Minecraft

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER presents a fascinating study in system bottlenecking within Minecraft. The data shows a configuration where a top-tier desktop processor is mated with a mid-range, end-of-life graphics card, producing a predictable yet informative performance profile. This analysis examines the measured FPS across three resolutions and four settings presets, interpreting what the numbers reveal about the limiting hardware component.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the primary constraint in this configuration. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves an average of 300 FPS, which drops to 189 FPS at 1440p Low and further to 99 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 67% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings, a significant drop that points directly to the rendering pipeline being saturated.

The pattern intensifies at higher settings. With High settings, the average FPS falls from 189 at 1080p to 119 at 1440p, and then to 62 at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K alone cuts performance by roughly 48% at High settings. Similarly, at Medium settings, the system delivers 238 FPS at 1080p, 150 FPS at 1440p, and 78 FPS at 4K. The scaling factor from 1080p to 4K at Medium is approximately 3.05x, meaning the FPS drops to about one-third of its original value when pixel count quadruples.

This scaling behavior is classic GPU-bound behavior. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and boost clock of 5.80 GHz, is not the limiting factor here. The GTX 1660 SUPER, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 1408 shading units, simply cannot maintain frame rates as resolution increases. The most telling evidence is the Ultra preset, where 4K performance collapses to 39 FPS average, while 1080p still manages 118 FPS. The 79 FPS difference between these resolutions at Ultra settings is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth constraints.

At 1080p, the high frame rates across all settings (118-300 FPS) suggest that the CPU has ample headroom. The gap between Low (300 FPS) and Ultra (118 FPS) at 1080p is 182 FPS, indicating that even the most demanding settings at this resolution do not fully stress the CPU. The bottleneck only becomes apparent when resolution increases, confirming that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the component that dictates performance ceilings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing ranks 949th out of 1176 combos for Minecraft. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested configurations. The ranking reflects the overall balance of the system, and the data suggests that the GPU drags down what would otherwise be an exceptional CPU performance.

The CPU itself sits at the 96th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 83807 (a delta of 0.2%), and the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090 (1.1% delta). The 290K Plus outperforms the EPYC 9135 by 1.2% and trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%. This is elite-level CPU performance, placing it among the fastest desktop and server processors available.

In contrast, the GPU ranks at the 53rd percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 12986. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, 0.4% delta), AMD Radeon RX 580 (12928, 0.4% delta), and AMD Radeon 740M (12870, 0.9% delta). The GTX 1660 SUPER also trails the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 by 0.7%. This places the GPU squarely in the mid-range tier, roughly equivalent to an RX 580 or a mobile RTX 3050 Ti.

The combination of a 96th-percentile CPU with a 53rd-percentile GPU creates a significant imbalance. The combo rank of 949 out of 1176 indicates that most other tested configurations achieve better overall performance in Minecraft, likely because they pair more balanced components. The data shows that while the CPU can push extremely high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU's limitations cap the system's potential at higher resolutions and settings, preventing the combo from climbing higher in the rankings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 300 FPS, achieved with Low settings. Medium settings deliver 238 FPS, High settings deliver 189 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 118 FPS.

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

A: At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 39 FPS. This is the lowest measured average across all tested configurations, indicating that the GPU is severely strained at this resolution and preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU ranks at the 96th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 53rd percentile. Performance drops significantly as resolution increases, which is characteristic of GPU-limited scenarios.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded?

A: Minimum FPS values are only available for Medium settings. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 67 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 127 FPS. At 1080p Medium, it is 202 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 949th out of 1176 tested combos in Minecraft. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested configurations, reflecting the performance imbalance between the high-end CPU and mid-range GPU.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 119 FPS. For comparison, Low settings deliver 189 FPS, Medium delivers 150 FPS, and Ultra delivers 74 FPS at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1080p, all settings presets deliver playable frame rates, but the differences are substantial. Low settings achieve 300 FPS, Medium achieves 238 FPS, High achieves 189 FPS, and Ultra achieves 118 FPS. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, Low settings provide the highest headroom, while Medium offers a good balance between visual quality and performance. High settings at 1080p still deliver 189 FPS, which is above the refresh rate of most standard monitors, making it a reasonable choice for those prioritizing visuals over maximum frame rates.

At 1440p, the recommended preset shifts downward. High settings average 119 FPS, which is smooth for most gaming scenarios. Medium settings deliver 150 FPS, providing additional headroom. Low settings at 189 FPS are the best choice for maximum frame rates. Ultra settings at 74 FPS are playable but approach the lower boundary of what is typically considered smooth for fast-paced games. The data suggests that Medium or High settings at 1440p offer the best experience, with the user able to choose based on preference for frame rate or fidelity.

At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. Ultra settings average 39 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for most users. High settings improve to 62 FPS, which is marginally acceptable but would benefit from a reduction in settings. Medium settings deliver 78 FPS, providing a smoother experience. Low settings achieve 99 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. For 4K gaming, the data strongly recommends Low or Medium settings, with High being a stretch and Ultra being unsuitable for consistent gameplay. The measured data also shows minimum FPS values at Medium settings across all resolutions, with 67 FPS at 4K, 127 FPS at 1440p, and 202 FPS at 1080p, indicating that Medium settings provide a stable frame rate floor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all tested configurations.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the average FPS values are as follows: Low settings achieve 99 FPS, Medium settings achieve 78 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS, High settings achieve 62 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 39 FPS. This represents a range of 60 FPS between the lowest and highest settings at 4K.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the average FPS values are: Low settings achieve 189 FPS, Medium settings achieve 150 FPS with a minimum of 127 FPS and a maximum of 172 FPS, High settings achieve 119 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 74 FPS. The range here is 115 FPS between Low and Ultra settings.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the average FPS values are: Low settings achieve 300 FPS, Medium settings achieve 238 FPS with a minimum of 202 FPS and a maximum of 273 FPS, High settings achieve 189 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 118 FPS. The range at 1080p is 182 FPS between Low and Ultra settings.

The data reveals several key trends. First, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution decreases. At 4K, the difference is 60 FPS; at 1440p, it is 115 FPS; at 1080p, it is 182 FPS. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU and GPU have more headroom to respond to settings changes. Second, the Medium preset consistently provides a stable minimum FPS across all resolutions, making it a reliable choice for users who want to avoid frame rate dips. Third, the jump from High to Ultra settings incurs a significant performance penalty at every resolution, suggesting that the Ultra preset demands disproportionately more resources for the visual improvement it provides.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU features a 36 MB shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 cache per core, along with 192 KB of L1 cache per core. It supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The processor is manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

In the context of Minecraft, this CPU is exceptionally powerful. Its benchmark scores are outstanding: it achieves 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7303 in single-core, along with 21727 in Cinebench R20 multi-core and 3067 in single-core. Its Passmark multithread score is 60860, and its single-thread score is 4823. These numbers place it at the 96th percentile among all CPUs, rivaling server-class processors like the AMD EPYC 4584PX and EPYC 9135.

Given Minecraft's reputation as a game that benefits from strong single-core performance, the 290K Plus's single-core scores are particularly relevant. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303 is among the highest recorded, and the Passmark single-thread score of 4823 reinforces this strength. The data suggests that the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's core simulation and world-generation tasks. In the measured FPS results, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p Low settings, where the system reaches 300 FPS. This frame rate is likely near the upper limit of what the game engine can produce, indicating that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration.

The 24 cores and 24 threads are likely underutilized in Minecraft, as the game does not typically scale well across many cores. However, the high boost clock of 5.80 GHz ensures that the few threads the game does use run at maximum speed. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, the CPU still supplies enough data to render 39 FPS, suggesting that it never becomes a bottleneck in this test scenario.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing-architecture graphics card with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. It operates at a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units. Its compute capabilities include 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 10.05 TFLOPS FP16 performance (2:1 ratio). The card has a TDP of 125 W and uses a single 8-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 300 W.

The GTX 1660 SUPER's benchmark scores place it at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs. Its Passmark G3D score is 12699, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1278. In Geekbench, it scores 52490 in OpenCL and 57102 in Vulkan. These scores place it in direct competition with the AMD Radeon RX 580 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, as indicated by the nearest rival data showing deltas of 0.4% for both.

In Minecraft, the GPU's role is to handle the rendering of blocks, textures, and lighting effects. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions and settings. The card's 6 GB of VRAM is sufficient for Minecraft at 1080p and 1440p, as the game's texture requirements are modest. However, at 4K with higher settings, the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading power become constraints, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops.

The GPU's performance characteristics are clearly visible in the data. At 1080p Low, the card can deliver 300 FPS, showing that it can produce very high frame rates when the rendering load is light. As the load increases with resolution and settings, the FPS drops proportionally. The 4K Ultra result of 39 FPS highlights the card's limitations, as it simply lacks the raw compute power to handle the increased pixel count and effects. The GPU's 48 ROPs and 88 TMUs are likely the limiting factors at higher resolutions, as the fill rate and texture filtering throughput cannot keep up with demand.

The data shows a clear imbalance between the CPU and GPU in this configuration. While the CPU ranks in the 96th percentile, the GPU sits at the 53rd percentile. This means the system is heavily GPU-limited in Minecraft, particularly at 1440p and 4K resolutions. The GTX 1660 SUPER's end-of-life production status and its classification as a mid-range card from the GeForce 16 series further underscore its role as the performance bottleneck in this pairing.