Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers an exceptionally strong performance profile for Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter that remains surprisingly demanding at high settings. The data shows this combination sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs and the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, placing it firmly in high-end territory. Benchmark results indicate the system clears the 60 FPS threshold with substantial headroom at every resolution and preset tested, with even the most demanding Ultra setting at 4K producing an average of 73 FPS. This analysis examines how this pairing behaves relative to similarly performing hardware and what the frame rate measurements reveal about component roles.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's average benchmark score of 36,938 places it in a tight cluster of processors with nearly identical performance. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F matches at 36,945 with a deltaPct of 0, meaning these two chips are effectively interchangeable in this context. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D sits marginally behind at 37,018 with a -0.2 deltaPct, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093, -0.4) and Intel Core i9-12900T (37,112, -0.5) round out the nearest rivals. The spread between the first and fourth rival is only 0.5 percent, indicating that any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios. For Minimum, the choice among these CPUs would not meaningfully alter the gaming experience.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090 D's average benchmark score of 77,712 places it in the 92nd percentile, yet its nearest rivals are surprisingly modest mobile and datacenter parts. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904 with a deltaPct of 1.1, meaning it slightly outperforms the RTX 5090 D in aggregate benchmarks despite being a laptop-class GPU. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT trails at 78,940 with a -1.6 deltaPct, followed by the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, -2.1) and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605, -2.4). This unusual grouping suggests the benchmark suite weights certain workloads that favor these specific architectures, but for Minimum specifically, the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth provide capabilities that these rivals cannot match in gaming scenarios.

The practical implication is that users upgrading from a Ryzen 5 5600F or an RX 6650M XT would see minimal change in synthetic benchmarks but significant differences in this game's measured frame rates, given the RTX 5090 D's architectural advantages in DirectX 12 and Vulkan workloads.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals how the balance of CPU and GPU responsibility shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces 430 FPS average, which drops to 276 FPS at High and 210 FPS at Ultra. This 220 FPS swing between Low and Ultra at 1080p indicates that graphics settings have a massive impact on the GPU's workload, while the CPU maintains enough headroom to feed frames at these extremely high rates. The CPU's strong single-thread performance — evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4,412 — allows it to keep up with the GPU's output even at these elevated frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues with Low averaging 277 FPS, High at 178 FPS, and Ultra at 136 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 35.6 percent reduction in Low-settings performance, a 35.5 percent reduction at High, and a 35.2 percent reduction at Ultra. This consistent ~35 percent drop across all settings suggests that resolution scaling is primarily GPU-bound, with the CPU contributing a fixed overhead that does not vary with resolution. At 3840x2160, the Low setting produces 149 FPS, High drops to 96 FPS, and Ultra manages 73 FPS. The 4K Low to 4K Ultra gap of 76 FPS is smaller in absolute terms than at lower resolutions but represents a 51 percent reduction, indicating the GPU is becoming the dominant bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The data shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is the limiting factor even at Low settings, since the CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads can process game logic and draw calls faster than the RTX 5090 D can render frames. At 4K, the GPU's workload becomes so heavy that even the massive 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 compute capacity is stretched, though the system still maintains high frame rates. For this game, users should expect the GPU to be the primary performance determinant at all resolutions tested, with the CPU providing ample headroom that prevents any bottlenecking.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 73, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. The minimum FPS was not recorded for this configuration, but the average provides comfortable headroom above the threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra?

A: The frame rate drops from 210 FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra to 73 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra, representing a 65.2 percent reduction. This is expected given the 4x increase in pixel count, though the RTX 5090 D still maintains playable performance.

Q: Which resolution provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate?

A: The 2560x1440 resolution with High settings delivers 178 FPS average, while Ultra at the same resolution produces 136 FPS. Both are well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the 1440p Ultra setting offers the highest visual fidelity that remains comfortably within high-refresh-rate territory.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 2560x1440. The consistent ~35 percent FPS reduction from 1080p to 1440p across all settings indicates the workload scales with pixel count, which is GPU-bound. The CPU's performance remains sufficient even at the highest frame rates measured.

Q: What is the highest frame rate this system can achieve?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 430 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The highest maximum FPS recorded is 379 at 1080p Medium, though the average for that configuration is 329 FPS.

Q: How does this combination rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and RTX 5090 D combination ranks 5th out of 3,712 tested configurations, placing it in the top 0.13 percent of all systems evaluated for Minimum.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Minimum at playable frame rates across all tested configurations. The verdict by resolution confirms that every resolution and preset combination clears the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 73 FPS, which is just 13 FPS above the playable threshold but still comfortable for most gaming scenarios. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings produce 136 FPS average, providing ample headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 210 FPS average, which approaches the refresh rate limits of most gaming displays.

The data indicates that this system is overqualified for Minimum at 1080p and 1440p, where even the most demanding settings leave significant performance on the table. At 4K, the system remains playable at Ultra but with less margin for error — the 73 FPS average could dip below 60 FPS in particularly demanding scenes, though no minimum FPS data was recorded for this configuration. For users with 4K displays, the High setting at 96 FPS average offers a safer margin while still providing excellent visual quality. The RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory ensures that texture-heavy scenes at 4K will not exceed VRAM capacity, while the CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache provides sufficient data locality for game logic.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 5th out of 3,712 tested configurations for Minimum, which places it in the top 0.13 percent of all systems evaluated. This top-five ranking is particularly notable given that the CPU sits at the 85th percentile and the GPU at the 92nd percentile individually — the pairing produces a result that exceeds either component's standalone standing. The measured FPS data confirms this ranking is justified: the system achieves 430 FPS at 1080p Low, which is more than 7 times the playable threshold, and maintains at least 73 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The ranking suggests that Minimum responds well to the combination of high single-thread CPU performance and massive GPU compute throughput. The Core Ultra 5 225's 4.90 GHz boost clock and the RTX 5090 D's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 capability work together to eliminate bottlenecks that might affect lower-ranked configurations. Compared to the nearest rival CPUs and GPUs, this combination's measured performance in Minimum is likely higher than synthetic benchmarks suggest, since the game's 2014-era engine may not fully utilize the multi-threaded capabilities that newer titles exploit.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 210 FPS. This provides 150 FPS of headroom above the playable threshold, making it the recommended choice for 1080p displays. The Medium preset at 329 FPS and High at 276 FPS are also viable but offer diminishing returns beyond Ultra.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings remain the best choice, averaging 136 FPS. This is 76 FPS above the playable threshold, providing smooth performance on 144Hz monitors with room to spare. The High preset at 178 FPS and Medium at 212 FPS offer alternatives for users who prioritize higher refresh rates over maximum visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings still clear the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 73 FPS, but the margin is slimmer. For users who want more headroom at 4K, the High preset at 96 FPS average provides a safer buffer while sacrificing some visual quality. The Medium preset at 114 FPS and Low at 149 FPS offer progressively more performance for users with very high refresh rate 4K displays. Given the 13 FPS margin at 4K Ultra, users with variable refresh rate monitors may prefer High for consistency, but Ultra is technically playable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the system produces an average of 96 FPS at High settings, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Low settings increase the average to 149 FPS, while Medium settings produce 114 FPS average with a minimum of 97 FPS and maximum of 131 FPS. Ultra settings reduce the average to 73 FPS, again without recorded min/max values. The Medium settings provide the only complete range data at this resolution, showing a 34 FPS spread between minimum and maximum.

At 2560x1440, High settings average 178 FPS, Low settings reach 277 FPS, and Medium settings average 212 FPS with a range of 180 to 244 FPS. Ultra settings produce 136 FPS average. The Medium range at 1440p shows a 64 FPS spread, indicating more variance than at 4K, likely due to the CPU having more headroom to push frames during less demanding scenes.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates: 276 FPS at High, 430 FPS at Low, and 329 FPS at Medium with a range of 280 to 379 FPS. Ultra settings deliver 210 FPS average. The 1080p Medium range spans 99 FPS, the widest variance recorded, which suggests that at this resolution the CPU becomes more influential in frame pacing as it approaches its limits. The 430 FPS Low setting represents the absolute ceiling of this combination's performance, though the lack of min/max data for this configuration makes it unclear how stable this frame rate is during intense gameplay sequences.