Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers a remarkably smooth experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The benchmark data shows this pairing is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with performance scaling predictably as resolution drops. Across all measured settings, the system never dips below a playable threshold, making it an exceptionally strong choice for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern: Minimum becomes progressively more dependent on the RTX 4080 SUPER as resolution increases, while the Core Ultra 5 245 provides ample headroom at lower resolutions. At 4K (3840x2160), the system delivers 79 FPS on High settings, but this drops to 60 FPS on Ultra—a 24% performance loss that directly correlates with the increased pixel shading workload. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial: 123 FPS versus 60 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck when pushing maximum visual fidelity at this resolution.

Moving to 1440p (2560x1440), the picture shifts noticeably. The High preset achieves 147 FPS, while Ultra reaches 112 FPS—a 23.8% drop, similar to the 4K scaling pattern. However, the absolute numbers are much higher, suggesting the CPU has more influence here. The Low preset at 1440p hits 228 FPS, which is 85% higher than the 4K Low result of 123 FPS. This disproportionate jump indicates that at 1440p, the system is beginning to transition from GPU-bound to CPU-bound territory.

At 1080p (1920x1080), the scaling pattern changes dramatically. The High preset delivers 228 FPS, but Low jumps to 354 FPS—a 55% increase over High. This is the largest relative gain across any resolution, showing that at 1080p, the CPU and memory subsystem are the limiting factors. The Ultra preset at 1080p still produces 173 FPS, which is 29% higher than the 1440p Ultra result of 112 FPS, confirming that the GPU remains capable but the CPU starts to cap performance at lower resolutions.

The data suggests that for this game, the RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant performance driver at 4K and 1440p, while the Core Ultra 5 245’s 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock become the constraint at 1080p. The scaling from 4K to 1080p at High settings—79 to 228 FPS, a 189% improvement—shows the GPU has significant untapped headroom that the CPU cannot fully utilize at lower resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p with High settings offers the best balance, delivering 147 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS minimum for smooth gameplay while still providing substantial visual quality over 1080p. At 4K, the system maintains 79 FPS on High, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209 in the average benchmark, placing it just 0.1% behind the standard RTX 4080 (54,247). It also outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1% (54,828) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.7% (55,698), showing it is highly competitive within its performance class.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 245 sufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming?

A: Yes. The CPU’s 14 cores and 14 threads, combined with a 5.10 GHz boost clock, allow the system to reach 354 FPS at 1080p Low settings. Even at 1080p Ultra, it maintains 173 FPS, indicating the processor is not a bottleneck for most gaming scenarios. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,924 and single-core score of 4,648 confirm strong all-around performance.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows 60 FPS average at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the lowest result across all tested configurations, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for a consistent experience. For higher frame rates at 4K, dropping to High settings yields 79 FPS, a 31.7% improvement.

Q: How does the combo rank among other tested systems for this game?

A: The combination ranks 211th out of 2,939 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the top 7.2% of all systems. This indicates that the pairing is exceptionally well-suited for this title, outperforming the vast majority of configurations in the benchmark database.

Q: Does the game benefit more from CPU or GPU upgrades?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary driver at 4K and 1440p, where FPS scales closely with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more influential, as evidenced by the 55% jump from High to Low settings. For this game, upgrading the GPU would yield the largest gains at high resolutions, while CPU upgrades would matter more for 1080p esports-style play.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience in Minimum. For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the Ultra preset is viable at 1440p, delivering 112 FPS—well above the 60 FPS threshold. However, at 4K, Ultra drops to 60 FPS, which is borderline for competitive play. In this case, the High preset at 4K (79 FPS) is the better choice, offering a 31.7% FPS improvement with minimal visual compromise.

For high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot. It produces 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS and maximum of 201 FPS, providing smooth, consistent performance for fast-paced third-person shooter action. This configuration balances visual quality with the headroom needed to stay above 144 FPS for most displays.

At 1080p, the High preset (228 FPS) is recommended over Ultra (173 FPS) for competitive play, as the 31.8% FPS gain outweighs the marginal visual upgrade. The Low preset at 1080p (354 FPS) is excessive for most displays and offers no practical benefit unless using a 360 Hz monitor. The Medium preset at 1080p (271 FPS) provides a good middle ground, with a minimum of 230 FPS ensuring no noticeable stutter.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently offers the best performance-to-quality ratio across all resolutions. At 4K, it delivers 94 FPS (versus 79 on High and 60 on Ultra), at 1440p it hits 175 FPS (versus 147 on High and 112 on Ultra), and at 1080p it achieves 271 FPS (versus 228 on High and 173 on Ultra). For most users, Medium at 1440p or High at 1080p will provide the optimal experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system demonstrates its peak performance. The Low preset achieves 354 FPS average, representing the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium settings deliver 271 FPS with a minimum of 230 FPS and maximum of 312 FPS, showing excellent frame time consistency. The High preset produces 228 FPS, while Ultra drops to 173 FPS—a 51% reduction from Low, indicating the GPU is handling increased shading and texture work efficiently.

Moving to 1440p, the performance scales downward proportionally. Low settings yield 228 FPS, matching the 1080p High result exactly. Medium settings provide 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS and maximum of 201 FPS, maintaining solid consistency. High reaches 147 FPS, and Ultra delivers 112 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by approximately 35% across all settings, consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 4K, the system remains playable but shows clear GPU limitations. Low settings produce 123 FPS, which is 46% lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium settings achieve 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS and maximum of 108 FPS, providing a playable experience with minor frame dips. High settings deliver 79 FPS, and Ultra drops to 60 FPS—the lowest measured result. The 4K Ultra configuration represents the only setting where the system approaches the 60 FPS minimum threshold, making it less suitable for competitive play.

The frame time data for Medium settings shows consistent behavior across resolutions. At 1080p, the minimum of 230 FPS versus the 271 FPS average indicates a 15% variance, while at 1440p, the 149 FPS minimum versus 175 FPS average shows a 15% variance as well. At 4K, the 80 FPS minimum versus 94 FPS average represents a 15% variance, showing the system maintains stable frame pacing regardless of resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 211th out of 2,939 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the top 7.2% of all systems in the benchmark database. This ranking reflects the pairing’s exceptional suitability for this title, outperforming 92.8% of all other tested configurations.

The GPU’s performance is a key factor in this ranking. The RTX 4080 SUPER sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,209. Its nearest rival, the standard RTX 4080, scores 54,247 (0.1% higher), while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828) and AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698) are 1.1% and 2.7% higher, respectively. This places the GPU in a highly competitive tier, capable of handling demanding titles like Minimum with ease.

The CPU contributes to the ranking as well. The Core Ultra 5 245 sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48,995. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49,196, 0.4% higher), AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49,228, 0.5% higher), Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48,698, 0.6% lower), and Intel Core i5-14600K (48,618, 0.8% lower). This shows the processor is well-matched with the GPU, providing sufficient compute power without creating a bottleneck.

The combination’s 211th rank out of 2,939 indicates that while there are 210 faster systems, the vast majority of configurations perform worse in Minimum. This high ranking is particularly notable given the game’s 2014 release date, as the modern hardware excels at the game’s engine and rendering techniques.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a crucial role in the system’s performance, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The processor features 14 cores and 14 threads, running at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boosting up to 5.10 GHz. This configuration, based on the Arrow Lake architecture and manufactured on TSMC’s 3 nm process, provides substantial single-threaded and multi-threaded performance for gaming workloads.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates its capabilities. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,924 and single-core score of 4,648 indicate strong performance for both multi-threaded and latency-sensitive tasks. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,394 and multithread score of 38,706 further confirm this, with the CPU’s 90th percentile ranking among all processors highlighting its top-tier status.

The CPU’s memory and cache configuration supports gaming performance. It supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, providing ample data throughput for game engines. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core, ensures frequently accessed data is stored close to the compute units, reducing latency.

In Minimum, the CPU’s role becomes evident at 1080p. The 354 FPS result on Low settings versus 228 FPS on High shows a 55% performance gap, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at extreme frame rates but is limited by the game’s rendering thread. The 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures the processor can handle the game’s physics and AI calculations without bottlenecking, even at 1440p where the system achieves 147 FPS on High settings.

The CPU’s 14 cores provide headroom for background tasks and streaming, while its 14 threads (with no hyperthreading) are sufficient for Minimum’s older engine. The processor’s 65W TDP and efficient 3 nm process allow sustained boost clocks without thermal throttling, maintaining consistent performance across long gaming sessions. For this game, the Core Ultra 5 245 is a capable partner to the RTX 4080 SUPER, ensuring the GPU is fully utilized at higher resolutions while providing strong performance at lower ones.