Ready Or Not

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B390 pairing presents a striking contrast: a top-tier 8-core desktop processor driving an integrated GPU that ranks near the bottom of the database. The measured results in Ready Or Not reflect this imbalance, with frame rates that are playable at lower resolutions but collapse under the weight of 4K and high graphics presets. This analysis explores the data from the FACT PACK to show how the CPU’s processing power and the GPU’s limited throughput define the experience.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Ready Or Not?*

A: The combo ranks 2611th out of 2947 tested combinations in the database, placing it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 125 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 69 FPS. This represents a 56 FPS drop, or a 44.8% performance decrease when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in the measured data?

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

Q: Does the Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No, the GPU uses "System Shared" memory, with its memory type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent". This means it relies on the system's main DDR5 memory.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X a high-performance processor relative to others in the database?

A: Yes, it scores in the 86th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37943, placing it within 0.4% of its closest rivals.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration for Ready Or Not. Its role is defined by its integrated nature (IGP) and modest specifications, which are evident in the measured frame rates. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units, with 12 ray tracing cores. It operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz.

The most critical limitation, however, is its memory configuration. The Arc B390 has no dedicated VRAM; it uses "System Shared" memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent". This means it must share the system's DDR5 memory bandwidth (89.6 GB/s for the CPU) with the rest of the system, a significant constraint for a modern game like Ready Or Not. This lack of dedicated, high-bandwidth memory is a major reason why the GPU's performance is so heavily impacted by resolution and settings changes.

The GPU's benchmark results confirm its entry-level positioning. Its average score of 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all legacy or low-end parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (scoring 1463) and the GeForce GT 710 (scoring 1443), with the Arc B390 leading them by only 1.3% to 2.7%. This data indicates that the Arc B390's raw rendering power is minimal, which directly translates to its performance ceiling in-game.

In Ready Or Not, the GPU's limited capacity is the deciding factor. At 4K with Ultra settings, the game demands a level of fill-rate and memory bandwidth that the Arc B390 cannot provide, resulting in an average of only 23 FPS. Even at the more forgiving 1080p resolution, the Ultra preset drops the frame rate to 69 FPS, showing that the GPU is struggling with the game's visual complexity. The increase in FPS from 33 at 4K High to 99 at 1080p High (a 200% improvement) is a direct consequence of reducing the pixel count and, therefore, the workload on the GPU's render output units and memory system.

CPU Role

In stark contrast to the GPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-end desktop processor that provides more than enough computational headroom for this game. It is an 8-core, 16-thread CPU based on the Zen 5 architecture (codenamed Granite Ridge), built on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It operates at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and can boost up to 5.50 GHz, with a 65W TDP. The CPU has a substantial cache hierarchy, including 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB of L3 cache.

Its benchmark scores place it firmly in the upper echelon of processors. With an average benchmark score of 37943, it sits at the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its multi-threaded performance is particularly strong; for example, it scores 20485 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 17906 in Geekbench multicore. Single-thread performance is also excellent, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2211 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3023. This level of performance means the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor in Ready Or Not, even during complex tactical scenarios with many AI-driven characters.

The data supports this conclusion. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14901E (scoring 37911) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (scoring 37904), have average scores within 0.1% of the 9700X. This indicates that the CPU's capabilities are on par with other top-tier processors. When paired with the Arc B390, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game logic, which it does with significant capacity to spare. The fact that frame rates drop so dramatically with resolution and settings, despite the CPU's power, confirms that the GPU, not the CPU, is the constraining component in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2611th out of 2947 tested combinations in Ready Or Not. This places the combo in the bottom 11.4% of all systems tested, a low ranking that is directly attributable to the GPU. The CPU's performance percentile (86th) is meaningless in this context because the GPU's 9th percentile score anchors the entire system's gaming performance.

This ranking illustrates a fundamental mismatch. The CPU is capable of delivering frame times that would support high refresh rates, but the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to utilize that capability. The result is a system that performs like a low-end machine in this game, regardless of the powerful processor at its core. The rank is a reflection of the system's weakest link, and in this case, that is unequivocally the Intel Arc B390.

The data from the measured FPS supports this ranking. The system's best-case scenario average of 125 FPS at 1080p Low is respectable, but it quickly deteriorates. At 1440p, the average FPS drops to 79 at Low settings. At 4K, even the Low preset only yields an average of 41 FPS. These numbers are consistent with the GPU's benchmark position near the bottom of the database, showing that the combo's low rank is not an anomaly but a direct result of the GPU's hardware limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. This scaling behavior is a key indicator of where the system's bottleneck lies. From 1080p to 1440p, and then to 4K, the average frame rates at each settings preset drop significantly.

At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 125 at 1080p to 79 at 1440p, a 36.8% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average drops further from 79 to 41, a 48.1% decrease. This pattern is even more pronounced at High settings, where the average FPS falls from 99 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p (a 37.4% drop) and then to 33 at 4K (a 46.8% drop from 1440p).

This scaling is a classic sign of a GPU-limited system. When the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must process grows exponentially. The fact that frame rates drop by roughly 35-50% with each resolution step up, while the CPU's processing load remains relatively constant, points directly at the GPU as the limiting component. A CPU-bound system would show very similar frame rates across resolutions, as the CPU's work is not dependent on pixel count. Here, the steep decline in FPS with higher resolutions confirms that the Intel Arc B390's rendering pipeline is saturated, and its shared memory bandwidth is insufficient to handle the increased data throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table and analysis break down the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset in the FACT PACK.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 125 FPS average
• Medium: 109 FPS average (with min 92 FPS and max 125 FPS)
• High: 99 FPS average
• Ultra: 69 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 79 FPS average
• Medium: 69 FPS average (with min 58 FPS and max 79 FPS)
• High: 62 FPS average
• Ultra: 44 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 41 FPS average
• Medium: 36 FPS average (with min 30 FPS and max 41 FPS)
• High: 33 FPS average
• Ultra: 23 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent pattern. At 1080p, the system is playable, with all presets except Ultra exceeding 90 FPS. The jump from Ultra at 1080p (69 FPS) to Ultra at 1440p (44 FPS) is a 36.2% reduction, and the jump to Ultra at 4K (23 FPS) is a 66.7% reduction from the 1080p figure. The most playable experience is at 1080p, where even the High preset (99 FPS) provides a smooth frame rate well above 60 FPS. At 1440p, the Low and Medium presets are still playable, but High and Ultra start to dip into less desirable territory. At 4K, all presets fail to reach 45 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable at a smooth standard.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the user's target resolution and acceptable frame rate.

For 1080p gaming, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers a strong average of 99 FPS, which is well within the range for smooth, responsive gameplay. This provides a good balance between visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset, at 69 FPS, is also playable and offers the highest visual quality, but the 30% performance drop from High makes it a less optimal choice for those prioritizing frame rate consistency.

For 1440p gaming, the Low preset is the safest recommendation, yielding an average of 79 FPS. The Medium preset, at 69 FPS, is also viable for those who want better visuals and can accept a lower frame rate. The High preset (62 FPS) and Ultra preset (44 FPS) are not recommended, as they fall below the 60 FPS threshold and will feel less smooth.

For 4K gaming, there are no good recommendations. Even the Low preset only manages an average of 41 FPS, which is below the standard for a comfortable experience. The data suggests that this resolution is beyond the capabilities of the Intel Arc B390 for this game. Users should either stick to 1080p or 1440p, or significantly lower their graphical expectations if they must use 4K.

In summary, the data points to 1080p as the ideal resolution for this combo, with the High preset offering the best experience in terms of both visual quality and frame rate. The 1440p resolution is only viable with Low or Medium settings, and 4K should be avoided for a playable experience.