Ready Or Not

Ready Or Not, a tactical shooter from 2021, exhibits distinct performance scaling characteristics when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The measured data reveals a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows signs of CPU limitation at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across three resolutions and four settings presets, interpreting the results against the broader benchmark database ranking of this specific combo.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a predictable and significant drop in average frame rates, but the magnitude of that drop varies by settings preset, revealing where the bottleneck shifts. At the Low preset, the average FPS falls from 519 at 1080p to 327 at 1440p, a reduction of 192 frames, and then to 171 at 4K, a further reduction of 156 frames. This steep decline indicates that even at the lowest settings, the rendering load at 4K is substantial, and the GPU is still the primary constraint, though the 1080p figure suggests the CPU is nearing its limit.

For the Medium preset, the measured averages are 452 at 1080p, 286 at 1440p, and 149 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 137 FPS, which is proportionally larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p (166 FPS). This non-linear scaling is a classic sign of the GPU becoming progressively more saturated as resolution increases, with the CPU headroom at 1080p allowing for a higher starting point. The High preset follows a similar pattern: 411 FPS at 1080p, 260 at 1440p, and 136 at 4K.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with averages of 289 at 1080p, 182 at 1440p, and 95 at 4K. The 4K average is less than a quarter of the 1080p average, demonstrating that the Ultra preset's demands on the RTX 4090 are severe. The data suggests that at 1080p, particularly with Low and Medium settings, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K's 20 cores and 5.50 GHz boost clock are able to feed frames quickly enough that the RTX 4090 is not fully utilized. As resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU's rendering workload dominates, and the CPU's role diminishes, making the FPS drop a direct consequence of pixel throughput.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, with its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, provides a 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth, which is crucial for handling the high-resolution textures and complex scenes in Ready Or Not. The GPU's 16,384 shading units and 128 RT cores are tasked with the bulk of the rendering, and the benchmark results show it is capable of delivering playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra. The measured 95 FPS average at 4K Ultra confirms its raw compute power, which is rated at 82.58 TFLOPS FP32.

The GPU's boost clock of 2520 MHz is a key factor in these results. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 519 indicates the GPU is not the limiting factor; the frame rate is likely capped by the CPU or game engine logic. However, at 4K Ultra, the 95 FPS average suggests the GPU is working near its maximum capacity. The data shows a clear trend: as settings increase and resolution rises, the RTX 4090's role shifts from being underutilized to being the definitive bottleneck. The 24 GB VRAM capacity is not a constraint in these measurements, as even the Ultra preset at 4K does not show a min FPS drop that would indicate memory swapping. The GPU's performance, relative to its nearest rivals in the database (like the Intel Arc Pro A60, which has a near-identical average benchmark score), is strong, but in this specific game, the RTX 4090's architectural advantages in raw throughput are fully expressed.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 134th out of 3,714 tested combos for Ready Or Not. This places it in the top 3.6% of all configurations tested, indicating a very high-performing pairing. The rank reflects the synergy between the CPU and GPU, where the 265K's strong multi-threaded performance (a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,850) prevents it from holding back the RTX 4090.

The CPU's percentile rank of 94 out of all CPUs, compared to rivals like the Intel Core i7-14700KF which has a 1% higher average benchmark score, suggests it is a near-peer in processing power. The GPU's percentile rank of 88 out of all GPUs is slightly lower, but its nearest rivals in the database are professional workstation cards (AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, for instance, which is 2.5% lower in score), not gaming-focused counterparts. This indicates that the RTX 4090 is a top-tier consumer part, and its position in the ranking is likely affected by the inclusion of many professional GPUs. The combo's 134th rank out of 3,714 is a strong result, showing that this pairing is well-balanced for this title, with neither component significantly dragging down the other's performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured average frame rates is as follows:

• 1920x1080: Low: 519 FPS | Medium: 452 FPS (min 385, max 520) | High: 411 FPS | Ultra: 289 FPS
• 2560x1440: Low: 327 FPS | Medium: 286 FPS (min 243, max 328) | High: 260 FPS | Ultra: 182 FPS
• 3840x2160: Low: 171 FPS | Medium: 149 FPS (min 127, max 172) | High: 136 FPS | Ultra: 95 FPS

At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 230 FPS, a 44% reduction in performance when maxing out settings. The 1% low for Medium at 1080p is 385 FPS, which is still above the 4K Ultra average, showing the headroom available at lower resolutions. At 1440p, the spread narrows slightly, with a 145 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The Medium preset shows a 1% low of 243 FPS, which remains highly playable. At 4K, the spread narrows further to 76 FPS between Low and Ultra, and the Medium preset's 1% low of 127 FPS is the only measured minimum below 130 FPS across all presets, indicating a more consistent load on the GPU. The data shows that for every preset, the average FPS drops by roughly 40-50% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and then by another 40-50% when moving from 1440p to 4K, confirming the GPU-bound nature of the title at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved with this combo?

A: The highest measured average is 519 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. The data indicates that at 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high (411 FPS at High), suggesting the CPU, with its 20 threads and 5.50 GHz boost, is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to 1080p Low?

A: The 4K Ultra average of 95 FPS is significantly lower than the 1080p Low average of 519 FPS, a difference of 424 frames, which illustrates the massive increase in rendering workload at higher resolutions and settings.

Q: What is the 1% low FPS for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The measured 1% low for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is 243 FPS, with a maximum of 328 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 134th out of 3,714 tested combos for Ready Or Not.

Q: Is the 24 GB VRAM a limiting factor in these results?

A: No. The measured frame times, particularly the 1% lows at 4K Medium (127 FPS), do not show the stutter or severe drops typically associated with VRAM capacity limits, suggesting 24 GB is sufficient for this game's tested presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 411 FPS is a strong choice for high-refresh-rate monitors, providing a massive frame rate cushion. The Ultra preset at 289 FPS is also viable for 144Hz displays, but the 122 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains for all users. The Medium preset, with a 452 FPS average and a 385 FPS 1% low, offers a perfect balance for competitive play at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the High preset's 260 FPS average is excellent, and the Ultra preset's 182 FPS is still well above the 144Hz threshold, making it a reasonable choice for those prioritizing image quality. The Medium preset at 286 FPS is the highest average at this resolution and provides a smooth experience. For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Ultra preset's 95 FPS average is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced tactical shooters where frame consistency is key. The High preset at 136 FPS is a better fit for 4K displays with 120Hz or 144Hz refresh rates, offering a significant 41 FPS improvement over Ultra. The Medium preset at 149 FPS is also a strong option, and its measured 1% low of 127 FPS shows good frame pacing. Given the minimal average FPS difference between High and Medium at 4K (13 FPS), the Medium preset appears to provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance headroom for most users.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, plays a critical role in ensuring the RTX 4090 is not starved of data. Its base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz provide the single-thread speed necessary for game logic and draw call processing. The CPU's measured performance in Cinebench R23 (35,850 multi-core, 2,020 single-core) and Geekbench (23,085 multi-core, 2,713 single-core) indicates a high level of processing capability. In Ready Or Not, the data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the frame rates plateau around 519 FPS on Low, which is likely near the engine's simulation limit.

The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with a 102.4 GB/s bandwidth help maintain consistent frame times, as seen in the 1% low figures. The nearest rival data for the CPU shows it is 1% faster than the Intel Core i7-14700KF in average benchmark score, and 1.3% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. This performance headroom is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 4090's demands at all but the lowest resolution and settings, where the game's engine becomes the bottleneck. The CPU's role is therefore to provide a stable foundation, which it does effectively, ensuring that the GPU can scale its performance from 4K Ultra (95 FPS) up to 1080p High (411 FPS) without introducing significant CPU-related frame drops.