Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a wide performance envelope in Minimum, scaling from a demanding 4K experience to a high-refresh-rate 1080p setup. The measured data shows a system that is consistently capable, with the primary constraint emerging only at the highest resolution and preset combination. Across the board, the average frame rates position this combo well above the 60 FPS playable threshold for most scenarios, with specific exceptions detailed below.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070 and Core Ultra 5 235 combination shows a clear hierarchy across presets. The Ultra preset produces an average of 39 FPS, which falls well short of the 60 FPS playable threshold. Stepping down to High improves the average to 51 FPS, still below the target. The Medium preset is the first to cross the line, achieving an average of 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. The Low preset provides the most headroom at this resolution, delivering an average of 79 FPS, though no min/max data is available for this setting.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance picture improves substantially. The Ultra preset now averages 72 FPS, comfortably clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset reaches an average of 95 FPS. Medium delivers 113 FPS on average, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. The Low preset tops the charts at this resolution with an average of 148 FPS. Every preset at 1440p exceeds the playable threshold, indicating that this resolution is well within the system's comfort zone.

At 1920x1080, the combination demonstrates high-refresh-rate capability. The Ultra preset averages 112 FPS. The High preset reaches 147 FPS. Medium produces an average of 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS. The Low preset delivers the highest average of 229 FPS. All presets at 1080p provide frame rates that are more than double the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution the strongest for this hardware pairing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database provide context for its processing headroom. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 posts an average score of 46030, which is 0.1% lower than the Core Ultra 5 235's 46062 average. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, a 0.1% delta in the opposite direction, placing it effectively at parity. Two AMD EPYC server processors, the EPYC 4364P (45970) and EPYC 7303 (45960), are also near, with deltas of 0.2% each. These results indicate that the Core Ultra 5 235's processing power is closely matched by a range of mobile and server parts, none of which would materially change the game's frame rates in a GPU-bound title like Minimum.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has a benchmark average of 17208. The closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with a score of 17083, a 0.7% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 (1% lower), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 (1.1% lower). The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is the only rival that scores higher, at 17468, representing a -1.5% delta from the RTX 3070's perspective. These deltas are all under 2%, meaning that swapping the RTX 3070 for any of these alternatives would yield nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, with differences of roughly 1 FPS or less at most settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates that the GPU is the primary performance driver for this game, particularly at higher resolutions. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows a consistent reduction in average FPS across all presets, which is characteristic of GPU-bound rendering. For instance, at the Medium preset, the average drops from 175 FPS at 1080p to 113 FPS at 1440p and further to 61 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern is consistent with the GPU's rendering load increasing with pixel count.

The CPU's role becomes more evident when examining the performance headroom at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 229 FPS average suggests that the Core Ultra 5 235 is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to sustain very high frame rates. The CPU's benchmark percentile of 89 versus the GPU's percentile of 61 further supports this interpretation. The data shows that the Core Ultra 5 235 is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution or preset. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 39 FPS, the constraint is the GPU's pixel throughput, not the CPU's processing capability.

The transition from High to Ultra at each resolution also highlights the GPU's dominance. At 1440p, this preset change costs 23 FPS (95 to 72), while at 1080p it costs 35 FPS (147 to 112). The larger absolute drop at 1080p is due to the higher baseline frame rates, but the relative impact is similar. This pattern holds across resolutions, confirming that the graphics card is the determining factor for achieving higher settings.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum successfully across most tested configurations. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the Ultra preset averaging 112 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same is true: Low (148 FPS), Medium (113 FPS), High (95 FPS), and Ultra (72 FPS) all remain above 60 FPS. The system is fully playable at 1440p even on the highest settings.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more selective. The Low preset (79 FPS) and the Medium preset (61 FPS) both meet the playable threshold. The High preset falls short at 51 FPS, and the Ultra preset is not playable at 39 FPS. Therefore, for 4K gaming, users should select the Medium preset to maintain playability, as it is the best setting that stays at or above 60 FPS. The data shows that 1080p and 1440p offer full preset flexibility, while 4K requires a compromise in visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1589 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places the pairing in the upper half of all tested systems, specifically in the 43rd percentile of the tested population. The rank reflects the measured performance across all resolutions and presets, with the system's strong 1080p and 1440p results balanced against its weaker 4K Ultra showing.

The ranking context indicates that while this is not a top-tier configuration for Minimum, it sits comfortably ahead of more than half of all recorded combinations. The GPU's percentile of 61 among all GPUs and the CPU's percentile of 89 among all CPUs suggest that the processor is a high-performing component relative to its peers, while the graphics card is more mid-range. The combined rank of 1589 reflects this balance, with the GPU acting as the limiting factor for overall game performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only on the Low and Medium presets, which average 79 FPS and 61 FPS respectively. The High preset averages 51 FPS and Ultra averages 39 FPS, both below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 1440p, averaging 72 FPS. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) exceed the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival in raw GPU performance?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score is 17208. The closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, scores 17083, which is 0.7% lower. This difference is negligible in real-world gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for frame rates in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary factor. Frame rates scale strongly with resolution and preset changes, which is typical of GPU-bound workloads. The CPU's high percentile rank (89) suggests it is not a limiting factor.

Q: What average FPS does the Medium preset produce at 1920x1080?

A: The Medium preset at 1080p averages 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS.

Q: Does this combo rank in the top half of all tested systems for Minimum?

A: Yes, it ranks 1589 out of 3712 combinations, placing it in the upper 43% of all tested configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 112 FPS. This is the recommended setting for maximum visual quality at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains playable, averaging 72 FPS. This is the best setting for 1440p, providing the highest visual fidelity while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the most demanding option that maintains playability, with an average of 61 FPS. While the Low preset offers a higher average of 79 FPS, Medium provides a better balance of visual quality and performance at 4K.