Minimum

# Minimum — Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + Intel Arc B570

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. Across the measured configurations, the combo ranks 2336th out of 2939 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The data reveals a system that handles 1080p comfortably, becomes marginal at 1440p, and struggles at 4K, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, which strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 145 FPS average. Moving to 1440p drops that to 94 FPS, a reduction of 51 FPS or approximately 35%. At 4K, the same Low settings yield only 50 FPS average — a further 44 FPS drop from 1440p, representing a 47% decrease.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at High settings. From 93 FPS at 1080p, the average falls to 60 FPS at 1440p (a 33 FPS drop) and then to 32 FPS at 4K (a 28 FPS drop from 1440p). The percentage loss from 1080p to 4K at High settings is roughly 66%, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where pixel throughput becomes the dominant constraint.

Medium settings follow the same trajectory: 111 FPS at 1080p, 72 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result includes measured minimum and maximum values of 33 and 44 FPS respectively, showing a narrow frame window that suggests consistent performance without severe spikes. Ultra settings, which produce 71 FPS at 1080p, drop to 46 FPS at 1440p and just 25 FPS at 4K.

The resolution scaling data tells a clear story: the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus are sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results indicate the GPU's shading resources — 2304 shading units and 80 ROPs — are overwhelmed by the pixel count. The 4K Low average of 50 FPS versus 145 FPS at 1080p Low represents a 65% performance loss, which is a severe penalty that cannot be attributed to CPU limitations.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture with 19,600 million transistors on a 5 nm process, is the dominant factor in these results. Its memory configuration — 10 GB GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth — provides adequate headroom for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K results expose its limitations. The GPU's 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate are mid-range figures, and the measured frame rates align with that positioning.

At 1080p, the GPU delivers 145 FPS average on Low settings, which indicates the card is not fully saturated at that resolution. The jump from Low to High costs 52 FPS (from 145 to 93), showing that increased shading and texture work directly impacts performance. The 4K results, where even Low settings only produce 50 FPS, demonstrate that the GPU's 200.0 GPixel/s pixel fill rate is the primary constraint at that resolution.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct of 0.1) and the Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct of -0.1), with average scores of 20534 and 20582 respectively. The Arc B570's own average benchmark score of 20556 places it squarely between these two, with the Quadro M4000M (20480, deltaPct 0.4) and Radeon R9 M390X (20662, deltaPct -0.5) completing the immediate competitive set. This context suggests the B570 is a solid mid-range performer, but its 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs explains why 4K gaming at high quality settings is beyond its comfortable envelope.

The GPU's 18 ray tracing cores and 12 Ultimate DirectX support are modern features, but in this 2014 title, they do not appear to be leveraged. The measured performance at 4K Ultra (25 FPS average) indicates that even without ray tracing enabled, the card's raw throughput is insufficient for maximum settings at that resolution. The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with a mid-range card, and the 450 W suggested PSU indicates this is not a power-hungry component.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 2336th out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the 21st percentile of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the fact that while the CPU is a modern 14-core part, the GPU is a mid-range offering that limits overall gaming performance. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs (with an average benchmark score of 48995) contrasts sharply with the GPU's 65th percentile, and the combo's final rank is dragged down by the graphics component.

The CPU's nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (deltaPct -0.4) and AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (deltaPct -0.5) — have average scores of 49196 and 49228 respectively, placing the Ultra 5 245 within 0.5% of those parts. On the other side, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (deltaPct 0.6) and Intel Core i5-14600K (deltaPct 0.8) score 48698 and 48618, showing that the CPU is competitive with a broad range of desktop and workstation processors. However, this CPU strength does not translate into a high combo ranking because the game's performance is GPU-limited at the tested resolutions.

The gap between the CPU's 90th percentile and the combo's 21st percentile ranking is instructive. It shows that in Minimum, the Arc B570 is the bottleneck, and even a strong CPU like the Ultra 5 245 cannot compensate for the GPU's limits at higher resolutions. The 4K results, where even Low settings only reach 50 FPS, are particularly telling: a faster GPU would likely yield significantly higher frame rates, while a faster CPU would not change these numbers.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The data shows 1080p is the strongest choice, with 93 FPS average at High settings and 145 FPS at Low. At 1440p, High settings drop to 60 FPS average, which is still playable but shows the GPU beginning to struggle. 4K is not recommended for smooth gameplay, as even Low settings only produce 50 FPS average.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 is nearly identical to the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, deltaPct 0.1) and Arc A750 (20582, deltaPct -0.1). It sits slightly above the Quadro M4000M (20480, deltaPct 0.4) and slightly below the Radeon R9 M390X (20662, deltaPct -0.5). In Minimum, this translates to mid-range 1080p performance.

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

A: The resolution scaling data clearly identifies the GPU as the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 145 FPS, but this drops to 50 FPS at 4K Low — a 65% reduction that is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs further supports this conclusion, as a stronger GPU would be needed to improve high-resolution results.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS values for Medium settings?

A: The measured data includes min/max values only for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the range is 95 to 128 FPS with a 111 FPS average. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 61 to 82 FPS with a 72 FPS average. At 4K Medium, the range is 33 to 44 FPS with a 39 FPS average. No min/max data is available for Low, High, or Ultra settings.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ultra 5 245 scores 32924 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which places it near the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (avgScore 49228, deltaPct -0.5) and Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (avgScore 49196, deltaPct -0.4) in overall CPU benchmarks. Its 14 cores and 14 threads with a 5.10 GHz boost clock provide strong multi-threaded performance, but this does not directly translate to higher frame rates in Minimum due to the GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it affect results?

A: The Arc B570 features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 1080p, this configuration is sufficient for even Ultra settings (71 FPS average). At 4K, the memory bandwidth appears adequate but the GPU's compute resources are insufficient, as evidenced by the 25 FPS Ultra result and 50 FPS Low result.

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 with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. Its base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz, combined with 24 MB of shared L3 cache, provide strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 4648 in single-core and 32924 in multi-core, while PassMark shows 4394 in single-thread and 38706 in multi-thread tests.

In Minimum, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 145 FPS, which is high enough that the CPU could become a factor if the GPU were faster, but the measured data shows that the GPU is the constraint. At 4K, where the GPU is clearly saturated, the CPU's performance is irrelevant to the frame rates — the 25 FPS Ultra result is purely a GPU limitation. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs (avg score 48995) confirms it is not a weak link in this system.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth is modern and sufficient for this game. The 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1851 compatibility are standard for a desktop part, and the integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU provides a fallback but is not used in the measured results. The CPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (deltaPct -0.5) and Intel Core i5-14600K (deltaPct 0.8), show that this processor is competitively positioned, but in Minimum, its performance headroom is untapped due to the GPU bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on optimal settings for each resolution. At 1080p, High settings deliver 93 FPS average, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay in a third-person shooter. The jump from High to Ultra costs 22 FPS (from 93 to 71), and the visual difference in a 2014 title may not justify that loss. Medium at 1080p produces 111 FPS, which is smoother but likely offers a noticeable reduction in visual quality. For 1080p, High is the sweet spot — it maintains a high frame rate while preserving quality.

At 1440p, High settings produce 60 FPS average, which is borderline for competitive play but acceptable for single-player. Medium settings at 1440p yield 72 FPS with a min of 61 FPS, providing a more consistent experience. Given that the min FPS at Medium is above 60, this is the recommended setting for 1440p to ensure frame pacing remains stable. Ultra at 1440p drops to 46 FPS, which is too low for smooth gameplay and not recommended.

At 4K, none of the settings provide ideal performance. Low settings average 50 FPS, which is playable but with significant compromises in visual fidelity. Medium at 4K drops to 39 FPS with a min of 33 FPS, which will feel stuttery in fast-paced action. High and Ultra at 4K (32 FPS and 25 FPS respectively) are not recommended for any serious play. For 4K, Low is the only viable option, and even then, the experience will be marginal.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo in Minimum is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K):

• High: 32 FPS average
• Low: 50 FPS average
• Medium: 39 FPS average (min 33, max 44)
• Ultra: 25 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• High: 60 FPS average
• Low: 94 FPS average
• Medium: 72 FPS average (min 61, max 82)
• Ultra: 46 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• High: 93 FPS average
• Low: 145 FPS average
• Medium: 111 FPS average (min 95, max 128)
• Ultra: 71 FPS average

The data shows a clear progression across resolutions. At 1080p, all settings except Ultra exceed 90 FPS, making this the only resolution where every quality level is playable. At 1440p, the range narrows from 46 FPS (Ultra) to 94 FPS (Low), with High and Medium both exceeding 60 FPS. At 4K, the range narrows further to 25-50 FPS, and no setting reaches the 60 FPS threshold that is commonly considered smooth.

The Medium settings stand out as the only configuration with measured min/max values. At 1080p, the 95-128 FPS range shows good consistency. At 1440p, the 61-82 FPS range indicates stable performance near the 60 FPS line. At 4K, the 33-44 FPS range is tight but low, confirming that the GPU is operating at its limits without significant frame spikes or drops. This consistency suggests the Arc B570 handles the workload evenly, but the absolute performance level at 4K is insufficient for a smooth experience.