Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a playable experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter, but the data shows that this combination is heavily skewed toward 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 4K, the system struggles to maintain smooth frame rates, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution climbs. The measured rows reveal a clear hierarchy: 1080p is where this combo shines, 1440p is acceptable, and 4K requires significant settings compromises to stay above 30 FPS. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data, ranks the combo against other tested configurations, and provides practical settings guidance based solely on the numbers in the fact pack.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and follows a predictable pattern across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 171 FPS at 1920x1080 to 110 FPS at 2560x1440, then down to 59 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 35.7% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46.4% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, which suggests that the RX 7600's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are being saturated at higher resolutions.

For High settings, the drop is similar: 110 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K. The percentage decrease from 1080p to 1440p is 35.5%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 46.5%. This consistency across Low and High presets indicates that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, not the specific graphics settings. Medium settings show a similar trend: 131 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings, the most demanding preset, yield 84 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K.

The key observation is that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is roughly one-third performance loss, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is nearly half. This nonlinear scaling points to the GPU's 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB VRAM as the bottleneck. The RX 7600 has a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p but becomes strained at 4K where pixel fill rates and texture fetching demand more data throughput. The pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s are the hardware limits that explain why 4K Ultra drops to 29 FPS.

At 4K, even the Low preset only reaches 59 FPS, which is barely acceptable for a third-person shooter. The Medium preset at 4K produces 45 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS, indicating frame time spikes that could cause noticeable stutter. The High preset at 4K drops to 38 FPS, and Ultra falls below 30 FPS. This data makes it clear that 4K is not a viable target for this combo unless the user accepts Low settings and tolerates occasional dips below 60 FPS.

The limiting component at 4K is unequivocally the GPU. The CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases because the GPU takes longer to render each frame, reducing the CPU’s ability to feed it work. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom, but the measured FPS at Low (171) suggests that even at lower resolutions, the CPU is not the primary constraint—the GPU still dictates the ceiling. The data shows that the RX 7600 is a 1080p-class card with acceptable 1440p performance, and 4K is only possible with substantial settings reductions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 2008 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. That places it in the 31.7th percentile, meaning roughly two-thirds of tested combinations deliver higher average frame rates in this game. This rank reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning rather than the CPU’s strength. The Core Ultra 5 245 is a high-end processor—its 90th percentile vs all CPUs indicates it outperforms 90% of CPUs in synthetic benchmarks—but the RX 7600 sits at the 57th percentile vs all GPUs, which drags the overall combo rank down.

The combo rank of 2008 out of 2939 suggests that Minimum is more GPU-bound than CPU-bound. If the game were CPU-limited, a strong processor like the Core Ultra 5 245 would push the combo higher in the rankings. Instead, the mid-tier GPU holds the pairing back. The data shows that the CPU’s nearest rivals—AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, AMD Ryzen 9 7900, Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, and Intel Core i5-14600K—all have average benchmark scores within 0.8% of each other. This means the Core Ultra 5 245 is competitive with other strong CPUs, but that does not translate into a high combo rank in this game.

For context, the RX 7600’s nearest GPU rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, AMD Radeon Pro 560X, AMD Radeon 680M, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti. These GPUs have average scores within 0.7% of the RX 7600, indicating that the GPU is positioned in a tightly contested mid-range segment. The combo rank being in the bottom 32% is not surprising given the GPU’s 57th percentile standing. A higher-ranked GPU would likely push this combo into a better overall position, but the CPU’s performance is not the limiting factor.

The rank also implies that many other combos—likely those pairing similar or better GPUs with comparable CPUs—achieve higher average FPS in Minimum. Since the game is from 2014, it is not particularly demanding by modern standards, so even mid-range GPUs can produce high frame rates at 1080p. The RX 7600’s 8 GB VRAM and RDNA 3.0 architecture are capable, but the data shows that the combo is merely average in the broader context of all tested systems. Users with this pairing should expect solid 1080p performance but not top-tier results.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 33 chip, manufactured on a 6 nm process by TSMC. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1720 MHz, with a game clock of 2250 MHz and a boost clock of 2655 MHz. Memory runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed. These specs determine the measured FPS in Minimum.

The 8 GB VRAM is a critical factor. At 4K with Ultra settings, the game likely approaches or exceeds the VRAM capacity, which would explain the 29 FPS average. The 128-bit bus limits memory bandwidth, and the data shows that moving from 1440p to 4K causes a disproportionate FPS drop. The GPU’s 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs are the core compute resources, but they are not the bottleneck—memory bandwidth is. The texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s are sufficient for 1080p, but at 4K, the GPU must process four times the pixels, and the bandwidth cannot keep up.

The boost clock of 2655 MHz is relatively high, and the GPU’s FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS indicates strong compute capability. However, Minimum is a 2014 game that likely does not utilize modern features like ray tracing or mesh shaders, so raw rasterization performance is what matters. The RX 7600’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support is irrelevant here since the game predates those APIs. The GPU’s 57th percentile vs all GPUs confirms its mid-range status, and the measured FPS reflects that.

The GPU’s TDP of 165 W and dual-slot design are typical for this class, but those are not directly reflected in the FPS numbers. The fact that the RX 7600’s nearest rivals include the RTX 3050 OEM and GTX 660 Ti shows that in synthetic benchmarks, it is only slightly better than older or lower-tier cards. In Minimum, the GPU’s performance is consistent with its 57th percentile ranking—capable at 1080p, acceptable at 1440p, and weak at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p High settings (110 FPS) but becomes a limiting factor as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows the following average FPS: Low settings produce 171 FPS, High produces 110 FPS, Medium produces 131 FPS, and Ultra produces 84 FPS. The Medium preset has a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 150 FPS, indicating stable frame times. The difference between Low and Ultra is 87 FPS, which is a 50.9% performance drop. This suggests that the game’s Ultra preset introduces significant graphical effects that tax the GPU, but even at Ultra, 84 FPS is smooth for a third-person shooter.

The 1080p results show that the RX 7600 is well-suited for this resolution. Low settings push beyond 170 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. High settings at 110 FPS are also excellent, and Medium at 131 FPS offers a good balance. Ultra at 84 FPS is still above 60 FPS, so any preset is playable at 1080p. The CPU’s role at this resolution is minimal because the GPU is handling the load efficiently.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to: Low 110, High 71, Medium 84, and Ultra 54. The Medium preset has a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 97 FPS, which is still acceptable but shows more variance. High at 71 FPS is borderline for smooth gameplay, while Ultra at 54 FPS is below the 60 FPS target. Low at 110 FPS is the only preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 35% across all presets, indicating that the GPU’s pixel throughput is being tested.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 59, High 38, Medium 45, and Ultra 29. The Medium preset has a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, showing significant frame time spikes. Only Low achieves near-60 FPS, and even then, it is at 59 FPS, which is not consistently smooth. High at 38 FPS and Ultra at 29 FPS are not playable for a shooter where reaction time matters. The 4K data confirms that this combo is not intended for that resolution.

The data also reveals that the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 87 FPS; at 1440p, it is 56 FPS; at 4K, it is 30 FPS. This is because at lower resolutions, the GPU has spare capacity to handle higher settings, but at 4K, every setting increase has a proportionally larger impact on the already-limited bandwidth. The Medium presets across all resolutions provide the most consistent frame times, as evidenced by the min/max values, making them a safe choice for users who prioritize stability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 84 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the highest visual quality. However, Medium at 131 FPS offers a significantly higher frame rate with only a moderate visual downgrade. For competitive play, Low at 171 FPS is the best choice, but for most users, High at 110 FPS strikes the optimal balance between image quality and smoothness. Given that the game is from 2014, the visual difference between High and Ultra is likely minimal, so High is recommended for 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the recommended preset is Medium, which produces 84 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS. This is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS while providing acceptable visual quality. High at 71 FPS is close, but the lower average and lack of min/max data make it riskier for frame time consistency. Low at 110 FPS is the highest-performing option, but it sacrifices too much visual fidelity. Ultra at 54 FPS is below the 60 FPS target and should be avoided. Medium is the clear winner at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the only viable preset is Low, which averages 59 FPS. This is marginal, as it is just below 60 FPS and may experience dips. Medium at 45 FPS is playable but not ideal for a shooter, and High at 38 FPS and Ultra at 29 FPS are not recommended. For 4K, users should either accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p and using Medium. The data does not support any preset above Low at 4K for a consistent experience.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most consistent frame times, as shown by the min/max data. At 1080p Medium, the range is 111-150 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 72-97 FPS; at 4K Medium, it is 39-52 FPS. This consistency is valuable for avoiding stutter. For users with 144Hz monitors, 1080p Low or Medium is necessary to take full advantage of the refresh rate. For 60Hz displays, 1440p Medium is the sweet spot. The data suggests that the RX 7600 is best paired with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, and settings should be adjusted based on the desired frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. These specs make it a strong performer for gaming, as evidenced by its 90th percentile vs all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 48995.

In Minimum, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU. The game is from 2014, and its physics and AI are unlikely to stress a modern 14-core processor. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (171 FPS) shows that the CPU can feed the GPU fast enough to reach high frame rates, but the GPU is still the limiting factor at higher settings. The CPU’s nearest rivals—AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, AMD Ryzen 9 7900, Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, and Intel Core i5-14600K—all have average scores within 0.8% of the Core Ultra 5 245, meaning it is competitive with other top CPUs. However, none of these CPUs would significantly change the combo’s ranking in Minimum because the GPU dictates the FPS.

The CPU’s 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient for this game, and its boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance, which is what older games typically rely on. The L3 cache of 24 MB is ample, and the DDR5 memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is unlikely to be a bottleneck. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 indicate excellent per-core performance, which matters for games that are not heavily multi-threaded.

The data shows that the CPU is not the constraint in any measured resolution. At 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 29, which is entirely due to the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS across different resolutions at the same settings, but the numbers show a clear resolution-dependent decline. The CPU’s TDP of 65 W is low, which means it runs cool and leaves headroom for the GPU. The CPU’s integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU) are irrelevant since the system uses a discrete GPU.

In summary, the Core Ultra 5 245 provides ample processing power for Minimum, and its high benchmark scores confirm that it is not holding back the RX 7600. The combo’s ranking of 2008 out of 2939 is a direct result of the GPU’s mid-range performance, not the CPU. Users with this CPU should focus on GPU upgrades if they want higher FPS at 1440p or 4K, as the processor has headroom to support a faster video card. The CPU’s 3 nm process and 17,800 million transistors make it a modern, efficient choice, but in this specific game, its performance is largely irrelevant beyond ensuring the GPU is fed.