Minecraft

Minecraft with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER places at rank 793 out of 1176 tested combos, putting it in the lower-middle portion of the database for this title. The data shows a configuration that is far more capable at delivering high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p than at maintaining playable performance at 4K with maximum settings. The measured results indicate a system where the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance pairs well with a GPU that, while aging, still provides a solid experience for a game that is not traditionally demanding on graphics hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 793 out of 1176 places this pairing in the 32nd percentile of all tested configurations for Minecraft. This is a modest standing, reflecting that while the RTX 2060 SUPER is not a top-tier card by current standards, the Core Ultra 7 265’s processing power boosts the overall experience. The CPU itself sits in the 93rd percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 64640, which is nearly identical to its closest rivals. For instance, the AMD EPYC 4464P scores 64823, a delta of -0.3%, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64438, a delta of 0.3%. This indicates the processor is performing right at its expected level, with no significant bottleneck from the silicon.

The GPU, however, is a different story. Its average benchmark score is 18093, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. It trails its nearest rivals, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile scoring 18159 (-0.4%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 scoring 18189 (-0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 460 scoring 18373 (-1.5%). The fact that the RTX 2060 SUPER is within 1.6% of the Intel Arc A770M, which scores 18383, suggests that this GPU is the limiting factor in the combo’s overall rank. In a game like Minecraft, which is largely CPU-bound in many scenarios, the high-ranking processor compensates for the mid-tier graphics card, preventing the combo from falling further down the list.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 308 FPS with a minimum of 262 FPS and a maximum of 355 FPS. This is an excellent result for a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience. The High preset at the same resolution yields 245 FPS on average, which is still very fluid, but the Medium preset’s higher minimum frame rate makes it the more stable choice for competitive play. The Low preset pushes to 389 FPS, but the visual quality drop is unlikely to be worth the extra frames for most users.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Medium preset again stands out. It produces an average of 195 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS. This is more than sufficient for a 144Hz monitor and keeps the experience consistent. The High preset at 1440p averages 154 FPS, which is also playable but begins to show the GPU’s limitations under increased load. The data indicates that Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, balancing visual fidelity with a high and stable frame rate across both 1080p and 1440p resolutions. At 4K, however, the Medium preset drops to an average of 102 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS, which is still respectable, but the Ultra preset becomes unplayable at 50 FPS average.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the balance of power between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 308. At 2560x1440, it drops to 195 FPS, a decrease of 36.7%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average falls to 102 FPS, which is a 47.7% drop from the 1440p result and a 66.9% drop from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth are being pushed harder as pixel count increases, causing the frame rate to fall off sharply.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is the primary driver of performance, with the GPU having ample headroom to render frames quickly. As resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The 47.7% drop from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling, as it shows the GPU struggling to maintain the same level of output when pixel count quadruples. In contrast, the CPU’s performance, with its 20 cores and 20 threads and boost clock of 5.30 GHz, remains consistent, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s inability to process more pixels per frame. This is a classic example of a mid-range GPU being the bottleneck in a high-CPU-performance system at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this pair?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with Medium settings provides a strong balance, yielding an average of 195 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS. This is high enough for smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual quality.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Minecraft?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 102, which is playable. However, at Ultra settings, the average drops to 50 FPS, which is not suitable for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640, which is -0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 4464P and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F. This indicates it is performing exactly as expected for its class.

Q: Is the GPU a significant bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes, particularly at higher resolutions. The RTX 2060 SUPER scores 18093 on average, which is 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 460. The frame rate drops of 47.7% from 1440p to 4K indicate the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 389, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is followed by 308 FPS at 1080p with Medium settings.

Q: Does the CPU’s high core count benefit Minecraft specifically?

A: Minecraft benefits more from single-thread performance. The Core Ultra 7 265 scores 5960 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is strong, but the game’s engine does not fully utilize all 20 threads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip and a 12 nm process. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz. In the context of Minecraft, this GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU’s 2176 shading units are more than enough to handle the game’s relatively simple geometry, allowing the CPU to drive frame rates to over 300 FPS on Medium settings. The data shows that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

However, at 1440p and especially 4K, the GPU’s workload increases significantly. The measured FPS at 4K with Ultra settings drops to 50 FPS, which is a stark contrast to the 153 FPS at 1080p with the same settings. This indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute power are being saturated. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Minecraft’s textures, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K overwhelms the 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s performance in the database, with a passmark G3D score of 16462, places it just below the RTX 3060 Mobile, confirming its position as a mid-range card that holds up well at 1080p but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-S architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with 30 MB of shared L3 cache. In Minecraft, the CPU’s single-threaded performance is critical. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960 is strong, and this is reflected in the high frame rates at 1080p. The data shows that the CPU is able to feed the GPU efficiently at lower resolutions, resulting in an average of 308 FPS at 1080p Medium and 389 FPS at 1080p Low.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities, while not fully utilized by Minecraft, contribute to overall system stability. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 is significant, but the game does not scale well across all 20 threads. Instead, the high boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures that the main game thread runs as fast as possible. This is why the combo performs well at 1080p, where the CPU is the primary driver. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 64640 places it in the 93rd percentile, and its performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with a -0.3% delta to the AMD EPYC 4464P. This indicates a well-balanced processor that is not holding back the GPU in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide range of performance across settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 389, which is the highest recorded for this combo. Medium settings yield an average of 308 FPS, with a minimum of 262 FPS and a maximum of 355 FPS. High settings produce an average of 245 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 153 FPS. This pattern shows a linear decrease in performance as visual fidelity increases, with the CPU providing enough headroom to keep frame rates high even at Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are still impressive. Low settings average 246 FPS, which is a 36.8% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 195 FPS, with a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS. High settings average 154 FPS, and Ultra settings average 97 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is more pronounced at higher settings, indicating the GPU is starting to become a factor. The 4K results at 3840x2160 show a significant shift. Low settings average 128 FPS, Medium settings average 102 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, High settings average 81 FPS, and Ultra settings average 50 FPS. The Ultra setting at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for a smooth experience. The data clearly shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor at 4K, while the CPU maintains its strong performance across all resolutions.