Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that places surprisingly consistent demands on the hardware it runs on, and the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 reveal a system that is firmly balanced between its CPU and GPU. The data shows a configuration that can handle the game at high refresh rates at 1080p but begins to struggle as resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the clear limiting factor. This analysis walks through the performance metrics step by step, from resolution scaling to component roles, to provide a complete picture of what this specific combination offers.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about which component is doing the heavy lifting in Minimum. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces an average of 90 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average falls to 58 FPS, a reduction of 32 FPS. At 2160p, the average drops further to 31 FPS, which is roughly a third of the 1080p performance. This scaling pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior; the frame rate is being dictated by the pixel throughput of the GTX 1070 rather than the processing power of the Core Ultra 5 225.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when looking at the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 140 FPS, which drops to 90 FPS at 1440p and then to 49 FPS at 2160p. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K on Low settings is approximately 65%, indicating that even when the graphical load is reduced, the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading units are saturated at higher resolutions. The GTX 1070 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth, and this proves insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The data suggests that the transition from 1080p to 1440p is the most critical threshold for this combo. At 1080p, the system is capable of delivering smooth gameplay across all presets, with the lowest average being 68 FPS on Ultra. At 1440p, the Ultra preset falls to 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target many players prefer. The 4K results are uniformly below playable thresholds, with even the Low preset only reaching 49 FPS. This indicates that the limiting component at high resolutions is the GPU, as the CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads are more than sufficient to feed the graphics card at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

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. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. These numbers indicate a processor with substantial headroom for gaming workloads, and the measured FPS data in Minimum supports this notion.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 140 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is capable of maintaining a high minimum frame rate, as the game's logic and draw calls are being processed efficiently. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4412 and multi-thread score of 30459 further confirm its capability, as Minimum is a title that benefits from strong per-core performance. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz provides the necessary speed for the game's main thread, while the 10 cores handle background tasks without causing dips.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36938 in average benchmark score, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F at 36945 (0% delta). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which scores 37018 (-0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at 37093 (-0.4% delta). The Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112, a 0.5% delta against the Ultra 5 225. These small percentage differences in synthetic tests suggest that the CPU is not the bottleneck in Minimum, as the frame rate differences between resolutions are far larger than what these rival comparisons would imply.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the 4K results. At 2160p High, the average FPS is 31, and at 2160p Ultra, it is 24. These numbers are not limited by the CPU, as even the most demanding CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p produce over 68 FPS. The data indicates that the CPU provides a stable foundation, and the frame rate drops are almost entirely attributable to the GPU's inability to render the increased pixel count.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary limiting factor in this configuration, especially at higher resolutions. This GPU is based on the Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process, and features 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz, and it has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS, and it scores 13498 in PassMark G3D, placing it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs.

The GTX 1070's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD FirePro W5000 with an average score of 9803 (-0.2% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M at 9832 (-0.5% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla M10 at 9724 (0.6% delta). These comparisons show that the GTX 1070 is positioned in the mid-range segment of GPUs, and its performance in Minimum reflects this positioning. At 1080p, the GPU can handle all presets, with the maximum average FPS of 140 on Low and a minimum average of 68 on Ultra. However, the 4K results show that the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel rate are insufficient for the game's demands.

The measured FPS data reveals that the GTX 1070's performance scales almost linearly with resolution, which is characteristic of a GPU that is fully utilized. At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 69 with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 79, showing that the GPU can maintain a playable frame rate if settings are moderated. At 2160p Medium, the average drops to 37 FPS with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43, indicating that the GPU is struggling to maintain consistent frame times at 4K. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is likely a factor, as Minimum's textures at 4K can exceed the available memory, causing performance to degrade.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination ranks 2412 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the lower half of all configurations tested. This ranking is primarily dragged down by the GPU's age and performance class, as the CPU is a modern part that outperforms many of its rivals in synthetic benchmarks. The combo's 47th percentile GPU ranking versus the 85th percentile CPU ranking highlights the imbalance.

The data shows that this combo is not competitive with high-end configurations, but it is also not the worst performer. The rank of 2412 out of 2939 means that roughly 82% of tested combos perform better, which is expected given the GTX 1070's end-of-life status. However, the CPU's strong performance means that upgrading the GPU in the future would yield significant gains, as the CPU would not bottleneck a more powerful graphics card.

In practice, this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve an average of 90 FPS on High settings and 140 FPS on Low. At 1440p, it can still provide a playable experience on Medium settings with an average of 69 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 44 FPS, which may be unsatisfactory for some players. The 4K results are below 50 FPS on all settings, making this resolution unsuitable for the combo.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal preset for this combo depends on the target resolution and frame rate preference. For 1080p gaming, the High preset provides an average of 90 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The Medium preset offers 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS, which is also excellent. The Ultra preset at 68 FPS is still playable, but the High preset is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers an average of 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS. The High preset at 58 FPS is close, but the medium preset provides a more consistent experience. The Low preset at 90 FPS is the best choice for players who prioritize frame rate over visual quality, but the Medium preset offers a better visual experience without sacrificing too much performance.

For 4K gaming, the data does not support any preset as being fully playable. The Low preset at 49 FPS is the only one above 30 FPS, but even this may feel sluggish. The Medium preset at 37 FPS with a minimum of 32 FPS is borderline, but the High and Ultra presets at 31 and 24 FPS, respectively, are not recommended. Players who want to play at 4K should lower the resolution or upgrade the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across all resolutions and settings.

1920x1080:

• Low: 140 FPS average
• Medium: 107 FPS average, 91 FPS minimum, 123 FPS maximum
• High: 90 FPS average
• Ultra: 68 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 90 FPS average
• Medium: 69 FPS average, 59 FPS minimum, 79 FPS maximum
• High: 58 FPS average
• Ultra: 44 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 49 FPS average
• Medium: 37 FPS average, 32 FPS minimum, 43 FPS maximum
• High: 31 FPS average
• Ultra: 24 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the Medium preset always providing the most stable frame times, as evidenced by the minimum and maximum values. The Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that exceeds 120 FPS, indicating that the combo is capable of high refresh rate gaming but only at lower settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, as all presets achieve at least 68 FPS average, with the Low preset reaching 140 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Minimum?

A: The measured results show that 4K is not playable, with the Low preset at 49 FPS and the Ultra preset at 24 FPS. Even the Medium preset only averages 37 FPS.

Q: Which preset provides the most stable frame rates?

A: The Medium preset has the most consistent frame times, with a minimum of 91 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 2160p.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor, as indicated by the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 47th percentile ranking confirms this.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2412 out of 2939 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of all configurations in the database.

Q: What is the maximum FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 140 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The highest minimum FPS is 91 at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.