Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end desktop combination. In the 2014 third-person shooter Minimum, measured frame rates show that this system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution and preset tested. The data covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with average FPS ranging from 61 at 4K Ultra to 356 at 1080p Low. This analysis interprets those numbers and provides practical settings guidance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 79 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 124 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 95 | 80 | 109 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 61 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 148 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 230 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 176 | 149 | 202 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 112 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 229 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 356 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 273 | 232 | 313 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 174 | - | - |

The table shows a clear hierarchy. At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 61 (Ultra) to 124 (Low). Medium sits at 95 with a minimum of 80 and maximum of 109. At 1440p, the spread is wider: Low hits 230, High 148, Medium 176 (min 149, max 202), and Ultra 112. At 1080p, Low reaches 356, High 229, Medium 273 (min 232, max 313), and Ultra 174. The min/max data for Medium shows that even at 4K, the frame rate never drops below 80 FPS, and at 1080p it never drops below 232 FPS. These numbers indicate that the system is not only playable but also maintains high frame rates across the board, with no setting falling below the 60 FPS threshold.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across presets. At High, the average drops from 229 at 1080p to 148 at 1440p to 79 at 4K. At Low, the corresponding figures are 356, 230, and 124. This pattern suggests that resolution is the dominant factor in performance, with the GPU being pushed harder as pixel count increases. The gap between 1080p and 4K is substantial—at High, the 4K average is 79 FPS versus 229 at 1080p—but even the lowest 4K result (61 FPS at Ultra) remains above the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The FPS scaling across resolutions points to the GPU as the primary constraint when moving to higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 356 at 1080p to 230 at 1440p to 124 at 4K. At High settings, the corresponding figures are 229, 148, and 79. This pattern is typical of GPU-bound rendering: the CPU's workload does not change much with resolution, while the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become limiting. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with 716.8 GB/s bandwidth is ample for Minimum, but the sheer pixel count at 4K still cuts performance compared to 1080p.

The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus brings 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. In comparison, the GPU sits in the 86th percentile. The CPU's high single-thread performance is important for a 2014 title like Minimum, which likely relies on a few threads. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, the system reaches 356 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested setting. The GPU, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6567 and a Passmark G3D score of 34457, handles the rendering load effectively.

Benchmark comparisons against nearest rivals further contextualize the performance. The CPU's average benchmark score of 84003 is 0.2% higher than the Core Ultra 9 285K, 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX, 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135, and 1.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 7F72. The GPU's average score of 54247 is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER, 1.1% lower than the Radeon Pro W5700X, 2.6% lower than the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, and 2.7% lower than the Radeon 8060S. These deltas are small, meaning the combo's performance is closely matched to its immediate rivals, and the differences are unlikely to manifest as perceptible FPS gaps in Minimum.

The game's release date of 2014-06-25 means it is well over a decade old, and the hardware is far more advanced than typical systems from that era. The CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads, along with its 36 MB of shared L3 cache, provide ample headroom for the game's logic and physics. The GPU's Ada Lovelace architecture and 9728 shading units ensure that even the most demanding preset at 4K remains above 60 FPS. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a high-end GPU results in a system that is GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the CPU's strength prevents any CPU-induced stutters or frame drops.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 61, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded?

A: At 1920x1080 Low, the average is 356 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among tested systems?

A: It ranks 246th out of 3712 tested combos.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU?

A: The RTX 4080 has a launch MSRP of 1,199 USD.

Q: Which preset at 1440p delivers the most demanding graphics while staying above 60 FPS?

A: Ultra, with an average of 112 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to limit performance?

A: The FPS scaling across resolutions suggests the GPU is the main constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU's high single-thread score (7303 in Cinebench R23) and 96th percentile ranking indicate it is not a bottleneck.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at every resolution and preset tested. At 3840x2160, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—average above 60 FPS, with Ultra at 61 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 112 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 174 FPS. The 60 FPS threshold is cleared by a comfortable margin in all cases, making this a fully playable combination for Minimum. Even the most demanding setting—4K Ultra—stays just above the threshold, so users can enjoy the game at maximum visual quality without compromising frame rate.

Best Settings per Resolution

For the best visual quality while maintaining at least 60 FPS, use Ultra at each resolution. At 3840x2160, Ultra delivers 61 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra delivers 112 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra delivers 174 FPS. Lower presets yield higher frame rates—for example, 4K Low reaches 124 FPS and 1080p Low reaches 356 FPS—but Ultra is the most demanding preset that still meets the 60 FPS target. Users who prefer higher refresh rates can drop to High or Medium, but the data shows that Ultra is entirely playable at all three resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + RTX 4080 combination ranks 246th out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the upper tier of systems, though not at the very top. The CPU holds the 96th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU holds the 86th percentile among all GPUs. The small deltaPct values against nearest rivals (e.g., 0.1% vs. RTX 4080 SUPER, 0.2% vs. Core Ultra 9 285K) indicate that this combo is closely matched to other high-end hardware. The ranking reflects a system that is more than capable of handling Minimum at any setting, with headroom for future titles or higher refresh rates.