Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination delivers a potent, high-refresh-rate experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014. The data shows this pairing is not merely sufficient but overwhelmingly capable, with the primary performance ceiling shifting from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU as resolution increases. The measured frames per second indicate that this combo will effortlessly handle competitive play at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, while still providing a smooth experience at 4K with adjusted presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and can boost up to 4.90 GHz, making it a modern desktop part with substantial single-thread headroom. The processor's L3 cache is 20 MB shared, and it supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This hardware foundation ensures that the CPU is not a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios, particularly in a title like Minimum which is over a decade old.

Benchmark results confirm the CPU's strength. In Cinebench R23, the processor scores 25,891 points in multi-core and 3,655 points in single-core tests. These scores place the Ultra 5 225 in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market. Its average benchmark score of 36,938 is effectively tied with its nearest rivals, showing a 0% delta to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and a -0.2% delta to the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the Ultra 5 225 provides performance on par with these established gaming processors.

In the context of Minimum's measured FPS, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p resolution. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 259 FPS. This high framerate is a direct result of the CPU's robust single-core performance, as the game's draw calls and physics calculations become more prominent at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. The 4.90 GHz boost clock is crucial here, ensuring that the processor can keep up with the game engine's demands to feed the GPU with enough frames to render. As settings increase to High at 1080p, the average FPS drops to 166, still a very high number that relies on the CPU's ability to process the increased game logic without becoming a limiting factor.

The processor's PassMark single-thread score of 4,412 further validates its capability for this task. Even with 10 cores and 10 threads, the game's performance at 1080p is likely dictated by how fast a single core can execute instructions, a metric where this CPU excels. The data suggests that in Minimum, the Ultra 5 225 provides a massive headroom, allowing the GPU to be the primary driver of frame rates even at lower resolutions.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a high-end graphics card from the Radeon RX 6000 series, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 512.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz. This hardware is more than capable of handling a title from 2014, which was originally designed for much less powerful hardware.

The GPU's benchmark scores are impressive, placing it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs. Its PassMark G3D score is 24,980, and its average benchmark score is 48,477. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 6800 XT shows a +1.5% delta over the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile and a -2.5% delta against the Intel Arc A550M. This indicates that the RX 6800 XT is a top-tier performer, slightly ahead of some mobile workstation parts and slightly behind newer desktop cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, which has a -3% delta.

In Minimum, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as the resolution scales up. At 4K (3840x2160) with High settings, the average FPS is 58. This is a playable frame rate, but it shows that the GPU is being pushed harder. The card's 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any texture or asset the game can load, ensuring there is no memory bottleneck even at maximum resolution. The high memory bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s helps maintain consistent frame delivery when the render target is large.

The RX 6800 XT's raw compute power, with 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, is what drives the frame rates at higher settings. The transition from Low to Ultra settings at 4K shows a dramatic change in performance, from 90 FPS down to 44 FPS. This is a clear indication that the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution, as the rendering load scales with the increased visual fidelity. The data shows that the GPU's capabilities are the primary factor in determining the final frame rate, especially when the CPU has enough headroom to feed it.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data clearly illustrates the shifting bottleneck between the CPU and GPU as resolution changes. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 166 FPS. When moving to 2560x1440, this drops to 107 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 58 FPS. This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops by approximately 36% when going from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% when moving from 1440p to 4K. These significant drops are due to the exponential increase in pixel count that the GPU must render.

The same pattern is evident across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 259 at 1080p to 167 at 1440p and then to 90 at 4K. At Ultra settings, the numbers are 127, 82, and 44 respectively. The consistent proportional decrease in FPS as resolution increases points directly to the GPU being the limiting factor in these higher resolution scenarios. The CPU, while still important, provides diminishing returns as the resolution scales up because the GPU's workload becomes much more demanding.

However, the data also reveals the CPU's influence at 1080p. The jump from Low to High settings at 1080p results in a 93 FPS difference (from 259 to 166). While the GPU is still doing the heavy lifting, the CPU's ability to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions is evident. The fact that the combo can achieve over 250 FPS at 1080p Low shows that the processor is not holding the GPU back. This suggests that for players targeting the highest refresh rates at 1080p, the CPU is a capable partner, though the GPU will still be the primary driver of performance.

The data indicates that this combo is exceptionally well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the CPU and GPU work in harmony. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, but the performance remains respectable, especially considering the game's age. The scaling shows that this combination is versatile, offering high frame rates at mainstream resolutions and playable performance at 4K.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Minimum depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 1080p 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the "Medium" preset appears to be the sweet spot. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 198 FPS, with minimum and maximum figures of 168 and 228 FPS respectively. This ensures a smooth, consistent experience that can take full advantage of high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 1080p, with an average of 166 FPS, is also excellent, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance, providing a substantial FPS buffer above the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 107 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. The Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 128 FPS, is also viable and provides a higher frame rate margin. However, the High preset offers a noticeable improvement in visual quality for a relatively small performance cost. The Ultra preset at 1440p, which averages 82 FPS, is still playable but might not be ideal for competitive play where higher frame rates are preferred. The Low preset at 1440p, at 167 FPS, sacrifices too much visual quality for a frame rate that is not necessary at this resolution.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the "Low" preset is the most practical choice for a high-refresh experience. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 90 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Medium preset, at 69 FPS, is also playable and offers a better visual experience, but the frame rate is closer to the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 58 FPS is the minimum for a playable experience, but it may feel less smooth than the lower presets. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 44 FPS, is not recommended for a game like Minimum where frame rate is critical. Therefore, for 4K, the Medium preset provides the best overall experience, balancing the 69 FPS average with improved visuals, while the Low preset is the best for maximizing smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination ranks 877th out of 2,939 tested combos in this game. This places the combo in the top 30% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing given the vast number of potential hardware combinations. This ranking confirms the overall capability of this pairing, indicating that it outperforms the majority of other CPU-GPU combinations that have been benchmarked in Minimum.

This rank is influenced by the fact that the game is from 2014, meaning that even mid-range modern hardware can achieve high frame rates. However, the combination of a high-end GPU and a strong modern CPU ensures that this combo is not just adequate, but excellent. The 877th rank suggests that there are many combos with even more powerful or newer hardware that can push higher frame rates, particularly at 1080p. Yet, for a mainstream high-end setup, this rank is impressive.

The combo's rank is likely driven by its performance at higher resolutions and settings. While many combos may achieve similar frame rates at 1080p Low, the RX 6800 XT's power allows this combo to maintain respectable performance at 4K, which likely boosts its overall standing compared to combos with weaker GPUs. The CPU's strong single-core performance also ensures that it does not drag down the average FPS in CPU-light scenarios, making it a well-rounded performer. This data suggests that users of this combo are getting a top-tier experience relative to the broader market of tested configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo shows its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 259. Moving to Medium settings, the average FPS drops to 198, with a minimum of 168 and a maximum of 228 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 166 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, produces an average of 127 FPS. This shows a clear performance hierarchy, with each step up in settings reducing the frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low settings produce an average of 167 FPS. The Medium preset averages 128 FPS, with a minimum and maximum of 109 and 147 FPS respectively. The High preset averages 107 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 82 FPS. This resolution offers a good balance between visual quality and performance, with High settings providing a strong 100+ FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low settings average 90 FPS. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 79 FPS. The High preset averages 58 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 44 FPS. This data shows that 4K gaming is possible with this combo, but it requires lowering settings to maintain smooth frame rates. The Medium preset at 4K, with an average of 69 FPS, is the most balanced option, providing a playable experience without dropping below the 60 FPS threshold on average.