Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a robust performance profile in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released on 2014-06-25. The measured data shows a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, while still maintaining playable frame rates at 4K. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on how the CPU and GPU interact across different settings and resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Minimum?*

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 278 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the system is heavily GPU-limited at this configuration, as the CPU is capable of feeding frames well beyond typical display refresh rates.

Q: How does the combo's performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average frame rate is 47 FPS, while at 1920x1080 Ultra it is 136 FPS. This represents a 65.4% drop in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K at the highest settings, showing the significant load placed on the GPU at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 179 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 88 FPS. This 51% reduction in frame rate highlights the substantial impact of graphical fidelity settings on the GPU workload.

Q: Does the combo maintain a consistent frame rate at 4K Medium?

A: Yes, the data shows a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This is the only resolution and setting combo in the measured data that provides a full min/max range, indicating a stable performance window.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo is ranked 650 out of 2939 tested combinations, placing it in the top 22% of all systems tested in Minimum. This suggests it offers above-average performance for this title.

Q: What is the most demanding preset tested?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing the lowest average frame rates at every resolution. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 47, which is below the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the primary driver of frame rate in Minimum, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth provide ample resources for the game's textures and geometry. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz, with a base clock of 1920 MHz, allows it to sustain high throughput across the 5888 shading units.

The data reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is just 47 FPS, indicating the GPU is saturated with the workload. The situation improves as settings are lowered; dropping to 4K Low yields 97 FPS, a 106% increase. This scaling pattern confirms that the RTX 4070's compute resources, including its 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, are the limiting factor when graphical fidelity is maximized.

However, the GPU's performance is not uniform across all settings. The difference between 4K Medium and 4K High is 12 FPS (74 vs 62), while the difference between 4K Low and 4K Medium is 23 FPS (97 vs 74). This non-linear scaling suggests that certain settings within the Medium preset have a disproportionate impact on the GPU load. The pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra workload exceeds the card's comfortable envelope.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shift from a CPU-bound to a GPU-bound system. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 179 at 1920x1080 to 115 at 2560x1440, and finally to 62 at 3840x2160. This represents a 35.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 46.1% drop from 1440p to 4K.

The Low preset shows a similar trend but with a more dramatic drop at 4K. From 278 FPS at 1080p, it falls to 179 FPS at 1440p (a 35.6% drop) and then to 97 FPS at 4K (a 45.8% drop). The consistency of these percentages across presets suggests that resolution scaling is primarily a function of pixel count, with the RTX 4070's fill rate being the key determinant.

The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest scaling curve. The average FPS drops from 136 at 1080p to 88 at 1440p (a 35.3% drop) and then to 47 at 4K (a 46.6% drop). This indicates that at Ultra settings, the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capabilities are increasingly strained as resolution increases. The fact that the 4K Ultra result is below 60 FPS suggests that this configuration is not ideal for 4K gaming at the highest fidelity, while the 1440p and 1080p results remain playable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this combo in Minimum is as follows:

• 1920x1080, Low: Average 278 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded and shows the system's ceiling when GPU load is minimal.
• 1920x1080, Medium: Average 213 FPS, with a minimum of 181 FPS and a maximum of 245 FPS. This range indicates a stable experience with some variance during intense scenes.
• 1920x1080, High: Average 179 FPS. This settings level still provides a high refresh rate experience, well above 144 Hz.
• 1920x1080, Ultra: Average 136 FPS. Even at maximum settings, the system comfortably exceeds 120 FPS, demonstrating strong GPU headroom.

• 2560x1440, Low: Average 179 FPS. This matches the 1080p High result, showing that resolution scaling at low settings is significant.
• 2560x1440, Medium: Average 137 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 158 FPS. This is a solid result for high refresh rate 1440p gaming.
• 2560x1440, High: Average 115 FPS. This remains above the 100 FPS mark, providing a smooth experience.
• 2560x1440, Ultra: Average 88 FPS. This is still above the 60 FPS threshold, making it playable for most users.

• 3840x2160, Low: Average 97 FPS. This is close to the 100 FPS mark and shows the GPU is still capable at 4K with reduced settings.
• 3840x2160, Medium: Average 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS. This is a playable range, but the minimum suggests occasional dips that could be noticeable.
• 3840x2160, High: Average 62 FPS. This is right at the edge of the 60 FPS standard, with some users perceiving it as acceptable.
• 3840x2160, Ultra: Average 47 FPS. This is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, indicating it is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 provides a strong foundation for this GPU. With 20 cores and 20 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a base of 2.40 GHz, ensures high single-thread performance, which is crucial for game logic and frame pacing. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency.

However, in Minimum, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU is capable of delivering 278 FPS, which is far beyond typical display capabilities. This suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. The situation changes at 1080p Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 136, but this is due to the GPU's increased workload rather than CPU limitations.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64640. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P, which scores 0.3% lower, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, which scores 0.3% higher. This indicates the CPU is well-matched to the GPU, providing enough headroom to prevent a CPU bottleneck in most gaming scenarios. The 65 W TDP also suggests efficient power delivery, though this is not directly reflected in the gaming benchmarks.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the ideal settings depend on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it delivers an average of 136 FPS, well above the 120 FPS high-refresh-rate mark. This provides the best visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

For 1440p users, the High preset offers a strong balance, with an average of 115 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the Ultra preset's 88 FPS, while still providing high visual quality. The Medium preset at 1440p also performs well at 137 FPS, but the visual downgrade may not be worth the additional 22 FPS for most users.

For 4K users, the Medium preset is the best choice, with an average of 74 FPS and a minimum of 63 FPS. This ensures a consistent experience above 60 FPS. The High preset at 4K, at 62 FPS, is borderline and may result in perceptible stutters. The Low preset at 4K, at 97 FPS, is playable, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as the 47 FPS average is below the playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination is ranked 650 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the 78th percentile of all systems. This is a strong result, indicating that this combo outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations.

The GPU's percentile rank of 81 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648, is slightly higher than the combo's overall rank. This suggests that the GPU is a key contributor to the combo's performance. The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4, which scores 0.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which scores 0.4% higher. This shows the RTX 4070 is a competitive mid-to-high-end card.

The CPU's percentile rank of 93 versus all CPUs is significantly higher than the combo's overall rank. This indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing, and that the GPU is more responsible for the combo's position. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7343, which scores 0.7% higher, and the AMD EPYC 9124, which scores 0.7% lower. This suggests the Core Ultra 7 265 is a top-tier performer that provides ample headroom for the RTX 4070 in Minimum.