Minimum

# Minimum: Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

This pairing of Intel's Core Ultra 5 245 with NVIDIA's RTX 3060 Ti produces a fascinatingly uneven performance profile in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The data reveals a system that is clearly capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions but begins to show its limitations as pixel counts rise, suggesting a GPU-bound experience that shifts depending on settings. With a combo rank of 1419 out of 2939 tested combinations, this system sits in the upper-middle tier, a position that makes sense given the measured frame rates across the resolution and settings matrix.

Resolution Scaling

The relationship between resolution and frame rate in this dataset tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 135 FPS to 87 FPS, a reduction of 48 FPS or roughly 36 percent. That is a substantial hit for a 78 percent increase in pixel count, indicating that the RTX 3060 Ti is already working hard even at 1440p. The scaling continues steeply when moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at High settings, where the average falls from 87 FPS to 47 FPS — a further 46 percent reduction. At 4K High, the system barely maintains playable frame rates, hovering at 47 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many would consider smooth.

The pattern is consistent across all settings tiers. At Low settings, the progression goes from 210 FPS at 1080p to 135 FPS at 1440p to 73 FPS at 4K. At Medium, the numbers are 160, 103, and 56 FPS respectively. At Ultra, they are 103, 66, and 36 FPS. In every case, the step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 35-40 percent of the frame rate, while the step from 1440p to 4K costs another 45-50 percent. This near-linear degradation with pixel count strongly suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, rather than the CPU. The game is a 2014 title, so its CPU demands are likely modest by modern standards, and the Core Ultra 5 245 with its 14 cores and 14 threads appears more than sufficient. The data implies that for every resolution increase, the GPU's work scales proportionally, and the RTX 3060 Ti's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being pushed to their limits at higher resolutions.

The min and max FPS data available for Medium settings further illuminates the scaling. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 136 to 185 FPS, a spread of 49 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 88 to 119 FPS, a 31 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range narrows to 47 to 64 FPS, only 17 FPS. This tightening of the frame time variance as resolution increases is typical of a GPU-bound scenario — when the GPU is saturated, frame delivery becomes more consistent because the variance from CPU-side frame preparation becomes a smaller fraction of the total frame time. The data indicates that at 4K, the system is consistently hitting a GPU ceiling, whereas at 1080p, there is more headroom and thus more variability in frame delivery.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1419 out of 2939 tested combinations places this system in the 48th percentile of all tested pairings. This is a middling rank, which might surprise given the strong absolute frame rates at 1080p, but it makes sense when considering that the database includes many higher-end GPUs that can maintain high frame rates at 4K. The rank reflects performance across all tested resolutions and settings, and this combo's weakness at 4K Ultra — where it only manages 36 FPS — drags its overall standing down.

Breaking down the rank by resolution, the system is clearly more competitive at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 210 FPS average would likely rank much higher than the overall 1419, perhaps in the top quarter of combinations. At 1080p Ultra, the 103 FPS is still respectable. However, at 4K Ultra, the 36 FPS is below what many modern games aim for, and the system would rank poorly in that specific configuration. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K being a stretch that requires sacrificing settings to Low or Medium.

The rank also needs to be interpreted in the context of the game's age. Minimum was released in 2014, and its rendering engine is likely not as demanding as modern titles. This means that the RTX 3060 Ti, which is a 2020 GPU, should theoretically have plenty of headroom. The fact that it struggles at 4K Ultra suggests either the game has inefficient rendering paths or that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is a limiting factor at high resolutions with high texture settings. The passmark G3D score of 20349 and the percentileVsAllGpus of 59 confirm that this GPU is mid-pack, and the data indicates that its performance in this game aligns with that positioning.

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. Its boost clock of 5.10 GHz and base clock of 3.50 GHz give it strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and Passmark single-thread score of 4394. In a game from 2014, which was designed before the era of heavily multi-threaded game engines, single-core performance is often more critical than core count. The data suggests that this CPU should have no trouble feeding the RTX 3060 Ti in Minimum, especially at lower resolutions.

The CPU's multi-core capabilities are equally impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a Passmark multithread score of 38706. The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample fast memory for game data. However, in Minimum, the resolution scaling data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions, with 1080p and 1440p producing similar FPS. Instead, the data shows a consistent decline from 210 FPS at 1080p Low to 135 FPS at 1440p Low, which is a clear GPU limitation.

The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 90 puts it in the top 10 percent of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 48995 is closely matched by its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, just 0.4 percent higher, while the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618, 0.8 percent lower. This level of performance means the CPU is unlikely to be a limiting factor in a 2014 game. The data implies that for Minimum, the CPU's role is to prepare frames efficiently, and with 14 cores and high boost clocks, it does so without introducing significant frame pacing issues. The Passmark physics score of 2569 and data compression score of 400942 further indicate strong general compute capabilities that would handle game logic and physics without strain.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers strong performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 210 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suggests the GPU is nowhere near its limits. Medium settings drop to 160 FPS, with a min-max range of 136 to 185 FPS, indicating some variance but still very smooth gameplay. High settings yield 135 FPS, and Ultra drops to 103 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 107 FPS, showing that the settings scaling has a significant impact on performance. Even at Ultra, 103 FPS is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth play.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain playable but show the GPU working harder. Low settings produce 135 FPS, which is still excellent. Medium averages 103 FPS with a range of 88 to 119 FPS. High settings drop to 87 FPS, and Ultra falls to 66 FPS. The data shows a 69 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p, a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p but a larger percentage drop. At 1440p Ultra, the system is just above 60 FPS, which is acceptable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal. Low settings average 73 FPS, which is playable but not smooth by modern standards. Medium drops to 56 FPS, with a min-max range of 47 to 64 FPS, meaning the system can dip below 50 FPS at times. High settings yield 47 FPS, and Ultra drops to 36 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the game is barely playable, and the data suggests that this resolution is beyond the sweet spot for this combo. The pattern across all resolutions shows a consistent relationship: Low is roughly 1.3 times faster than Medium, Medium is roughly 1.2 times faster than High, and High is roughly 1.4 times faster than Ultra. This scaling is consistent with the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth being the primary constraint.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the clear limiting factor in this system for Minimum's higher resolutions. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the GPU has respectable specs for its generation. Its boost clock of 1665 MHz and 4864 shading units give it a theoretical FP32 performance of 16.20 TFLOPS. The passmark G3D score of 20349 and percentileVsAllGpus of 59 place it in the upper-middle tier of GPUs, which aligns with its measured performance in this game.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is likely a contributing factor to the steep performance drop at 4K. At higher resolutions, texture data and frame buffers consume more memory, and if the game exceeds 8 GB, the GPU must rely on slower system memory over PCIe, causing frame rate drops. The data shows that at 4K, the performance degrades more than linearly with pixel count, which is consistent with VRAM pressure. At 1080p, the GPU has ample memory headroom, but at 4K Ultra, it may be hitting the 8 GB limit.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 9060 with an average score of 16014 (0.7 percent higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT with 16361 (1.4 percent lower). These close scores indicate that the RTX 3060 Ti is competitively positioned, and its performance in Minimum should be similar to these cards. The GPU's 38 RT cores and 152 tensor cores are not directly relevant to a 2014 game that likely doesn't use ray tracing or DLSS, so those features are more about future-proofing than current performance. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is a key factor in its 4K performance, and the data suggests that this bandwidth is insufficient for smooth 4K gameplay at high settings in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the system averages 66 FPS, which stays above 60. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only reach 73 FPS, so 4K is not recommended for consistent 60 FPS gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.4 percent lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196) and 0.5 percent lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228). It is 0.8 percent higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K (48618).

Q: What is the frame rate variance at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the FPS ranges from 136 to 185. At 1440p Medium, it ranges from 88 to 119. At 4K Medium, the range narrows to 47 to 64 FPS, showing less variance as the GPU becomes the bottleneck.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 210 FPS, but this drops to 135 FPS at 1440p Low, a 36 percent reduction that aligns with GPU scaling rather than CPU limitations.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested combinations?

A: It ranks 1419 out of 2939 tested combos, placing it in the 48th percentile. This means roughly half of all tested systems perform better overall, though many of those may be stronger at 4K.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 had a launch MSRP of $270.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the ideal settings depend on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, Ultra settings at 103 FPS average provide the best visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. The data shows that even at 1080p Ultra, there is significant headroom, so users can maximize visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. For those who prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1080p High at 135 FPS offers a 32 FPS improvement over Ultra with only a slight visual downgrade, which may be preferable for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the best balance of visual quality and performance is High settings, which average 87 FPS. This is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides good visual fidelity. Medium settings at 103 FPS would be an alternative for those who want more headroom, but the visual difference between Medium and High in a 2014 title may be minimal. Ultra at 1440p averages 66 FPS, which is playable but leaves no margin for demanding scenes that could cause drops below 60 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p Ultra is the edge of what this combo can handle smoothly.

For 3840x2160, the data does not support a strong recommendation. Low settings at 73 FPS is the only option that stays above 60 FPS, but the visual quality at Low in a game from 2014 may be significantly reduced. Medium settings at 56 FPS could be acceptable for non-competitive play, but the min FPS of 47 indicates frequent drops below 50. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they average 47 and 36 FPS respectively, which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that 4K is not this combo's intended use case, and users should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept reduced settings for 4K play.