Minecraft

Minecraft with the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a dataset that is heavily tilted toward the CPU, with the RTX 2060 SUPER acting as the primary constraint only at the highest settings. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions reveal a game that scales unusually well with lower graphical loads, but the margin between the Low and Ultra presets narrows dramatically as resolution climbs. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, GPU role, ranking position, exact FPS breakdown, settings recommendations, and CPU contribution, using only the measured data provided.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep but not uniform across settings, which indicates a shifting bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 389 at 1920x1080 down to 246 at 2560x1440, and finally to 128 at 3840x2160. That is a reduction of 143 FPS (about 37%) when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 118 FPS (about 48%) from 1440p to 4K. The scaling here is almost linear in percentage terms, but the absolute drop is massive, suggesting that even at Low settings, the GPU is taking on more work as pixel count rises, while the CPU remains capable of feeding it.

At High settings, the pattern is similar but with lower starting points: 245 FPS at 1080p, 154 FPS at 1440p, and 81 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 91 FPS (about 37%), and from 1440p to 4K is 73 FPS (about 47%). These percentages are nearly identical to the Low preset, which is a curious result. It implies that the relative cost of resolution scaling is consistent regardless of the preset, but the absolute FPS values are lower because the settings themselves add load.

Medium settings show the same trend: 308 FPS at 1080p, 195 FPS at 1440p, and 102 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 113 FPS (about 37%), and from 1440p to 4K is 93 FPS (about 48%). Again, the percentage deltas are consistent. Ultra settings, however, behave differently: 153 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 56 FPS (about 37%), matching the other presets, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 47 FPS (about 48%), also matching. So the scaling pattern is remarkably stable across all four presets, with roughly a 37% loss from 1080p to 1440p and a 48% loss from 1440p to 4K.

What this says about the limiting component is that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the bottleneck at 4K across all settings, but the CPU is not entirely off the hook. At 1080p Low, the 389 FPS average is far beyond what most displays can show, and it indicates that the i9-14900K is capable of pushing very high frame rates when the GPU is not stressed. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, but the fact that the percentage losses are so consistent suggests that the game's rendering pipeline is adding a fixed per-pixel cost that scales with resolution, independent of the preset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz and boost clock is 1650 MHz. These specifications are modest by modern standards, but the benchmark results show that they are sufficient for Minecraft at all tested resolutions and settings, except for the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K, which drops to 50 FPS average.

The GPU's role in this combo is clear: it provides the raw pixel throughput necessary for higher resolutions, but it is not the star of the show. The data shows that at 1080p, the RTX 2060 SUPER can deliver 389 FPS on Low settings, which confirms its ability to handle light loads. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 50, which is a 87% reduction from the 1080p Low result. This is a massive drop, and it highlights that the GPU's 8 GB frame buffer and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are not enough to sustain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

The VRAM capacity appears to be a factor at 4K, but the data does not show any clear indication of memory capacity being exceeded, as there are no min FPS values for most rows. The only rows with min FPS are Medium settings: 86 FPS at 4K, 165 FPS at 1440p, and 262 FPS at 1080p. These min FPS values are all above 60 FPS, which suggests that the GPU is not stuttering or running out of memory in those cases. The lack of min FPS data for other settings makes it impossible to draw definitive conclusions about frame time consistency, but the average FPS numbers are the primary focus.

The GPU's clock speeds, at 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost, are not particularly high, but they are consistent with the Turing architecture. The measured results indicate that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, but at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is likely the bottleneck. This is evidenced by the fact that at 1440p Low, the average FPS is 246, which is still very high, and at 1080p Low, it reaches 389. These numbers are far above what a GPU-bound scenario would produce, indicating that the CPU is pushing frames as fast as the game's logic allows.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2556 out of 3710 tested combos in Minecraft. This places it in the lower half of the database, which is surprising given the strong CPU. The rank is likely driven by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU alone is a top-tier performer.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, which is 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900KF (score 79371), 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (score 79574), and 1.2% lower than the AMD EPYC 7413 (score 80041). It is 1.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (score 77740). These deltas are small, indicating that the CPU is not the differentiator in this combo's rank.

The GPU's nearest rivals show a different picture. The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, which is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (score 18159), 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (score 18189), 1.5% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 460 (score 18373), and 1.6% lower than the Intel Arc A770M (score 18383). These are also small deltas, but the GPU's percentile rank is 62, meaning it performs better than 62% of all GPUs. The combo's rank of 2556 out of 3710 suggests that the pairing is not optimized for Minecraft, likely because the CPU is overkill for the GPU's capabilities in this specific game.

The data indicates that the combo rank is a reflection of the GPU's mid-range standing, not the CPU's strength. In a game like Minecraft, which is known for being CPU-bound, the RTX 2060 SUPER becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, dragging the overall combo rank down. At 1080p, the combo would likely rank much higher, but the database's ranking is based on all tested combinations, and the 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS pulls the average down.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the Low setting produces an average of 389 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 308 FPS, with a min of 262 and max of 355. High settings produce 245 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 153 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 236 FPS, which is a 61% reduction.

At 2560x1440, the Low setting averages 246 FPS, Medium averages 195 FPS (min 165, max 224), High averages 154 FPS, and Ultra averages 97 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 149 FPS, a 61% reduction again, which is consistent with the 1080p pattern. At 3840x2160, Low averages 128 FPS, Medium averages 102 FPS (min 86, max 117), High averages 81 FPS, and Ultra averages 50 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 78 FPS, a 61% reduction, matching the other resolutions exactly.

This consistency is notable. The percentage reduction from Low to Ultra is 61% at every resolution, which suggests that the game's settings have a fixed multiplicative effect on performance, independent of resolution. The absolute FPS values scale down with resolution, but the relative difference between settings remains the same. This is a useful insight for users: the cost of Ultra settings is the same proportionally, but the absolute impact is larger at higher resolutions because the baseline is lower.

The min FPS values are only provided for Medium settings. At 1080p, the min is 262 FPS, which is high. At 1440p, the min is 165 FPS, and at 4K, the min is 86 FPS. These min FPS numbers are all above 60 FPS, indicating that even in the worst-case frames, the combo maintains playable performance at Medium settings across all resolutions. The lack of min FPS data for other settings prevents a full analysis of frame time consistency, but the available data suggests that Medium is a stable preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution and the user's frame rate preference. At 1920x1080, the Ultra setting at 153 FPS is the best choice for visual quality, as it is well above 60 FPS and even above 144 FPS, which is the refresh rate of many high-end monitors. The High setting at 245 FPS offers a slight performance boost but a visual downgrade, and the Medium setting at 308 FPS is overkill for most displays. For 1080p, Ultra is the recommended preset because it maintains high frame rates while maximizing visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra setting at 97 FPS is still above 60 FPS, making it viable for a smooth experience. The High setting at 154 FPS is better for high-refresh-rate monitors, as it is above 144 FPS. The Medium setting at 195 FPS is the best for competitive play or very high refresh rates, but the visual difference between Medium and High is likely noticeable. For 1440p, High is the recommended preset for a balance of performance and quality, as it keeps frame rates above 144 FPS while offering better visuals than Medium.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra setting at 50 FPS is below 60 FPS, which may be a concern for some users. The High setting at 81 FPS is the sweet spot, as it is above 60 FPS and provides good visual quality. The Medium setting at 102 FPS is even better for performance, but the visual downgrade from High to Medium is significant in a game like Minecraft. For 4K, High is the recommended preset, as it delivers 81 FPS average, which is smooth and playable, while Ultra at 50 FPS may not be worth the visual gain.

Across all resolutions, the Low setting is not recommended, as it sacrifices too much visual quality for marginal performance gains. The data shows that Low only provides a 61% FPS increase over Ultra, but the visual difference is substantial. The Medium setting is a good fallback if the user wants higher frame rates, but High offers the best balance of visuals and performance at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved in this dataset?

A: The highest average FPS is 389 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS achieved in this dataset?

A: The lowest average FPS is 50 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo maintain a min FPS above 60?

A: The only rows with min FPS data are Medium settings: 262 FPS at 1080p, 165 FPS at 1440p, and 86 FPS at 4K, all of which are above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank in Minecraft compared to all other tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 2556 out of 3710 combos in Minecraft.

Q: What is the percentage difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: The reduction from Low to Ultra is consistently 61% at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K.

Q: Which setting is recommended for 4K gaming based on the data?

A: High settings at 4K produce 81 FPS average, which is above 60 FPS, making it the recommended preset for 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a powerhouse CPU, and its benchmark scores reflect that: it achieves 39399.5 in Cinebench R23 multicore, 2262.5 in Cinebench R23 singlecore, and 21697 in Geekbench multicore. Its percentile rank is 95, meaning it outperforms 95% of all CPUs.

In Minecraft, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, chunk updates, and entity physics, which are typically single-threaded or lightly threaded. The i9-14900K's single-core performance is exceptional, as shown by its 2262.5 score in Cinebench R23 singlecore, which is a key factor in achieving high frame rates at 1080p. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (389) is a direct result of this CPU's ability to process the game's logic faster than the GPU can render frames, making the CPU the bottleneck at lower resolutions.

However, as resolution increases, the CPU's advantage is masked by the GPU's rendering load. At 4K, the CPU is likely still capable of producing high frame rates, but the GPU is unable to keep up, as evidenced by the 50 FPS average at Ultra. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 4K, but at 1080p and 1440p, it is the primary driver of performance. The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads are overkill for Minecraft, but the high single-core clock speed of 6.00 GHz is what matters, and it delivers.

The CPU's nearest rivals show that it is competitive with other top-tier processors, but the deltas are small. The i9-14900K is 0.3% behind the i9-14900KF, 0.6% behind the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, and 1.2% behind the EPYC 7413, but 1.7% ahead of the Ryzen AI Max+ 395. These differences are negligible in gaming, and the CPU's performance in Minecraft is more than sufficient. The combo's rank of 2556 out of 3710 is not a reflection of CPU weakness, but rather of the GPU's mid-range position. In a game that is CPU-bound at low resolutions, this CPU excels, but the GPU caps the potential at higher resolutions.