Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers a commanding performance profile in Minimum, with benchmark results showing the system comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold across every tested resolution and preset. The data indicates a hardware pairing that leaves substantial performance headroom even at 4K Ultra settings, where the average frame rate reaches 73 FPS. This analysis examines the measured performance data, comparative positioning against similar hardware, and the specific roles each component plays in this third-person shooter.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have distinct nearest rivals based on aggregate benchmark scores, which helps contextualize their performance within the broader hardware landscape.

For the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, the nearest performance equivalents are all within a narrow band of less than 1% difference in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G sits essentially at parity with a delta of -0.4% (average score 49,196 vs. 48,995). The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 is similarly close at -0.5% (average score 49,228). On the Intel side, the Xeon Gold 5318H trails by just 0.6% (average score 48,698), while the Core i5-14600K is 0.8% ahead (average score 48,618). These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming scenarios, meaning any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum when paired with the same GPU.

The RTX 5090 D's nearest rivals show a slightly wider spread. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT is 1.1% behind (average score 76,904 vs. 77,712), while the RX 6850M XT is 1.6% ahead (average score 78,940). Interestingly, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants appear as rivals: the 12 GB version is 2.1% ahead (average score 79,396) and the 16 GB version is 2.4% ahead (average score 79,605). These data-center cards are not typical gaming alternatives, but their presence in the benchmark rankings indicates that raw compute performance alone does not perfectly predict gaming frame rates. The RTX 5090 D's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and the CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirm that both components sit near the top of their respective performance distributions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals how the balance of CPU and GPU workload shifts as pixel count increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces 430 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded. This suggests that at lower resolutions and less demanding settings, the GPU is not the limiting factor; the CPU's throughput—14 cores and 14 threads with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz—keeps the frame pipeline saturated.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, Low settings still deliver 277 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, the average drops to 149 FPS. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a reduction of roughly 65%, which is primarily attributable to the GPU's pixel throughput demands. The RTX 5090 D's 176 ROPs and 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth are being exercised more heavily at higher resolutions.

The preset scaling tells a similar story. At 4K, moving from Low to Medium reduces average FPS from 149 to 114 (-23%), Medium to High from 114 to 96 (-16%), and High to Ultra from 96 to 73 (-24%). At 1080p, the same preset steps yield 430 → 329 (-23%), 329 → 276 (-16%), and 276 → 210 (-24%). The consistent percentage drops across resolutions indicate that the GPU is the dominant factor for preset scaling, while resolution scaling is also GPU-bound. The CPU's role is more pronounced at 1080p Low where the 430 FPS ceiling is likely near the CPU's practical frame delivery limit, but even at 4K Ultra, the 73 FPS average shows no signs of CPU bottlenecking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 430 FPS, while Medium reaches 329 FPS with a minimum of 280 and maximum of 379. High settings average 276 FPS, and Ultra still maintains 210 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS threshold by a factor of at least 3.5x.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high. Low settings average 277 FPS, Medium averages 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 and maximum of 244, High averages 178 FPS, and Ultra averages 136 FPS. The minimum frame rates recorded at Medium (180 FPS) still exceed the playable threshold by 3x, indicating excellent frame pacing stability.

At 3840x2160, the performance profile is more demanding but still thoroughly playable. Low settings average 149 FPS, Medium averages 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131, High averages 96 FPS, and Ultra averages 73 FPS. The only recorded minimum frame rate below 100 FPS in the entire dataset is the 4K Medium minimum of 97 FPS, which remains well above the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K Ultra average of 73 FPS represents the most demanding scenario tested, yet it still provides a 22% margin above the playability threshold.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can absolutely run Minimum at all tested resolutions and settings. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: every resolution from 1920x1080 through 3840x2160 is fully playable at every preset from Low to Ultra. The best settings at each resolution are the most demanding preset—Ultra—with average FPS of 210 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p, and 73 at 4K. The 60 FPS threshold is cleared with substantial headroom in all cases.

The weakest performance point in the entire dataset is the 4K Ultra average of 73 FPS. Even this represents a comfortable margin above the playable threshold, and the absence of a recorded minimum frame rate for this setting suggests that dips are not severe enough to warrant reporting. The 4K Medium minimum of 97 FPS is the lowest recorded 1% low in the dataset, still 37 FPS above the playability cutoff. No settings adjustments are required for any resolution to achieve a smooth, playable experience.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3,712 tested hardware combinations in Minimum, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 5th overall. This places it in the top 0.13% of all tested configurations. The rank reflects the aggregate performance across all resolutions and presets, and the measured data supports this high placement: the system delivers at least 96 FPS at 4K High and 210 FPS at 1080p Ultra, figures that would be unattainable for the vast majority of the tested field.

Given the CPU's 90th percentile ranking and the GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all hardware, the 5th place overall result indicates that this specific pairing is particularly well-suited to Minimum's engine characteristics. The combination of a high-clock 14-core CPU and a flagship Blackwell GPU appears to extract near-maximal performance from the game, with only four other configurations from the 3,712 tested achieving higher combined scores.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K resolution in Minimum?*

A: Ultra settings at 3840x2160 produce an average of 73 FPS, which is the highest preset that remains playable at this resolution. This is also the best-looking option, as no quality reduction is needed to maintain playability.

Q: How much performance headroom is there at 1080p Ultra?

A: The average frame rate at 1920x1080 Ultra is 210 FPS, which is 150 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This represents a 3.5x margin over the minimum acceptable frame rate.

Q: Does this system ever drop below 60 FPS in the tested scenarios?

A: No. The lowest recorded average is 73 FPS at 4K Ultra, and the lowest recorded minimum frame rate is 97 FPS at 4K Medium. All measured values remain well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Core i5-14600K?

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.8% behind the Core i5-14600K in average benchmark score (48,995 vs. 48,618), a difference that is effectively negligible for gaming performance.

Q: What is the GPU's performance rank relative to all tested GPUs?

A: The RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77,712. Its nearest rival, the Radeon RX 6650M XT, is 1.1% behind in average score.

Q: Is the 4K Medium setting's frame time stability acceptable?

A: Yes. The 4K Medium preset records a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS, with an average of 114 FPS. The 34 FPS spread between minimum and maximum indicates stable frame delivery without significant stuttering.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 210 FPS. This setting provides the maximum visual quality with frame rates over 3x the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the optimal choice, averaging 136 FPS. The margin above 60 FPS is 76 FPS, giving substantial room for demanding scenes without approaching the playability limit.

At 3840x2160, Ultra remains the best preset, with an average of 73 FPS. While this is the lowest average in the dataset, it still provides a 13 FPS buffer above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a viable choice for players prioritizing image quality at 4K. For players who prefer additional headroom, High settings at 4K deliver 96 FPS, but the data confirms that even the highest quality settings are playable at this resolution.