Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a striking contrast in capability. The processor is a top-tier desktop part, while the graphics solution is an integrated-class component. For a game like Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, the recorded data shows that the combination’s performance is heavily constrained by the GPU. The benchmark results reveal a clear picture: 1080p is the only viable resolution for smooth play, and only at lower presets.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records measured frame rates at three resolutions and four settings levels. The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves this target. The highest average recorded at 4K is 30 FPS on Low settings, which falls far short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at 4K yield an average of 23 FPS, while High and Ultra produce 19 FPS and 15 FPS respectively. None of these are playable.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but still misses the mark. The best average FPS at this resolution is 55, recorded on Low settings. This is tantalizingly close to the 60 FPS threshold but does not cross it. Medium settings produce 42 FPS average, High produces 35 FPS, and Ultra drops to 27 FPS. Therefore, no setting at 1440p is considered playable.

1920x1080 is where the combination finally delivers playable performance. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium settings, which achieves an average of 65 FPS. This is the best playable configuration according to the recorded data. Low settings at 1080p are also playable, hitting 85 FPS average, but Medium is the highest quality preset that clears the threshold. High settings at 1080p average 55 FPS, which is below the target, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The verdict is clear: for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, users must run the game at 1080p with Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database, this specific combination of CPU and GPU holds a rank of 3425 out of 3712 tested combos for this game. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations. The ranking reflects the severe bottleneck created by the Intel Arc B370, which is an integrated graphics processor with a performance percentile of only 5 when compared to all GPUs. The CPU, in contrast, is a powerhouse with a percentile rank of 96 against all CPUs. The massive disparity in component performance classes explains the low overall combo rank; the system’s gaming ability is dictated almost entirely by its weakest link.

The recorded FPS data reinforces this low standing. While the CPU can handle the game’s logic with ease, the GPU struggles to render frames at higher resolutions and settings. The rank of 3425 suggests that most other tested combinations, including those with much older and slower CPUs but dedicated graphics cards, outperform this setup in Minimum. The only configurations that fall below this rank would be those with similarly weak integrated graphics or older discrete GPUs. The benchmark results indicate that this is not a system built for high-refresh or high-resolution gaming in this title.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?*

A: No. The recorded data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The highest average FPS at 4K is 30 on Low settings, with Medium, High, and Ultra averaging 23, 19, and 15 FPS respectively. All fall below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming?

A: The best playable preset at 1920x1080 is Medium, which produces an average of 65 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS. Low settings run faster at 85 FPS average, but Medium offers a better visual experience while still clearing the threshold.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus the reason for the low performance?

A: No. The CPU is an extremely capable part, ranking in the 96th percentile among all CPUs. The bottleneck is the Intel Arc B370, which ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs. The processor is far more powerful than what the GPU can utilize in this scenario.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to nearby GPUs in the database?

A: According to the nearest rivals data, the Arc B370 scores 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. This is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, a -0.2% difference), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, -0.7%). It is 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168). This places its raw graphics performance in the range of decade-old entry-level parts.

Q: What are the measured frame rates at 1440p on Low settings?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 on Low settings is 55 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold, so it is not considered playable. The minimum and maximum FPS for this configuration were not recorded in the database.

*Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combo for Minimum?*

A: The combination ranks 3425 out of 3712 tested combos in the database. This places it in the lowest percentile of systems tested for this specific game.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the GPU provide a clear picture of what hardware would behave similarly. The Intel Arc B370’s score of 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark is virtually identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, a 0.2% difference) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher). It is also within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon HD 7650M. In practical terms, any system using one of these GPUs would be expected to deliver nearly identical frame rates in Minimum at the same settings and resolutions. The AMD FirePro M2000 is a slightly slower alternative, with a score about 1.4% lower, which would produce marginally lower frame rates.

On the CPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is virtually tied with several other high-end processors. The closest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which has an average benchmark score only 0.2% lower. The AMD EPYC 4584PX and AMD EPYC 9135 are 1.1% and 1.2% slower respectively, while the AMD EPYC 7F72 is 1.3% faster. For this game, however, these CPU differences are irrelevant. Since the GPU is the limiting factor, swapping the Ultra 9 290K for any of these rivals would not change the measured FPS in Minimum. The bottleneck is the graphics solution, not the processor.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a stark division of labor in this system. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz and a 36 MB L3 cache. It has a percentile rank of 96 among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 84003. In contrast, the Intel Arc B370 is an integrated GPU with 1280 shading units, a 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, and a percentile rank of only 5 among all GPUs.

The scaling between resolutions and presets shows which component dominates. At 1080p, dropping from Medium to Low increases the average FPS from 65 to 85, a 30% improvement. Raising from Medium to High drops the average from 65 to 55, a 15% reduction. At 1440p, the same pattern continues: Low averages 55 FPS, Medium 42 FPS, High 35 FPS, and Ultra 27 FPS. At 4K, the numbers fall to 30, 23, 19, and 15 FPS for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra respectively.

This behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. As resolution increases, the number of pixels to render grows, and the FPS drops proportionally. The CPU’s performance remains constant across these resolutions; only the GPU’s workload changes. The fact that the Arc B370’s nearest rivals are integrated and low-end discrete GPUs from over a decade ago confirms that it cannot keep up with the demand of higher resolutions. The CPU is never the limiting factor; even at 1080p Low, where the GPU produces 85 FPS, the processor is likely still waiting on the GPU for most frames. The game is not heavily threaded, and the Ultra 9’s immense compute power is underutilized. The GPU determines every frame rate recorded in this benchmark.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Minimum has a nuanced answer. The verdict by resolution states clearly that at 3840x2160 and 2560x1440, there are no playable settings. The average FPS at the best preset for each of these resolutions falls below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the maximum average is 30 FPS; at 1440p, the maximum is 55 FPS. Neither is acceptable for smooth gameplay.

At 1920x1080, the system does achieve playable performance. The recorded data lists Low and Medium as playable settings, with Medium being the best. Medium settings produce an average of 65 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS target. This is the recommended configuration for this hardware. High and Ultra at 1080p are not playable, averaging 55 and 42 FPS respectively.

In summary, this PC can run Minimum only at 1080p with Medium or Low settings. It cannot deliver a 60 FPS experience at any other resolution or higher preset. The combination of a top-tier CPU and an entry-level integrated GPU results in a system that is strictly limited by its graphics processor. For a game from 2014, this is a surprisingly weak result, but the data is unambiguous. The user should expect to play at 1080p Medium for a stable experience, or drop to Low for higher headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete recorded FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B370 combination in Minimum.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Ultra: average 15 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.
• High: average 19 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.
• Medium: average 23 FPS, minimum 19 FPS, maximum 26 FPS.
• Low: average 30 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Ultra: average 27 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.
• High: average 35 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.
• Medium: average 42 FPS, minimum 36 FPS, maximum 48 FPS.
• Low: average 55 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Ultra: average 42 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.
• High: average 55 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.
• Medium: average 65 FPS, minimum 56 FPS, maximum 75 FPS.
• Low: average 85 FPS, minimum and maximum not recorded.

The data shows a consistent degradation in performance as resolution and quality settings increase. The medium preset at each resolution is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum frame rates, which provides a small window into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 56 to 75 FPS, indicating some variance but generally staying above the playable threshold. At 1440p Medium, the range is 36 to 48 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 19 to 26 FPS. This further confirms that 1080p Medium is the only reliable configuration for a playable experience.