Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination produces a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions in Minimum. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, with frame rates scaling dramatically with settings. The Low preset achieves 188 FPS, while High drops to 121 FPS and Ultra to 92 FPS. This spread of 96 FPS between the lowest and highest settings indicates that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower graphical loads, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as settings increase. At 1440p, the pattern shifts: Low produces 121 FPS, High 78 FPS, and Ultra 59 FPS. The 67 FPS delta between Low and High at 1440p is smaller than at 1080p, showing the GPU is beginning to take on more of the workload. At 4K, the system is firmly GPU-limited. The Low preset yields 65 FPS, Medium 50 FPS, High 42 FPS, and Ultra 32 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 33 FPS, a much narrower margin than at 1080p. This indicates that at 4K, the RTX 2070 SUPER's rendering capacity is the primary constraint, and the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is no longer the bottleneck.

The data reveals a consistent scaling pattern: moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces average FPS from 121 to 78, a 35.5% drop. From 1440p to 4K at High, the average falls from 78 to 42, a 46.2% reduction. This accelerating decline in performance as resolution increases is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 2070 SUPER's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM become increasingly strained at higher pixel counts. The 4K Medium row shows a minimum FPS of 42 and a maximum of 57, with an average of 50, indicating some frame time variance but generally playable performance for a third-person shooter. The 4K Ultra row, at 32 FPS average, sits below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider ideal, suggesting that this combination is not suited for maximum settings at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. The processor's L3 cache is 36 MB shared, and it supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 51,731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7,303 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 84,003 is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX, and 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135, while being 1.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 7F72.

In Minimum, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p with lower settings. The jump from 121 FPS at High to 188 FPS at Low represents a 55.4% increase, which is far larger than the corresponding jump at 4K (from 42 FPS to 65 FPS, a 54.8% increase). This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU can push far more frames than the GPU can render at higher settings. The 24 cores and 24 threads provide substantial parallel processing capability, which benefits the game's physics and AI calculations. The 5.80 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-threaded performance, which is critical for game logic and draw call submission. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,823 and multi-thread score of 60,860 confirm the CPU's strength in both metrics. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 4K, as the FPS is consistent with GPU-bound behavior. At 1080p Low, the 188 FPS average suggests the CPU can handle even higher frame rates if the GPU were faster. The processor's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s may also contribute to faster asset streaming, though the game's age means this is less critical than in modern titles.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with a TU104 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process. It features 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, along with 40 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores. The GPU's base clock is 1,605 MHz with a boost clock of 1,770 MHz, and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 1,750 MHz with a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its FP32 performance is rated at 9.062 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 18,169 in PassMark G3D and 9,062 in FP32, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 20,282 is 1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, 1.2% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B570, and 1.5% lower than the Intel Arc A750.

The GPU's performance in Minimum is clearly the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K, the difference between Low (65 FPS) and Ultra (32 FPS) is a 50.8% reduction, showing that the GPU's rendering pipeline is saturated. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game, given its 2014 release date, but the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth may be a bottleneck when handling 4K textures. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 64 ROPs and 160 TMUs determine its pixel and texture fill rates, which are 113.3 GPixel/s and 283.2 GTexel/s respectively. These specifications explain the performance drop at 4K, where the pixel fill rate is tested more heavily. The GPU's 2,560 shading units handle the game's shader work, and the 9.062 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is adequate for a title of this era. At 1080p Ultra, the 92 FPS average shows the GPU can handle the game well at lower resolutions, but the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is below 60 FPS, indicating that players should avoid max settings at 4K. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support, including ray tracing and variable rate shading, is forward-looking but not heavily utilized by Minimum's 2014 engine.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p provides the best balance. At High settings, the average FPS is 78, which is comfortably above 60 FPS, while 1080p yields 121 FPS and 4K drops to 42 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset achieves 93 FPS, showing that this resolution allows for smooth gameplay with room to adjust settings.

Q: Is 4K playable with this combination?

A: 4K is playable only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 65. The Medium preset at 4K averages 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players. High (42 FPS) and Ultra (32 FPS) are below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel sluggish in fast-paced third-person shooter action.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to its nearest rival, the Core Ultra 9 285K?

A: The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the Core Ultra 9 285K's 83,807. This indicates near-identical synthetic performance, meaning the 290K Plus offers no meaningful advantage in CPU-bound scenarios.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to the Intel Arc B570?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20,282, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B570's 20,556. In Minimum, this difference is unlikely to be noticeable, as both GPUs would be GPU-bound at 4K and CPU-bound at 1080p.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low averages 188 FPS while Ultra averages 92 FPS, a difference of 96 FPS. This large gap indicates that the CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates, and the GPU limits performance as settings increase.

*Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in Minimum?*

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU likely bottlenecks the GPU, as the 188 FPS average is high but the GPU could potentially render more frames. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as FPS scales with settings and resolution in a way that points to GPU saturation.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows that the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best experience for most players. This preset averages 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, providing a smooth and consistent experience for a third-person shooter. The minimum FPS of 79 is well above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring no significant stutter during intense gameplay. At 1080p, the Medium preset is even more capable, averaging 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the visual quality difference between Medium and High at 1080p is 23 FPS (144 vs 121), meaning players with 144Hz displays might prefer High for better visuals while still staying above 120 FPS.

For players prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rate, the High preset at 1440p (78 FPS average) is a solid choice, as it offers better graphics than Medium while remaining above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as even at 1080p it only achieves 92 FPS, and at 4K it drops to 32 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p (121 FPS) and 4K (65 FPS) are viable for competitive play or when frame rate is paramount, but the visual downgrade may be noticeable. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot, balancing visual quality and performance, while 1080p Medium or High are excellent for high-refresh-rate displays. At 4K, only Low is recommended for smooth gameplay, as Medium's 50 FPS average and 42 FPS minimum may cause noticeable dips during action sequences.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the measured FPS values are as follows: Low averages 65 FPS, Medium averages 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS, High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 33 FPS, with Low being 103% faster than Ultra. This resolution is heavily GPU-bound, as the RTX 2070 SUPER's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 9.062 TFLOPS compute capacity are strained by the 8.3 million pixel count.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the measured FPS values are: Low averages 121 FPS, Medium averages 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 59 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 62 FPS, with Low being 105% faster. This resolution represents a balance between CPU and GPU load, with the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus still able to drive high frame rates at lower settings.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the measured FPS values are: Low averages 188 FPS, Medium averages 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, High averages 121 FPS, and Ultra averages 92 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 96 FPS, with Low being 104% faster. This resolution is CPU-bound at lower settings, as the 24-core processor can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them. The Medium preset's minimum of 122 FPS indicates consistent frame delivery, while the Ultra preset's 92 FPS average shows the GPU is becoming the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination ranks 1,659 out of 2,939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 43.5th percentile of all combinations, meaning roughly 43.5% of tested systems perform worse. The rank is modest, which is expected given the RTX 2070 SUPER's age and 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The CPU is in the 96th percentile, but the GPU's mid-range standing drags the overall combo down. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor, as its benchmark scores (51,731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) far exceed the GPU's capabilities.

The combo's rank of 1,659 suggests that in Minimum, most systems with a stronger GPU would outperform this configuration, even if their CPUs are weaker. For example, a combo with a mid-range CPU and a high-end GPU would likely rank higher. The RTX 2070 SUPER's PassMark G3D score of 18,169 is 10.4% lower than the Arc A750's 20,282, indicating that newer mid-range GPUs can outperform it. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking (84,003 average score) means it is unlikely to bottleneck any game, but the GPU's 65th percentile ranking (20,282 average score) caps overall performance. In Minimum, the 4K results (32-65 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (59 FPS) demonstrate that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p with medium to high settings. The rank of 1,659 out of 2,939 is a reflection of the GPU's age, not the CPU's capability. Players with this combo should focus on GPU upgrades to improve performance, as the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus provides ample headroom for future graphics cards.