Ready Or Not

# Ready Or Not with Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a formidable Ready Or Not experience, with measured frame rates showing this combination ranks 602nd out of 2,947 tested combos. This places it comfortably in the top quarter of all systems tested for this tactical shooter, with performance scaling predictably across resolution and settings tiers. The data reveals a system that excels at high-refresh 1440p play while remaining capable at 4K, though the Ultra preset imposes significant demands on the GPU at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 392 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 342 average FPS, while High and Ultra reach 311 and 218 average FPS respectively.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Ready Or Not?

A: The combination ranks 602nd out of 2,947 tested combos, placing it in the 80th percentile of all systems tested for this game. This indicates strong performance relative to the broader field.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate observed across all tested configurations?

A: The lowest average FPS is 72, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the only configuration that drops below 100 FPS average, highlighting the demanding nature of 4K Ultra in this title.

Q: Are there any configurations that maintain minimum FPS above 200?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 290, while at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum is 183. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only configuration where both minimum and maximum FPS stay above 200.

Q: How much performance is gained when lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, moving from Ultra (72 average FPS) to Low (129 average FPS) results in a 57 FPS gain, representing a 79% improvement. The Medium preset provides intermediate performance at 113 average FPS.

Q: What are the CPU's benchmark scores relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, sitting 0.2% above the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83,807) and 1.1% above the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83,090). It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85,072) by 1.3%.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 forms the visual backbone of this system, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 6,144 shading units and 48 RT cores. Its 12 GB of GDDR7 memory operates across a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock runs at 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and its 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute provides substantial raw throughput for rendering heavy scenes.

In Ready Or Not, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution scales upward. At 1080p, the RTX 5070 has ample headroom, with even Ultra settings hitting 218 average FPS. The data shows the GPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution, as the frame rate differences between Low and Ultra are relatively modest compared to lower-end configurations. At 1440p, the GPU begins to flex its capabilities more noticeably, with Ultra dropping to 138 average FPS while High maintains 196 average FPS.

The 4K results reveal the RTX 5070's limits under maximum load. At 3840x2160, Ultra settings yield just 72 average FPS, while High recovers to 102 average FPS. The Medium preset at 113 average FPS and Low at 129 average FPS show how much performance headroom exists when reducing graphical load. The 12 GB VRAM capacity appears sufficient for this title at these settings, as no configuration shows signs of memory-related stuttering in the measured data.

The GPU's benchmark profile places it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 40,377. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40,318, 0.1% ahead), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40,063, 0.8% ahead), and AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40,870, 1.2% behind). The RTX 5070's performance in Ready Or Not appears well-aligned with its synthetic benchmark standing, showing consistent capability across different workloads.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus serves as the processing foundation, featuring 24 cores and 24 threads with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This Arrow Lake Refresh processor, built on TSMC's 3 nm process, includes 36 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The processor's 125 W TDP understates its capabilities, as its benchmark scores demonstrate exceptional multi-threaded and single-threaded performance.

In Ready Or Not, the CPU's influence is most visible at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1080p, the frame rates reach 392 average FPS on Low settings, indicating the CPU can feed frames far faster than the display can likely show them. The single-core performance, measured at 7,303 in Cinebench R23, proves critical for this tactical shooter's game logic and AI processing. The multi-core score of 51,731 in Cinebench R23 ensures smooth handling of simultaneous processes during intense firefights.

The CPU's percentile rank of 96th among all CPUs underscores its elite status. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks show tight competition: the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K trails by just 0.2%, while the AMD EPYC 4584PX and EPYC 9135 are 1.1% and 1.2% behind respectively. The AMD EPYC 7F72 leads by 1.3%, though these differences are minimal in real-world gaming scenarios.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU's role shifts from primary driver to supporting actor. The frame rate differences between resolutions at equivalent settings suggest the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher pixel counts. Yet the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures consistent frame pacing, as evidenced by the minimum FPS values at 1080p Medium (290) and 1440p Medium (183). This processor demonstrates that even in a GPU-heavy title like Ready Or Not, a top-tier CPU provides stability that lower-end processors cannot match.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data presents a clear hierarchy of performance across settings presets. At 1080p, all presets deliver excellent playability, with even Ultra maintaining 218 average FPS. The Medium preset offers the best balance at 342 average FPS with a minimum of 290, making it the recommended choice for maximum smoothness without sacrificing visual quality. High settings at 311 average FPS provide nearly equivalent performance with improved visuals.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts toward High settings, which delivers 196 average FPS. This represents a sweet spot where visual fidelity remains high while frame rates comfortably exceed 144 Hz refresh rates. Medium at 216 average FPS offers extra headroom for competitive play, while Ultra drops to 138 average FPS, still playable but requiring a 144 Hz display to fully utilize. Low at 247 average FPS provides maximum responsiveness but sacrifices environmental detail that aids situational awareness.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests Medium settings at 113 average FPS as the optimal balance. High at 102 average FPS is also viable for players prioritizing visuals over frame rate. Ultra at 72 average FPS is borderline for smooth play, while Low at 129 average FPS sacrifices too much visual information for the modest performance gain. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 96 and maximum of 130 indicate reasonably consistent performance, suitable for immersive playthroughs.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 602nd out of 2,947 tested combos for Ready Or Not. This position in the top 20.4% of all systems indicates strong overall performance, though it suggests there are 601 configurations capable of higher frame rates in this title.

The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's 96th percentile standing and the GPU's 82nd percentile position. The CPU's superior relative performance helps this combo achieve frame rates that exceed what the GPU alone might suggest, particularly at 1080p where the processor's capabilities shine through. The GPU's more modest percentile explains why the combo falls short of the very top rankings, as systems with higher-tier graphics cards would likely outperform it at 4K Ultra settings.

The 2,947 total combos tested provide substantial context for this ranking. With 601 systems performing better, this combo sits in the upper quartile of all tested configurations. The measured data confirms this is a high-performance pairing suitable for serious gaming, even if it doesn't reach the absolute pinnacle of Ready Or Not performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings achieve 392 average FPS, Medium reaches 342 average FPS with a minimum of 290 and maximum of 393, High delivers 311 average FPS, and Ultra maintains 218 average FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p gaming is well within the system's comfort zone, with even the most demanding preset maintaining frame rates far above typical display refresh rates.

The 2560x1440 results show a predictable performance curve. Low settings produce 247 average FPS, Medium delivers 216 average FPS with a minimum of 183 and maximum of 248, High achieves 196 average FPS, and Ultra drops to 138 average FPS. The step from Medium to Ultra represents a 36% performance reduction, highlighting the significant cost of the highest visual quality preset.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably. Low settings yield 129 average FPS, Medium produces 113 average FPS with a minimum of 96 and maximum of 130, High reaches 102 average FPS, and Ultra falls to 72 average FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 57 FPS, representing a 79% difference, compared to the 174 FPS gap at 1080p (392 to 218). This compression of performance headroom at higher resolutions confirms the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent performance reduction across settings. At Low, frame rates drop from 392 to 247 average FPS, a 37% reduction. Medium falls from 342 to 216 average FPS, a 37% decrease. High declines from 311 to 196 average FPS, a 37% drop. Ultra reduces from 218 to 138 average FPS, a 37% reduction. This uniformity suggests the scaling is primarily resolution-driven rather than settings-dependent.

Moving from 1440p to 4K reveals a steeper decline. Low settings drop from 247 to 129 average FPS, a 48% reduction. Medium falls from 216 to 113 average FPS, a 48% decrease. High declines from 196 to 102 average FPS, a 48% drop. Ultra reduces from 138 to 72 average FPS, a 48% reduction. The consistent scaling across all settings indicates a GPU-bound scenario at these higher resolutions, with the RTX 5070's bandwidth and compute resources determining the ceiling.

The scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about system balance. At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance allows frame rates to reach levels that far exceed what the GPU can maintain at 4K. The 4K results show the GPU's true capabilities, with even Low settings requiring significant compromise to maintain playable frame rates. This suggests that for players targeting 4K, the RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth provide sufficient resources, but the 30.87 TFLOPS compute becomes the limiting factor at maximum detail levels.