Minimum

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination for Minimum?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 439th out of 2,939 tested combinations for this game, placing it in the top 15% of all tested systems.

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

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 93,785 is essentially tied with the Intel Xeon 6520P (93,786, 0% delta). It trails the AMD EPYC 4564P by 1.5%, the AMD EPYC 9175F by 1.9%, and the AMD EPYC 4565P by 2.1% in average scores.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER sits at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 43,223 places it just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB and 1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile.

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

A: The highest average FPS is 310, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only measured configuration that exceeds 300 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU have enough memory for high-resolution gaming?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth. The measured results show playable frame rates at 4K across all settings, from 53 FPS at Ultra to 108 FPS at Low.

Q: What is the CPU's single-threaded performance relative to its multi-threaded performance?

A: The CPU scores 5,068 in Passmark single-thread tests and 68,574 in Passmark multithread tests. In Cinebench R23, it scores 2,439 single-core and 44,253 multi-core, showing strong scaling across its 24 cores.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using the AD104 chip fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It carries 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, with a transistor density of 121.8 million per square millimeter. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1980 MHz and boosts to 2475 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is paired with a 192-bit bus, yielding 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration proves adequate for Minimum's demands, as even at 4K Ultra the combo maintains an average of 53 FPS, suggesting the frame buffer is not a limiting factor at any tested setting.

The GPU's compute resources include 7,168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. It also integrates 56 ray tracing cores and 224 tensor cores, though the measured FPS data for Minimum does not indicate whether ray tracing or DLSS features were active. The pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s provide the raw throughput needed for the higher-resolution results. In floating-point performance, the card delivers 35.48 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio). The board consumes 220 W TDP and requires a 550 W suggested PSU, with a single 16-pin power connector. The dual-slot cooler measures 267 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 42 mm in width.

Benchmark results place this GPU at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43,223. Its nearest rivals are all within 1%: the Quadro M6000 24 GB at 43,262 (-0.1%), the RTX 5050 Mobile at 43,268 (-0.1%), the Quadro M6000 at 43,301 (-0.2%), and the RTX 4090 Mobile at 43,667 (-1%). In DirectX 12 tests specifically, the card scores 110 in Passmark, while it achieves 29995 in Passmark G3D and 17,108 in GPU compute. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 4,627, and Geekbench results show 172,795 in OpenCL and 205,624 in Vulkan.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER achieves rank 439 out of 2,939 tested combinations for Minimum. This places the system firmly in the upper tier of tested hardware, within the top 15% of all configurations. The ranking reflects the balanced nature of this pairing, where neither component dramatically bottlenecks the other across the resolution and settings matrix.

The CPU's 96th percentile standing among all processors indicates that the 270K Plus is near the top of the performance hierarchy. Its average benchmark score of 93,785 is within 2.1% of its nearest rivals, all of which are enterprise-class EPYC or Xeon parts. This suggests that for gaming workloads, the 270K Plus is unlikely to be the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions where GPU load increases. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking is slightly lower but still strong, indicating that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a high-tier consumer card that pairs well with the top-tier CPU.

The rank of 439 out of 2,939 combos means that roughly 2,500 tested configurations produced lower frame rates in Minimum. This puts the combo in the top echelon, though not at the absolute pinnacle. The data indicates that this system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and smooth 4K experiences, as evidenced by the measured FPS figures across all settings. The gap between this combo's rank and the top performers is consistent with the GPU's 83rd percentile position, suggesting that even with a faster CPU, the overall ranking would be constrained by the graphics card's capabilities in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 310 FPS, Medium settings average 237 FPS with a minimum of 202 and maximum of 273, High settings average 199 FPS, and Ultra settings average 152 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 51% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the GPU is handling increasing graphical loads efficiently without hitting a hard CPU ceiling.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain highly playable. Low settings average 200 FPS, Medium settings average 153 FPS with a minimum of 130 and maximum of 176, High settings average 128 FPS, and Ultra settings average 98 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is roughly 35-40%, which is consistent with the increased pixel count putting additional load on the GPU while the CPU still has headroom.

At 3840x2160, the combo shows its 4K capabilities. Low settings average 108 FPS, Medium settings average 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 and maximum of 95, High settings average 69 FPS, and Ultra settings average 53 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 53 FPS is the lowest measured average but remains playable for a third-person shooter. The Medium settings at 4K provide a comfortable 82 FPS average with a 70 FPS minimum, which is a strong result for 4K gaming.

The data shows that the combo never drops below 53 FPS average at any resolution or setting tested. The minimum recorded frame rate across all configurations is 70 FPS, occurring at 4K Medium settings. This indicates consistent frame delivery without severe dips, likely due to the CPU's strong single-thread performance (5,068 in Passmark single-thread) preventing frame-time spikes that could cause stuttering in CPU-bound scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and boosts up to 5.50 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The chip is fabricated on TSMC's 3 nm process and contains 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. Cache configuration includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 115.2 GB/s bandwidth, plus ECC support. This is a desktop processor on the Intel Socket 1851 platform with PCIe Gen 5 (20 lanes from CPU) and integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units.

In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 2,439 single-core and 44,253 multi-core. The R20 results are 3,453 single-core and 24,461 multi-core, while R15 shows 354 single-core and 6,656 multi-core. Passmark results include 5,068 single-thread and 68,574 multithread scores, along with specialized tests: 804,322 in data compression, 59,097 in data encryption, 63,506 in extended instructions, 615 in prime number finding, 229,491 in floating-point math, 175,986 in integer math, 4,064 in physics, and 96,945 in random string sorting. The average benchmark score is 93,785, placing the CPU at the 96th percentile of all CPUs.

For Minimum, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 310 FPS, which is likely approaching the CPU's frame generation limit given the high frame rate. The single-thread score of 5,068 suggests strong per-core performance that can drive high FPS in games that are not heavily multithreaded. The 24 cores provide substantial headroom for background tasks and modern game engines that utilize multiple threads, though Minimum's age (released in 2014) may not fully exploit all available cores. The 36 MB of L3 cache helps maintain consistent performance by reducing memory latency for frequently accessed data, which is beneficial for maintaining high minimum frame rates as seen in the 4K Medium result of 70 FPS minimum.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, Medium settings at 2560x1440 provide an excellent experience. The combo averages 153 FPS with a 130 FPS minimum and 176 FPS maximum. This configuration leverages the GPU's capabilities without pushing the CPU to its limits, and the 130 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The jump from Medium to High at 1440p reduces the average to 128 FPS, a 16% drop, which may not justify the visual improvements for competitive play.

For 4K gaming, Medium settings at 3840x2160 are the recommended choice. The combo averages 82 FPS with a 70 FPS minimum and 95 FPS maximum. This is the only 4K configuration that maintains an average above 80 FPS, providing a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate 4K displays. The 4K High setting drops to 69 FPS average, which is still playable but may show more noticeable frame pacing issues. At 4K Ultra, the 53 FPS average is the lowest measured and may be acceptable for single-player experiences but not ideal for fast-paced multiplayer.

For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low settings deliver 310 FPS average, which is beneficial for competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors. The 1080p Medium setting at 237 FPS (with 202 minimum) is a strong alternative if visual fidelity is preferred over pure frame rate. At 1080p Ultra, the 152 FPS average remains high enough for most displays, though the visual difference between Ultra and High (199 FPS) may not justify the 24% performance cost. Overall, the data suggests that Medium settings offer the best performance-per-visual-quality tradeoff across all resolutions, with the 1440p Medium configuration being the standout recommendation for most users.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the balance between CPU and GPU limitations. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 310 at 1080p to 200 at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 108 at 4K (a 46% reduction from 1440p). The steep 4K drop at Low settings indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases, since Low settings impose minimal CPU overhead and the GPU must render progressively more pixels.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is more gradual in percentage terms: 152 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p (36% drop), and 53 FPS at 4K (46% drop from 1440p). The consistent ~35-46% reductions per resolution step across all settings suggest that the GPU is the limiting factor in most configurations. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller percentage drops at higher resolutions, as the GPU would have more time to render each frame while the CPU maintains its frame generation rate.

The Medium settings data, which includes minimum and maximum frame rates, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the spread between minimum (202) and maximum (273) is 71 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 46 FPS (130 to 176). At 4K Medium, the spread narrows to 25 FPS (70 to 95). This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU's consistent frame delivery becomes the dominant factor, reducing the variability that CPU-side bottlenecks can introduce at lower resolutions. The 4K Medium result of 82 FPS average with a 70 FPS minimum demonstrates that this combo can maintain a stable 4K experience, though the 25 FPS spread shows that demanding scenes still cause measurable frame rate fluctuation. The data confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the performance ceiling for this pairing, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus provides ample headroom to avoid becoming a limiting factor at any tested resolution or setting.