Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that still holds a place in benchmark databases, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a highly capable experience. The data shows a hardware pairing that sits comfortably in the upper half of all tested configurations, with the measured frame rates varying predictably across resolutions and presets. This analysis breaks down the performance figures from the FACT PACK, interpreting what they mean for the overall ranking, settings, and the specific roles of the CPU and GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 4060 pairing achieves a combo rank of 1549 out of 2939 tested combinations in Minimum. This placement, which places it in the 53rd percentile of all combos, indicates a system that is slightly above average for this title, though not a top-tier contender. The ranking suggests that while this setup is far from the best performing, it is well ahead of the majority of systems that users have benchmarked, offering a solid foundation for gameplay.

To contextualize this ranking, it’s useful to examine the individual component standings. The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 5 245, sits in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, with its average benchmark score of 48995 being remarkably close to its nearest rivals. The data shows it is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which scores 49196 (a delta of -0.4%), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228 (a delta of -0.5%). Meanwhile, it holds a slight edge over the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which is 0.6% slower, and the Intel Core i5-14600K, which is 0.8% slower. This indicates the processor is a very strong performer, and its high percentile ranking suggests it is not the bottleneck in most scenarios.

On the other hand, the GPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, presents a different story. It is in the 61st percentile against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 17639 places it in a tight cluster with its rivals. The RTX 4060 is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17666 (a delta of -0.2%), and the AMD Radeon 780M, which scores 17588 (a delta of 0.3%). It is also marginally ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 560 and AMD Radeon Pro 460, which are 0.5% and 0.7% slower, respectively. This suggests the graphics card is an average performer relative to the broader GPU landscape, which likely pulls the overall combo ranking down from what the CPU alone could achieve. The data implies that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor in this pair, a conclusion supported by the frame rate data in more demanding settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for different resolutions, balancing visual fidelity with smooth gameplay. The data strongly suggests that the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions, providing a significant frame rate boost over High and Ultra while maintaining playable performance.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset achieves an average of 155 FPS, with a minimum of 131 and a maximum of 178 FPS. This is a substantial improvement over the High preset's 130 FPS and the Ultra preset's 99 FPS. While the Low preset pushes the frame rate to 202 FPS, the visual compromise is likely not worth the extra performance when Medium already delivers a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again proves to be the sweet spot, delivering an average of 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 and a maximum of 115 FPS. This is a very playable frame rate for a third-person shooter. The High preset drops to 84 FPS, which is still acceptable, but the Medium preset's headroom is preferable for maintaining consistency. The Ultra preset's 64 FPS is a more noticeable step down in smoothness.

For 4K (3840x2160), the situation is more challenging. The Medium preset is the highest playable option, yielding an average of 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 62 FPS. While not hitting the 60 FPS target, it is a playable experience. The High preset drops to 45 FPS, which is borderline, and the Ultra preset's 34 FPS is not recommended for a fluid experience. The Low preset at 70 FPS is the only way to achieve a smooth frame rate at this resolution, but it comes with a significant visual downgrade. In summary, for the best experience, Medium settings are recommended for all resolutions, with a note that 4K players may need to accept slightly lower frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset to use for 1080p gaming with this hardware?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 155 FPS with minimums of 131 FPS. This provides a significantly smoother experience than the High preset's 130 FPS and the Ultra preset's 99 FPS, without the visual sacrifices of the Low preset's 202 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Minimum?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The Medium preset is the highest playable option, averaging 54 FPS. For a smoother experience, the Low preset is required, which achieves 70 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended, as they drop to 45 FPS and 34 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. It is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7790, and 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M, showing these cards are effectively tied in raw compute performance.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile relative to all other processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is in the 90th percentile against all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 48995 places it in the top 10% of all processors, indicating a high level of overall compute capability.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the performance bottleneck in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. While the CPU is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, the GPU is only in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. This discrepancy indicates that the graphics card will likely be the first component to reach its limits in demanding scenarios.

Q: What is the measured frame rate range for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows an average of 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. This data confirms a consistent and playable performance window.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how this combo scales with resolution and settings. The data shows a clear trend: frame rates decrease as resolution and graphical fidelity increase, with the Medium preset offering the most consistent performance across the board.

At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptional. The Low preset achieves an average of 202 FPS, which is the highest measured for this combo. The Medium preset delivers a strong 155 FPS, with a minimum of 131 and a maximum of 178 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. The High preset drops to an average of 130 FPS, while the Ultra preset brings the average down to 99 FPS. All presets at this resolution are highly playable, even on high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust. The Low preset still achieves a high average of 130 FPS. The Medium preset is the standout, delivering an average of 100 FPS with a tight minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. The High preset averages 84 FPS, which is still smooth, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 64 FPS, which may be noticeable to sensitive players but is generally acceptable.

At 3840x2160, the hardware begins to show its limits. The Low preset is the only option that provides a smooth experience, averaging 70 FPS. The Medium preset is the next best, averaging 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, which is on the cusp of playability. The High preset averages 45 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to a less desirable 34 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming requires a significant compromise in settings to maintain a consistent frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the primary driver of the frame rates in Minimum, and its specifications explain its performance profile. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in its performance at higher resolutions, where the demand for bandwidth increases. The data shows that at 4K, the frame rates drop considerably, suggesting that the 8 GB capacity and bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but become a limiting factor at 2160p.

The GPU's clock speeds are another important aspect. It has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, which are the speeds that determine its processing throughput. The card's architecture, Ada Lovelace, and its 3072 shading units are what execute the graphical calculations. The RTX 4060's performance is reflected in its benchmark scores, which place it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its Passmark G3D score is 19545, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2302. These numbers, while not directly tied to Minimum's frame rates, establish the card's overall capability and explain why it performs as it does in this game. The GPU is an end-of-life product, but its performance is still competitive for this title, as evidenced by the measured results.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 provides the computational foundation for this combo, and its high performance ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios. The CPU features 14 cores and 14 threads, a configuration that is well-suited for modern workloads. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz, which can boost up to 5.10 GHz, providing strong single-threaded performance when needed. The processor's cache hierarchy, which includes a 24 MB shared L3 cache, helps to reduce memory latency and improve data access speeds.

The CPU's performance is exceptionally strong, sitting in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 32924 and single-core score is 4648, indicating a powerful processor for both multi-threaded and single-threaded tasks. In the context of Minimum, a third-person shooter that is not typically CPU-intensive, the Core Ultra 5 245 has more than enough headroom to feed the RTX 4060 with data. Its Passmark multithread score of 38706 and single-thread score of 4394 further confirm its capability. Given that the CPU's percentile ranking is significantly higher than the GPU's, the data suggests that the RTX 4060 is the component that will determine the final frame rate, especially when settings are increased and the graphical load becomes heavier. The CPU's role is to provide a stable and fast platform, which it does admirably.