Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a wide spread of frame rates in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The recorded data shows that this combination is highly resolution-sensitive, with 1080p proving fully playable at every preset, 1440p clearing 60 FPS on three of four settings, and 4K falling short across the board. This analysis walks through the measured FPS breakdown, the balance between CPU and GPU load, the combo’s standing in the database, and the best settings for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results are strong. The Low preset achieves an average of 155 FPS, which is the highest recorded score for this combo in any test. Medium averages 119 FPS, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 137 FPS. High drops to 100 FPS on average, while Ultra still clears the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 76 FPS. No minimum or maximum values are recorded for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution, but the averages alone indicate that every preset is comfortably above the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down noticeably. Low remains strong at 100 FPS average. Medium averages 77 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS. High averages 64 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playable mark. Ultra falls to 49 FPS on average, making it the only 1440p preset that does not reach playable status. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 51 FPS, showing a steep cost for higher visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. Low averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches the 60 FPS playable line. The recorded data shows no minimum or maximum values for Low, High, or Ultra at 4K, but the averages indicate that this combo cannot handle 4K in Minimum at any setting.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: lower settings yield higher frame rates, and higher resolutions reduce performance. The delta between 1080p Low (155 FPS) and 4K Low (54 FPS) is 101 FPS, which highlights the extreme load that 4K places on the RTX 2060. Similarly, 1080p Ultra (76 FPS) versus 4K Ultra (26 FPS) shows a 50 FPS drop, meaning the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data suggests that the RTX 2060 is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, while the Core Ultra 5 235 provides sufficient headroom at lower settings. The evidence lies in the scaling between presets and resolutions.

At 1080p, the difference between Low (155 FPS) and Ultra (76 FPS) is 79 FPS. This large spread indicates that the GPU is doing most of the work, as raising the preset from Low to Ultra increases the pixel and shading load significantly. The CPU, with 14 cores and 14 threads, has enough processing power to keep up with the GPU at these settings, since even the Low preset produces 155 FPS without bottlenecking.

At 1440p, the spread between Low (100 FPS) and Ultra (49 FPS) is 51 FPS. This is a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p, but the relative drop is similar. The CPU’s role becomes less prominent as the GPU struggles to fill more pixels. The fact that High still reaches 64 FPS at 1440p suggests the CPU is not holding the system back; if it were, the frame rates would plateau regardless of resolution.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low averages 54 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS, a drop of 28 FPS. The CPU’s performance is irrelevant at this point because the RTX 2060 cannot render enough frames to saturate the processor’s capabilities. The Core Ultra 5 235, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769, is far stronger than what a 2014 title like Minimum would require, but the GPU’s 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus limit the overall output.

The scaling between resolutions at the same preset further confirms this. For High settings, 1080p averages 100 FPS, 1440p averages 64 FPS, and 4K averages 35 FPS. The 36 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p and the 29 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K are both substantial, indicating that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary factors. The CPU’s role is largely static across these tests, so the performance decline is attributable to the graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database, this combination ranks 2929 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. That places it in the lower 21% of all configurations, which reflects the GPU’s age rather than the CPU’s capability. The RTX 2060 is an end-of-life product from the GeForce 20-series, and its percentile versus all GPUs is 58, meaning it outperforms 58% of recorded graphics cards. The Core Ultra 5 235, by contrast, has a percentile versus all CPUs of 89, placing it in the top 11% of processors.

The rank of 2929 suggests that many other combos in the database achieve higher frame rates in this game. However, the rank is a composite measure, and the data shows that the CPU is not the weak link. The Core Ultra 5 235’s average benchmark score is 46062, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with a score of 46030 and a delta of 0.1%. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098 with a delta of -0.1%, meaning the Core Ultra 5 235 is essentially tied with those processors. This CPU-level parity does not translate into top-tier game performance because the RTX 2060 limits the system.

The combo rank also reflects the game’s age. Minimum released in 2014, and modern hardware often overpowers older titles, but the RTX 2060’s 6 GB memory and 192-bit bus are modest by current standards. The recorded FPS at 1080p Ultra (76 FPS) and 1440p High (64 FPS) are playable, but the 4K results drag the rank down. If the GPU were stronger, the same CPU would likely push the combo much higher in the rankings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset?*

A: Yes. The recorded average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 76 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict for 1920x1080 lists Ultra as the best playable setting with an average of 76 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 2560x1440?

A: High is the best playable preset at 1440p, with an average FPS of 64. Low and Medium also clear 60 FPS, with averages of 100 FPS and 77 FPS respectively, but High offers the highest visual quality while staying above the playable line.

Q: Does this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K on any setting?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 54 FPS on the Low preset, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra average 41 FPS, 35 FPS, and 26 FPS respectively. The verdict for 4K lists no playable settings.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030 with a delta of 0.1%, the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970 with a delta of 0.2%, and the AMD EPYC 7303 scores 45960 with a delta of 0.2%. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098 with a delta of -0.1%. These differences are negligible.

Q: What is the frame rate spread at 1080p Medium?

A: The average FPS is 119, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 137 FPS. This is the only preset at 1080p with recorded minimum and maximum values.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 a bottleneck for this CPU?

A: Yes, especially at higher resolutions. The GPU’s percentile versus all GPUs is 58, and its average benchmark score is 15290. The RTX 2060’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 with a score of 15283 and a delta of 0%, and the AMD Radeon 680M with a score of 15270 and a delta of 0.1%. The CPU is far stronger, but the GPU limits frame rates at 1440p and 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, the Intel Core i9-13900HX, the AMD EPYC 4364P, and the AMD EPYC 7303. The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average score of 46062. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, which is 0.1% lower, while the Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, which is 0.1% higher. The EPYC 4364P scores 45970 and the EPYC 7303 scores 45960, both 0.2% lower. These differences are within measurement noise, so any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, the AMD Radeon 680M, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600. The RTX 2060 has an average score of 15290. The GTX 580 scores 15283 with a delta of 0%, making it statistically identical. The Radeon 680M scores 15270 with a delta of 0.1%, the RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199 with a delta of 0.6%, and the RX 7600 scores 15171 with a delta of 0.8%. All of these GPUs would deliver similar performance in Minimum, meaning the same FPS pattern across resolutions and presets.

If a user swapped the RTX 2060 for an RTX 3050 OEM or RX 7600, the frame rates would remain within 1% of the recorded values. Similarly, using a Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 instead of the Core Ultra 5 235 would not change the outcome, since the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. The combos would rank nearly identically in the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice. It averages 76 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The lower presets also work, with High at 100 FPS, Medium at 119 FPS, and Low at 155 FPS, but Ultra provides the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS. It averages 64 FPS. Low averages 100 FPS and Medium averages 77 FPS, both of which are also playable, but High offers better graphics. Ultra is not recommended because it averages 49 FPS, which falls short of the playable mark.

At 3840x2160, no preset meets the 60 FPS requirement. The best recorded option is Low with an average of 54 FPS, but that is still below the threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. Users targeting 4K would need to reduce the resolution or upgrade the GPU.

The Verdict

The data indicates that this PC can run Minimum at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, but not at 3840x2160. At 1080p, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra reaching 76 FPS on average. This is the recommended resolution for the best experience, as it allows the highest settings with a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

At 1440p, the verdict lists High, Low, and Medium as playable settings. High averages 64 FPS, which is just above 60 FPS, so users can enjoy solid visuals without dropping below the threshold. Ultra is not playable at this resolution, averaging 49 FPS.

At 4K, the verdict shows no playable settings. The best average is 54 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS line. This means the RTX 2060 cannot handle 4K in Minimum under any preset.

The Core Ultra 5 235 is more than capable for this game, but the RTX 2060 limits high-resolution performance. For a 2014 title, the combo delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, which covers most gaming scenarios. Users wanting 4K would need a stronger GPU, as the CPU is not the constraint. The recorded data supports these conclusions without ambiguity.