Ready Or Not

Ready Or Not is a demanding tactical shooter, and the combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K with the Intel Arc B390 produces a frame rate curve that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor at every resolution. The benchmark data indicates that while the CPU has ample headroom, the GPU's performance ceiling dictates playability, making this combo suitable primarily for 1080p and less demanding settings at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 99 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average falls to 62 FPS, a reduction of 37 FPS. Scaling up to 4K High yields an average of 33 FPS, which is a further 29 FPS drop from the 1440p result. This pattern shows a clear and consistent penalty for each resolution step, indicating that the GPU's rendering capabilities are saturated quickly.

The scaling behavior across different settings reinforces this conclusion. At Low settings, the averages are 125 FPS at 1080p, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K at Low is 84 FPS, while the difference at High settings between the same resolutions is 66 FPS. This suggests that even when the graphical load is reduced, the GPU still cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K, as the resolution itself is a significant burden.

The data implies that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any tested resolution. The consistent FPS drops proportionate to resolution increases are classic signs of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, or the gap between 1080p and 1440p would be smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K. Here, the scaling is roughly linear, with each step up in resolution costing a significant number of frames, pointing directly to the Intel Arc B390 as the component that determines the performance envelope.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2611 out of 2947 tested combos in Ready Or Not. This places it in the bottom 11.4% of all configurations, a position that reflects the severe imbalance between the high-end processor and the entry-level graphics solution. The data shows that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU's capabilities drag the overall gaming performance down to a level that is far below what the processor alone would suggest.

This low rank is directly attributable to the GPU's benchmark standing. The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482 and sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, which scores 1460, with delta percentages of 1.3% and 1.5% respectively. This indicates that the B390's raw graphics processing power is on par with very old, low-end mobile parts, making it fundamentally unsuited for a demanding title like Ready Or Not at higher resolutions.

Comparatively, the CPU's performance is stellar. The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097 and is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, has a score of 79371, which is only 0.3% higher. The combination of a top-5% CPU with a bottom-10% GPU creates a massive performance disparity that results in the low overall combo rank. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing is a poor match for gaming, as the GPU will consistently fail to utilize the CPU's potential in GPU-intensive scenarios like this one.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 109 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower. Other close competitors include the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% lower) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% lower).

Q: Is the processor or the graphics card the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The frame rates drop significantly with each resolution increase, which is a characteristic of GPU limitation. The CPU is a high-performer, ranking in the 95th percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile, showing a clear imbalance.

Q: What is the best performance this combo can achieve?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 125 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. For a more visually demanding experience, the maximum average at 1080p is 99 FPS on High settings.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Ready Or Not?

A: The data shows it cannot provide a smooth experience. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 23 FPS on Ultra to 41 FPS on Low. These figures are below the standard for comfortable playability in a tactical shooter.

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

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, has a score of 79371, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, which is 1.7% lower than the i9-14900K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality settings.

At 1920x1080, the combo is most capable. On Low settings, it averages 125 FPS. Medium settings reduce the average to 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. High settings yield an average of 99 FPS. The most demanding option, Ultra, drops the average to 69 FPS. This resolution is the only one where the combo consistently achieves frame rates above 60 FPS, making it the only viable option for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades notably. Low settings produce an average of 79 FPS. Medium settings result in an average of 69 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. High settings see the average fall to 62 FPS. Ultra settings are significantly more demanding, with an average of 44 FPS. While the Low and Medium settings remain playable, the High and Ultra settings begin to show the GPU's limitations.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings yield an average of 41 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 36 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. High settings drop further to an average of 33 FPS. Ultra settings are the worst, with an average of only 23 FPS. None of the 4K settings provide a consistent 60 FPS experience, confirming that this resolution is not suitable for this hardware configuration in Ready Or Not.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this combo's performance, and the data shows it is severely underpowered for a game like Ready Or Not. The GPU's architecture is Xe3-LPG, built on a 3 nm process node. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The benchmark results for this GPU are stark, with a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Its nearest rivals, as identified by the benchmark database, are all older NVIDIA parts. The data shows the B390 is only 1.3% faster than the GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710. This positions the B390 in a performance class that is far below the requirements for modern gaming at high resolutions. The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," with a type of "System Shared" and a bus width of "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a significant handicap, as it competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, further limiting performance.

The GPU's pixel rate is listed as 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, but these figures do not translate into adequate real-world performance in this title. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's ceiling is around 125 FPS at 1080p Low, but this quickly falls to 33 FPS at 4K High. This indicates that the card simply does not have the computational resources to handle the pixel and texture workload demanded by higher resolutions and settings in Ready Or Not. The GPU's high boost clock of 2500 MHz cannot compensate for its limited number of shading units (1536), texture mapping units (48), and render output units (24).

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K plays a supporting role in this configuration, providing more than enough processing power for Ready Or Not, yet its potential is left untapped due to the GPU's limitations. This processor features 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's architecture is Raptor Lake, built on a 10 nm process node. It has a large L3 cache of 36 MB shared, which helps with gaming performance. The data confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this scenario. At all resolutions, the performance scaling is consistent with GPU limitations. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows a significant drop from 99 FPS to 62 FPS between those resolutions at High settings, which indicates the GPU is the limiting component.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which is only 0.3% faster, and the AMD EPYC 7413, which is 1.2% faster. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% slower. This shows that the i9-14900K is at the top of its class in terms of processing power. However, this power is irrelevant in this specific combo test, as the Intel Arc B390 cannot translate the CPU's capabilities into high frame rates. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more capable GPU would yield dramatically better results, as the processor has significant headroom to support a more powerful graphics card.