Minimum

The pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a playable but resolution-dependent experience in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The data shows that this combination ranks 1052 out of 1733 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. Across the measured rows, the system's performance scales predictably with resolution, but the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher settings, while the CPU's substantial core count ensures frame delivery remains stable even when the graphics load intensifies.

FAQ

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

A: At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its highest frame rates, ranging from 92.6 FPS on Ultra to 190 FPS on Low. At 2560x1440, performance remains solid with 60.9 FPS on Ultra and 122.5 FPS on Low, while 3840x2160 drops to a less fluid 32.8 FPS on Ultra.

Q: How does the CPU's core configuration influence the game's performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This high core count ensures that the game never becomes CPU-bound in the measured scenarios, allowing the GPU to be the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: Which settings preset should users prioritize for a balance of quality and speed?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset offers 119.8 FPS, which is a strong balance. At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 80.4 FPS. For the smoothest experience, the Low preset at 2560x1440 provides 122.5 FPS, while Ultra at 1080p still delivers a respectable 92.6 FPS.

*Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER's memory capacity adequate for Minimum?*

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. Given the game's age, this capacity is sufficient, as even at 3840x2160 Ultra, the bottleneck appears to be raw compute rather than memory overflow, evidenced by the 32.8 FPS result.

Q: How does this combo's ranking compare to other tested systems?

A: With a rank of 1052 out of 1733 combos, this system sits in the 60th percentile of tested configurations. This suggests that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the bottom, with the CPU's high percentile mitigating the GPU's mid-range standing.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark percentile, and what does it mean for gaming?

A: The CPU sits in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79102. This means the processor is exceptionally strong relative to the rest of the field, but in Minimum, its power is underutilized as the RTX 2070 SUPER, which sits in the 65th percentile of GPUs, becomes the performance limiter.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a formidable processor, built on a 3 nm process with 20 cores and 20 threads. Its architectural design, codenamed Arrow Lake-S, provides a massive amount of parallel processing capability, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 50009 and a single-core score of 7060. In the context of Minimum, a title released in 2014, the game's engine is unlikely to fully utilize all 20 cores, but the processor's high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that any single-threaded tasks are handled with extreme efficiency.

The benchmark data shows that the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in this combo. The PassMark multi-thread score of 58838 and the single-thread score of 4904 indicate a processor that can easily feed frames to the GPU. The measured FPS at 1920x1080 Low, which reaches 190 FPS, suggests that the CPU can push well beyond the GPU's rendering capacity in less demanding scenes. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 192 KB of L1 cache per core provide ample fast storage for game logic and physics calculations, ensuring that the CPU never stalls the rendering pipeline.

In direct comparison to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 265K trails the Intel Core i9-14900K by only 0.9% in average benchmark score, and it is virtually tied with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and Core i9-14900KF at -0.2% delta. This places it in the upper echelon of desktop processors, but its dominance is not reflected in the final frame rates for Minimum because the GPU is the bottleneck. At lower resolutions like 1920x1080, the CPU's headroom is more apparent, but as resolution increases to 3840x2160, the gap between the CPU's capability and the GPU's output widens, reinforcing that this is a GPU-limited scenario.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear gradient of performance across the four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—at three resolutions. For users prioritizing a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience, the Low preset is the standout choice. At 1920x1080, it delivers 190 FPS, which is nearly 60 FPS higher than the High preset's 119.8 FPS. Even at 2560x1440, Low maintains 122.5 FPS, which is more than sufficient for competitive play in a shooter.

However, for those who value visual fidelity without sacrificing playability, the High preset represents the optimal balance. At 2560x1440, High achieves 80.4 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The jump from High to Ultra at this resolution is steep, dropping to 60.9 FPS, but the difference in visual quality may not justify the 24% performance hit. At 1920x1080, the High preset's 119.8 FPS is excellent, and it outperforms the Ultra preset at 2560x1440, making it a versatile choice.

The Medium preset sits between these extremes, offering 91.3 FPS at 2560x1440 and 141.6 FPS at 1920x1080. It is a viable fallback if High proves too demanding on the GPU. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1920x1080, where it still achieves 92.6 FPS, but at 3840x2160, it falls to an unplayable 32.8 FPS. The data suggests that the "sweet spot" for this combo is the High preset at 2560x1440, as it provides nearly the visual quality of Ultra with a much higher frame rate, and the Low preset at 1920x1080 for maximum responsiveness.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of 1733 tested combinations, this pairing of the Core Ultra 7 265K and RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1052nd for Minimum. This position indicates that approximately 60% of tested combos perform better in this specific title. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance, which is in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, rather than the CPU, which is in the 97th percentile.

The CPU's nearest rival comparisons show that it is essentially on par with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and Intel Core i9-14900KF, both with a deltaPct of -0.2%, and only slightly behind the Intel Core i9-14900K at -0.9%. This means that swapping the CPU for an equivalent or slightly faster model would not meaningfully change the combo's ranking in this game, as the RTX 2070 SUPER would still be the limiting factor.

Conversely, the GPU's nearest rivals are a mix of professional and older cards. The NVIDIA RTX A400 is 0.5% faster, while the GeForce GTX TITAN Z is 0.9% slower. The RTX 2070 SUPER is 2.3% slower than the RTX 4060 Mobile and 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5700. These narrow margins suggest that the GPU sits in a crowded performance tier, and the combo's rank of 1052 reflects its position in this mid-range segment. To improve the rank, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the current processor has ample headroom to support a faster graphics card without becoming a bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the definitive performance limiter in this configuration. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, it offers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Minimum's textures and assets. The GPU's clock speeds are 1605 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost, and it has 2560 shading units. Its compute capability is rated at 9.062 TFLOPS FP32, which is modest by modern standards but adequate for a 2014 title.

The benchmark results show that the GPU's performance degrades predictably as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields 92.6 FPS, but this drops to 60.9 FPS at 2560x1440 and 32.8 FPS at 3840x2160. This pattern indicates that the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are being saturated at higher resolutions, particularly on the Ultra preset, which likely enables heavier post-processing effects and higher-resolution shadows.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 18169 and its 65th percentile ranking place it in the mid-range of the database. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4060 Mobile, is 2.3% faster, which is a negligible difference in real-world gameplay. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are largely irrelevant for Minimum, as the game predates widespread ray tracing adoption and likely does not utilize these features. The GPU's 215 W TDP and suggested PSU of 550 W indicate that it is a power-hungry card, but this does not impact the measured frame rates.

The data suggests that for this combo, the GPU is the primary component to upgrade if higher frame rates are desired. The CPU's 97th percentile performance ensures that it will not be a bottleneck even if the GPU were replaced with a significantly faster model. Conversely, the GPU's 65th percentile ranking means that it is holding back the overall system performance in Minimum, particularly at 2560x1440 and above, where the frame rates begin to dip below the 60 FPS threshold on Ultra settings.