Minecraft

Minecraft’s frame rate on the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination shows a clear progression from a CPU-bound scenario at low resolutions to a GPU-bound one at 4K. The measured data indicates that the 14-core processor is the primary limiter at 1080p, while the RTX 4060’s 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become the deciding factor as pixel count increases. This analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and overall ranking of this combo in the database.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep but not uniform across settings, which reveals where the bottleneck shifts. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 461 FPS at 1920x1080 to 291 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 152 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 66% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is being increasingly stressed, but the absolute numbers remain high enough to suggest the CPU is still contributing at the low end. At High settings, the drop is from 290 FPS at 1080p to 183 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 96 FPS at 4K — a 67% decrease, nearly identical to the Low setting’s relative scaling.

Medium settings show a similar pattern, with 365 FPS at 1080p, 231 FPS at 1440p, and 121 FPS at 4K, a 67% drop. The Ultra preset, however, behaves differently: 181 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p, and just 60 FPS at 4K, which is a 67% reduction as well. The consistency of these percentages across all four presets is notable, but the interpretation changes based on the starting point. At 1080p Low, the 461 FPS figure is far beyond what any display can show, so the CPU’s single-thread performance — a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 — is clearly the ceiling. At 4K Ultra, the 60 FPS average is exactly half of the 1080p Ultra result, suggesting the GPU is now the limiting component, as the pixel throughput demand has quadrupled.

The data shows that the scaling factor from 1440p to 4K is smaller than from 1080p to 1440p for all settings. For example, at High, the drop from 183 to 96 FPS is a 47% reduction, while from 290 to 183 is a 37% reduction. This non-linear behavior is typical of a GPU that is running out of memory bandwidth at higher resolutions, given the RTX 4060’s 272.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB capacity. The 4K Ultra result of 60 FPS is exactly the threshold for smooth gameplay, but the min FPS data is missing for that preset, so the frame pacing cannot be fully assessed. The Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, shows a 102 FPS minimum at 4K, indicating that even when the GPU is stressed, it does not dip below playable levels.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In Minecraft, which is known for relying heavily on a single thread for world generation and entity logic, the CPU’s single-core performance is critical. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 places it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, and its PassMark single-thread score of 4394 confirms strong per-core capability. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the 461 FPS average is far above the GPU’s ability to render at higher resolutions, meaning the CPU is not the constraint at that point — but it is also not the constraint at 4K, where the GPU takes over.

The boost clock of 5.10 GHz is the key figure here, as Minecraft’s main loop is single-threaded in many scenarios. The processor’s L3 cache of 24 MB shared, along with 3 MB of L2 per core, helps reduce latency for the frequent block access patterns in the game. The PassMark physics score of 2569 and floating-point math score of 120548 suggest that the CPU can handle the physics simulations in the game, but these are not the primary drivers of FPS in Minecraft. The multithread score of 38706 is less relevant, as the game does not scale well across 14 threads, but it does provide headroom for background tasks like modded servers or shader compilation.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 245 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (deltaPct -0.4%) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (deltaPct -0.5%), while slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (deltaPct +0.6%) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (deltaPct +0.8%). This means that in synthetic CPU benchmarks, the processor is competitive with a high-end desktop chip like the Ryzen 9 7900, but in Minecraft, the single-thread clock speed of 5.10 GHz is what matters most. The fact that the 1080p Low result is 461 FPS, while the 1440p Low result is 291 FPS, indicates that the CPU can maintain high frame rates even when the GPU is not fully loaded, but the gap between these numbers is purely GPU-driven.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. Its boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz provide a solid foundation for 1080p gaming, but the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus is a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s is modest, and the 4K results in this data show the consequences: at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 60, which is exactly half of the 1080p Ultra result of 181 FPS. This halving suggests that the GPU is pixel-bound, not bandwidth-bound, but the 4K High result of 96 FPS versus the 1440p High result of 183 FPS shows a more complex relationship.

The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 19545 places it in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all AMD products, including the Radeon HD 7790 (deltaPct -0.2%) and the Radeon 780M (deltaPct +0.3%). This is a striking comparison because the Radeon 780M is an integrated GPU, yet it scores nearly identically to the RTX 4060 in synthetic benchmarks. However, the measured FPS data in Minecraft shows the RTX 4060’s strengths: even at 4K Medium, it averages 121 FPS, which is playable. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 is a more modern indication of raw performance, and it aligns with the 1080p High result of 290 FPS.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is not explicitly tested in the FPS data, but the 4K Ultra result of 60 FPS suggests that texture streaming is not causing a crash, just a performance cap. The RTX 4060’s 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are irrelevant for Minecraft’s standard rendering, but they could matter for mods that use ray tracing. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS is sufficient for the game’s simple shaders, but the 128-bit memory bus is the architectural weak point. The measured data shows that the GPU scales nearly linearly from 1080p to 1440p at High settings (290 to 183 FPS, a 37% reduction), but the drop from 1440p to 4K at the same settings (183 to 96 FPS, a 48% reduction) is steeper, indicating that memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 551st out of 1176 tested combos in Minecraft. This places it in the 53rd percentile, meaning it outperforms just over half of all combinations in the database. Given that the CPU is in the 90th percentile and the GPU is in the 61st percentile, the combo’s rank is dragged down by the GPU, which is expected since Minecraft is more CPU-intensive at lower resolutions. The rank of 551 indicates that there are 550 combos that achieve higher average FPS in this game, likely featuring more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread clocks.

The ranking is based on the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, so the 4K Ultra result of 60 FPS is a significant weight. Many combos with similar CPU performance but faster GPUs will score higher at 4K, while combos with slower CPUs but equally fast GPUs might score lower at 1080p. The data shows that this combo is well-balanced for 1440p gaming, where it achieves 114 FPS at Ultra and 231 FPS at Medium, but it falls behind at 4K Ultra. The rank of 551 out of 1176 is a solid mid-pack result, and it confirms that this is not a top-tier combo for Minecraft, but it is far from the bottom.

The nearest rival combos in the overall database are not listed, but the CPU’s rivals suggest that pairing the Core Ultra 5 245 with a different GPU would shift the rank. For example, if paired with a GPU that scores higher than the RTX 4060’s 19545 PassMark G3D, the combo would likely rank higher. Conversely, the GPU’s rivals, such as the Radeon 780M, are integrated solutions that would score much lower in Minecraft due to their lack of dedicated VRAM. The rank of 551 is therefore a function of the RTX 4060’s mid-range performance, and the CPU’s high single-thread score is what keeps the combo from falling further.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS is 290 at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 60, which is the lowest measured in the dataset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 231, with a min of 196 and max of 265. The high average suggests the GPU is still capable, but the CPU’s single-thread performance is likely the limiter at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s rank out of all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 551st out of 1176 tested combos in Minecraft.

Q: Does the RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM cause issues at 4K?

A: The data shows a 60 FPS average at 4K Ultra, but no min FPS is recorded for that preset. The 4K Medium preset has a min FPS of 102, indicating that 8 GB is sufficient for the game’s textures.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the Intel Core i5-14600K?

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 has a deltaPct of +0.8% compared to the Core i5-14600K in average benchmark score, meaning it is slightly faster.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings yield 461 FPS, Medium yields 365 FPS with a min of 311 and max of 420, High yields 290 FPS, and Ultra yields 181 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 280 FPS, which is a 60% reduction. At 2560x1440, the results are 291 FPS for Low, 231 FPS for Medium (min 196, max 265), 183 FPS for High, and 114 FPS for Ultra. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 177 FPS, or 61%. At 3840x2160, the values are 152 FPS for Low, 121 FPS for Medium (min 102, max 139), 96 FPS for High, and 60 FPS for Ultra. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 92 FPS, or 60%.

The Medium settings are the only ones with full min/max data, and they show that the frame rate is relatively stable: at 1080p, the min is 311 and max is 420, giving a range of 109 FPS; at 1440p, the range is 69 FPS (196 to 265); and at 4K, the range is 37 FPS (102 to 139). This narrowing range as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is becoming the consistent bottleneck, reducing frame time variance. The Low settings have no min/max data, but the high averages suggest that the CPU is not being strained, as the boost clock of 5.10 GHz can handle the game’s single-thread demand.

The Ultra preset shows the most significant drop from 1080p to 4K: 181 FPS to 60 FPS, a 67% reduction. This is the same percentage as the other presets, but the absolute numbers are lower, meaning the experience at 4K Ultra is barely playable. The High preset at 4K (96 FPS) is a better target for smooth gameplay, while Medium at 4K (121 FPS) is even smoother. The data does not include min FPS for Ultra, so it is unclear if there are stutters, but the average of 60 FPS is exactly the refresh rate of many monitors, making it a borderline case.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the resolution target. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves 181 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. The High preset at 290 FPS is overkill for any display, but it provides headroom for mods or shaders that might reduce performance. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is recommended because it offers the highest visual quality while still delivering 181 FPS, which is smooth on any monitor. The Medium preset at 365 FPS is unnecessary unless the user is using a 360 Hz display, which is rare.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 114 FPS, which is suitable for a 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitor. The High preset at 183 FPS is even better for high-refresh displays, and it is the recommended choice for competitive play. The Medium preset at 231 FPS is excessive for most users, but it ensures that even the minimum FPS of 196 stays above 144. For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, as it balances visual quality with a high average frame rate that leaves room for dips. The Ultra preset at 114 FPS is also viable, but the 60 FPS average at 4K Ultra shows that pushing to the highest settings at higher resolutions comes at a cost.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset’s 60 FPS average is the minimum for acceptable gameplay, but it is not ideal for fast-paced action. The High preset at 96 FPS is a better choice, as it provides a higher average and likely better frame pacing, though min FPS is not recorded. The Medium preset at 121 FPS is the best recommendation for 4K, as it offers a high average with a min of 102 FPS, ensuring no significant drops. The Low preset at 152 FPS is only recommended for users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, but the game’s blocky aesthetic means Low settings do not significantly degrade the experience. Overall, the data suggests that Medium settings at 4K or High settings at 1440p provide the best experience, as they maintain high averages while avoiding the steep performance cliff of the Ultra preset.