Ready Or Not

The data for Ready Or Not with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and Intel Arc B390 shows a configuration heavily constrained by its graphics component. At 1080p, the system delivers playable frame rates, but the combination of a strong mid-range CPU and an entry-level integrated GPU creates a clear performance ceiling that becomes more apparent as resolution increases. The benchmark results indicate this is a pairing where CPU headroom exists, but the Arc B390 holds the system back from reaching high refresh rates or high-fidelity settings at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 99 FPS at 1080p to 62 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 37 FPS. Moving to 4K at High settings, the average drops further to 33 FPS, which is exactly one-third of the 1080p score. This scaling pattern is typical of a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the pixel throughput demand increases quadratically with resolution, and the Arc B390's limited compute resources (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) struggle to keep pace.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing. At Medium settings, the system manages 69 FPS at 1440p but only 36 FPS at 4K, a drop of nearly 48%. The Low settings preset shows a similar trend: 79 FPS at 1440p falls to 41 FPS at 4K. This suggests that the Arc B390's memory subsystem, which relies on System Shared memory with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent," cannot feed enough data to the GPU cores at 4K resolutions. The 4K Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 23 FPS, reinforcing that this resolution is beyond the practical scope of this configuration.

The frame time data available for Medium settings further illustrates the strain. At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 92 with a max of 125, showing a relatively tight 33 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the min drops to 58 with a max of 79, a 21 FPS spread, indicating more variability. At 4K Medium, the min FPS is 30 with a max of 41, which means the system occasionally dips below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the absolute minimum for playability. This data suggests that while 1080p and 1440p offer stable experiences, 4K performance is not only low on average but also inconsistent.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 provides a solid foundation for this game, though its capabilities are largely underutilized in this pairing. The processor features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This is a modern Arrow Lake-S architecture part built on a 3 nm TSMC process, and its benchmark scores place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. In Cinebench R23, it scores 32924 points multi-core and 4648 points single-core, which are strong figures for a desktop processor.

The nearest CPU rivals in the data show that the Ultra 5 245 sits in a competitive position. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G by just 0.4% in average benchmark score, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 by 0.5%. It leads the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%. These margins are negligible, meaning the Ultra 5 245's raw processing power is on par with several well-regarded alternatives. For Ready Or Not, which is a tactical shooter that typically relies more on single-thread performance for game logic and AI, the 4648 single-core score in Cinebench R23 suggests the CPU can handle the game's simulation demands without breaking a sweat.

However, the benchmark results show that this CPU power does not translate into high frame rates at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 125 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire measured dataset. This indicates that even with reduced graphical load, the GPU still caps performance well below what the CPU could theoretically support. The PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and multi-thread score of 38706 reinforce that the CPU is not the limiting factor here. In fact, the data suggests that at 1080p, the Arc B390 is already near its maximum output, and the CPU has significant headroom remaining. The 14 threads are more than sufficient for a game like Ready Or Not, which likely uses only a handful of cores for its core simulation.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear bottleneck in this configuration, and its specifications explain why. This is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The boost clock is rated at 2500 MHz, but the base clock is just 300 MHz, which indicates the GPU is designed for power efficiency rather than sustained high-frequency operation. The TDP is 80 W, which is low for a graphics solution, and it uses System Shared memory with no dedicated VRAM.

The GPU's benchmark performance is extremely limited. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 1482 points, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low score, and the nearest rivals confirm its position in the entry-level segment. The Arc B390 is just 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% faster than the GT 710. These are all legacy or ultra-low-end parts, which puts the Arc B390's performance into perspective. For a modern game like Ready Or Not, released in 2021, this GPU is simply not equipped to handle demanding graphical workloads.

The impact of the GPU's limitations is visible in the measured FPS across all settings. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 69 FPS, which is playable but far from the high refresh rates that competitive players might seek. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs 56 FPS (125 down to 69), showing that the GPU's rendering capacity is quickly exhausted by higher quality presets. At 1440p, the Ultra preset drops to 44 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 23 FPS. The GPU's 24 ROPs are likely a limiting factor for pixel fill rate at high resolutions, and the System Shared memory bandwidth creates additional constraints. The data shows that this GPU is best suited for 1080p gaming at Low to Medium settings, where it can maintain playable frame rates above 100 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Ready Or Not at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that 4K performance is marginal. At Low settings the average FPS is 41, at Medium it is 36, at High it is 33, and at Ultra it drops to 23. The Medium preset also shows a minimum FPS of 30, indicating occasional dips below playable thresholds. This configuration is not recommended for 4K gaming.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The measured data indicates 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At this resolution, all settings presets achieve average FPS above 69, with Low reaching 125 FPS and Medium reaching 109 FPS. 1440p is also viable at Low settings (79 FPS) or Medium settings (69 FPS), but higher presets drop below 62 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. It is 0.4% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196), 0.5% slower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228), and 0.6% faster than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698). It is also 0.8% faster than the Intel Core i5-14600K (48618). These differences are minor, placing the CPU in a highly competitive tier.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 a dedicated graphics card?

A: No, the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a bus interface listed as "IGP" and a slot width of "IGP". It uses System Shared memory, meaning it draws from the system's main memory rather than having its own dedicated VRAM. This architecture contributes to its performance limitations.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 69 FPS at 1440p Medium settings, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. This is a playable experience, but the frame pacing shows more variability than at 1080p, where the same preset averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390's 3DMark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GT 710 (1443). The GPU sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low overall performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this configuration is at 1920x1080 resolution. At this resolution, the Medium preset offers an average of 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS, which is a smooth and stable experience for a tactical shooter. The Low preset pushes the average to 125 FPS, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the extra 16 FPS for most players. The High preset still delivers 99 FPS on average, which is acceptable, but the Medium preset's tighter minimum frame rate (92 FPS vs. no min data for High) suggests better frame consistency.

For players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, 1440p Medium is a reasonable compromise, offering 69 FPS average with a 58 FPS minimum. This is still above the 60 FPS target for most displays, though the minimum dips could be noticeable in intense firefights. The 1440p High preset drops to 62 FPS average, which is borderline, and Ultra falls to 44 FPS, which is not recommended. At 4K, no settings preset is advisable; even Low settings only manage 41 FPS, and the Medium preset's minimum of 30 FPS makes the experience inconsistent.

The data suggests that the Ultra preset is not worth using at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 69 FPS, which is a significant drop from Medium's 109 FPS, and the visual gains are unlikely to justify a 40 FPS loss. The GPU's limited compute resources (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) and 24 ROPs are simply not sufficient for the additional effects and shadow quality that Ultra settings demand in Ready Or Not. A practical recommendation is to use 1080p Medium for the best balance of performance and visual quality, with 1440p Medium as an option for users with higher-resolution monitors who can tolerate occasional frame dips.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance across all presets. The Low settings preset achieves an average of 125 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. High settings average 99 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 69 FPS. The spread between 125 FPS (Low) and 69 FPS (Ultra) is 56 FPS, demonstrating how sensitive the GPU is to quality preset changes.

At 2560x1440, performance declines noticeably. The Low preset averages 79 FPS. Medium settings average 69 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. High settings average 62 FPS. Ultra settings fall to an average of 44 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is 46 FPS (125 to 79), which is a substantial reduction that highlights the GPU's limited pixel processing capability.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 41 FPS. Medium settings average 36 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. High settings average 33 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 23 FPS. The difference between 1080p Low (125 FPS) and 4K Low (41 FPS) is 84 FPS, showing that the Arc B390 loses roughly two-thirds of its performance when moving from 1080p to 4K. The overall combo rank for this configuration in Ready Or Not is 2611 out of 2947 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the database's tested results.