Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a robust 1080p and 1440p experience in Minimum, though 4K Ultra demands compromises. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy across the four tested presets, with the combination ranking in the top 17% of all tested pairings for this title. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, scaling behavior, and optimal settings for this specific hardware configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strength becomes apparent at lower settings. At 1080p, the average frame rate ranges from 153.6 FPS on Ultra to 311.7 FPS on Low, indicating that the RTX 4070 SUPER is capable of feeding high refresh rate displays without the processor becoming a bottleneck. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant but expected decline: Low settings drop from 311.7 to 196.8 FPS, a reduction of 36.9%, while Ultra falls from 153.6 to 99.4 FPS, a 35.3% decrease.

The transition from 1440p to 4K produces a steeper curve, confirming the GPU is the limiting factor. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 126.4 FPS at 1440p to 69.5 FPS at 4K, a 45% reduction. The Low preset tells a similar story: 196.8 FPS at 1440p falls to 107.7 FPS at 4K, a 45.3% decline. This consistent pattern across all presets indicates that the Core Ultra 7 265K’s 20-core configuration provides ample headroom, and the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth become the decisive factor as pixel count rises.

Interestingly, the gap between Medium and High at 4K is relatively narrow—81.1 versus 69.5 FPS, a 14.3% difference—while the jump from High to Ultra is more punishing, falling to 54.8 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that disproportionately tax the GPU’s 80 ROPs and 224 TMUs. For players targeting 60 FPS at 4K, the Medium preset offers a comfortable margin, while High is borderline. At 1440p, all presets exceed 99 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for high refresh rate monitors, provided the visual quality is set to High or below.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 2560x1440 provides the best balance, with all presets exceeding 99 FPS. The High preset at 1440p delivers 126.4 FPS, which is smooth for most displays, while 4K requires dropping to Medium or lower to maintain playable frame rates.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 79,102 on average, which is 0.2% behind the Core Ultra 7 265KF and Core i9-14900KF, and 0.9% behind the Core i9-14900K. It also trails the AMD EPYC 7413 by 1.2%, but the 265K ranks in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance.

Q: Is the GPU sufficient for 4K gaming?

A: At 4K, the RTX 4070 SUPER achieves 69.5 FPS on High and 54.8 FPS on Ultra. The Low preset hits 107.7 FPS, but visual quality suffers. For a locked 60 FPS experience, Medium at 81.1 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a 17% buffer over the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. Low settings produce 311.7 FPS, while Ultra yields 153.6 FPS, meaning the Ultra preset is 50.7% slower. This highlights how much headroom exists for competitive play at lower settings.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 287th out of 1,733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 16.6% of all pairings. This is a strong result, though not the absolute top tier, given the GPU’s 84th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any point?

A: The benchmark results indicate no significant CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 311.7 FPS, which is likely near the engine’s limit. The CPU’s 20 threads and high single-core performance (7,060 in Cinebench R23) suggest it can keep pace with the GPU across all tested settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination secures the 287th position out of 1,733 tested configurations in Minimum. This places it in the top 16.6% of all recorded pairings, a respectable standing that reflects the hardware’s balanced capabilities. The CPU itself ranks in the 97th percentile of all processors, while the GPU sits in the 84th percentile of all graphics cards, indicating that the pairing leverages two above-average components without a glaring mismatch.

Comparatively, the GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 42,653 on average, a mere 0.2% higher than the 4070 SUPER’s 42,576. The AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE is also close at 42,723, just 0.3% ahead. This suggests that the 4070 SUPER is well-positioned within its performance class, though it is not a standout leader. The CPU side shows a similar pattern: the 265K’s 79,102 average score is nearly identical to the 265KF’s 79,240, with a negligible 0.2% delta. The Core i9-14900K leads this group by 0.9%, but the difference is unlikely to manifest as a tangible frame rate advantage in Minimum.

Given the game’s release date in 2014, the title is not particularly demanding by modern standards, which explains why the combo can achieve high frame rates at 1440p. The 287th rank reflects that while this setup is capable, it is not in the top echelon for Minimum specifically—likely because the game favors GPUs with higher raw compute, where the 4070 SUPER’s 35.48 TFLOPS is solid but not exceptional. The data confirms a well-rounded pairing that performs above average, with no single component dragging the other down.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080: The lowest resolution shows the greatest variance between presets. Low settings deliver 311.7 FPS, Medium drops to 237.3 FPS, High settles at 200.4 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 153.6 FPS. The percentage drop from Low to Ultra is 50.7%, demonstrating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant load on the GPU. Even at the highest settings, the frame rate remains above 150 FPS, making 1080p ideal for high refresh rate gaming.

2560x1440: At this resolution, the frame rates remain highly playable across all presets. Low peaks at 196.8 FPS, Medium achieves 154.3 FPS, High provides 126.4 FPS, and Ultra stays above 60 FPS at 99.4 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with an average reduction of approximately 36%. The Ultra preset at 1440p is 35.3% slower than its 1080p counterpart, but the 99.4 FPS result is still smooth for most gaming scenarios.

3840x2160: The 4K results highlight the GPU’s limitations. Low settings produce 107.7 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. Medium drops to 81.1 FPS, High falls to 69.5 FPS, and Ultra dips below 60 FPS at 54.8 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is 21.2%, indicating that the final preset tier is particularly demanding. For a stable 60 FPS experience, Medium is the highest recommended setting, as it provides an 11.3% buffer over the 60 FPS threshold.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal preset depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays with a 144 Hz or higher refresh rate, the High preset at 200.4 FPS offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as it stays well above the refresh rate ceiling while providing better image quality than Medium. The Ultra preset at 153.6 FPS is also viable for 144 Hz panels, but the 23.4% performance loss compared to High may not justify the marginal visual improvements in a game from 2014.

At 1440p, the High preset at 126.4 FPS is the standout choice. It exceeds the 120 FPS threshold for most high-refresh monitors and delivers a 27.2% improvement over Ultra’s 99.4 FPS. Players with 60 Hz displays can comfortably enable Ultra, as the 99.4 FPS result provides substantial headroom. For those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Medium at 154.3 FPS is a strong alternative, though the jump from Medium to High is only 18.1% slower, making High the better value in terms of visual quality per frame.

For 4K, the recommendations are more conservative. The Ultra preset at 54.8 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. High at 69.5 FPS is playable but leaves little margin for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 81.1 FPS is the safest choice, offering a 17% buffer above 60 FPS and a 32.4% improvement over High. The Low preset at 107.7 FPS is best reserved for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, as the visual downgrade is noticeable. In summary, Medium at 4K, High at 1440p, and High at 1080p provide the best experience per the measured rows, balancing frame rate and image quality without exceeding the hardware’s capabilities.