Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers a remarkably strong showing in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter that remains surprisingly demanding at its upper preset levels. The benchmark data reveals a system that is effectively overkill for 1080p and 1440p gaming, while still managing to hold its own at 4K with the right settings. This analysis breaks down exactly where this pairing excels, where its limits are, and which settings you should choose for a consistent 60+ FPS experience.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data indicates that this combo can comfortably exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution tested, but the quality ceiling varies significantly depending on how many pixels you are pushing.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which delivers an average of 66 FPS. Dropping to Medium yields 79 FPS average, and Low pushes to 103 FPS. The Ultra preset, by contrast, falls below the playable threshold with an average of 51 FPS, meaning you must sacrifice the top-tier visual fidelity to maintain smooth gameplay at this resolution.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves dramatically. The RTX 5070 has enough headroom to run the Ultra preset while maintaining an average of 94 FPS. This is the sweet spot for this configuration, offering the full visual experience with a substantial frame rate buffer. Lower presets at this resolution yield even higher numbers: High at 123 FPS, Medium at 147 FPS, and Low at 192 FPS, but they are unnecessary given the Ultra preset's performance.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo is essentially untouchable. The Ultra preset averages 146 FPS, which is far beyond what any 60Hz or even 144Hz display needs. The lower presets are purely academic at this point, with High at 191 FPS, Medium at 228 FPS, and Low at 297 FPS. For practical purposes, you should run Ultra at 1080p and never look back.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals a clear shift in workload between the processor and graphics card. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, is a heavyweight desktop part that sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs tested. The RTX 5070, meanwhile, is a strong but not top-tier GPU, ranking in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs.

The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are extraordinarily high, ranging from 146 FPS at Ultra to 297 FPS at Low. These numbers suggest that the CPU is doing the heavy lifting to feed the GPU, and the GPU is responsive enough to translate that into massive frame counts. The fact that Ultra at 1080p (146 FPS) is more than double the Ultra at 4K (51 FPS) indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset still manages 94 FPS, which is a 256% increase over 4K Ultra's 51 FPS. This tells us the GPU is still highly capable at this intermediate resolution, and the CPU's strong single-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303) ensures it is not holding things back.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor. The drop from High's 66 FPS to Ultra's 51 FPS is a 23% performance hit for what is typically a marginal visual gain. This is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering, where the RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated by the higher pixel count and more intense shader work. The CPU's role at 4K is diminished, as the frame rate is governed by the GPU's rasterization throughput.

In summary, this is a balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p, where both components contribute meaningfully. At 4K, the GPU is the sole bottleneck, and you will need to adjust settings rather than rely on the CPU to push higher frames.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 4K with max settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average frame rate is 51 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. You must drop to the High preset to achieve 66 FPS average.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 94 FPS, making it the best choice. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at this resolution exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is this combo more CPU-limited or GPU-limited at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the system is largely balanced, but the very high frame rates (up to 297 FPS on Low) suggest the CPU is feeding the GPU well. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a strong single-threaded score of 7303 in Cinebench R23, which helps avoid bottlenecks.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Ultra compared to 4K Ultra?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average frame rate is 146 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it is 51 FPS. This represents a performance increase of roughly 186% when dropping from 4K to 1080p.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the benchmark data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 67 FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 125 FPS, and at 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 193 FPS. No minimum frame data is available for the High, Low, or Ultra presets.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rival in raw benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5070's average benchmark score is 40377, which is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon Pro 580's 40318 (a 0.1% difference). It is also slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40063, 0.8% faster) and behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870, 1.2% slower).

The Verdict

Can this PC run Minimum? Absolutely, and with significant headroom. The verdict by resolution is clear:

• 3840x2160 (4K): Playable. The High preset runs at 66 FPS average, and Medium (79 FPS) and Low (103 FPS) also clear the threshold. The Ultra preset does not.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): Fully playable at all presets. The Ultra preset averages 94 FPS, which is excellent.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): Fully playable at all presets, with Ultra averaging 146 FPS.

This is a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p, delivering a premium experience with the highest visual settings. At 4K, it is still a capable performer, but you will need to compromise on the top preset to maintain a smooth frame rate. For a 2014 title, this hardware is more than sufficient, and the data indicates it will handle modern titles at high refresh rates without issue.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes all measured frame rate data from the benchmark database:

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

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

| 3840x2160 | High | 66 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 103 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 79 | 67 | 91 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 51 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | High | 123 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 192 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 147 | 125 | 169 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 94 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | High | 191 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 297 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 228 | 193 | 262 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 146 | — | — |

The pattern is consistent: each resolution step down roughly doubles the frame rate at the same preset. The minimum FPS data, where available, shows that frame pacing is stable, with the 4K Medium preset's 67 FPS minimum still above the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this pairing holds its own. The combo ranks 786th out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the top 21% of all systems in the database for this game. This is a strong showing, especially considering the game's age and the fact that many newer, more powerful GPUs exist.

The CPU's individual standing is notable: the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. It edges out the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807, 0.2% faster) and the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090, 1.1% faster), while trailing the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85072, 1.3% slower). This processor is a top-tier part that will not be the limiting factor in any gaming scenario.

The GPU, while not a flagship, is still a solid performer. The RTX 5070's average benchmark score is 40377, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 580, scores 40318 (0.1% difference), showing that these two cards are essentially neck-and-neck in synthetic tests.

For Minimum specifically, the combination's 786th rank out of 3712 indicates that while there are faster systems, this build is well above the median and will deliver a highly enjoyable experience at all but the most demanding 4K settings. If you own this setup, you are in a strong position for both competitive play at high refresh rates and visually rich single-player sessions.