Ready Or Not

Ready Or Not, a tactical shooter released in 2021, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination. This pairing of a high-end 24-core processor with a mid-range 8 GB graphics card creates a unique dynamic where the data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck depending on the resolution and settings selected. The measured frame rates across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions provide a detailed look at how this specific hardware combo handles a modern, CPU-intensive title.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking trend in the data is the dramatic impact of resolution on performance. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptionally high frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 266 FPS average and even the demanding Ultra preset achieving 148 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is doing the heavy lifting, and the RTX 4060 has ample headroom to produce frames without being a limiting factor. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant but expected drop, with High settings falling from 211 FPS to 133 FPS, a reduction of roughly 37%. This suggests that while the GPU is starting to work harder, the system remains highly capable.

Moving to 3840x2160 reveals the true nature of the bottleneck. The average frame rate at High settings plummets to 70 FPS, a 47% decrease from the 1440p result. This steep decline strongly indicates that the RTX 4060, with its 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB of VRAM, becomes the primary constraint at 4K resolution. The gap between the Low and Ultra presets also widens considerably at 4K, from a 55 FPS difference at 1080p (266 vs 211) to a 39 FPS difference at 4K (88 vs 49). This compression of performance across settings at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario, where the graphics card’s raw processing power and memory bandwidth cap the frame output regardless of the CPU’s capabilities.

The data implies that this combo is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, but users targeting 4K will need to make significant compromises in graphical fidelity to maintain playable frame rates. The performance drop-off is not linear; it accelerates as resolution increases, confirming that the RTX 4060 is a 1080p and 1440p card at heart, with the powerful CPU ensuring that it never becomes the bottleneck at those lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The benchmark results show that this memory configuration is a defining factor in the card’s performance in Ready Or Not. At 1080p, the card’s 3072 shading units and 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are more than sufficient, allowing it to push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS. The data shows the card is rarely stressed at this resolution, with the CPU and game engine being the primary drivers of performance.

However, the GPU’s role becomes more complex at higher resolutions. The jump to 1440p sees a noticeable hit, and at 4K, the card’s limitations are exposed. The 8 GB VRAM capacity and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely insufficient to handle the texture and geometry loads at 3840x2160 efficiently, leading to the lower average frame rates observed. The card’s boost clock of 2460 MHz is respectable, but it cannot compensate for the memory bandwidth shortfall. The data suggests that while the GPU has enough compute power for high-quality settings, its memory subsystem becomes a hard ceiling at 4K.

Interestingly, the GPU’s average benchmark score of 17639 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with rivals like the AMD Radeon 780M (17588) and AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551) being extremely close in synthetic tests. This indicates that the RTX 4060 is a solid mid-range performer, but its 8 GB VRAM is a clear differentiator against higher-tier cards. In Ready Or Not, this translates to a card that excels at 1080p and is adequate for 1440p, but requires the player to dial back settings at 4K to maintain a smooth experience. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, where its VRAM and memory bandwidth are challenged by the higher pixel count.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a formidable processor with 24 cores and 24 threads, a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. Its synthetic benchmark scores are exceptionally high, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. In the context of Ready Or Not, this processing power is the reason the system achieves such high frame rates at 1080p. The game is known to be CPU-bound in many scenarios, and the data supports this, with the CPU ensuring that the GPU is fed with data even at the highest settings.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (avg score 83807, deltaPct 0.2) and AMD EPYC 4584PX (avg score 83090, deltaPct 1.1), show that the 290K Plus is at the top of its class in raw compute. This headroom is evident in the game’s performance at 1080p, where the CPU’s high single-thread performance (4823 in Passmark single-thread) and multi-core might are not the limiting factor. Even at 1440p, the CPU continues to provide enough throughput to keep the average frame rates above 130 FPS on High settings.

The real test for the CPU comes at 4K, where the GPU becomes the bottleneck. In this scenario, the CPU is effectively idling, as the frame rate is capped by the graphics card. The data shows that the CPU’s role is to provide a stable foundation that never becomes a liability, allowing the GPU to perform to its full potential at 1080p and 1440p. The 125W TDP and 3 nm process node also suggest that the processor can maintain its high clock speeds without thermal throttling, ensuring consistent performance. The benchmark data implies that this CPU is overkill for a mid-range GPU at 4K, but it is the ideal partner for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions, where its power can be fully utilized.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 148 FPS average is the best choice for players with high-refresh-rate monitors, as it offers the highest visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate well above 144 FPS. For those seeking maximum performance, the Low preset’s 266 FPS average is exceptional, but the Medium preset at 232 FPS provides a balanced option that likely offers significantly better visuals with only a 13% performance penalty compared to Low.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the clear winner, delivering a 133 FPS average. This is a significant improvement over the Ultra preset’s 94 FPS while still offering high-end visuals. The Medium preset at 146 FPS is also viable, but the High preset’s balance of quality and speed makes it the recommended choice. At 3840x2160, the situation changes drastically. The Medium preset at 77 FPS is the only playable option for a smooth experience, with a minimum FPS of 65. The High preset at 70 FPS is borderline, but the Medium preset provides a more consistent frame rate, as indicated by its measured min/max range of 65 to 88 FPS.

The data suggests that the Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution above 1080p, as it incurs a massive performance hit for marginal visual gains. The Low preset at 4K (88 FPS) is viable, but it defeats the purpose of playing at that resolution. The most efficient presets are High at 1440p and Medium at 4K, as they offer the best visual-to-performance ratio. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as the system has enough CPU and GPU headroom to run it without issue.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1566 out of 2947 combos for Ready Or Not. This places it in the 47th percentile, which is roughly the middle of the pack. This rank is surprisingly low given the CPU’s immense power, but it is a direct result of the GPU’s mid-range positioning. The rank suggests that while this combo is capable, many other pairings with more powerful graphics cards achieve higher average frame rates, even if they have weaker CPUs.

The combo’s rank is likely dragged down by the 4K results, where the RTX 4060 struggles. At 1080p and 1440p, this combo would likely rank much higher, as the CPU ensures that the GPU is fully utilized. The data indicates that the rank is a reflection of the overall performance across all resolutions, and the GPU is the primary determinant of the final score. The CPU’s high percentile (96th) does not fully compensate for the GPU’s 61st percentile in this game’s context.

This ranking implies that users looking to maximize their performance in Ready Or Not would be better served by a more powerful GPU, even if it means sacrificing CPU performance. The combo’s position in the middle of the pack confirms the importance of balance, and it suggests that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor in this pairing. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck, but its power is wasted at higher resolutions where the GPU cannot keep up.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 70 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 88 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 77 | 65 | 88 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 49 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 133 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 168 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 146 | 124 | 168 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 94 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 211 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 266 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 232 | 197 | 267 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 148 | - | - |

The data shows a consistent pattern: for each resolution, the Low preset offers the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the lowest. The gap between Low and Ultra is 118 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. This diminishing gap is a clear indicator of the GPU becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the performance penalty for higher settings shrinks when the GPU is already maxed out. The Medium preset at all resolutions shows the most stable frame times, with the only recorded min/max values in the dataset, suggesting it provides the most consistent experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Ready Or Not?

A: The highest average FPS is 266, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus or the RTX 4060 the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data indicates the RTX 4060 is the bottleneck at 3840x2160, as the average FPS drops sharply compared to 1440p, and the performance gap between settings presets narrows, which is a characteristic of GPU limitation.

Q: What settings preset provides the best experience at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset at 133 FPS average is the recommended choice for 1440p, as it offers a high frame rate while maintaining better visual quality than the Medium preset.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 1566 out of 2947 tested combos for Ready Or Not, placing it in the middle of the pack.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is 197, with a maximum of 267 FPS.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM of the RTX 4060 sufficient for 4K gaming in Ready Or Not?

A: Based on the measured FPS at 3840x2160, the 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates, as the average FPS at High settings is only 70, indicating the memory subsystem is a limiting factor.