Minimum

# Minimum: Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER — Measured Performance Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 pairs with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER to deliver a robust experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released on 2014-06-25. This combination achieves a combo rank of 439 out of 2939 tested configurations, placing it in the top 15% of all systems. The measured FPS data reveals a system that handles 1080p at refresh-rate-maxing speeds, remains highly capable at 1440p, and drops to merely playable levels at 4K. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU contributions, settings recommendations, and resolution scaling behavior using only the measured data.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of this CPU and GPU pairing in Minimum?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + RTX 4070 SUPER combo ranks 439th out of 2939 tested combinations in this game. This places it in the 85th percentile of all tested systems, indicating strong overall performance relative to the broader pool.

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.4% below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196) and 0.5% below the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228). It edges out the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% (48698) and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8% (48618). This puts the CPU in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What is the RTX 4070 SUPER's standing among GPUs based on its average benchmark score?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 43223, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB at 43262 (0.1% behind), followed by the RTX 5050 Mobile at 43268 (0.1% behind) and the Quadro M6000 at 43301 (0.2% behind). The RTX 4090 Mobile leads it by 1% with a score of 43667.

Q: What is the best average FPS achieved at 1080p with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 310, achieved with Low settings. Medium settings deliver 237 FPS, High settings deliver 199 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 152 FPS. All settings at 1080p exceed 150 FPS on average.

Q: Does the system maintain 60+ FPS at 4K across all settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS, achieving 108 FPS on average. Medium settings deliver 82 FPS (with a minimum of 70), High settings drop to 69 FPS, and Ultra settings fall below 60 FPS at 53 FPS average. This indicates that Ultra at 4K is not a smooth experience.

Q: What is the memory configuration of the GPU and how does it affect performance?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This capacity is sufficient for Minimum's texture loads, even at 4K Ultra, where the bottleneck is more likely compute-related given the game's 2014 release date.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on Arrow Lake architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 per core. Its single-thread performance is strong, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4394. Multi-threaded capabilities are equally impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a Passmark multithread score of 38706.

In Minimum, a game from 2014, the CPU's single-core performance is likely the primary driver for game logic, physics, and AI calculations. The game's age means it may not fully utilize 14 cores, but the high boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensures that single-threaded workloads are handled efficiently. The Passmark physics score of 2569 suggests adequate performance for in-game physics, which is crucial for a Third-Person Shooter where environmental interactions and character animations occur frequently.

The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a high-performing part, and its nearest rivals—all within 1% of its average benchmark score—show that it trades blows with other top-tier processors. The data compression score of 400942 and integer math score of 91187 suggest strong general-purpose compute, which may help with background tasks while gaming. However, for a 2014 title like Minimum, the CPU is unlikely to be a limiting factor at any resolution tested; the GPU will become the bottleneck as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a die size of 294 mm² and 35,800 million transistors. It features 7168 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, along with 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1980 MHz and boosts to 2475 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The 12 GB GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 504.2 GB/s bandwidth.

The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 29995 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 place it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Quadro M6000 24 GB, is only 0.1% behind in average benchmark score, indicating that the RTX 4070 SUPER is closely matched with a professional-grade GPU from a previous generation. The FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS provides substantial compute headroom, which is overkill for a game released in 2014 but beneficial for maintaining high frame rates at demanding settings.

In Minimum, the GPU is the primary determinant of FPS at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU delivers 310 FPS on Low settings, suggesting the CPU may become a factor at these extreme frame rates. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU drops to 53 FPS average, indicating that the 12 GB VRAM and compute resources are strained by the combination of high resolution and maximum settings. The 220 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest this GPU is a power-hungry but manageable component, and its 1x 16-pin power connector requires a modern PSU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 4070 SUPER achieves a rank of 439 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the top 15% of all systems tested, which is a strong result for a mid-to-high-end pairing. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and GPU's 83rd percentile ranking combine to produce a system that is well-balanced, with neither component drastically outclassing the other.

Compared to other tested combos, this system's rank suggests it outperforms the vast majority of configurations. The 2500 combos ranked below it likely include systems with older CPUs, lower-tier GPUs, or imbalanced pairings. The fact that this combo ranks 439th indicates that while it is not at the absolute top, it delivers consistent, high-level performance that would suit most gamers targeting 1440p or high-refresh 1080p.

The ranking also implies that the system is not bottlenecked by either component in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, where FPS reaches 310, the CPU may be the limiting factor, but this is an extreme case. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the CPU's high single-core performance cannot compensate for the GPU's compute limits. The combo's rank reflects a balance that is ideal for 1440p gaming, where the measured FPS ranges from 98 to 200 depending on settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with even Ultra delivering 152 FPS average. For a 144Hz monitor, High settings (199 FPS) provide a smooth experience with better visual quality than Low or Medium. For a 240Hz monitor, Medium settings (237 FPS) are the best choice, as they offer a 19% FPS increase over High while maintaining decent visual fidelity. Low settings (310 FPS) are only necessary for 360Hz+ displays, which are rare.

At 1440p, High settings (128 FPS) are ideal for 120Hz or 144Hz monitors, offering a 31% FPS increase over Ultra (98 FPS) while maintaining good graphics. Medium settings (153 FPS) are better for 165Hz displays, but the visual difference between Medium and High may be noticeable. Low settings (200 FPS) are overkill for most 1440p monitors and sacrifice too much visual quality. Ultra at 1440p (98 FPS) is playable but not ideal for competitive play, as the FPS drops close to the 60-100 Hz range.

At 4K, the choices are more limited. Low settings (108 FPS) provide the smoothest experience, suitable for 100Hz+ displays. Medium settings (82 FPS) are a good compromise, offering better visuals while staying above 60 FPS. High settings (69 FPS) are playable on 60Hz monitors but may feel less responsive. Ultra settings (53 FPS) are not recommended, as they fall below 60 FPS and may introduce noticeable stutter. The measured minimum FPS of 70 at 4K Medium confirms that this setting maintains playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings achieve an average of 310 FPS, Medium reaches 237 FPS (with a minimum of 202 and maximum of 273), High hits 199 FPS, and Ultra drops to 152 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 158 FPS, representing a 51% performance reduction when maxing out settings. This indicates that the GPU is capable of handling even the most demanding settings at 1080p, with the CPU likely becoming a bottleneck at the highest frame rates.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but scales down proportionally. Low settings deliver 200 FPS, Medium averages 153 FPS (minimum 130, maximum 176), High achieves 128 FPS, and Ultra drops to 98 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 102 FPS, a 51% reduction, mirroring the 1080p scaling. This consistency suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p, as the CPU's performance headroom is sufficient to maintain high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the system's limits become apparent. Low settings average 108 FPS, Medium delivers 82 FPS (minimum 70, maximum 95), High achieves 69 FPS, and Ultra drops to 53 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 55 FPS, a 51% reduction, again following the same pattern. The minimum FPS of 70 at Medium indicates that frame pacing remains stable, but the Ultra setting's 53 FPS average suggests the GPU is overwhelmed at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the system's scaling behavior and identifies the limiting component. At Low settings, FPS decreases from 310 at 1080p to 200 at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 108 at 4K (a 46% drop from 1440p). This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's performance is sufficient to handle the increased resolution without significant frame rate degradation.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Medium, FPS drops from 237 at 1080p to 153 at 1440p (35% drop) and then to 82 at 4K (46% drop). At High, the drops are 199 to 128 (36%) and then to 69 (46%). At Ultra, FPS drops from 152 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p (36%) and then to 53 at 4K (46%). This consistent percentage drop across all settings suggests that the GPU's rendering pipeline is the limiting factor, with the CPU providing ample headroom even at 1080p.

The fact that the drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistently around 35%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is around 46%, indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly strained as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra setting's 53 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that this configuration is not viable for 4K gaming at maximum settings. However, the 4K Low setting's 108 FPS shows that the system can handle 4K with reduced visual fidelity, making it a viable option for players who prioritize frame rate over graphics. Overall, the resolution scaling data points to the GPU as the definitive bottleneck, with the CPU's 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock providing more than enough performance for this 2014 title.