Minimum

The data for Minimum on the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 shows a system that scales predictably with resolution, delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p but requiring a significant settings reduction at 4K. The measured FPS figures indicate that the RTX 5060 is the primary driver of performance, while the Core Ultra 5 235 provides ample headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the system can run the Ultra preset with an average frame rate of 105 FPS. This is the most demanding preset tested, and it remains well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, leaving substantial headroom for demanding scenes or background tasks.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is also the recommended choice, delivering an average of 68 FPS. While this is above the 60 FPS threshold, the margin is slimmer than at 1080p, so players sensitive to frame drops may prefer the High preset, which averages 89 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only setting that stays at or above the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 75 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 57 FPS, and High drops to 48 FPS, so 4K gaming requires a compromise on visual fidelity to maintain playable frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the large frame rate jumps between presets: from 105 FPS on Ultra to 215 FPS on Low. The CPU's performance is sufficient to feed the RTX 5060 even at the highest preset, with the difference between Low and Ultra representing a 110 FPS swing that is entirely GPU-driven.

At 2560x1440, the GPU remains the dominant constraint, but the scaling tightens. The Ultra preset averages 68 FPS, while Low reaches 139 FPS — a 71 FPS spread. This narrower gap compared to 1080p indicates that pixel throughput is becoming more demanding, but the Core Ultra 5 235 still keeps pace.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload increases dramatically. The Low preset produces 75 FPS, Medium drops to 57 FPS, and High falls to 48 FPS. This steep decline with each settings tier suggests the RTX 5060's 8 GB GDDR7 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are under significant pressure at 4K, while the CPU's role diminishes further since the frame rates are limited by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The Core Ultra 5 235's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 2085 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures it does not become a limiting factor at any resolution tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 215 FPS. This is the maximum performance the combo can achieve at this resolution, indicating the GPU is not heavily taxed.
• Medium: Average 165 FPS, with a minimum of 140 FPS and maximum of 190 FPS. The 25 FPS spread between min and max suggests some scene complexity variation.
• High: Average 138 FPS. A solid step down from Medium, but still far above the playable threshold.
• Ultra: Average 105 FPS. The most demanding preset tested, yet it maintains a comfortable margin over 60 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 139 FPS. The resolution increase costs about 76 FPS compared to 1080p Low, a significant penalty.
• Medium: Average 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 FPS and maximum of 122 FPS. The minimum stays well above 60 FPS, confirming smooth gameplay.
• High: Average 89 FPS. Another 17 FPS drop from Medium, showing diminishing returns as settings climb.
• Ultra: Average 68 FPS. The minimum is not recorded, but the average leaves only 8 FPS of headroom above the threshold.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 75 FPS. The only playable 4K preset, but the margin over 60 FPS is thin.
• Medium: Average 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and maximum of 66 FPS. The minimum dips below the playable threshold, indicating occasional stutter.
• High: Average 48 FPS. Not playable by the 60 FPS standard.
• Ultra: Average 37 FPS. The lowest measured result, confirming that 4K Ultra is not viable with this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 1651 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the upper half of all systems tested, but not among the top performers. The rank reflects a balanced pairing: the CPU's average benchmark score of 46062 puts it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU's average score of 26331 places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals show how close the 5060 is to its competition. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, just 0.3% higher, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, a 0.8% advantage. On the other side, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% lower. These margins are narrow, meaning the RTX 5060 sits in a highly competitive performance band.

The CPU's nearest rivals tell a similar story. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, just 0.1% lower, while the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, 0.1% higher. The AMD EPYC 4364P and EPYC 7303 both score 45970 and 45960, respectively, each 0.2% lower. These tiny deltas suggest the Core Ultra 5 235 is well-positioned among modern processors, and the overall combo rank reflects that the GPU is slightly below the CPU's performance class.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?*

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 68 FPS, and all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) stay above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best 4K preset for this hardware?

A: The Low preset is the only 4K option that maintains 60 FPS, averaging 75 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 57 FPS average, which is below the threshold.

Q: How much performance does the system lose when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At the Ultra preset, the average frame rate drops from 105 FPS at 1920x1080 to 68 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 37 FPS or roughly 35% of the original frame rate.

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

A: The GPU is the primary factor at all resolutions. The frame rate differences between presets are large — for example, 110 FPS separates Low and Ultra at 1080p — while the CPU's benchmark scores indicate it has enough headroom to avoid limiting performance.

Q: Does the system ever drop below 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: No. The lowest recorded minimum at 1920x1080 is 140 FPS on the Medium preset. The Ultra preset averages 105 FPS with no minimum recorded, but the average is far above the threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its closest rivals in raw compute?

A: The RTX 5060's average benchmark score of 26331 is within 0.8% of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary and just 1.2% above the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, placing it in a tightly contested performance tier.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum comfortably at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, with the Ultra preset delivering 105 FPS and 68 FPS respectively. Both resolutions clear the 60 FPS playable threshold across all settings tiers, making this a strong 1080p and 1440p gaming system.

At 3840x2160, the system is limited to the Low preset, which averages 75 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 57 FPS, 48 FPS, and 37 FPS respectively. The verdict data confirms that 4K gaming is only viable with reduced visual settings, and even then the margin above the playable threshold is narrow. For players prioritizing high frame rates over resolution, this combo is well-suited; for 4K enthusiasts, a more powerful GPU would be necessary to enable higher presets.