Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800M delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by graphical settings and resolution. In Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, this combination shows a clear pattern: it is more than capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher presets. The data suggests a system where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution and visual fidelity increase, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is significant and reveals the bottleneck dynamics of this configuration. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 173 FPS at 1080p to 60 FPS at 4K, a reduction of approximately 65%. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. Similarly, at the High preset, the average drops from 111 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 4K, a 65% reduction as well. The consistency of this percentage across different presets suggests that the resolution scaling is the dominant factor, rather than the specific graphical features toggled by the preset.

The scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 is also telling. At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 85 FPS to 46 FPS, a 46% decrease. This is a larger relative drop than the one between 1080p and 1440p for the same preset, where the average falls from 133 FPS to 85 FPS, a 36% decrease. This non-linear scaling is typical of GPU workloads where the fill rate and memory bandwidth requirements at 4K exceed the capabilities of the Radeon RX 7800M. The data points to a system that is comfortable at 1440p, but the 4K results are consistently below the 60 FPS threshold for all presets except Low.

The behavior at 4K Ultra is particularly illustrative. The average frame rate of 29 FPS is less than half of the 60 FPS achieved at 4K Low. This large gap between the lowest and highest presets at the same resolution reinforces the idea that the GPU’s compute units and memory system are being saturated. The measured data shows that the limiting component at 4K is unequivocally the GPU, as the CPU’s performance is unlikely to change with resolution. The frame rate differences between presets at a fixed resolution are entirely attributable to the GPU’s ability to handle increased shading, texture, and post-processing workloads.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its benchmark results place it in the 81st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29093. This is a strong showing, but its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with a delta of -0.1%, and the Intel Core i5-13500HX with a delta of -0.6%. These figures indicate that the Ultra 5 135H is essentially on par with those desktop and mobile processors, respectively, in general compute tasks.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 173 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at this resolution. The single-threaded performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1700, is sufficient to drive the game’s engine at high frame rates. The multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5, provides ample headroom for background tasks and any game engine threads that can utilize multiple cores.

However, the CPU’s role becomes less critical as resolution increases. At 4K, the frame rates are much lower, and the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The data does not show a scenario where the CPU prevents the GPU from reaching its potential. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the average is 85 FPS, the CPU is likely still capable of pushing higher frame rates if the GPU were not the constraint. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz is respectable for a mobile processor, and the 18 threads ensure that the game’s logic and any background processes are handled without causing frame hitches. The Passmark single-thread score of 3521 and multithread score of 22422 further confirm that the CPU has sufficient raw throughput for this title.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is a mobile GPU based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2335 MHz, and it has 3840 shading units. The GPU’s benchmark results show a percentile rank of 73 among all GPUs, with an average score of 27883. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with a delta of 0.2%, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti with a delta of -0.5%, and the AMD FirePro S7150 with a delta of -0.8%. This places the RX 7800M in the same performance tier as a high-end desktop GPU from a previous generation.

The GPU’s role in Minimum is decisive. The measured frame rates show that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at all resolutions above 1080p. At 1440p, the average frame rates range from 55 FPS at Ultra to 112 FPS at Low, indicating a capable mid-range performance level. The 12 GB of VRAM is unlikely to be a limiting factor in this 2014 title, as the texture and geometry requirements are modest by modern standards. The memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s is sufficient for the pixel and texture throughput required at 4K, but the compute performance of 3840 shading units is what appears to be the bottleneck at that resolution.

The GPU’s clock speeds, with a game clock of 2145 MHz and a boost clock of 2335 MHz, are high for a mobile part, but the 180 W TDP suggests it is designed for larger laptops with adequate cooling. The data shows that at 4K Medium, the average frame rate is 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS, which indicates that the GPU is working hard but cannot maintain a smooth experience. The FP32 performance of 35.87 TFLOPS is theoretical, and the real-world results align with the expectations set by its benchmark scores. The GPU is clearly the component that determines the playability of the game at higher resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system excels. The Low preset achieves an average of 173 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 133 FPS with a minimum of 113 and a maximum of 152. The High preset averages 111 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 85 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of delivering a high refresh rate experience even on the Ultra preset, which is suitable for competitive play or high-quality visuals.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable but the system remains playable. The Low preset averages 112 FPS, which is still excellent. The Medium preset averages 85 FPS with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 98. The High preset averages 72 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 55 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 17 FPS, which is significant, but the 55 FPS average on Ultra is still close to the 60 FPS target for most players. The minimum FPS data for Medium suggests that the system can experience dips, but the average is stable.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. The Low preset averages 60 FPS, which is exactly at the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset averages 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53. The High preset averages 39 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K is only viable on the Low preset, and even then, the average frame rate is borderline. The Ultra preset at 29 FPS is not smooth, and the High preset at 39 FPS is likely to feel stuttery. The data clearly shows that the system is not designed for 4K gaming in this title beyond the lowest settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates across all settings, with the Low preset achieving 173 FPS and the Ultra preset achieving 85 FPS. This is the resolution where the system performs best.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: At 4K, the average frame rates are 60 FPS on Low, 46 FPS on Medium, 39 FPS on High, and 29 FPS on Ultra. The Low preset is the only one that reaches the 60 FPS target, making 4K only viable on the lowest settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H has an average benchmark score of 29093, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i5-13500HX. This indicates performance parity with those processors.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance ranking relative to other GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is in the 73rd percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 27883 is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 and 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti.

Q: Is the 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than enough for Minimum, a 2014 title. The data does not indicate any VRAM-related performance limitations, as the frame rate drops are consistent with compute and bandwidth constraints.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The average frame rate at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 85 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. This is a smooth experience for most players.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. For players using a 1920x1080 display, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it provides an average of 85 FPS. This offers the highest visual quality while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 111 FPS is also excellent for those who prioritize higher refresh rates, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often worth the 26 FPS reduction.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice, with an average of 72 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action, as the lower frame rate can introduce input lag. The Medium preset at 85 FPS is a solid alternative for players who want a higher frame rate buffer, but the visual quality reduction is noticeable.

For 3840x2160 displays, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 46 FPS is below the smoothness threshold, and the High and Ultra presets are not recommended due to their low averages of 39 FPS and 29 FPS, respectively. Players with 4K displays should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to achieve a better experience, as the system is clearly GPU-bound at 4K. The best overall experience for this combo, balancing visual quality and performance, is the High preset at 2560x1440, which delivers an average of 72 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the AMD Radeon RX 7800M ranks 1934 out of 2939 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the rankings, which is consistent with the measured performance data. The rank indicates that while the system is capable of running the game, it is not among the top performers. The GPU’s 73rd percentile ranking and the CPU’s 81st percentile ranking suggest that both components are above average, but the combination does not yield exceptional results in this specific title.

The rank of 1934 out of 2939 means that approximately 34% of tested combos perform better, while 66% perform worse. This is a moderate standing. The system’s performance is likely limited by the GPU at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the sharp frame rate drops at 4K. In contrast, at 1080p, the system performs admirably, which suggests that the rank would be much higher if the benchmark only considered that resolution. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates, but it falls behind more powerful combos at 4K. The overall rank reflects this mixed performance profile, with strong results at lower resolutions and weak results at the highest resolution.