Overpower

Overpower, an action title released in August 2023, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and preset. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions. The data, drawn entirely from measured FPS rows, indicates a system capable of high refresh rates at lower resolutions, but one where the graphics card becomes a firm limiting factor at 4K with higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data across all three resolutions shows a clear hierarchy of performance based on preset. The "Low" preset delivers the highest frame rates, with an average of 269 FPS at 1080p, 240 FPS at 1440p, and 204 FPS at 4K. This preset is the only configuration that maintains an average above 200 FPS at the 4K resolution, making it the choice for maximum fluidity.

However, the "Medium" preset offers a more balanced experience. At 1080p, it averages 168 FPS, which is a 37.5% reduction from Low but still comfortably above the 144 Hz refresh rate threshold. At 1440p, the average drops to 150 FPS, and at 4K, it maintains a solid 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 FPS. The frame time consistency at Medium, with recorded min and max values at each resolution, suggests a more stable experience than the other presets, which lack min/max data. For users seeking a balance between visual fidelity and high frame rates, Medium is the recommended preset across all tested resolutions.

The "High" preset presents a step up in quality for a moderate cost. It delivers 156 FPS at 1080p, 139 FPS at 1440p, and 118 FPS at 4K. While these numbers are respectable, the 4K result falls below the 120 FPS mark, which is a common target for high-refresh displays. The "Ultra" preset is the most demanding, yielding 130 FPS at 1080p, 115 FPS at 1440p, and 98 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only one below 100 FPS in the dataset, indicating that this preset is best reserved for users who prioritize image quality over raw frame rate. The optimal choice depends on the display's refresh rate and user preference, but the data strongly supports Medium as the best all-around experience, with High as a viable alternative for those willing to sacrifice some frames for better visuals.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary driver of graphical performance in this configuration. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. This memory capacity is sufficient to handle the demands of Overpower at all tested settings, as evidenced by the playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra. The GPU's architecture is Ada Lovelace, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 45,900 million transistors. Its boost clock is rated at 2550 MHz, with a base clock of 2295 MHz.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54209. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, shows an average score of 54247, a delta of -0.1%, indicating the SUPER variant is essentially performance-equivalent in synthetic tests. The data shows the GPU's compute capabilities are strong, with a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 260075. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures compatibility with modern game APIs.

In the context of Overpower, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is likely the primary bottleneck, as the GPU can produce frames faster than the CPU can feed it. However, as we move to 4K Ultra, the GPU's fill rate and shading power become the limiting factor, with the average FPS dropping to 98. The 320 TMUs and 112 ROPs, combined with a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s, are the resources being taxed at these higher settings. The GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the theoretical ceiling for compute-bound scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At the "Medium" preset, the average FPS goes from 168 at 1080p, to 150 at 1440p, and finally to 127 at 4K. This represents a 10.7% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 15.3% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 24.4%, indicating that the workload is scaling moderately with pixel count.

The "High" preset shows a similar trend, with 156 FPS at 1080p, 139 FPS at 1440p, and 118 FPS at 4K. This is a 10.9% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 15.1% drop from 1440p to 4K. The "Ultra" preset follows the same pattern: 130 FPS at 1080p, 115 FPS at 1440p, and 98 FPS at 4K. The drops are 11.5% and 14.8% respectively. The "Low" preset shows the largest absolute drop, from 269 FPS at 1080p to 240 FPS at 1440p (a 10.8% decrease) and then to 204 FPS at 4K (a 15.0% decrease from 1440p).

The pattern is consistent across all presets: the drop from 1080p to 1440p is relatively modest, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is slightly more pronounced. This indicates that the system is not entirely GPU-limited at 1080p, as the frame rates are exceptionally high. However, the increasing gap between resolutions as settings increase suggests that the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303) is able to keep up with the GPU's output, but at 4K, the GPU's rendering workload dominates, leading to the observed FPS drops. The data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the component that dictates performance at 4K, especially with the Ultra preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides specific average FPS figures for each resolution and preset combination. At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high. The "Low" preset achieves an average of 269 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. The "Medium" preset averages 168 FPS, with a minimum of 143 FPS and a maximum of 193 FPS. The "High" preset delivers 156 FPS, and the "Ultra" preset averages 130 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 139 FPS, showing the significant impact of graphical settings on the system.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but drop from the 1080p figures. The "Low" preset averages 240 FPS, which is still remarkably smooth. The "Medium" preset averages 150 FPS, with a minimum of 127 FPS and a maximum of 172 FPS. The "High" preset delivers 139 FPS, and the "Ultra" preset averages 115 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 125 FPS. The min/max data for Medium shows a range of 45 FPS, indicating some frame time variance but still within a playable range.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K are evident. The "Low" preset is the only one to stay above 200 FPS, averaging 204 FPS. The "Medium" preset averages 127 FPS, with a minimum of 108 FPS and a maximum of 147 FPS. The "High" preset delivers 118 FPS, and the "Ultra" preset is the most demanding, averaging 98 FPS. This is the only resolution and preset combination where the average dips below 100 FPS. The total range from Low to Ultra at 4K is 106 FPS. The data clearly shows that while the system is capable of very high frame rates at 1080p, the 4K Ultra preset presents a significant challenge, pushing the average below the 100 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global ranking for Overpower, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is placed at rank 178 out of 2980 tested combos. This places it in the top 6% of all configurations tested for this game. The high rank is indicative of the strong performance demonstrated in the FPS measurements, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU's capabilities are fully utilized.

The CPU itself is a top-tier performer, holding the 96th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, has an average score of 83807, a delta of 0.2%, meaning the 290K Plus is slightly ahead in synthetic tests. The rest of its rivals are server-class EPYC processors, which are not typically used for gaming, but the data shows the 290K Plus holds its own against them. The GPU, while strong, is in the 86th percentile for GPUs, with its nearest rival being the RTX 4080, which is essentially tied in performance.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile (96) and the GPU's slightly lower one (86) suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this system. The combo's rank of 178 out of 2980 is a strong result, but it is likely limited by the GPU's performance at higher resolutions. The data suggests that a more powerful GPU could push this combo higher in the rankings, especially at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The rank reflects a balanced system that excels in CPU-bound scenarios but is ultimately constrained by the graphics card in more demanding graphical settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Overpower?

A: The highest average FPS is 269, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Does this system maintain an average of over 120 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Only with the Low and Medium presets. The Low preset averages 204 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 127 FPS. The High preset averages 118 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 98 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?

A: The Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Ultra 9 285K's score of 83807.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 4080 SUPER in this configuration?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has a memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, utilizing 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in Overpower?

A: This combo is ranked 178th out of 2980 tested combos for the game.

Q: At which resolution does the Ultra preset drop below 100 FPS average?

A: At 3840x2160 (4K) resolution, the Ultra preset averages 98 FPS, which is the only instance below 100 FPS in the measured data.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. This high core count and boost clock are key factors in its strong synthetic performance, which places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 51731, and its single-core score is 7303, indicating strong performance in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads.

In the context of Overpower, the CPU's role is most critical at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p with the Low preset, the system achieves 269 FPS, which is a frame rate that demands very high single-thread performance to feed the GPU. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 4823 and its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303 show it is well-suited for this task. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for game logic and physics.

The CPU's nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which has a 0.2% lower average benchmark score. The other rivals are server-class EPYC processors, which have higher thread counts but are not optimized for gaming. The 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, provides ample multi-threading capability for background tasks, but its single-thread performance is what drives the high FPS at 1080p. As resolution increases, the CPU's influence on FPS diminishes, as seen in the resolution scaling data. At 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's high performance is no longer the primary constraint on frame rate. The data shows that this CPU is a powerful partner for the RTX 4080 SUPER, providing enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions.