Minimum

The data for Minimum with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti shows a combination capable of high frame rates across all tested resolutions, but with distinct performance characteristics that vary sharply with settings. The measured results provide a clear picture of how this hardware handles the title, where its strengths lie, and which settings deliver the most balanced experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance ratio for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 96 FPS, which is 34 FPS higher than the Medium preset's 74 FPS average. The High preset achieves 62 FPS, while Ultra drops to 47 FPS, making Low the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 115 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 87 FPS. This represents a 28 FPS difference, or roughly a 24% reduction in average frame rate when moving from High to Ultra.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1920x1080. The Low preset reaches 277 FPS, but the High preset drops to 178 FPS, and Ultra falls to 136 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the graphics card is the determining factor, as the CPU's performance headroom is not the constraint.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1920x1080, the average is 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 and a maximum of 244. At 2560x1440, the average is 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 and a maximum of 157.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 705th out of 2939 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the top 24% of all tested systems, indicating a strong but not top-tier position within the database.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for this CPU compared to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K's score of 83807. It also edges out the AMD EPYC 4584PX by 1.1% and the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2%.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this specific hardware combination in Minimum reveals a clear hierarchy across presets. The most balanced experience is found at the Medium preset, as it is the only setting tier that provides complete frame rate data, including minimum and maximum values, across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium produces an average of 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS, which remains well above standard display refresh rates. At 3840x2160, Medium drops to a 74 FPS average with a 63 FPS minimum, which is still playable but approaches the lower bound of smooth motion.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset is the clear choice. It delivers the highest averages at every resolution: 277 FPS at 1080p, 179 FPS at 1440p, and 96 FPS at 4K. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p is 65 FPS, while at 1440p it is 42 FPS, and at 4K it is 22 FPS. This suggests that the Low preset removes significant graphical load, allowing the GPU to operate at much higher throughput.

The High preset offers a middle ground between visual quality and performance. At 1080p, it averages 178 FPS, which is 34 FPS lower than Medium but still very high. At 1440p, High averages 115 FPS, which is 22 FPS lower than Medium. At 4K, High averages 62 FPS, which is 12 FPS lower than Medium. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with averages of 136 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for competitive play.

The data indicates that the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate stability, particularly because it is the only preset with documented minimum FPS values. The minimum FPS at 1080p (180) and 1440p (116) are both high enough to prevent noticeable stuttering. For users who want the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset is recommended, as it consistently delivers the best performance at all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti achieves a rank of 705 out of 2939 tested combinations for Minimum. This places the configuration in the 76th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly three-quarters of tested combos perform worse in this specific title. The rank reflects the combined capability of both components, but the measured FPS data suggests that the GPU is the more significant contributor to the final score.

Looking at the individual component benchmarks, the CPU ranks in the 96th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores 83807, a difference of only 0.2%. The AMD EPYC 4584PX and EPYC 9135 are 1.1% and 1.2% behind, respectively. The AMD EPYC 7F72 is 1.3% ahead. This tight grouping shows that the 290K Plus is among the fastest CPUs available, but its advantage over the 285K is marginal.

The GPU, in contrast, ranks in the 83rd percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 41187. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, scores 40870, a 0.8% difference. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB is 1.2% ahead, and the Tesla M40 is 1.7% ahead. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is 2% behind. This puts the RTX 3080 Ti in a strong position, but it is not as dominant as the CPU.

The overall rank of 705 suggests that while this combo is powerful, it is not the absolute top configuration for Minimum. The gap between the CPU's 96th percentile ranking and the GPU's 83rd percentile ranking indicates that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this pairing. The measured FPS data supports this, as the frame rates scale significantly with graphical settings, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest tested resolution, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 277 FPS, which is the fastest recorded result. The Medium preset averages 212 FPS, with a minimum of 180 and a maximum of 244. The High preset averages 178 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 136 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the largest single drop occurring between Low and Medium at 65 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. The Low preset averages 179 FPS, which is 98 FPS lower than at 1080p. The Medium preset averages 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 and a maximum of 157. The High preset averages 115 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 87 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 92 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the highest tested resolution, the frame rates drop significantly. The Low preset averages 96 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 85. The High preset averages 62 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 47 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 49 FPS.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, making it the most reliable indicator of frame time consistency. At 1080p, the minimum of 180 FPS ensures that the frame rate never drops below a very high threshold. At 1440p, the minimum of 116 FPS is still comfortably above 100 FPS. At 4K, the minimum of 63 FPS is just above the 60 FPS mark, indicating that the GPU is nearing its limits at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the central component in determining Minimum's performance, as evidenced by the strong scaling of frame rates with graphical settings. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. This high bandwidth is critical for feeding the 10240 shading units, which operate at a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with an FP32 performance of 34.10 TFLOPS. This raw processing power directly translates to the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. The 112 ROPs and 320 TMUs handle pixel and texture processing, respectively, and the 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI workloads, though these features are not the primary focus in this title.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at all tested resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 141 FPS, while at 1440p it is 92 FPS, and at 4K it is 49 FPS. This pattern indicates that as the resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, reducing the overall frame rate but also compressing the gap between settings. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's requirements, as there is no indication of memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 83rd places it below many newer or more specialized cards, but its performance in Minimum is still strong. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, are within 2% in average benchmark score, yet the RTX 3080 Ti delivers the frame rates seen in the measurements. The 350 W TDP and 750 W suggested PSU indicate a power-hungry design, but the performance justifies the power draw for this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus provides the computational foundation for this combo, with 24 cores and 24 threads operating at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This CPU is built on a 3 nm process with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die, and it features a large cache hierarchy: 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s.

In the benchmark results, the CPU excels in multi-threaded workloads, scoring 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 21727 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Single-thread performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303. The PassMark multi-thread score of 60860 and single-thread score of 4823 further confirm its capability. These scores place the CPU in the 96th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 84003.

However, the measured FPS in Minimum does not show the CPU being a limiting factor. The scaling of frame rates with graphical settings at 1080p suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1080p Low, the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to reach 277 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 136 FPS, indicating that the GPU's workload is the bottleneck. The CPU's 24 threads ensure that even the most demanding game logic does not starve the GPU of data.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is minimal, with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K only 0.2% behind in average score. This means that swapping to a slightly slower CPU would have negligible impact on Minimum's frame rates. The CPU's role is to provide a stable platform that does not introduce bottlenecks, and the data shows it fulfills this role without issue.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 reveals a consistent pattern of frame rate reduction across all settings, but the magnitude of the drop varies. At the Low preset, the average FPS goes from 277 at 1080p to 179 at 1440p, a reduction of 98 FPS (35.4%). Moving to 4K, the average drops to 96 FPS, a further reduction of 83 FPS (46.4%). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low is 181 FPS (65.3%).

At the Medium preset, the average FPS goes from 212 at 1080p to 137 at 1440p, a reduction of 75 FPS (35.4%). At 4K, the average drops to 74 FPS, a further reduction of 63 FPS (46.0%). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium is 138 FPS (65.1%). The minimum FPS also scales, from 180 at 1080p to 116 at 1440p to 63 at 4K.

At the High preset, the average FPS goes from 178 at 1080p to 115 at 1440p, a reduction of 63 FPS (35.4%). At 4K, the average drops to 62 FPS, a further reduction of 53 FPS (46.1%). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at High is 116 FPS (65.2%).

At the Ultra preset, the average FPS goes from 136 at 1080p to 87 at 1440p, a reduction of 49 FPS (36.0%). At 4K, the average drops to 47 FPS, a further reduction of 40 FPS (46.0%). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 89 FPS (65.4%).

The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is nearly identical across all settings, at approximately 35%. Similarly, the drop from 1440p to 4K is consistently around 46%. This uniform scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload increases proportionally with the number of pixels. The GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the limiting factors as resolution rises, and the CPU's role diminishes further.

The data indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti is the limiting component at all resolutions, as the frame rate drops are directly tied to the pixel count. The 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS confirms that the GPU cannot sustain high detail levels at this resolution, while the 1080p Low result of 277 FPS shows the GPU's full capability when not constrained by resolution. The consistent percentage drops suggest that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution, making it easier to estimate frame rates at untested settings.