Minimum

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER places 2602nd out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This puts the pairing in the lower third of the database, meaning it is capable but not a top-tier configuration for this title. The CPU itself is far more impressive in raw compute metrics, sitting at the 96th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU lands at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs. That gap alone signals the graphics card is the limiting factor here.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ultra 9 290K Plus scores an average benchmark of 84003, which is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX, and 1.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9135. It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%. These deltas are small, indicating the processor is competitive with other high-end desktop and server parts, but the differences are negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

On the GPU side, the RTX 2060 SUPER posts an average benchmark score of 18093. That places it 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 460, and 1.6% behind the Intel Arc A770M. The margin between these cards is thin, so the 2060 SUPER is not dramatically outperformed or outclassed by its immediate neighbors, but it is clearly a mid-range part from a previous generation.

Since the combo rank is driven primarily by the GPU's performance ceiling in Minimum, the data suggests the CPU has substantial headroom. At 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the bottleneck, but at higher resolutions and heavier presets, the gap between CPU and GPU capabilities becomes even more pronounced. The benchmark results indicate this pairing is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the GPU can still deliver playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Is this PC able to run Minimum at 60 FPS in 1080p?

A: Yes. The measured data shows that at 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 83 FPS, High averages 109 FPS, Medium averages 130 FPS, and Low averages 170 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset this combo can handle at 2560x1440?

A: The best preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 2560x1440 is High, which averages 71 FPS. Medium also clears 60 FPS at 84 FPS, and Low reaches 110 FPS. Ultra falls to 54 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, none of the presets reach 60 FPS. Low averages 59 FPS, Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The database verdict lists no playable settings at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093. It is 0.4% behind the RTX 3060 Mobile, 0.5% behind the Radeon Pro 5700, 1.5% behind the Radeon RX 460, and 1.6% behind the Arc A770M. These are minor differences, so the card performs in line with its immediate competitors.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus sits at the 96th percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 84003, which places it ahead of the Core Ultra 9 285K by 0.2% and behind the EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%.

Q: What is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo in the entire test set?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 170 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The maximum FPS observed in any single run is 150 FPS, which occurred at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear division of labor between the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER in Minimum. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, with the CPU providing ample headroom. The average FPS drops from 170 at Low to 83 at Ultra, a reduction of 87 FPS, or roughly 51%. That scaling is almost entirely due to the GPU struggling with increased shading, texture, and post-processing loads at higher presets. The CPU, with 24 cores and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, is not the constraining factor at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's load increases further. The average FPS at Low is 110, which drops to 71 at High, a difference of 39 FPS. At Ultra, the average falls to 54 FPS, below the playable threshold. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 56 FPS, or 51%, similar to the percentage drop seen at 1080p. This consistency indicates that the GPU is scaling predictably with resolution and settings, while the CPU maintains its performance advantage.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is severely stressed. Low settings produce 59 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium, High, and Ultra drop to 45, 38, and 29 FPS respectively. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 30 FPS, or 51%, again matching the scaling pattern. The CPU's role here is almost negligible, as even the lowest preset cannot sustain 60 FPS. The benchmark results indicate that the Ultra 9 290K Plus has enough compute power to handle any preset at any resolution, but the RTX 2060 SUPER simply lacks the raw throughput for 4K gaming in this title.

The resolution scaling also tells a story. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces the average FPS from 170 to 110, a 35% drop. Moving from 1440p to 4K reduces it from 110 to 59, a 46% drop. At High settings, the drops are 109 to 71 (35%) and 71 to 38 (46%). This consistent scaling confirms that the GPU is the dominant factor, and the CPU's role is to feed frames without becoming a bottleneck, which it does successfully across all tested configurations.

The Verdict

Based on the measured FPS data, this PC can run Minimum with playable performance at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, but not at 3840x2160. At 1080p, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 83 FPS. At 1440p, Low, Medium, and High are playable, with High averaging 71 FPS. Ultra at 1440p falls to 54 FPS, below the playable threshold.

At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS. Low comes closest at 59 FPS, which is technically below the threshold and therefore not considered playable by the database's standards. Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The verdictByResolution field lists no playable settings at 3840x2160.

The practical takeaway is straightforward: if you are targeting 1080p, this combo handles the game at maximum settings with room to spare. If you prefer 1440p, you can play at High settings and still average 71 FPS. For 4K, the system is not viable for this game, as even the lowest settings cannot sustain 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides exact average FPS values for each resolution and settings combination. Minimum FPS values are only available for Medium settings at each resolution, while max FPS values are only available for Medium settings as well.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: average 170 FPS
• Medium: average 130 FPS, minimum 111 FPS, maximum 150 FPS
• High: average 109 FPS
• Ultra: average 83 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: average 110 FPS
• Medium: average 84 FPS, minimum 71 FPS, maximum 97 FPS
• High: average 71 FPS
• Ultra: average 54 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: average 59 FPS
• Medium: average 45 FPS, minimum 38 FPS, maximum 52 FPS
• High: average 38 FPS
• Ultra: average 29 FPS

The pattern is consistent: higher resolution and higher settings both reduce frame rates, and the GPU's performance degrades in a linear fashion. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings show that even the dips stay within a reasonable range. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 111 FPS, which is still far above the playable threshold. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 71 FPS, just above 60. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 38 FPS, which is not playable.

The maximum FPS values also reflect the GPU's limits. At 1080p Medium, the max is 150 FPS, while at 1440p Medium it drops to 97 FPS, and at 4K Medium it falls to 52 FPS. These numbers reinforce the idea that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a 1080p and 1440p card for this game, with 4K being out of reach.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 83. This is the highest quality setting available in the test set, and it clears the 60 FPS threshold by 23 FPS. The minimum FPS for Ultra is not recorded, but the average suggests that dips would likely remain above 60 FPS for most of the gameplay.

For 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average FPS of 71. This is 11 FPS above the threshold, leaving some margin for demanding scenes. Medium is also playable at 84 FPS, but High provides better visual quality while still maintaining playability. Ultra at 1440p averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

For 3840x2160, there is no best setting, as no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 59 FPS, which is 1 FPS short of the playable threshold. The database verdict lists no playable settings at this resolution, so the recommendation is to avoid 4K for this game with this hardware.

In summary, the optimal configurations are Ultra at 1080p and High at 1440p. Both deliver average frame rates that exceed the 60 FPS target, and the data shows the system can handle these settings without significant drops. For 4K, the hardware is not sufficient, and users should either lower the resolution or accept frame rates below 60 FPS.