rated at 34.10 TFLOPS for FP32, is a strong indicator of its ability to handle the shader complexity in Overpower. However, the data shows that even with this power, the 4K Ultra preset brings the average FPS down to 77, which is below the 100 FPS mark that many gamers prefer for action titles. This suggests that the 3080 Ti is better suited for 1440p gaming in this particular game, where it can maintain higher frame rates with more headroom.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a 1080p display with a high refresh rate (144Hz or higher), the Low preset provides an average of 210 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. However, the Medium preset at 131 FPS is a better balance for most users, as it offers improved visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds 120 FPS. The High preset at 122 FPS is also viable, but the jump to Ultra drops the average to 101 FPS, which may be noticeable on a 144Hz panel.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear sweet spot. The average of 117 FPS is above the 100 FPS threshold, and the min FPS of 100 ensures that most of the experience stays smooth. The High preset at 109 FPS is also acceptable, but it leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 90 FPS is playable but may suffer from occasional dips below 90 FPS in intense action, which can be distracting. The Low preset at 188 FPS is overkill for most 1440p displays, which typically max out at 165Hz or 240Hz, but it shows the system’s capability.

For 4K, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only one that delivers a truly high-refresh experience, with an average of 159 FPS. The Medium preset at 100 FPS is the best choice for a balance of visual fidelity and performance, as it maintains a triple-digit average. The High preset at 92 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 77 FPS is only suitable for slower-paced gameplay or if you have a 60Hz display. Given the min FPS of 85 at 4K Medium, this is the recommended preset for 4K gaming on this combination, as it provides a consistent experience above 85 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 210 FPS, which is the maximum measured in this dataset. The Medium preset averages 131 FPS with a min of 112 and max of 151, showing a tight frame time distribution. The High preset averages 122 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 101 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 109 FPS, which is a 52% reduction in performance, highlighting the significant cost of the higher quality settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. The Low preset averages 188 FPS, which is a 10% drop from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 117 FPS with a min of 100 and max of 135. The High preset averages 109 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 90 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 98 FPS, a 52% reduction, which is consistent with the 1080p scaling, indicating that the relative cost of settings is similar at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Low preset averages 159 FPS, which is still high but a 24% drop from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 100 FPS with a min of 85 and max of 115, making it the most balanced option at this resolution. The High preset averages 92 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 82 FPS, a 52% reduction, which again matches the pattern seen at lower resolutions. The consistency of this percentage drop across all resolutions strongly suggests that the settings scaling is uniform, and the absolute performance is dictated by the resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 708 out of 2980 tested combos in Overpower. This places it in the top 24% of all systems tested, which is a solid result for a pairing that features a newer high-end CPU with a previous-generation high-end GPU. The rank of 708 indicates that while this combo is capable, there are many other systems that deliver higher frame rates in this game, likely those pairing the RTX 3080 Ti with newer or more powerful GPUs.

The CPU’s performance relative to its peers is strong. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, its nearest rival. It also outperforms the AMD EPYC 4584PX by 1.1% and the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2%. The only rival that beats it is the AMD EPYC 7F72, which has a score that is 1.3% higher. This places the CPU in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is one of the top performers on the market.

The GPU’s rank is less impressive. The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41187, which is in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, has a score that is 2% higher, showing that a newer mid-range card can outperform it. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 is 0.8% lower, and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 variants are 1.2% and 1.7% lower, respectively. This data indicates that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing, which is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis that showed the GPU becoming the bottleneck at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The processor supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. Its cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a 36 MB shared L3 cache. These specifications are directly relevant to Overpower, which is an action title that may benefit from high single-thread performance for game logic and multi-core performance for background tasks.

The CPU’s benchmark results are exceptional. It scores 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7303 in Cinebench R23 single-core. In Passmark, it achieves a multi-thread score of 60860 and a single-thread score of 4823. Its 96th percentile rank confirms that it is among the best CPUs available. The nearest rivals in the database are all server-class processors, such as the AMD EPYC 4584PX and EPYC 9135, which have similar average scores but are designed for different workloads. This shows that the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is not just a gaming CPU; it is a high-performance desktop processor that can handle demanding computational tasks.

In Overpower, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p with Low settings, where the average FPS reaches 210. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain such high output. The boost clock of 5.80 GHz is likely the key factor here, as single-threaded game logic benefits from high clock speeds. The 24 cores and 24 threads also ensure that there is no bottleneck from background processes, allowing the game to use the available resources efficiently. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combination, except perhaps at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is so high that the GPU’s output is the only constraint.