Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a strong performance profile for Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. The measured data shows that this combination provides a highly playable experience across most settings and resolutions, with the only significant limitation appearing at 4K Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, answers common questions, compares nearby alternatives, and provides clear recommendations for optimizing the experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for this combination was collected across three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four quality presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All measurements are based on actual measured data, not estimates.

At 1920x1080, the system exhibits exceptional performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 267 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average remains high at 204 FPS, with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 235 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 171 FPS, while the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a robust 131 FPS average. This resolution shows no signs of strain, with all presets far exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down but remains very strong. Low settings produce an average of 172 FPS. The Medium preset averages 132 FPS, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS. High settings deliver an average of 110 FPS. The Ultra preset, while more demanding, still provides an average of 84 FPS, keeping the experience smooth. Every preset at this resolution stays comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K resolution begin to show. Low settings achieve an average of 93 FPS. Medium settings provide a solid average of 71 FPS, with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, just above the playability line. High settings produce an average of exactly 60 FPS, which is playable but leaves no headroom. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 45 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold and is not considered playable at this resolution.

The data reveals a clear progression: performance is abundant at 1080p, very good at 1440p, and only at 4K does the system approach its limits, specifically with the Ultra preset.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but not on the highest settings. At 3840x2160, the High preset achieves an average of 60 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 71 FPS. However, the Ultra preset drops to an average of 45 FPS, making it unplayable by the 60 FPS standard.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 provides an average of 84 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. This makes it the most demanding preset that can be used while maintaining a smooth experience at that resolution.

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

A: Comparing the High preset, the average FPS drops from 171 at 1920x1080 to 60 at 3840x2160, a significant reduction. For the Medium preset, the average drops from 204 FPS at 1080p to 71 FPS at 4K.

Q: Does the system have any issues maintaining a 60 FPS minimum?

A: The data shows only one instance where the minimum FPS is at the threshold. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 60, matching the playable threshold exactly. All other recorded minimums, such as 174 FPS at 1080p Medium and 112 FPS at 1440p Medium, are well above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset ever playable?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset is playable at both 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, with average FPS of 131 and 84 respectively. It is only at 3840x2160 that the Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the performance range at the most demanding playable setting?

A: The most demanding playable setting varies by resolution. At 1080p, it is Ultra with an average of 131 FPS. At 1440p, it is also Ultra with an average of 84 FPS. At 4K, the most demanding playable setting is High with an average of 60 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 provide context for its processing power. The AMD EPYC 4464P has an average score of 64823, which is 0.3% lower, making it a closely matched alternative. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F performs nearly identically, with a score of 64438 and a delta of 0.3%. The AMD EPYC 7343 has a score of 64202, 0.7% lower, and the AMD EPYC 9124 holds a score of 65104, which is 0.7% higher. These differences are minimal, indicating that any of these CPUs would provide a similar level of processing capability for the game.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 show a very tight grouping. The NVIDIA P106-100 has an average score of 23249, just 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M and AMD Radeon R9 M290X both have scores around 23273 and 23276, respectively, each about 0.4% lower. The performance deltas are negligible, meaning these GPUs would likely produce similar frame rates in Minimum at the tested settings.

The Verdict

Based on the measured data and the 60 FPS playability threshold, this PC can run Minimum effectively at all three resolutions, with one exception. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are fully playable, with averages ranging from 131 FPS to 267 FPS. At 2560x1440, the system also handles all presets, including Ultra at 84 FPS average, well above the threshold. At 3840x2160, the system can run Low, Medium, and High presets, with the High preset averaging exactly 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that fails to meet the playability standard, averaging 45 FPS. In summary, the system clears 60 FPS in every scenario except for 4K Ultra.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom even at lower settings. The scaling from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 shows a consistent reduction in FPS across all presets. For example, the High preset drops from 171 FPS to 110 FPS, a reduction of roughly 36%. The transition from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 is even more severe. The High preset drops from 110 FPS to 60 FPS, a 45% reduction, and the Ultra preset falls from 84 FPS to 45 FPS.

This pattern suggests that the CPU, with its high multi-core performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216), is not the bottleneck. The performance drop is largely attributable to the GPU's rendering load increasing with pixel count. The RTX 3080's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for most settings, but the 4K Ultra preset presents a workload that exceeds its capabilities. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is able to maintain high frame rates, indicating that the CPU can feed it data fast enough. The game's 2014 release date also suggests it is not heavily threaded, making the Core Ultra 7 265's 20 cores and 20 threads more than sufficient for the task.

The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining performance at each resolution. The CPU's role is to ensure the GPU is not starved of data, which it clearly does, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 4K, the GPU's limits are reached, and the CPU's performance becomes less relevant because the GPU is the constraining component.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Minimum, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is ranked 1051 out of 3712 total tested combos. This places it in the upper 28th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a solid performance level. The rank reflects its ability to handle the game's requirements, particularly at lower resolutions and settings, while acknowledging its struggles at 4K Ultra. The combination's performance is strong enough to place it in the top third of all tested configurations, which is a respectable position given the age of the game and the high frame rates it can achieve at most settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

For the optimal balance between visual quality and performance, the following settings are recommended, based on the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above 60.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice. It provides an average of 131 FPS, which is the highest visual quality available while still delivering a very smooth experience. All lower presets also work, but they do not offer any performance advantage that would justify sacrificing visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is also the recommended setting. It achieves an average of 84 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a fully playable experience with maximum visual detail. The High preset, at 110 FPS, is also viable, but Ultra offers a better visual experience without dropping below the playability line.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding option that remains playable. It averages exactly 60 FPS, meeting the threshold. The Medium preset, with an average of 71 FPS, offers more headroom but lower visual quality. The Ultra preset is not viable at this resolution, as its 45 FPS average is below the acceptable level. For players prioritizing visual fidelity at 4K, High is the recommended preset.