Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a wide spread of frame rates in Minimum, depending on the resolution and preset. The data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p the combo is overwhelmingly fast, while at 4K it requires a significant reduction in settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The measured results provide a detailed picture of the hardware's behavior across twelve distinct configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo shows its limits. The High preset produces an average of 48 FPS, which falls short of the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS, indicating that even in this middle-ground setting, frame pacing can dip below the target. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 37 FPS, and the Low preset is the only option that clears the threshold comfortably, averaging 75 FPS. The gap between Low and High at 4K is 27 FPS, a substantial 36% difference, showing that the GPU is the primary constraint at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves markedly. The Low preset hits 139 FPS, Medium averages 106 FPS (90 min, 122 max), High reaches 89 FPS, and Ultra stays above the threshold at 68 FPS. This resolution offers a balanced experience where even the highest preset is playable, though with a narrower margin than lower settings. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 71 FPS, which is a 51% performance drop from the lowest to the highest preset — a significant but manageable range.

At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally strong. The Low preset averages 215 FPS, Medium averages 165 FPS (140 min, 190 max), High reaches 138 FPS, and Ultra still delivers 105 FPS. Every preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin. The spread from Low to Ultra is 110 FPS, meaning that even the most demanding settings retain more than 60% of the performance of the lightest preset. The minimum FPS figures for Medium at this resolution (140 FPS) are higher than the average FPS for High at 1440p (89 FPS), illustrating the dramatic impact resolution has on this title.

Looking at the scaling between resolutions, the data shows a consistent pattern. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 138 at 1080p to 89 at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 48 at 4K (a 65% reduction from 1080p). At Low settings, the progression is 215 to 139 to 75, a 35% and 65% drop respectively. The Ultra preset follows the same trajectory: 105 at 1080p, 68 at 1440p, and 37 at 4K. This consistent scaling across presets indicates that resolution is the dominant factor in determining frame rate, more so than the graphics quality settings themselves.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks at 1651 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 44th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 44% of tested systems perform worse and 56% perform better. Given the game's age (released in 2014), this ranking is expected — many newer or higher-end components will outpace it, but the combo still delivers playable results across most settings.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU. The RTX 5060 sits at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, which is solidly above average. The CPU, meanwhile, ranks at the 85th percentile among all CPUs. Despite both components being individually above-average, the combo's in-game rank is lower than either component's standalone percentile, which suggests that Minimum is less sensitive to raw hardware power than to other factors, or that the game does not scale perfectly with the modern architecture of these parts. The rank also reflects the game's age; modern hardware often cannot fully utilize its potential in older titles.

In terms of the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has a benchmark average score of 36938. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36945, a delta of 0%, meaning they are effectively identical. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018, which is 0.2% lower, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093, 0.4% lower. Finally, the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112, 0.5% lower. All of these CPUs are within a half-percent of each other, so swapping to any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum.

For the GPU, the RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401 (0.3% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553 (0.8% lower). The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% higher. These deltas are all under 1.2%, so any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical performance in this game.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The 4K Low preset averages 75 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, and High and Ultra average 48 and 37 FPS, respectively, all of which fall short of the playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the highest quality setting that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, while the RX 6750 XT scores 26011, making the RX 6750 XT 1.2% lower. In practical terms, they would perform nearly identically in Minimum.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The data shows that resolution changes have a larger impact on frame rate than preset changes. At 1080p, all presets exceed 100 FPS, while at 4K, only Low exceeds 60 FPS. This indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU is sufficient at all settings.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p on High settings?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080 averages 138 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience.

Q: Does the combo ever drop below 60 FPS in the measured configurations?

A: Yes. At 4K, the Medium preset has a minimum of 49 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets average 48 and 37 FPS. At 1440p and 1080p, all measured configurations stay above 60 FPS, with the lowest average being 68 FPS at 1440p Ultra.

The Verdict

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 can run Minimum, but the experience depends heavily on the resolution. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 75 FPS. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, which is close but under the threshold, and High and Ultra are not playable. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 68 FPS, High at 89 FPS, Medium at 106 FPS, and Low at 139 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset is well above the threshold, with the most demanding Ultra preset averaging 105 FPS and the least demanding Low averaging 215 FPS. The verdict is clear: this combo is excellent for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Minimum, but 4K requires settling for Low settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data in Minimum reveals a distinct division of labor between the CPU and GPU. The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, has a passmark single-thread score of 4412 and a multithread score of 30459, placing it at the 85th percentile among all CPUs. This is more than sufficient for a 2014 title. The GPU, RTX 5060, sits at the 72nd percentile with a passmark G3D score of 20891. The game's frame rates scale more dramatically with resolution than with preset changes, which is a strong indicator that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the frame rates are extremely high (215 FPS at Low, 105 FPS at Ultra). The GPU has enough headroom to render these frames, but the CPU's single-thread performance caps the maximum output. At 1440p, the balance shifts toward the GPU, as the average FPS drops by roughly 35-40% compared to 1080p across all presets. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck, with the High preset falling to 48 FPS and the Ultra preset dropping to 37 FPS. The scaling between presets at 4K is also smaller in absolute terms (38 FPS difference between Low and Ultra) compared to 1080p (110 FPS difference), confirming that the GPU is saturated.

The CPU's role is consistent across resolutions; it does not become a limiting factor at any point. The GPU's role grows as resolution increases. For players targeting 1080p, the CPU matters more for achieving the highest frame rates. For 1440p or 4K, the GPU is the component that determines playability.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 75 FPS. Medium falls just under the threshold at 57 FPS, so Low is the recommended setting for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra, averaging 68 FPS. This provides the full visual experience while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra, averaging 105 FPS. This is the best choice for 1080p gaming, delivering the highest quality settings with a frame rate nearly double the playability threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has several near-identical alternatives. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has a delta of 0%, making it a perfect match in performance. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (0.2% lower), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (0.4% lower), and Intel Core i9-12900T (0.5% lower) are all within a fraction of a percent. Any of these CPUs would produce the same frame rates in Minimum as the Core Ultra 5 225.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has similarly close rivals. The AMD Radeon 860M (0.3% lower), NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (0.3% lower), and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (0.8% lower) are all essentially equivalent. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is 1.2% higher. In practice, swapping the RTX 5060 for any of these would yield nearly identical results in Minimum, with the RX 6750 XT offering a very slight edge. The combination of any of these CPUs with any of these GPUs would replicate the measured performance of the Core Ultra 5 225 and RTX 5060 within a margin of error that is imperceptible in gameplay.