Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a performance profile that is decisively above the 60 FPS playability threshold for Minimum across nearly all tested configurations. Benchmark data shows this combination ranks in the top percentile of tested hardware, with the most demanding 4K Ultra preset being the only scenario that dips below the target. The measured frame rates indicate a system with substantial headroom, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions and high-fidelity gaming at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo spans three resolutions and four quality presets, with complete average frame rate figures for every configuration. Minimum and maximum frame rates were only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution, providing a partial picture of frame pacing consistency.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the average frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. The Low preset produces an average of 310 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded for this combo. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 237 FPS, with a minimum of 202 FPS and a maximum of 273 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 199 FPS, and the Ultra preset still maintains a robust 152 FPS average. These figures suggest that at 1080p, the system is almost certainly bottlenecked by the CPU or game engine logic rather than the GPU, as even the most demanding preset is over 2.5 times the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance scaling follows a predictable pattern, with the average FPS decreasing as the preset quality increases. The Low preset achieves an average of 200 FPS, which is a 35% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 153 FPS, with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS. High settings produce an average of 128 FPS, while the Ultra preset maintains an average of 98 FPS. The difference between the highest and lowest presets at this resolution is 102 FPS, indicating that the GPU is beginning to play a more significant role in performance, though the system still has ample headroom.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the frame rates become more moderate, but remain playable for the majority of presets. The Low preset averages 108 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS, showing that the minimum frame rate stays comfortably above the playability target. High settings produce an average of 69 FPS, which is the lowest playable average recorded. The Ultra preset is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS line, with an average of 53 FPS. This 4K data demonstrates a clear GPU-bound scenario at the highest settings, as the difference between Low and Ultra is 55 FPS at this resolution, compared to 158 FPS at 1080p.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This analysis uses the measured average frame rates to determine the optimal balance between visual quality and performance.

At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, and the Ultra preset is the clear choice. The Ultra settings achieve an average of 152 FPS, which is 92 FPS above the threshold. This makes Ultra the best setting at 1080p, as there is no performance penalty significant enough to warrant dropping to a lower preset. The data shows the system has enough performance to run the game at maximum quality with a frame rate that is suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar, with all four presets clearing the 60 FPS mark. The Ultra preset is again the best choice, delivering an average of 98 FPS. This is 38 FPS above the playability threshold, providing a comfortable margin for demanding scenes. The minimum frame rate for the Medium preset at this resolution is 130 FPS, which suggests that even the most demanding Ultra preset is unlikely to experience significant drops below the 60 FPS line.

At 3840x2160, the options become more limited. The High preset is the most demanding setting that remains playable, with an average of 69 FPS. This is 9 FPS above the threshold, which is a relatively narrow margin. The Ultra preset falls below the threshold with an average of 53 FPS, and is therefore not recommended for 4K gaming. The Medium preset offers a more comfortable average of 82 FPS, but High is the best setting according to the criteria, as it provides higher visual quality while still averaging above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific hardware combination ranks 644th out of 3,712 tested combos for Minimum. This puts it in the top 17.4% of all tested configurations, which is a strong result for a game that is not particularly demanding by modern standards.

The rank is influenced by both the CPU and GPU performance relative to other components. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 36,938. Its nearest performance rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with an average score of 36,945 (a 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with a score of 37,018 (a -0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 with a score of 37,093 (a -0.4% delta), and the Intel Core i9-12900T with a score of 37,112 (a -0.5% delta). These deltas are all within one percent, indicating that the Core Ultra 5 225 is functionally performance-equivalent to a cluster of mid-range to upper-mid-range processors.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43,223. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB with a score of 43,262 (a -0.1% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile with a score of 43,268 (a -0.1% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 with a score of 43,301 (a -0.2% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile with a score of 43,667 (a -1% delta). The GPU's performance is closely matched with these alternatives, all within a 1% margin of each other.

The combination of a top-quartile CPU and GPU results in a system that ranks in the 83rd percentile overall. The 4K Ultra result of 53 FPS is the primary reason this combo does not rank higher, as the 4K High result is the weakest playable configuration.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: No. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, with an average of 69 FPS.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 310, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only configuration that breaks the 300 FPS mark.

Q: Is the frame rate consistent at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The data shows a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS for the 2560x1440 Medium preset, with an average of 153 FPS. This indicates a variance of 46 FPS between the minimum and maximum recorded frames.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to the RTX 4090 Mobile?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 43,223, which is 1% lower than the RTX 4090 Mobile's score of 43,667. The deltaPct of -1% indicates the 4070 SUPER is slightly slower in this benchmark suite.

Q: Is the 1080p Ultra preset suitable for a 144Hz monitor?

A: Yes. The 1080p Ultra preset delivers an average of 152 FPS, which exceeds the 144Hz refresh rate target. This provides enough headroom to keep the frame rate above the monitor's refresh rate in most scenes.

Q: What is the least demanding playable configuration at 4K?

A: The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 108 FPS, which is the highest frame rate of any 4K preset. The Medium preset is also playable at 82 FPS, and High is playable at 69 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the balance of CPU and GPU workload shifts across resolutions and presets. By analyzing the scaling of frame rates between different settings, it is possible to infer which component is the primary limiting factor.

At 1920x1080, the GPU is clearly not the bottleneck. The difference in average FPS between the Low preset (310 FPS) and the Ultra preset (152 FPS) is 158 FPS, which is a substantial 51% reduction. However, even the Ultra preset at 152 FPS is far beyond the 60 FPS threshold. The fact that the Low preset can achieve 310 FPS suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a very high rate, and the GPU is only lightly stressed at this resolution. The 1080p results are likely limited by the game's engine or CPU single-thread performance, as the 10-core, 10-thread Core Ultra 5 225 with a 4.90 GHz boost clock is the primary driver of these high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role. The scaling from Low (200 FPS) to Ultra (98 FPS) is a 102 FPS drop, which is a 51% reduction, similar to the percentage at 1080p. However, the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating that the GPU is being pushed harder. The 1440p results still show a strong CPU contribution, as the Low preset maintains 200 FPS, but the GPU is now a more active participant in determining the final frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The scaling from Low (108 FPS) to Ultra (53 FPS) is a 55 FPS drop, which is a 51% reduction in frame rate. This is the same relative scaling as the other resolutions, but the absolute numbers are much lower. The fact that the Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 4K, while the same preset is far above it at 1440p, indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component at this resolution. The CPU has enough performance to maintain high frame rates, but the GPU cannot render the additional pixels required by 4K Ultra settings.

The data shows a clear pattern: the CPU is the primary driver of performance at 1080p, the GPU becomes increasingly important at 1440p, and the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth are sufficient for all presets except 4K Ultra, where the 53 FPS average indicates the GPU is at its limit.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum successfully at all tested resolutions, with the sole exception of 4K Ultra settings. The verdict by resolution is clear:

At 3840x2160, the system is playable at High, Medium, and Low presets. The best playable setting is High, which averages 69 FPS. The Ultra preset is not playable, as it averages only 53 FPS. This means the system can handle 4K gaming with high visual quality, but users must avoid the maximum settings.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable at all four presets. The best setting is Ultra, which averages 98 FPS. This provides an excellent balance of visual fidelity and performance, with a 38 FPS margin above the playability threshold. The 1440p Ultra result is 29 FPS higher than the 4K High result, showing that the system has significant headroom at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system is playable at all four presets, with the Ultra setting averaging 152 FPS. This is the best overall configuration for high-refresh-rate gaming, as it provides both maximum quality and a frame rate that is suitable for 144Hz monitors. The 1080p results are the strongest of the three resolutions, with even the Low preset achieving 310 FPS.

The overall verdict is that this hardware combination is more than capable of running Minimum at high quality settings for most users. The only limitation is 4K Ultra, which falls 7 FPS short of the 60 FPS target. For 1080p and 1440p gaming, the system offers exceptional performance with no compromises on visual quality.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering this specific CPU and GPU combination, the nearest rival components offer similar performance and could be considered as alternatives.

On the CPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36,938. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is the closest match with a score of 36,945, showing a 0% delta. This means a system using the Ryzen 5 5600F would perform nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D has a score of 37,018, which is 0.2% higher, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37,093, which is 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i9-12900T has the highest score among the rivals at 37,112, which is 0.5% higher than the Core Ultra 5 225. All four alternatives are within a half percent of the Core Ultra 5 225's performance, meaning any of them would yield similar frame rates in Minimum.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 43,223. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB is the closest rival with a score of 43,262, a 0.1% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43,268, also a 0.1% delta, and the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 scores 43,301, a 0.2% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43,667, which is 1% higher than the RTX 4070 SUPER. These GPU alternatives are all within a 1% performance delta, so they would produce essentially identical frame rates in GPU-bound scenarios at 4K.

For a system that closely matches the performance profile of the Core Ultra 5 225 + RTX 4070 SUPER, a combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile would be the closest match, with the CPU being 0% faster and the GPU being 1% faster. Alternatively, the Intel Core i9-12900T paired with the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB would provide a CPU that is 0.5% faster and a GPU that is 0.1% faster, resulting in a nearly identical gaming experience across all resolutions and presets.