Minimum

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits in a tightly contested performance band. Its average benchmark score of 36938 places it within 0.5% of three direct rivals. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F posts an average score of 36945, a delta of 0% from the Core Ultra 5 225, making it the closest match in the database. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D trails by a negligible 0.2% with a score of 37018, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 and Intel Core i9-12900T sit 0.4% and 0.5% behind respectively. In practical terms, swapping between these four processors would produce nearly indistinguishable frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios. The Core Ultra 5 225 outranks 85% of all CPUs in the database, but its immediate neighbors are all within a rounding error of each other.

The GPU situation is markedly different. The Intel Arc B390, with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% below the Arc B390. The GeForce 800M is 1.5% behind at 1460, the GeForce GT 625 OEM trails by 2.5% at 1446, and the GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% behind at 1443. These deltas are small enough that the Arc B390 and its rivals would trade blows depending on driver optimizations and specific game engines. The data indicates that users coming from any of these four GPUs would experience similar baseline performance, though the Arc B390 does hold a consistent, if narrow, edge in the recorded 3DMark test.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited in this game. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 95 FPS average. Dropping to 2560x1440 Low yields 61 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 33 FPS, another 46% drop. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck: the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the Arc B390's rendering throughput caps performance as pixel count rises.

The preset scaling at each resolution reinforces this conclusion. At 1920x1080, moving from Low to Medium reduces average FPS from 95 to 72, a 24% penalty. High settings drop to 61 FPS, and Ultra falls to 46 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same progression yields 61, 47, 39, and 30 FPS for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra respectively. The consistent ratio between presets across resolutions indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor throughout. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect the gap between Low and Ultra to narrow at higher resolutions, but the data shows the opposite: the absolute FPS differences shrink as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU that runs out of shading, texture, and rasterization throughput.

The Core Ultra 5 225's specifications support this interpretation. With 10 cores and 10 threads, a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891, the processor is far more capable than what this GPU pairing requires. The single-core score of 3655 in Cinebench R23 further confirms that per-thread performance is strong enough to feed the Arc B390 at all tested settings. The database indicates that the GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are the binding constraints in this configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3299 out of 3712 tested combos in the database for this game. That places it in the bottom 11% of all recorded systems. The rank reflects the GPU's low standing: the Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 85th percentile. The pairing is heavily imbalanced, with the processor capable of far more than the graphics solution can deliver.

This rank means that the vast majority of other tested combinations, including many with significantly weaker CPUs, would outperform this setup in Minimum. The bottleneck is unambiguous. A system with a mid-range CPU and a GPU that ranks even in the 30th percentile would likely land substantially higher in the combo ranking. The data suggests that users prioritizing this game should treat the Arc B390 as the primary limiting factor, not the Core Ultra 5 225.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this PC can run Minimum at 60 FPS or above at two of the three tested resolutions, but only with specific settings. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at Low (95 FPS), Medium (72 FPS), and High (61 FPS) settings. Ultra settings fall short at 46 FPS average. At 2560x1440, only Low settings achieve playability, with an average of 61 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all drop below 60 FPS at 47, 39, and 30 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is clear: no settings configuration reaches 60 FPS. The best result is 33 FPS at Low settings, with Medium at 25 FPS, High at 21 FPS, and Ultra at 16 FPS. For 4K gaming, this combination is not viable for Minimum at the playable threshold.

The best playable configuration overall is 1920x1080 at High settings, which delivers 61 FPS average. This is the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS at that resolution, according to the verdict data. At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Low, also at 61 FPS. Users targeting 60 FPS must accept either 1080p with High settings or 1440p with Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce 95 FPS average. Medium settings yield 72 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 62 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS. High settings drop to 61 FPS average. Ultra settings fall to 46 FPS average. The minimum and maximum values for Low, High, and Ultra were not recorded in the database, but the Medium preset's spread of 62 to 83 FPS shows a 21 FPS range.

At 2560x1440, performance drops substantially. Low settings achieve 61 FPS average. Medium settings produce 47 FPS average, with a minimum of 40 FPS and maximum of 54 FPS. High settings yield 39 FPS average. Ultra settings fall to 30 FPS average. The Medium preset's range of 40 to 54 FPS indicates that even the average falls short of the 60 FPS threshold, and the minimum dips well below.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across all presets. Low settings produce 33 FPS average. Medium settings yield 25 FPS average, with a minimum of 21 FPS and maximum of 29 FPS. High settings drop to 21 FPS average. Ultra settings fall to 16 FPS average. None of these configurations approach the 60 FPS playability threshold, and the Medium preset's data shows that frame pacing is consistent but far too slow for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 60 FPS on a 1080p monitor?

A: Yes, at Low, Medium, or High settings. The measured averages are 95 FPS, 72 FPS, and 61 FPS respectively. Ultra settings fail to reach 60 FPS with an average of 46 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: Low settings are the only configuration that clears 60 FPS, with an average of 61 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the threshold at 47, 39, and 30 FPS respectively.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combination?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 33 at Low settings. Medium averages 25 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 16 FPS. None reach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% lower), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Core Ultra 5 225 ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. FPS scaling between resolutions and presets follows GPU-limited behavior throughout the measurements.

Q: What is the combo's overall standing in the database?

A: This pairing ranks 3299 out of 3712 tested combinations for Minimum, placing it in the bottom 11% of all recorded systems.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is High, with a measured average of 61 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for 1080p gaming, as it provides the best visual quality while staying just above the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the only preset that clears 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 61 FPS. Medium settings drop to 47 FPS, so there is no middle ground: users must choose between 1440p at Low settings or 1080p at High settings for a 60 FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, no settings configuration reaches 60 FPS. The best available result is 33 FPS at Low settings, which is not playable by the 60 FPS standard. The database records no playable settings for this resolution, meaning 4K is not a viable option for this system in Minimum.