Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER delivers a highly capable experience in Minimum, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the CPU as the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. The data shows a system that can easily push past 300 FPS in lighter settings, yet the GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and graphical load rise. This combination ranks in the 89th percentile of all tested combos for this game, placing it firmly in the upper echelon of systems.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, but the pattern reveals a classic shift in system limitations. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 327.3 FPS on average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops that figure to 214.1 FPS, a reduction of 113.2 FPS. The scaling continues to 4K (3840x2160), where Low settings yield 112.7 FPS. This represents a 65.6% performance loss from 1080p Low to 4K Low, indicating that the GPU is being increasingly taxed as pixel count rises.

The Ultra preset shows a similar trend but with a more compressed range. At 1080p Ultra, the system hits 164.1 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, that falls to 103.6 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 54.4 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is 109.7 FPS, which is proportionally larger than the Low preset gap, confirming that the highest settings place a heavier burden on the graphics card. The data suggests that at 1080p, even Ultra settings leave headroom for the CPU to push frames, while at 4K, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER becomes the limiting factor.

The transition from Medium to High at 4K shows a modest drop from 87.9 FPS to 72.9 FPS, a 15 FPS difference. This is a smaller absolute change than the jump from Low to Medium at the same resolution, which costs 24.8 FPS. The pattern indicates diminishing returns on GPU load as settings increase, but the consistent drop across all resolutions points to a well-balanced system where neither component is severely underutilized at any given setting.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 672.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Minimum’s demands at all tested resolutions. The GPU’s boost clock of 2610 MHz and base clock of 2340 MHz are the key drivers behind its pixel rate of 250.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 689.0 GTexel/s. These figures translate directly into the frame rates observed, with the card’s 8448 shading units handling the game’s rendering workload efficiently.

The data shows the GPU’s influence grows with resolution. At 1080p Low, the system produces 327.3 FPS, but this is likely constrained by the CPU. At 4K Low, the 112.7 FPS result is a clear indication that the GPU is now the primary limiting component. The card’s FP32 performance of 44.10 TFLOPS supports this interpretation, as the extra pixel workload at 4K requires more raw compute throughput. The 96 ROPs are sufficient to maintain the observed fill rates, even at Ultra settings where 4K still delivers 54.4 FPS.

The GPU’s performance relative to its peers is solid, with a percentile rank of 86 among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 48704 places it in the same tier as the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, which scores 49071 (a 0.7% delta), and ahead of the RTX A2000 by 1.6%. The RTX A1000 Mobile trails by 2.0%, while the Intel Arc A550M is 2.1% ahead. These margins are small, indicating that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER sits in a competitive segment, but its 16 GB VRAM capacity is a clear advantage for high-resolution gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 per core provide ample data for the game’s logic. The CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 58838 and single-thread score of 4904 show a strong balance, which is reflected in the frame rates at lower resolutions. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 327.3 FPS Low result being nearly identical to what a faster GPU might achieve.

The CPU’s 97th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its high-end status. Its average benchmark score of 79102 is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, which scores 79240 (a 0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i9-14900KF at 79245 (also 0.2% behind). The i9-14900K is 0.9% ahead, while the AMD EPYC 7413 leads by 1.2%. These margins are negligible in gaming, meaning the 265K is not holding back the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in any meaningful way.

The CPU’s role becomes less critical as resolution increases. At 4K, the frame rates drop across all settings, but the relative differences between CPU-heavy and GPU-heavy tasks narrow. The processor’s 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth and DDR5 support ensure that data feeds the GPU without stalling, but the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (54.4) is clearly GPU-bound. This suggests that upgrading the CPU alone would yield minimal gains at 4K, while the 1080p results would benefit more from a faster processor.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance, with High settings delivering 136.6 FPS and Ultra achieving 103.6 FPS. This resolution keeps frame rates above 100 FPS at the highest settings while still leveraging the GPU’s capabilities.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 79102 on average, which is 0.2% behind the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and Intel Core i9-14900KF, and 0.9% behind the Intel Core i9-14900K. It trails the AMD EPYC 7413 by 1.2%, but these differences are minor in gaming workloads.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the combo produces 72.9 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 87.9 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 54.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: What settings provide the highest frame rates at 1080p?

A: Low settings at 1920x1080 yield 327.3 FPS, which is the highest measured result. Medium produces 253.5 FPS, High achieves 212.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 164.1 FPS.

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

A: The combo ranks 181st out of 1733 tested combinations, placing it in the top 10% of all systems. This is a strong result for a game released in 2014.

Q: Does the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM matter for this game?

A: The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is more than sufficient for Minimum, as even at 4K Ultra, the game does not appear to be VRAM-limited based on the measured frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination ranks 181st out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 89th percentile of all systems, which is a strong showing for a game that is over a decade old. The rank is a reflection of the system’s ability to sustain high frame rates across all resolutions, with the weakest result being 54.4 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still playable.

The ranking is influenced by the CPU’s 97th percentile performance and the GPU’s 86th percentile performance. The combination of these two high-tier components ensures that no single bottleneck severely hampers the experience. Compared to other combos in the database, this system is likely near the top for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the CPU’s strong single-thread performance of 4904 and the GPU’s high fill rates shine. The 4K results are competitive but not class-leading, as the Ultra preset’s 54.4 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many users target.

The rank also benefits from the system’s consistency. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 163.2 FPS, which is large, but the system never drops below 50 FPS at any tested setting. This makes it a versatile choice for users who prioritize high refresh rates at lower resolutions or visual fidelity at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For users with a 1080p monitor, the High preset is the optimal choice, delivering 212.2 FPS. This is more than enough for any 144Hz or 240Hz display, and it provides better visual quality than Medium (253.5 FPS) without a significant performance penalty. Ultra at 164.1 FPS is also viable for those who want maximum fidelity, but High offers the best balance of frame rate and visuals.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is recommended, as it produces 160.4 FPS, which is ideal for 165Hz monitors. High settings drop to 136.6 FPS, which is still excellent, but Medium provides a smoother experience for competitive play. Ultra at 103.6 FPS is playable but may not be suitable for fast-paced action where high frame rates are critical.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, achieving 87.9 FPS. High settings at 72.9 FPS are also acceptable, but the 15 FPS difference between Medium and High is noticeable. Low settings at 112.7 FPS are an option for users who prioritize performance over visuals, but the graphical downgrade is significant. Ultra at 54.4 FPS is best avoided unless the user has a 60Hz display and values visual quality above all else.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 327.3 FPS, Medium reaches 253.5 FPS, High achieves 212.2 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 164.1 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent drop of approximately 60-70 FPS per tier, except for the Medium to High step, which only costs 41.3 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results scale down proportionally. Low yields 214.1 FPS, Medium hits 160.4 FPS, High reaches 136.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 103.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 110.5 FPS, which is slightly less than the 163.2 FPS gap at 1080p, reflecting the increased GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are substantially lower. Low produces 112.7 FPS, Medium achieves 87.9 FPS, High delivers 72.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 54.4 FPS. The Low to Ultra drop of 58.3 FPS is the smallest absolute difference across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The data shows that the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K performance being adequate for 60Hz displays at Medium settings or lower.