Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti delivers a robust performance profile in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four settings presets show a system that scales predictably, with the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions while the CPU maintains a strong foundation for high refresh rates at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 217.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 142 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 77.7 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 64.3% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is a steep decline typical of a game that stresses the render pipeline as pixel count increases. The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly pronounced, with a 45.3% drop, indicating that the RTX 5070 Ti’s 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 896.0 GB/s bandwidth are being heavily taxed at the highest resolution.

At Low settings, the scaling curve is similar but steeper in absolute terms. The system produces 342.9 FPS at 1080p, 219.7 FPS at 1440p, and 116.6 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is 66% lower than the 1080p figure, showing that even with reduced graphical load, the pixel output at 3840x2160 remains a major obstacle. The difference between Low and High at 4K is 38.9 FPS, which is smaller than the 125.3 FPS difference seen at 1080p, reinforcing that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K regardless of settings.

The data indicates that the transition from 1080p to 1440p is manageable for this combo, with frame rates remaining above 100 FPS across all presets. However, moving to 4K pushes the system into a range where only Low and Medium settings exceed 80 FPS, while Ultra dips to 59.7 FPS. This pattern suggests that for 4K gaming, users must accept a significant settings compromise to maintain smooth gameplay, whereas 1440p offers the best balance of fidelity and performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 8,960 shading units, shows its strength in this title’s measured results. The GPU’s boost clock of 2452 MHz and 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provide the raw throughput needed for high frame rates. The memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s is a key factor in the 4K results, as the game’s texture-heavy environments at High and Ultra settings demand rapid data access. The 77.7 FPS average at 4K High is respectable, though it falls short of the 142 FPS achieved at 1440p, highlighting how memory bandwidth becomes a constraint as resolution climbs.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 52,086. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, scores 52,085, a delta of 0%, indicating that the 5070 Ti is statistically tied with that previous-generation card in synthetic tests. The PassMark G3D score of 32,974 and DirectX 12 score of 127 show solid DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support, which aligns with Minimum’s era but benefits from modern API efficiency. The pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 686.6 GTexel/s are sufficient to drive the measured FPS, particularly at 1080p where the GPU is less stressed.

At 1080p, the GPU is not the primary limiter, as evidenced by the 342.9 FPS at Low settings. This high output suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately, but the GPU still has headroom. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, as the 2014 release does not feature the massive texture sets of modern titles, so the limiting factor at 4K is more about compute and fill rate than memory capacity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, with 20 cores and 20 threads, provides a strong foundation for this game. Its boost clock of 5.50 GHz and base clock of 3.90 GHz ensure that single-threaded performance, which is often critical in older titles like Minimum, is excellent. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7,060 and multi-core score of 50,009 confirm this, with the CPU sitting in the 97th percentile of all CPUs. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,904 further supports that the CPU can handle the game’s logic and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, which scores 79,240 with a delta of -0.2%, meaning the 265K is 0.2% ahead in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 79,245, also 0.2% behind the 265K, while the i9-14900K is 0.9% behind. These small deltas indicate that the 265K is competitive with high-end previous-generation parts, though the differences are negligible in real-world gaming. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 per core help with data locality, which is beneficial for the game’s streaming assets.

At 1080p Low, the system achieves 342.9 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s limit for this game, as the GPU has ample headroom. The fact that frame rates at 1080p Ultra (168 FPS) are lower than at 1080p Low indicates that the GPU is still doing more work at higher settings, but the CPU is not the primary constraint. The 20 threads, with no hyper-threading, may seem limiting, but for a 2014 title that likely uses only a few cores, the high clock speeds are more important. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is adequate for feeding the GPU, though it is not a bottleneck in the measured results.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The highest average frame rate is 342.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to the RTX 4080 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 52,086, while the RTX 4080 scores 52,085, resulting in a delta of 0% — they are statistically identical.

Q: What is the performance gap between the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the Core i9-14900K?

A: The 265K has an average benchmark score of 79,102, while the i9-14900K scores 79,824, meaning the 265K is 0.9% behind the i9-14900K.

Q: At which resolution does the system drop below 60 FPS on any preset?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 59.7 FPS, which is the only measured configuration below 60 FPS.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 219.7 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 104.6 FPS, a difference of 115.1 FPS.

Q: Does the data show that the CPU or GPU is the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is not the primary limiter, as frame rates range from 168 FPS at Ultra to 342.9 FPS at Low, indicating the CPU is capable of high output, but the GPU still handles the graphical load.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest performance range. Low settings yield an average of 342.9 FPS, Medium produces 259.8 FPS, High reaches 217.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 168 FPS. The spread of 174.9 FPS between Low and Ultra shows that graphical settings have a significant impact at this resolution, but even the lowest result is well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. Low settings average 219.7 FPS, Medium hits 165.8 FPS, High achieves 142 FPS, and Ultra falls to 104.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 115.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU is starting to feel the pressure of higher pixel counts, but the results are still smooth for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops markedly. Low settings produce 116.6 FPS, Medium reaches 87.5 FPS, High averages 77.7 FPS, and Ultra dips to 59.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 56.9 FPS, showing that at 4K, the settings presets have a more compressed range of outcomes, and the GPU’s compute and memory resources are the decisive factors. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it marginal for a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience on this hardware, the data points to 2560x1440 with High settings as the sweet spot. The 142 FPS average at this configuration is well above the 60 FPS baseline, offering smooth gameplay with high fidelity, and it is only 24.4% lower than the 4K High result, which is a reasonable trade-off for the resolution bump. Alternatively, 1080p with Ultra settings at 168 FPS provides a high-refresh-rate experience without compromising visual quality, making it ideal for competitive play.

At 4K, users should avoid Ultra settings, as the 59.7 FPS average is below the desired 60 FPS target. High settings at 4K, with 77.7 FPS, offer a playable experience, but Medium at 87.5 FPS provides a more comfortable margin. For those prioritizing frame rate over resolution, 1080p Low at 342.9 FPS is the maximum performance option, though it sacrifices visual detail significantly. The 1440p Medium preset at 165.8 FPS is another strong option, balancing quality and speed with a result that is 16.8% higher than High at the same resolution.

Given the game’s 2014 release date, the visual differences between Medium and High may be minimal, so choosing Medium at 1440p or 4K is a pragmatic choice for maintaining high frame rates. The RTX 5070 Ti’s 16 GB VRAM is not a constraint at any settings, so the recommendation hinges on the GPU’s compute limits at higher resolutions. Overall, the measured data shows that this combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires settings compromise to stay above 60 FPS.