Minimum

# Minimum with Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER

The data shows this combination ranks 3171 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the lower third of all systems. The GTX 1660 SUPER is the clear performance ceiling here — the CPU sits in the 90th percentile among all processors, while the GPU lands at the 53rd percentile. The measured frame rates confirm this: at 1080p the system delivers playable results, but 4K performance collapses, with the Ultra preset dropping to 22 FPS average. This is a pairing where the GPU's Turing architecture and 6 GB VRAM dictate the experience, and the 14-core Arrow Lake CPU is largely along for the ride.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic across every preset, and the pattern reveals a GPU-bound system. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 131 FPS at 1080p to 85 FPS at 1440p, then to 46 FPS at 4K — that is a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the same resolution scaling shows 84 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K, a 65% drop as well. The consistency of this scaling across presets indicates the rendering pipeline is saturated by the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth limits rather than any CPU bottleneck.

The Medium preset provides the only complete min/max FPS data in the pack, and it shows the scaling most clearly. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 65 FPS with a range of 55 to 74 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 35 FPS with a range of 30 to 40 FPS. The 4K result is barely above the 30 FPS threshold typically considered the floor for playable third-person shooters, and the minimum of 30 FPS means the system will dip to exactly that floor during intense scenes.

The scaling behavior points to a component limit rather than a settings limit. When moving from 1080p to 4K at the same preset, the frame rate drops by roughly two-thirds regardless of whether the preset is Low, Medium, or High. This uniform scaling is characteristic of a GPU that is fully utilized at all resolutions — the pixel throughput requirement at 4K is four times that of 1080p, and the GTX 1660 SUPER's pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s is simply insufficient to maintain higher frame rates at 4K. The CPU, with its 5.10 GHz boost clock and 24 MB L3 cache, is not the limiting factor; the data shows the GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution above 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with acceptable performance?

A: No. The best 4K result is 46 FPS average on Low settings, which is playable but below the 60 FPS standard. At High settings, 4K drops to 29 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 22 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K delivers 35 FPS average with a 30 FPS minimum — technically playable but with noticeable frame dips.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: 1080p is the only resolution where every preset stays above 60 FPS average. Low scores 131 FPS, Medium scores 100 FPS, High scores 84 FPS, and even Ultra stays at 64 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (85 FPS) and Medium (65 FPS) remain above 60 FPS, while High drops to 54 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 12986 is virtually tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, which scores 12940 (0.4% higher). The AMD Radeon RX 580 scores 12928, also 0.4% higher, while the AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870, which is 0.9% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 is the only rival that scores lower, at 13075 with a -0.7% delta — meaning the GTX 1660 SUPER is within 1% of all four nearest rivals.

Q: Is the CPU holding back performance in this game?

A: No. The Core Ultra 5 245 has a 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs and scores 48995 on average benchmarks, putting it within 1% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, -0.5% delta). The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a GPU-bound pattern, indicating the CPU is not the limiting factor.

Q: What preset provides the most consistent frame pacing?

A: Medium is the only preset with recorded min and max FPS data, and it shows the narrowest relative range. At 1080p Medium, the range is 85 to 115 FPS (a 30 FPS spread on a 100 FPS average). At 1440p Medium, the range is 55 to 74 FPS (a 19 FPS spread on a 65 FPS average). At 4K Medium, the range is 30 to 40 FPS (a 10 FPS spread on a 35 FPS average).

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995 on average, while the Core i5-14600K scores 48618, a 0.8% delta in favor of the Ultra 5. Both processors are within 1% of each other, and both sit in the same performance tier for this game.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER is the definitive performance limiter in this configuration. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivering 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, the GPU has enough memory for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles at 4K. The 4K Low preset still requires more than the GPU can deliver — 46 FPS average — which suggests the memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are the constraining factors rather than raw shading power.

The GPU's clock behavior shows a boost clock of 1785 MHz on a base of 1530 MHz, a 255 MHz headroom that helps at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 131 FPS average, which indicates the boost clock is being utilized effectively. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 22 FPS, and the GPU's 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 performance is clearly insufficient for the pixel workload. The 48 ROPs and 88 TMUs — with a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s — are entry-level figures for 2019 hardware, and Minimum's 2014 release date does not save the GPU from modern resolution demands.

The GPU's benchmark profile reinforces this analysis. The PassMark G3D score of 12699 and DirectX 11 score of 104 show a mid-range part, while the DirectX 12 score of 50 and DirectX 10 score of 65 indicate weaker performance in newer and older APIs respectively. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 57102 is notably higher than the OpenCL score of 52490, which suggests the GPU responds well to Vulkan's lower overhead — but this does not translate to 4K viability. The GPU's 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs means it sits exactly at the median, and the measured FPS data confirms that this median positioning results in sub-60 FPS at 4K across all presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers playable performance across all four presets. Low settings produce 131 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. Medium settings drop to 100 FPS average with a minimum of 85 FPS and maximum of 115 FPS — a consistent experience with no frame dips below playable thresholds. High settings yield 84 FPS average, still comfortably above 60 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 64 FPS average, which is just above the 60 FPS line but remains playable. The 1080p data shows that even the most demanding preset keeps the system above 60 FPS, making 1080p the only resolution where all settings are viable.

At 2560x1440, the performance gap between presets widens. Low settings produce 85 FPS average, which remains smooth. Medium settings drop to 65 FPS average with a minimum of 55 FPS and maximum of 74 FPS — the minimum dips below 60 FPS, indicating occasional stutter during intense sequences. High settings fall to 54 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and will be noticeable in a third-person shooter. Ultra settings drop to 41 FPS average, which is playable but far from smooth. The 1440p data shows that only Low and Medium presets maintain acceptable performance, with Medium providing a 65 FPS average but with a 55 FPS floor.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across all presets. Low settings produce 46 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS standard but technically playable. Medium settings drop to 35 FPS average with a minimum of 30 FPS and maximum of 40 FPS — the minimum is exactly at the playability floor. High settings fall to 29 FPS average, which is below playable standards. Ultra settings drop to 22 FPS average, which is not playable for a shooter. The 4K data shows that no preset achieves the 60 FPS target, and only Low and Medium presets stay above the 30 FPS minimum threshold.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all three resolutions, providing the clearest picture of performance scaling. At 1080p, the 85 FPS minimum ensures no frame dips below smooth gameplay. At 1440p, the 55 FPS minimum means occasional dips below 60 FPS but no sustained stutter. At 4K, the 30 FPS minimum means the system operates at the absolute edge of playability.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p, the High preset at 84 FPS average offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold while providing superior fidelity to Medium's 100 FPS. Ultra at 64 FPS average is also viable for users who prioritize visual quality, though the margin above 60 FPS is slim. Low at 131 FPS is unnecessary for a game like Minimum unless the user has a high refresh rate display and wants maximum frame rates.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 65 FPS average is the recommended choice. It is the only preset at this resolution that maintains an average above 60 FPS, and the 55 FPS minimum is acceptable for a third-person shooter where precise timing is less critical than in competitive FPS titles. High at 54 FPS average is a compromise that sacrifices smoothness for visual quality, while Low at 85 FPS is the choice for users who prioritize frame rate above all else. Ultra at 41 FPS is not recommended due to the significant drop in responsiveness.

For 4K, the data suggests this configuration is not suited for the resolution. Low at 46 FPS average is the only preset that approaches playability, but even this falls short of the 60 FPS standard. Medium at 35 FPS average with a 30 FPS minimum is the most consistent option, but it operates at the edge of playability. High at 29 FPS and Ultra at 22 FPS are not recommended for any scenario. Users who must play at 4K should use Low settings and accept the frame rate compromise, but the data indicates that 1080p or 1440p with Medium or High settings provides a substantially better experience.

The overall recommendation is 1080p High for the best experience, with 1440p Medium as a viable alternative for users with higher-resolution displays. The system's 53rd percentile GPU ranking means it cannot handle 4K in this game, and the measured data confirms that no settings optimization can overcome the hardware limitation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a secondary role in this configuration, and the data shows it is not the bottleneck. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads — with no hyperthreading — provide ample parallel processing for a 2014 game like Minimum, which was designed for far less capable hardware. The 3.50 GHz base clock and 5.10 GHz boost clock deliver strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and PassMark single-thread score of 4394.

The CPU's benchmark results place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, scores 49196, a -0.4% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, a -0.5% delta. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, a 0.6% delta in favor of the Ultra 5, and the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618, a 0.8% delta. These figures show the Ultra 5 245 is statistically tied with its nearest rivals, all within 1% of each other.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's capabilities exceed what the game requires. The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 13828 and PassMark multithread score of 38706 indicate substantial parallel processing power, but the game's frame rate scaling is determined by the GPU. The fact that frame rates drop uniformly across presets when resolution increases — with no sudden CPU-related stalls or inconsistent scaling — confirms that the CPU maintains its end of the pipeline. The 24 MB L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for the game's assets, and the DDR5 memory support ensures the CPU is not starved for data.

The CPU's integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU is irrelevant for this configuration since the system uses a discrete GPU, but its presence does not affect performance. The 65 W TDP and 243 mm² die size with 17,800 million transistors on a 3 nm process show an efficient design that does not generate excessive heat or power draw, though the game's performance is not influenced by these factors. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the measured data shows it does so without becoming a limiting factor at any resolution or preset.