Overpower

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 presents a fascinating study in system balance for the action title Overpower. The CPU is a 24-core, 24-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and its 36 MB of shared L3 cache is substantial. The data shows this processor is a top-tier performer in synthetic workloads, but its role in gaming is nuanced when paired with a mid-range GPU. The RTX 4060, based on the AD107 chip and Ada Lovelace architecture, brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a boost clock of 2460 MHz. The measured FPS data for this combination across resolutions and settings reveals where the bottleneck lies and how the components interact.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is not a typical gaming processor; its 24 cores and 24 threads are more aligned with heavy multi-threaded productivity than with gaming, where single-core performance often dominates. The benchmark scores reflect this: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. The Passmark single-thread score of 4823 and multithread score of 60860 further reinforce its high-end status. For Overpower, an action game, the CPU's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz ensures that the single-threaded tasks common in game logic and physics are handled with minimal latency. The 24-thread count, while not always fully utilized by games, provides ample headroom for background tasks or games that scale beyond traditional 8-core configurations.

However, the relationship between the CPU and the game's results is not straightforward. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 153 FPS, which is the highest average measured in the dataset. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 56 FPS. This scaling suggests that the CPU is rarely the primary constraint, except perhaps at the lowest resolution and settings where the GPU has less work to do. The processor's L3 cache of 36 MB is large, which helps in reducing memory latency, but the game's performance is more directly tied to the GPU's capabilities, as indicated by the FPS drops when increasing resolution. The CPU's 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth, supported by DDR5 dual-channel memory, provides sufficient data throughput for the game, but it is not a differentiating factor in the measured FPS deltas.

The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores an average of 83807 with a delta of 0.2%, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX, with a score of 83090 and a delta of 1.1%. The 290K Plus's average benchmark score is 84003, which is slightly above these, but the difference is negligible in gaming scenarios. The data implies that for Overpower, the CPU's massive core count and high clocks are more about ensuring no frame-time spikes from background processes rather than delivering raw FPS gains. The processor's production status is active, and it is unlocked for overclocking, which could offer additional performance headroom, but the measured data does not reflect any overclocking.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Overpower, and at what settings?*

A: The highest average FPS is 153, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed by 137 FPS at 2560x1440 Low, and 116 FPS at 3840x2160 Low, indicating that the Low preset consistently yields the best frame rates.

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

A: 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 (score 83807) and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (score 83090). The difference is marginal, showing the 290K Plus is within a rounding error of its closest competitor.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs, and what does that imply?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. This places it in the mid-range tier, which is consistent with its measured FPS results in Overpower that show playable frame rates but not extreme high-refresh-rate performance at higher settings.

Q: In the measured FPS data, which resolution and setting pair has the lowest average FPS?

A: The lowest average FPS is 56, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is a significant drop from the 67 FPS at 4K High, showing the cost of the Ultra preset at high pixel counts.

Q: Does the GPU have a higher or lower average score than its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average score of 17639, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7790's score of 17666. The difference is negligible, but technically the 4060 is slightly behind in this specific benchmark comparison.

Q: How many cores and threads does the CPU have, and what is its process node?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. It is manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC, with a die size of 243 mm².

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

The FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern: the GPU is the limiting factor in this combo. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 153 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low, the FPS drops to 137, a decrease of 16 FPS or roughly 10.5%. At 3840x2160 Low, the FPS falls further to 116, which is 21 FPS lower than 1440p and 37 FPS lower than 1080p. This scaling indicates that even at Low settings, where the CPU has less work to do, the GPU's workload increases significantly with resolution, pulling down frame rates.

The drop becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 96, but at 1440p Medium it is 85, and at 4K Medium it is 73. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings is about 24%. At High settings, the FPS goes from 89 at 1080p to 79 at 1440p to 67 at 4K, a 24.7% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra, the effect is stark: 74 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K, a 24.3% drop. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the GPU's rendering pipeline is the bottleneck, as the CPU's performance is stable enough not to cause disproportionate FPS losses.

The data implies that the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is more than capable of feeding the RTX 4060 at all resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between 1080p and 4K, as the GPU would be waiting on the CPU. Instead, the FPS scales almost linearly with the pixel count, indicating the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated. At 4K Ultra, the 56 FPS average suggests the GPU is at its limits, and the CPU's high core count and clocks are not the constraining factor. This is a classic case of a high-end CPU paired with a mid-range GPU, where the GPU dictates the gaming experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is ranked 1574 out of 2980 tested combos in Overpower. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it performs better than roughly half of the combos but is not near the top. The rank suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier processor, the GPU holds the combo back in gaming performance. The RTX 4060's 61st percentile ranking among GPUs and its average benchmark score of 17639, which is close to the AMD Radeon HD 7790, reinforces that this is not a high-end gaming GPU.

The combo's rank of 1574 implies that many systems with lower-end CPUs but higher-end GPUs would outperform it in Overpower. For instance, a combo with a mid-range CPU and a high-end GPU would likely achieve higher FPS at 4K Ultra, as the GPU is the limiting factor. The data shows that this combo is not optimized for maximum gaming performance; it is more of a workstation-oriented CPU paired with a mainstream GPU. The 2980 total combos tested means there is a wide range of configurations, and this one sits in the middle. The rank is a reflection of the GPU's mid-tier status rather than the CPU's capabilities, as the CPU's percentile rank of 96 is far above the combo's overall ranking.

The measured FPS data aligns with this mid-pack ranking. At 1080p Low, the 153 FPS is respectable, but at 4K Ultra, the 56 FPS is below what high-end combos would achieve. The combo's rank would likely be higher if the GPU were more powerful, but the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are not sufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming at 4K. The ranking serves as a reminder that the CPU is not the sole determinant of gaming performance; the GPU's role is decisive in this title.

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

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 153, which is the highest in the entire dataset. The Medium preset yields an average of 96 FPS, with a minimum of 81 and a maximum of 110. High settings produce 89 FPS on average, and Ultra drops to 74 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 79 FPS difference, or a 51.6% reduction, which is significant. This indicates that the Ultra preset places a heavy load on the GPU, even at 1080p, but the frame rates remain playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases across all settings. Low settings average 137 FPS, a 16 FPS drop from 1080p Low. Medium averages 85 FPS, with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 98. High settings average 79 FPS, and Ultra averages 66 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 16 FPS for Low, 11 FPS for Medium, 10 FPS for High, and 8 FPS for Ultra. The absolute FPS values at 1440p are still playable for most action games, but the Ultra preset at 66 FPS is approaching the threshold where some users might notice a lack of smoothness on high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly struggling. Low settings average 116 FPS, which is still high, but Medium drops to 73 FPS (min 62, max 84). High settings average 67 FPS, and Ultra averages 56 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 60 FPS, or a 51.7% reduction, mirroring the percentage drop at 1080p. The minimum FPS recorded is 62 at 4K Medium, which is the only row with a min FPS value, and it suggests potential frame-time spikes. The data shows that 4K Ultra is not ideal for this combo, as the 56 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, and the lack of min FPS data for Ultra does not rule out dips.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance for this combo. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 96 FPS on average, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience with no visible stutter. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 85 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for playability. At 3840x2160, Medium averages 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS, which is playable but close to the edge. The Medium preset provides a consistent ~20% FPS boost over High at each resolution, making it the most reliable choice for maintaining high frame rates.

The Low preset is the best option for maximizing FPS, especially for competitive play. At 1080p, Low hits 153 FPS, at 1440p it is 137 FPS, and at 4K it is 116 FPS. These numbers are ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual fidelity is reduced. The High preset is a middle ground, offering 89 FPS at 1080p, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K. These are playable, but the drop from Medium to High is not justified by the visual gains in this title, as the FPS decrease is around 10-15%. The Ultra preset is the least recommended, as it consistently yields the lowest FPS: 74 at 1080p, 66 at 1440p, and 56 at 4K. At 4K Ultra, the 56 FPS average is below the 60 FPS standard, and at 1440p Ultra, the 66 FPS is only slightly above. The data suggests that for the best experience, users should stick with Medium, or drop to Low if they prioritize frame rate over visual effects.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the defining component in this combo's gaming performance, as evidenced by the FPS scaling across resolutions and settings. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a memory speed of 2125 MHz and a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2460 MHz, and it has 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The 8 GB VRAM is a critical factor in Overpower at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the game likely demands more than 8 GB of VRAM, leading to texture swapping or reduced performance, which explains the 56 FPS average. The 128-bit bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor, especially with the Ultra preset.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning. It scores 19545 in Passmark G3D, with a percentile ranking of 61. Its direct competitors in terms of average score are the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666), AMD Radeon 780M (17588), and AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551), with delta percentages of -0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.5% respectively. This places the RTX 4060 in a cluster of GPUs with similar synthetic performance, but its real-world gaming performance is better than these older or integrated parts due to features like DirectX 12 Ultimate support and 24 RT cores. The GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 24 RT cores are adequate for modern games, but the 8 GB VRAM is a bottleneck for high-resolution textures.

The data shows that the GPU's role is to deliver playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but it struggles at 4K Ultra. The measured FPS at 4K Low (116 FPS) is high, but the drop to 56 FPS at Ultra indicates that the GPU's compute and memory resources are overwhelmed. The RTX 4060's TDP is 115 W, and it requires a 300 W PSU, which is modest, but the GPU's performance is not sufficient to fully utilize the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus's capabilities. The GPU's end-of-life production status and its launch MSRP of 299 USD (stated once for reference) position it as a budget-friendly option, but in Overpower, it is the limiting factor for high-end settings. The data implies that for users with this CPU, upgrading the GPU would yield significant FPS gains, especially at 4K.