Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a broad range of performance in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. Measured data across three resolutions and four quality presets shows this combo is overwhelmingly capable, with only the most demanding 4K Ultra setting dipping below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The following analysis breaks down the exact frame rates, component roles, and comparative positioning of this hardware configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces exceptionally high frame rates across all presets. On Low settings, the average FPS reaches 267, while Medium delivers 204 FPS with a minimum of 174 and a maximum of 235. High settings average 171 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a strong 131 FPS average. These figures indicate the CPU-GPU pair is far from stressed at this resolution, with even the heaviest preset leaving substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains robust but scales predictably with resolution. Low settings yield an average of 172 FPS, Medium drops to 132 FPS with a minimum of 112 and maximum of 151, and High produces 110 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p still average 84 FPS, comfortably clearing the playable mark. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is roughly 35-40% across presets, reflecting the increased pixel count demanding more GPU throughput.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes noticeably. Low settings average 93 FPS, Medium averages 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 82, and High averages exactly 60 FPS. Ultra, however, falls to an average of 45 FPS, which is 25% below the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K Ultra result represents the only sub-60 FPS configuration in the entire dataset, making it the single clear limitation of this hardware combination.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently shows the tightest min-max spread, suggesting stable frame pacing. For example, at 1080p Medium spans 174-235 FPS, while at 1440p Medium spans 112-151 FPS. This consistency indicates the hardware handles intermediate settings with particular efficiency.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1051st out of 3712 tested configurations in Minimum, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all combos. This means roughly 28% of tested setups perform better, while the majority of systems are slower. Given that the game is from 2014, the rank reflects both the age of the title and the modern hardware's ability to brute-force its engine.

The CPU, an Intel Core Ultra 5 225, sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs in synthetic benchmarks. Its average benchmark score of 36938 places it essentially level with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta), slightly below the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2% delta), and marginally behind the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.4% delta) and Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, -0.5% delta). These deltas are negligible, meaning the Ultra 5 225 trades blows with those four rivals within a half-percent margin.

The GPU, an RTX 3080, ranks at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, -0.3% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23250, -0.3% delta), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, -0.4% delta), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (23276, -0.4% delta). All four rivals score within 0.4% of the RTX 3080, indicating that in synthetic workloads, these GPUs are effectively interchangeable.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile (85th) and the GPU's lower percentile (68th) suggests the RTX 3080 is the limiting factor in this pairing, though in Minimum specifically, the GPU still delivers 60+ FPS at 4K High and 84 FPS at 1440p Ultra.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the balance of CPU and GPU responsibility shifts with resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more prominent role because the GPU can render frames quickly enough that the processor must keep up with game logic and draw calls. The jump from 267 FPS at Low to 204 FPS at Medium (a 24% drop) and then to 171 FPS at High (another 16% drop) shows that increasing settings at 1080p primarily taxes the GPU, but the CPU maintains high throughput throughout.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to dominate. The difference between Low (172 FPS) and Medium (132 FPS) is 23%, and between Medium and High (110 FPS) is another 17%. These percentages closely mirror the 1080p scaling, suggesting the CPU is not yet a bottleneck at 1440p. The Ultra preset at 1440p (84 FPS) is 50% lower than High, a larger drop than seen at 1080p, indicating the GPU is approaching its limits with the most demanding settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the primary constraint. Low settings at 4K (93 FPS) are 46% slower than Low at 1440p (172 FPS), and Medium (71 FPS) is 46% slower than its 1440p counterpart (132 FPS). High at 4K (60 FPS) is 45% slower than High at 1440p (110 FPS). These consistent 45% drops across presets confirm that resolution scaling is GPU-bound, while the CPU's role diminishes as frame rates decrease.

The Ultra preset at 4K (45 FPS) represents a 46% drop from 1440p Ultra (84 FPS), maintaining the same scaling pattern. This consistency indicates the RTX 3080's memory bandwidth and compute throughput are the limiting factors at 4K, rather than any CPU constraint.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at all tested resolutions and presets except one. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High achieving an average of exactly 60 FPS. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which hits the 60 FPS threshold precisely. Ultra at 4K falls short at 45 FPS and is not playable.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 84 FPS, which is 40% above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 131 FPS, more than double the playable minimum. The verdict is clear: for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo offers substantial headroom; for 4K, players must stick to High settings or lower to maintain 60 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is the closest match, with a delta of 0% in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (-0.4%), and Intel Core i9-12900T (-0.5%) are also within a negligible margin. Any of these processors would deliver virtually identical frame rates in Minimum, as the game's CPU demands are modest and all four rivals score within 0.5% of the Ultra 5 225.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA P106-100 (-0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (-0.3%), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (-0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (-0.4%) are the nearest rivals. All four GPUs score within 0.4% of the RTX 3080 in synthetic benchmarks, meaning in Minimum, they would produce nearly the same frame rates at each resolution and preset. However, the RTX 3080's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth might provide an edge in texture-heavy scenes that these rivals lack, though the measured data does not isolate that variable.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 131 FPS. This is the best choice for visual quality while maintaining more than double the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best playable preset, averaging 84 FPS. This provides a 40% margin above 60 FPS, allowing for smooth gameplay even during intense action sequences.

At 3840x2160, High is the best playable preset, averaging exactly 60 FPS. Medium (71 FPS) and Low (93 FPS) are also playable, but High offers the highest visual fidelity without dropping below the threshold. Ultra at 45 FPS is not recommended for 60 FPS play.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings in Minimum?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 45, which is 15 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best 4K preset is High at exactly 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to play at Ultra settings?

A: Both 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 support Ultra settings. At 1080p, Ultra averages 131 FPS, while at 1440p, Ultra averages 84 FPS. Both comfortably exceed 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 averages 23172 in benchmark scores. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249 (-0.3%), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250 (-0.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273 (-0.4%), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276 (-0.4%). All are within 0.4% of the RTX 3080.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for 1080p performance in this game?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is still the primary factor, as frame rates drop by 24% from Low to Medium and another 16% from Medium to High, showing that increased settings tax the GPU. The CPU maintains enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking at these high frame rates.

Q: What frame rate does Medium settings produce at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 132, with a minimum of 112 and a maximum of 151. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the combo rank higher for CPU or GPU performance?

A: The CPU ranks at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks at the 68th percentile among all GPUs. This indicates the CPU is relatively stronger in synthetic benchmarks than the GPU, though both are above average.