Minimum

Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 deliver a solid but not spectacular showing in Minimum. The data places this pairing at rank 1549 out of 2939 tested combos, putting it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This is a combination that handles the game comfortably at mainstream resolutions but starts to show its limits when pushed to 4K with maxed-out settings. The 10-core Arrow Lake processor and the 8 GB Ada Lovelace GPU form a balanced pair for a game from 2014, but the benchmark results reveal where each component carries the load and where the system as a whole falls behind the curve.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo sits at rank 1549 out of 2939 possible combinations, which places it in the 47th percentile of all tested pairings. That is a middling result for a modern CPU and a current-generation GPU. The ranking reflects that Minimum is not particularly demanding by today's standards, so even mid-range hardware should excel. Instead, the data shows this combo achieving only average performance relative to the entire test pool, which suggests either the game is more CPU-bound than expected or the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor at higher settings.

Looking at the CPU alone, the Core Ultra 5 225 holds an 85th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36945 (0% delta), the Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018 (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093 (-0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112 (-0.5%). The Ultra 5 225 is essentially performance-equivalent to these four chips, trailing the slowest among them by less than half a percent. In multi-threaded workloads like Cinebench R23, it posts 25891 points, while single-core performance reaches 3655 points. These are strong numbers for a 65W desktop processor.

The GPU tells a different story. The RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals are older or integrated parts: the AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666 (-0.2%), the Radeon 780M scores 17588 (+0.3%), the Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551 (+0.5%), and the Radeon Pro 460 scores 17509 (+0.7%). The RTX 4060 is essentially tied with a decade-old discrete GPU and a modern integrated graphics solution in raw synthetic scores. That context matters for Minimum: the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth are enough for most settings, but the synthetic data suggests it is not a high-end part by any stretch.

Settings Recommendations

At 1080p, the measured rows show a clear sweet spot. The Low preset averages 202 FPS, which is far beyond what any display can show. Medium averages 155 FPS with a minimum of 131 FPS. High averages 130 FPS. Ultra drops to 99 FPS. For competitive play, Low or Medium offers maximum headroom, but the data indicates that High is the best balance: it still delivers 130 FPS on average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and it likely includes visual improvements over Medium. Ultra is playable at 99 FPS, but the 31 FPS drop from High to Ultra is steep for what is probably a marginal visual gain in a 2014 title.

At 1440p, the pattern shifts. Low averages 130 FPS, Medium averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS, High averages 84 FPS, and Ultra drops to 64 FPS. Here, Medium is the recommended preset: the 85 FPS minimum keeps the experience smooth, and the 100 FPS average provides enough cushion for demanding scenes. High is still playable at 84 FPS, but the minimum is unmeasured, so there is risk of dips below 60 FPS during heavy action. Ultra at 64 FPS is borderline; the data shows it is playable, but it leaves no room for frame-time spikes.

At 4K, the options narrow significantly. Low averages 70 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 34 FPS. For 4K, Low is the only preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS. Medium dips to 46 FPS at the minimum, which will be noticeable as stutter. High and Ultra are not recommended for anything but screenshots. If 4K is the target, the data suggests dropping to Low or accepting a sub-60 FPS experience on Medium.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K reveal where the bottleneck lies. At Low settings, 1080p yields 202 FPS, 1440p yields 130 FPS (a 36% drop), and 4K yields 70 FPS (a 65% drop from 1080p). At Medium settings, 1080p yields 155 FPS, 1440p yields 100 FPS (a 35% drop), and 4K yields 54 FPS (a 65% drop). At High settings, 1080p yields 130 FPS, 1440p yields 84 FPS (a 35% drop), and 4K yields 45 FPS (a 65% drop). At Ultra, 1080p yields 99 FPS, 1440p yields 64 FPS (a 35% drop), and 4K yields 34 FPS (a 66% drop).

The consistency of these drops—roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 65% from 1080p to 4K—across all settings points to a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, and the FPS drops by about two-thirds, which is close to what one would expect from a GPU that is running out of fill rate or memory bandwidth. The RTX 4060's 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest for 4K, and the data reflects that limitation. The CPU, with its strong single-core score of 3655 in Cinebench R23, is not the limiting factor until FPS reaches very high levels at 1080p Low, where 202 FPS could start to tax even a capable processor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings ladder is available. Low averages 202 FPS. Medium averages 155 FPS with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS. High averages 130 FPS. Ultra averages 99 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 103 FPS, which is substantial. The data shows that Medium offers the best minimum-to-average ratio: the 131 FPS minimum is 84% of the 155 FPS average, indicating stable frame times. High and Ultra have no minimum values recorded, so their consistency is unknown, but the averages suggest they are still smooth.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 130 FPS. Medium averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. High averages 84 FPS. Ultra averages 64 FPS. The Medium preset again shows strong stability, with the 85 FPS minimum at 85% of the average. High at 84 FPS is close to the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra at 64 FPS is barely above it. For 1440p, the data supports Medium as the default, with High as an option for those who prioritize visuals over a safety margin.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 70 FPS. Medium averages 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. High averages 45 FPS. Ultra averages 34 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 46 FPS is only 85% of the average, but that average is already below 60 FPS. Low is the only preset that reaches a playable average, though the 70 FPS figure leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The data indicates that 4K is a stretch for this combo, and users should expect to compromise heavily on settings.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060's role in these results is defined by its memory configuration and clock speeds. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The memory clock is 2125 MHz, which translates to 17 Gbps effective. The boost clock is 2460 MHz, and the base clock is 1830 MHz. These specs are modest for a modern GPU, especially in the context of 4K gaming, where the data shows the card struggling to maintain 60 FPS even at Low settings.

The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Minimum at all tested settings, since the game's release date in 2014 suggests it does not require large texture pools. However, the 128-bit bus is the clear constraint at 4K. The 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is roughly half of what high-end cards offer, and the measured FPS drops align with this limitation. At 1080p, the GPU has enough bandwidth to feed the render pipeline, resulting in high FPS across all settings. At 4K, the bandwidth becomes the bottleneck, and the FPS drops accordingly.

The synthetic benchmark data reinforces this view. The RTX 4060's passmark G3D score is 19545, and its directx 12 score is 76. These are not standout numbers. The GPU sits at the 61st percentile, and its nearest rivals include the Radeon 780M integrated graphics, which scores 17588 in the same benchmark suite. The 0.3% delta between the two suggests that in compute-heavy tasks, the RTX 4060 is not dramatically faster than a high-end iGPU. For Minimum, this means the GPU is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but not for 4K, where the data shows average FPS dropping below 60 on all presets except Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p gaming with this combo?

A: The data shows High averaging 130 FPS, which is a strong balance between visual quality and performance. Medium averages 155 FPS with a 131 FPS minimum, but High offers better visuals with only a 25 FPS penalty. Ultra drops to 99 FPS, so High is the recommended preset for 1080p.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K at 60 FPS?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average is 70 FPS. Medium drops to 54 FPS average with a 46 FPS minimum, and High and Ultra fall to 45 FPS and 34 FPS respectively. For a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, Low is the only viable preset.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent across all settings, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's strong single-core performance (3655 in Cinebench R23) is sufficient for the game's demands.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060 scores 17639 on average, which is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2%) and the Radeon 780M (17588, +0.3%). The delta is less than 1% in all cases, indicating performance parity in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Medium and Ultra at 1440p?

A: Medium averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS, while Ultra averages 64 FPS. That is a 36 FPS drop, or 36% lower performance. The data suggests the visual upgrade to Ultra may not justify the frame rate loss.

Q: Should I use Low settings at 4K to get 70 FPS, or is Medium acceptable?

A: Low averages 70 FPS, which is above 60 FPS but with no recorded minimum. Medium averages 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, which will likely result in visible stutter. Low is the safer choice for a smooth 4K experience.