Minimum

# Minimum with Intel Core Ultra X9 388H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile

The benchmark data for Minimum with the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile reveals a combo that scales predictably across resolutions, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher settings. This pairing ranks in the 55th percentile of tested combos, and the measured frames per second show that 1080p and 1440p gaming are smooth, while 4K demands careful settings choices.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound title. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 130 FPS at 1920x1080 to 84 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 35%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 45 FPS, which is roughly 46% lower than the 1440p result and about 65% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance headroom is less relevant when pixel throughput demands increase.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern shifts. The average FPS at 1080p is 202, at 1440p it is 130, and at 4K it is 70. The percentage drops between resolutions are smaller in absolute terms but still significant, with 4K delivering only about 35% of the 1080p frame rate. This suggests that even at low graphical fidelity, the 4K resolution overwhelms the GPU, while the CPU manages to keep up at lower resolutions. The gap between Low and High settings at 1080p is 72 FPS (202 vs. 130), but at 4K that gap narrows to 25 FPS (70 vs. 45), reinforcing that the GPU is the dominant constraint as resolution climbs.

The Medium preset provides the only complete dataset with minimum and maximum FPS values, offering insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, Medium averages 154 FPS with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS. At 1440p, the average is 100 FPS with a range of 85 to 115 FPS. At 4K, the average drops to 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. The spread between minimum and maximum FPS widens slightly at higher resolutions, from 47 FPS at 1080p to 30 FPS at 1440p and 16 FPS at 4K, indicating that frame pacing becomes less erratic as the GPU struggles more, but the overall experience remains playable.

The data indicates that 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots for this combo, where the CPU's strong single-thread performance can push frame rates well above display refresh rates. At 4K, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become evident, as the average FPS at Ultra settings (34 FPS) falls below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The resolution scaling analysis shows that users targeting 4K should expect to compromise on settings, while those at 1080p can enjoy high refresh rate gameplay across all presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD106 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 4608 shading units, 144 tensor cores, and 36 RT cores, with a base clock of 1395 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its FP32 performance is rated at 15.62 TFLOPS, and the texture fill rate is 244.1 GTexel/s. These specifications place the GPU in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 27435 across various tests.

In Minimum, the GPU's role is clearly dominant at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 34 is the lowest measured across all configurations, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated. The reduction from High to Ultra at 4K is 11 FPS (45 to 34), while the reduction from Medium to High is also 9 FPS (54 to 45). These incremental drops suggest that each settings tier adds pixel and shading work that the GPU cannot absorb without frame rate penalties. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s appears sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the 8 GB VRAM capacity and 128-bit bus may limit texture streaming and memory allocation, contributing to the lower frame rates.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 Mobile's average benchmark score of 27435 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (27425, delta 0%) and slightly below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (27565, delta -0.5%). This indicates that in synthetic benchmarks, the mobile GPU performs on par with desktop-class components from previous generations. In Minimum specifically, the measured FPS at 1080p High (130 FPS) and 1440p High (84 FPS) demonstrate that the GPU can handle the game's demands well, but the 4K results show its limitations. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility suggest it is well-equipped for modern titles, though Minimum's 2014 release date means it relies on older rendering paths.

The GPU's boost clock of 1695 MHz is modest compared to desktop variants, and its 115 W TDP reflects a mobile power envelope. The pixel rate of 81.36 GPixel/s and texture rate of 244.1 GTexel/s are sufficient for the game's visual complexity, but at 4K with Ultra settings, the combination of high pixel count and effects overwhelms the GPU. The data shows that the RTX 4070 Mobile is the primary determinant of frame rates above 1080p, and users should treat the GPU as the bottleneck when optimizing for higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset at 1920x1080 offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, delivering 130 FPS on average. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides headroom for competitive play. The Medium preset at 1080p achieves 154 FPS, which is higher but comes with reduced visual quality; the Ultra preset drops to 99 FPS, which is still playable but not optimal for high refresh rate displays. For users with 1080p monitors, the High preset is recommended as it maintains high frame rates while preserving graphical details.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 84 FPS, which is suitable for most gaming scenarios, though those seeking higher frame rates may prefer Medium at 100 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 64 FPS, which dips below the 70 FPS mark but remains within a playable range. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 130 FPS, but the visual compromise is substantial. The data suggests that High at 1440p is the recommended setting for a balance of quality and smoothness, as the 84 FPS average is close to the 85 FPS minimum observed in the Medium preset, indicating consistent frame delivery.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, averaging 70 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but still playable with adaptive sync. The High preset at 4K drops to 45 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS, both of which are likely to introduce noticeable stutter on standard 60 Hz displays. Given the data, 4K users should prioritize Low or Medium settings, with Medium being the maximum recommended preset for a playable experience. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 46 at 4K indicates occasional dips that could be distracting, so Low is safer for consistent performance.

The High preset at 1080p and the Low preset at 4K represent the two extremes of the measured data, with 130 FPS and 70 FPS respectively. For most users, the High preset at 1440p offers the best overall experience, as it balances visual quality with a frame rate (84 FPS) that exceeds common refresh rates. Users with 4K displays should accept lower settings, as the GPU cannot sustain high frame rates at that resolution without significant compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile ranks 2029 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the 55th percentile. This rank indicates that while the combo performs adequately, it is not among the top-tier configurations for this game. The CPU's average benchmark score of 44466 places it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (44573, delta -0.2%), Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342, delta 0.3%), AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44309, delta 0.4%), and Intel Core i5-13600 (44240, delta 0.5%). This shows the CPU is competitive with high-end desktop and mobile processors, though it holds a slight edge over some.

The GPU's rank in the 73rd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 27435, is modest compared to the CPU's standing. The nearest rivals for the GPU include the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (27425, delta 0%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (27565, delta -0.5%), NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (27135, delta 1.1%), and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (27839, delta -1.5%). The GPU's performance is essentially tied with these components, indicating that the RTX 4070 Mobile is a mid-to-high range mobile solution that does not stand out in synthetic benchmarks.

The combo's rank of 2029 suggests that in Minimum, the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions drag down the overall performance relative to other combos. The measured FPS data supports this, as the 4K results are below 60 FPS for most settings, while 1080p results are strong. The rank reflects the average performance across all tested settings, and the combo's weakness at 4K likely contributes to its mid-pack placement. Users comparing this combo to others should note that while the CPU is excellent, the GPU is the limiting factor, particularly for high-resolution gaming. The deltaPct values for the CPU's rivals show differences of less than 1%, indicating that the Ultra X9 388H is statistically indistinguishable from its nearest competitors in synthetic tests, which further emphasizes that the GPU determines the gaming experience in Minimum.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 3, based on the Panther Lake architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a TDP of 25 W. The CPU features 18 MB of shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core. Its memory support includes LPDDR5X with dual-channel capability and a bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s. The processor's integrated graphics are Arc B390, and it supports PCIe Gen 5 with 4 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 18911 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2200.5 in single-core, with a Passmark multi-thread score of 36811 and a single-thread score of 4280. These scores place the CPU in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44466. The nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and Intel Core i9-13950HX, have average scores within 0.5% of the Ultra X9 388H, indicating that the CPU's performance is competitive with top-tier alternatives.

In Minimum, the CPU's role is less prominent than the GPU's, as the game is not particularly CPU-intensive. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (202 FPS) and 1440p Low (130 FPS) suggest that the CPU can feed the GPU with frames well above typical display refresh rates. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz provides strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for games that rely on a few cores for physics and game logic. The 16 cores and 16 threads ensure that background tasks and streaming do not interfere with gameplay, though the game's 2014 release means it likely utilizes fewer than 8 threads effectively.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s is sufficient for the game's data demands, and the L3 cache of 18 MB helps reduce latency. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is not the bottleneck, as frame rates scale downward when settings increase, indicating GPU-bound behavior. At 4K, the CPU's performance is even less relevant, as the GPU struggles to maintain 60 FPS. The CPU's percentile rank of 88% and its proximity to rivals like the Intel Core i9-13950HX (delta 0.3%) suggest that users upgrading from older Intel H-series processors will see significant improvements in multi-threaded workloads, but in Minimum, the GPU remains the primary determinant of frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 delivers the highest frame rates, with the High preset averaging 130 FPS and the Low preset reaching 202 FPS. 2560x1440 is also viable, with 84 FPS on High, while 3840x2160 struggles to maintain 60 FPS except on Low (70 FPS).

Q: How does the RTX 4070 Mobile compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 27435, which is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (27425, delta 0%) and slightly lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (27565, delta -0.5%). It outperforms the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (27135, delta 1.1%) by about 1.1%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K in Minimum?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 34 FPS, while the Low preset reaches 70 FPS. The CPU's strong single-thread score of 2200.5 in Cinebench R23 indicates it can handle the game's logic, but the GPU cannot render the higher pixel count at high settings.

Q: What settings preset provides the most consistent frame pacing at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 has a minimum FPS of 85 and a maximum of 115, with an average of 100 FPS. This narrow range suggests consistent frame delivery compared to other presets, though the High preset at 84 FPS is also stable.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H rank against other CPUs?

A: The CPU ranks in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44466. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, scores 44573, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the Ultra X9 388H is statistically tied with it in synthetic tests.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Minimum?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 70. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which is below 60, and High (45 FPS) and Ultra (34 FPS) fall further behind. Users targeting 4K should use Low settings for a consistent 60 FPS experience.