Minecraft

Measured FPS Breakdown

Starting with 1920x1080, this combo delivers a wide spread of results depending on the preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate hits 216 FPS, which is the highest recorded value across any resolution and settings combination in the database. Medium settings produce an average of 171 FPS, with a minimum of 146 FPS and a maximum of 197 FPS. High settings average 136 FPS. Ultra settings still clear the 60 FPS threshold comfortably, averaging 85 FPS. The pattern at 1080p is clear: even the most demanding preset leaves substantial headroom above the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scaling is predictable but notable. Low settings average 136 FPS, exactly matching the High preset result at 1080p, which suggests the resolution jump from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly the same performance as moving from High to Low settings at the lower resolution. Medium settings average 108 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS. High settings average 86 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 54 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes Ultra the only non-playable preset at 1440p, while High, Medium, and Low all remain comfortably playable.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes significantly. Low settings average 71 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold but with far less margin than at lower resolutions. Medium settings average 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS, meaning even the average dips below playable. High settings average 45 FPS. Ultra settings average 28 FPS, the lowest recorded result in the entire dataset. At 4K, only the Low preset maintains an average above 60 FPS, and the gap between Low and Ultra is 43 FPS, demonstrating how heavily this game scales with settings at high resolution.

The database records no minimum or maximum values for most settings at 1080p and 1440p beyond the Medium presets, so the available variance data is limited. For Medium at 1080p, the frame time consistency shows a 51 FPS spread between minimum and maximum. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 32 FPS. At 4K Medium, the spread is 17 FPS. These numbers indicate that lower resolutions produce wider frame rate swings, likely because the CPU can push frames faster when the GPU is less constrained.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data shows a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU dominates the performance equation. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a PassMark single-thread score of 4823 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303, which are strong indicators for a game like Minecraft that relies heavily on single-thread performance. The GPU, an Intel Arc B390, sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, a very low figure. Yet at 1080p Low, the combo still reaches 216 FPS. This suggests the CPU is doing most of the heavy lifting, and the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 1440p tells a more nuanced story. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 216 to 136, a reduction of 80 FPS or roughly 37%. At High settings, the drop is from 136 to 86, a reduction of 50 FPS or roughly 37% as well. This consistent proportional drop across settings indicates that the resolution change is the dominant variable, and the GPU begins to take on a more significant role as pixel count increases. However, the fact that 1440p High still averages 86 FPS means the CPU is still feeding the GPU adequately.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The average FPS at 4K Low is 71, which is only 52% of the 1440p Low result. The drop from 1440p Medium (108 FPS) to 4K Medium (56 FPS) is exactly 52 FPS, a 48% reduction. These large proportional drops indicate that the Arc B390's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The GPU's 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are modest figures, and the system-shared memory bandwidth (listed as system dependent) further constrains performance at high resolutions.

The preset scaling reinforces this analysis. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 131 FPS (from 216 to 85), but the absolute floor remains playable. At 4K, the same preset swing costs 43 FPS (from 71 to 28), and the ceiling is already low. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is saturating regardless of settings, whereas at 1080p, the CPU can still push frames even when the GPU workload increases. The integrated graphics nature of the Arc B390, with its 80 W TDP and IGP slot width, explains why it behaves like a low-end part despite being paired with a top-tier CPU.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU provide context for how this processor compares in general compute tasks. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K scores 83807 on average, which is 0.2% lower than the 290K Plus's 84003 average benchmark score. The AMD EPYC 4584PX scores 83090, 1.1% lower. The AMD EPYC 9135 scores 82980, 1.2% lower. The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072, which is 1.3% higher. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Minecraft when paired with the same GPU, because the game's bottleneck at higher resolutions is the GPU, not the CPU. At 1080p Low, where the CPU matters most, the 1.3% delta between the 290K Plus and the EPYC 7F72 would translate to roughly 2 to 3 FPS difference, which is imperceptible.

The GPU's nearest rivals paint a more sobering picture. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. These are all entry-level or legacy mobile/desktop parts. The GT 710, for instance, is a card typically used for basic display output, not gaming. The fact that the Arc B390 only sits 2.7% ahead of the GT 710 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad test means that any of these GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Minecraft. At 4K Ultra, where the Arc B390 averages 28 FPS, a GT 710 would likely fall to the mid-20s, still unplayable. At 1080p Low, the CPU would compensate for the weaker GPU, and the difference might shrink to 5 to 10 FPS.

For a builder considering alternatives, the data suggests that swapping the CPU to any of the four nearest rivals would not meaningfully change Minecraft performance. Swapping the GPU to any of its nearest rivals would produce slightly lower but similar results, with the GT 520MX being the closest match at 1.3% slower. None of these GPU alternatives would push the 4K Medium result above the 60 FPS threshold, since the Arc B390 already falls short at 56 FPS.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Minecraft? The answer depends entirely on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, every preset is playable. The database records 85 FPS average at Ultra, 136 FPS at High, 171 FPS at Medium, and 216 FPS at Low. The Ultra preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS threshold by 25 FPS, so this is a fully playable configuration for 1080p gaming with maximum settings.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is mostly positive but requires preset selection. High settings average 86 FPS, Medium averages 108 FPS, and Low averages 136 FPS, all above 60. Ultra settings average 54 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold. The best playable setting at 1440p is High, with an average of 86 FPS. This leaves enough headroom for demanding scenes, though the minimum FPS is not recorded for High at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is restrictive. Only Low settings are playable, averaging 71 FPS. Medium averages 56 FPS, below the threshold, and High and Ultra average 45 FPS and 28 FPS respectively. The best playable setting at 4K is Low, with an average of 71 FPS. This means the system can run the game at 4K, but only with reduced visual quality, and the margin above 60 FPS is only 11 FPS, which could be problematic in busy scenes with many entities or complex redstone contraptions.

The overall verdict is that this combo is a solid 1080p and 1440p machine for Minecraft, but a marginal 4K machine. The CPU is more than capable, with its 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, but the GPU's 9th percentile ranking holds the system back at higher resolutions. Players targeting 4K should stick to Low settings, while 1440p users can enjoy High settings, and 1080p users can max everything out.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3282 out of 3710 combos for Minecraft. That places it in the bottom 11.5% of all tested systems. This low rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU alone sits in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. When combined, the system's overall standing is dragged down by the graphics component.

The rank of 3282 out of 3710 means there are 3281 tested combinations that perform better in Minecraft. This is not surprising given the GPU's nearest rivals are all decades-old or entry-level parts. The system does, however, outperform 428 tested combos, which would include systems with even weaker GPUs or older CPUs. For context, a combo with the same CPU but a mid-range GPU would likely rank much higher, since the CPU is not the limiting factor at most settings.

This ranking should be interpreted carefully. The absolute rank is low, but the system still achieves playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p for most presets. The ranking reflects the GPU's overall compute weakness, not necessarily the gaming experience in this specific title. Minecraft is not a graphically demanding game by modern standards, and the CPU's strong single-thread performance compensates for the GPU's limitations at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p with this combo?

A: High settings are the best playable option at 2560x1440, averaging 86 FPS. Ultra settings average 54 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Can this system run Minecraft at 4K?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, which average 71 FPS. Medium settings average 56 FPS, below the playable threshold, and High and Ultra average 45 FPS and 28 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in terms of overall benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K's 83807 and 1.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135's 82980. The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072, which is 1.3% higher than the 290K Plus.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, at 1920x1080 the GPU is not the limiting factor. The system reaches 216 FPS on Low settings and 85 FPS on Ultra, indicating the CPU is driving performance. The GPU becomes the bottleneck at 4K, where even Medium settings drop to 56 FPS.

Q: What GPU performance level is this comparable to?

A: The Intel Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. These are entry-level parts from previous generations.

Q: How many tested combinations does this system outperform in Minecraft?

A: This combo ranks 3282 out of 3710 tested combinations, meaning it performs better than 428 other tested systems in Minecraft. The low rank is due to the GPU, which sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs.