Minimum

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Minimum with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and Intel Arc B390 shows a clear pattern: performance scales predictably with resolution and preset level, but the playable envelope is limited. At 3840x2160, the combination never reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset produces an average of 21 FPS, while Low improves to 33 FPS. Medium sits between them at 25 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 21 FPS and maximum of 29 FPS. Ultra is the most demanding, dropping to 16 FPS average. None of these figures approach playability, and the gap between Low and High at 4K is only 12 FPS, suggesting the graphics subsystem is heavily saturated at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the picture improves considerably. Low settings deliver 61 FPS average, which just clears the playable threshold. High reaches 39 FPS, Medium 47 FPS, and Ultra 30 FPS. The Medium preset recorded a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS, indicating some frame-time variance but a generally stable experience. The jump from Low to Medium costs 14 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 8 FPS. Ultra takes a further 17 FPS penalty, making it the least viable option at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combination finally shows its strengths. Low settings produce 95 FPS average, which is the highest recorded figure across the entire dataset. Medium follows at 72 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, meaning even the worst-case dips stay above the playable threshold. High settings achieve 61 FPS average, matching the 1440p Low result but with better visual fidelity. Ultra drops to 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target despite the lower resolution. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p is substantial: Low improves from 61 to 95 FPS, a gain of 34 FPS, while High improves from 39 to 61 FPS, a gain of 22 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS target. The database records no playable settings for this resolution, and the best available option is Low at 33 FPS, which is far below the threshold. Users targeting 4K will need to accept a sub-60 FPS experience regardless of configuration, or reduce the resolution entirely.

At 2560x1440, the only playable setting is Low, which delivers 61 FPS average. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution. Medium falls short at 47 FPS, so there is no headroom to increase visual quality while maintaining playability. The 61 FPS figure is barely above the threshold, meaning any scene complexity increase could push it below 60.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is High, which achieves 61 FPS average. This is the most demanding setting that clears the 60 FPS bar at 1080p. Medium and Low also qualify, at 72 FPS and 95 FPS respectively, but High offers the best visual quality among the playable options. Ultra is not playable at 46 FPS. The fact that High and Low at 1440p both land at 61 FPS suggests the CPU-GPU balance shifts favorably at 1080p, allowing higher graphical fidelity without sacrificing frame rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in Minimum for this combination, particularly at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only produce 33 FPS, and the gap between Low and Ultra is 17 FPS. This substantial spread across presets points to heavy GPU saturation, as the rendering load changes dramatically with each quality tier. The CPU, a 14-core Arrow Lake part, is unlikely to be the limiting factor at these resolutions given the low frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues. Low hits 61 FPS, but Medium drops to 47 FPS and High to 39 FPS. The 22 FPS difference between Low and High at 1440p mirrors the 12 FPS difference at 4K, suggesting the GPU is still the dominant constraint. However, the fact that Low at 1440p reaches 61 FPS while Low at 4K only reaches 33 FPS shows a strong resolution scaling effect, which is typical of GPU-bound scenarios.

At 1920x1080, the balance shifts slightly. Low produces 95 FPS, which is the highest figure in the dataset, and the scaling from Low to Medium to High is 23 FPS and 11 FPS respectively. The CPU, with its high single-thread performance (4,648 in Cinebench R23 single-core), has enough headroom to feed the GPU at these frame rates. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 46 FPS, which is a 15 FPS penalty over High, indicating that Ultra introduces GPU-heavy effects that overwhelm the Arc B390. Across all resolutions, the GPU is the limiting factor; the CPU's role is secondary, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate drops when resolution or preset increases.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database, this combination ranks 3299 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. That places it in the lower percentile of all tested systems, specifically around the 11th percentile overall. The GPU alone sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The CPU, by contrast, is at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48,995. This stark contrast explains the ranking: a strong processor paired with a weak graphics solution results in a system that is GPU-bound in essentially every scenario.

The combo rank of 3299 out of 3712 means roughly 413 tested combinations performed worse, and 3,298 performed better. For a game like Minimum, this places the system well below the median experience. The CPU's high percentile does not compensate for the GPU's low percentile in gaming workloads, which are typically graphics-limited. The data shows that users with this combination will see frame rates that reflect the GPU's capability, not the CPU's.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 performs within 1% of several alternatives. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49,196, which is 0.4% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49,228, 0.5% lower. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48,698, 0.6% higher. The Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48,618, 0.8% higher. In gaming scenarios for Minimum, these CPUs would behave nearly identically, as the GPU remains the bottleneck. Swapping the Core Ultra 5 245 for any of these alternatives would produce virtually the same measured FPS.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390's nearest rivals are all significantly weaker in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463, which is 1.3% lower. The GeForce 800M scores 1,460, 1.5% lower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446, 2.5% lower. The GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443, 2.7% lower. These deltas are small, meaning any of these GPUs would deliver a similar experience in Minimum. However, all of these alternatives are also below the playable threshold at most resolutions, reinforcing that this GPU class is not suited for demanding settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1080p High is 61, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Low and Medium also qualify at 95 FPS and 72 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: Low is the only playable preset at 1440p, delivering 61 FPS average. Medium drops to 47 FPS, which is below the threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable with this combination?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 33 on Low settings. High, Medium, and Ultra produce 21, 25, and 16 FPS respectively, all far below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the CPU compare to similar processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48,995 on average benchmarks. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, scores 49,196, a 0.4% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49,228, 0.5% lower. These differences are negligible for gaming.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463, 1.3% lower, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443, 2.7% lower. All of these GPUs are in the 9th percentile or below.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 95, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The maximum FPS recorded is 83, at 1080p Medium.

The Verdict

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the Intel Arc B390 can run Minimum, but only within a narrow range of configurations. At 1920x1080, the system is playable on High, Medium, and Low settings, with High achieving 61 FPS average. This is the best balance of visual quality and performance available. At 2560x1440, only Low settings clear the 60 FPS threshold, reaching 61 FPS average. At 3840x2160, no preset is playable; the best result is 33 FPS on Low. The GPU is the limiting factor throughout, as its 9th percentile ranking contrasts sharply with the CPU's 90th percentile ranking. Users who prioritize higher resolutions or Ultra settings will need a more capable graphics solution. For 1080p gaming with modest settings, this combination delivers a smooth experience. For 1440p, it is barely playable on the lowest settings. For 4K, it falls short of the playable threshold across all presets.