Minimum

# Minimum – Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT delivers a playable but aging experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The GPU, built on RDNA 1.0 with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, is clearly the performance bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the 14-core Arrow Lake CPU provides ample headroom. This pairing ranks 2164th out of 2939 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of the database. The measured frame rates show a wide range, from a virtually unplayable 28 FPS at 4K Ultra to a very smooth 166 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that settings and resolution choices dramatically alter the experience.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the most viable resolution. At 1080p, average frame rates range from 82 FPS at Ultra to 166 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, frame rates fall to between 53 and 107 FPS, while at 3840x2160, the average drops to between 28 and 58 FPS, making 4K unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P, but 0.1% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HX. This places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs tested.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT sits in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361. Its closest competitor, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, scores 16351, a difference of just 0.1%, showing the RX 5700 XT is in a tight performance cluster.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor. This is evident from the resolution scaling: dropping from 1080p to 4K at High settings reduces average FPS from 107 to 37, a 65% decrease. The CPU’s high core count and boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensure it is not the bottleneck in this older title.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the jump from Low to Ultra settings costs 84 FPS on average, dropping from 166 to 82 FPS. This pattern holds across resolutions: at 1440p, it drops from 107 to 53 FPS, and at 4K, it drops from 58 to 28 FPS. The scaling is consistent, indicating a linear relationship between settings and load.

*Q: How does the combo rank overall in Minimum?*

A: The combo ranks 2164th out of 2939 tested combinations. This places it in the lower 26% of all combos, suggesting that while the hardware is functional, most other tested systems provide higher performance in this specific game.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the central component driving frame rates in Minimum. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for the textures and geometry of this 2014 title. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). These clocks are modest by modern standards, reflecting the RDNA 1.0 architecture and 7 nm process node.

The GPU’s raw compute capabilities, rated at 9.754 TFLOPS FP32, are adequate for Minimum’s engine but show their age at higher resolutions. The measured data confirms this: at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate collapses to 28 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. Even at 4K Low, the average of 58 FPS is barely acceptable, with noticeable dips likely during intense action sequences. The GPU’s 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs are tasked heavily at 4K, where the pixel fill rate of 121.9 GPixel/s becomes a limiting factor.

Comparing the RX 5700 XT to its nearest rivals, it is statistically tied with the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (0.1% faster), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (0.3% slower), and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (0.3% slower). This tight grouping suggests that the RX 5700 XT’s performance profile in Minimum is typical for its class, but the GPU’s 59th percentile ranking overall indicates it is a mid-tier part that struggles with modern demands. In Minimum, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is not the primary constraint—the compute throughput and memory bandwidth are—as evidenced by the steep performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 107 FPS at 1080p to 69 FPS at 1440p, a 35.5% reduction, and then to 37 FPS at 4K, a further 46.4% reduction. This trend is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the GPU is the scaling bottleneck.

At Low settings, the drop is steeper in percentage terms: from 166 FPS at 1080p to 107 FPS at 1440p (a 35.5% drop) and then to 58 FPS at 4K (a 45.8% drop from 1440p). The Ultra preset shows the most severe absolute losses, starting at 82 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 53 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 28 FPS at 4K. The consistent pattern—approximately a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 45% reduction from 1440p to 4K—strongly suggests that the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are exhausted as the render resolution increases.

This scaling behavior indicates that the system is GPU-bound at all resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU work per frame is largely resolution-independent. Instead, the data shows a proportional relationship between pixel count and frame rate, confirming that the RX 5700 XT cannot keep up with the increasing workload. For users targeting smooth gameplay, 1080p is the only resolution where this combo consistently exceeds 60 FPS across all settings, while 1440p is only viable on Low or Medium presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably. Low settings yield an average of 166 FPS, making the game exceptionally fluid. Medium settings average 127 FPS, with a minimum of 108 FPS and a maximum of 147 FPS, indicating stable frame pacing. High settings average 107 FPS, still comfortably above 60 FPS. Ultra settings average 82 FPS, which is playable but shows the GPU beginning to strain under maximum load.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 107 FPS, matching the 1080p High result. Medium settings average 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS. High settings average 69 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but the lack of min/max data suggests potential variability. Ultra settings average 53 FPS, dipping below the ideal smoothness threshold.

At 3840x2160, the experience becomes marginal. Low settings average 58 FPS, which is borderline playable. Medium settings average 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS, indicating frequent dips below acceptable levels. High settings average 37 FPS, which is noticeably choppy. Ultra settings average 28 FPS, rendering the game nearly unplayable. The 4K results clearly show the RX 5700 XT is out of its depth at this resolution, regardless of settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination ranks 2164th out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 26th percentile of all systems tested for this game, meaning roughly three-quarters of tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates. This ranking reflects the GPU’s age and mid-tier status, as the CPU is a modern, high-performance part. The GPU’s 59th percentile ranking across all benchmarks, combined with the CPU’s 89th percentile ranking, creates a significant mismatch: the CPU is capable of much higher performance, but the GPU holds the system back.

The ranking implies that users with this combo will experience Minimum at lower settings or resolutions compared to the majority of the database. The gap between this combo and higher-ranked systems is likely substantial, given the steep performance penalties observed at 4K. However, the rank also suggests that the system is not at the very bottom, and the measured FPS at 1080p Low (166 FPS) shows the combo can handle the game well when configured appropriately. For context, the CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% faster), would not significantly change the ranking if paired with the same GPU, as the GPU remains the bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node by TSMC. It operates at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU features a substantial cache hierarchy: 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is limited to DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, providing a theoretical bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. Its integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU, are irrelevant for gaming when a discrete GPU is present.

In Minimum, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The game, released in 2014, is not known for being CPU-intensive by modern standards, so the Ultra 5 235’s high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085) and strong multi-threaded capabilities (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769) are more than sufficient. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 46062, ranking in the 89th percentile, shows it outperforms the vast majority of processors. Its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and AMD EPYC 4364P, are within 0.2% of its score, confirming it is a top-tier part.

Given the GPU-bound nature of Minimum at higher resolutions, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor in any scenario. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed and the CPU has the most influence, the measured 166 FPS average suggests the CPU can handle the game’s threading model without issue. The 14 cores and 14 threads, combined with a 5.00 GHz boost clock, ensure that even the most demanding game logic is processed quickly. The CPU’s 24 MB of L3 cache and high memory bandwidth further reduce latency, contributing to the stable frame times observed at 1080p Medium (min 108 FPS, max 147 FPS).

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with High settings. This preset delivers an average of 107 FPS, which provides a smooth and visually satisfying experience without the performance cost of Ultra. The 1080p High setting balances visual fidelity with frame rate, offering a 25 FPS advantage over Ultra while maintaining a significantly better visual presentation than Medium or Low. For users who prioritize maximum frame rates, 1080p Low at 166 FPS is the clear choice, but the visual downgrade is substantial.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best compromise, averaging 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS. This provides a playable experience with reasonable visual quality, though it falls short of the 60 FPS threshold in demanding scenes. The High preset at 1440p averages 69 FPS, which is acceptable but offers less headroom. Users should avoid Ultra at 1440p, as the 53 FPS average risks noticeable stuttering.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset provides a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset averages 58 FPS, which is borderline, but the lack of min/max data suggests potential dips. The Medium preset averages 44 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS, which is too low for responsive gameplay. The Ultra preset at 28 FPS is unplayable. Therefore, the recommendation is to avoid 4K entirely with this combo, or to use the Low preset only if 4K resolution is a hard requirement. Ultimately, the best experience is achieved at 1080p High, which offers the ideal balance of performance and image quality for this hardware pairing.