Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination delivers a robust, high-refresh-rate experience in Minimum, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a system capable of exceeding 100 FPS at 1080p and 1440p on High settings, while 4K demands more conservative settings for smooth gameplay. The measured results place this combo in the 64th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating a solid mid-to-high-tier pairing.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Arrow Lake-S architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, which is critical for a third-person shooter like Minimum that relies on physics, AI, and game logic. The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, ensuring that the game's data-heavy workloads are fed efficiently to the GPU.

Benchmark results place the CPU in the 89th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (avgScore 46030, deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (avgScore 46098, deltaPct -0.1). The deltaPct values show that the Ultra 5 235 is effectively tied with these competitors, with less than a 0.2% difference in average score. In terms of single-core capability, the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and PassMark single-thread score of 4516 indicate that the processor can handle the frame-by-frame decision-making required in fast-paced combat scenarios.

For Minimum, the CPU's role is particularly evident at 1080p, where the measured FPS reaches 234 at Low settings. At this resolution, the GPU is not the bottleneck, and the CPU's ability to issue draw calls and process game state quickly becomes the limiting factor. The 14 threads, while not hyper-threaded, are sufficient for the game's workload, as evidenced by the high frame rates. At higher resolutions, the CPU's influence diminishes, and the GPU becomes the primary driver of performance, but the Ultra 5 235 ensures that there are no CPU-induced stutters or frame drops, even in the most demanding scenes.

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

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the gameplay experience in Minimum. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 151 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and approaches the refresh rate of many high-end monitors. The Medium preset offers 179 FPS, while Low reaches 234 FPS, but the visual fidelity trade-off may not be worth the additional frames for most players. The Ultra preset drops to 115 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 97 FPS, which is excellent for a high-resolution experience. The Medium preset provides 116 FPS, and Low reaches 151 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 74 FPS, which is still above 60 but may exhibit more noticeable frame dips. For players prioritizing visual quality, High at 1440p is the sweet spot, balancing detail with performance. The data shows that the step from High to Ultra costs approximately 23 FPS at this resolution, a significant drop that may not justify the marginal visual improvement.

At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but playable for less competitive modes. The Medium preset improves to 62 FPS, with a min FPS of 53 and max FPS of 72, indicating some variability. The Low preset reaches 81 FPS, making it the only 4K option that provides a consistently smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 4K averages just 40 FPS, which falls below acceptable thresholds for a shooter. Therefore, the best overall experience per the measured rows is the High preset at 1440p, offering 97 FPS with strong visual fidelity, or the Low preset at 4K for those prioritizing frame rate over resolution.

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

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound pattern. At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 151 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 97 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 52 FPS, a 66% reduction from 1080p. This steep decline indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions, as the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become saturated.

The CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates are high enough to expose any CPU bottlenecks. The fact that the Low preset at 1080p reaches 234 FPS shows that the CPU can feed the GPU with data at a very high rate. However, the GPU's performance at 4K, where the Ultra preset drops to 40 FPS and High to 52 FPS, demonstrates that the RX 7700 XT's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at extreme resolutions. The GPU's 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 549.5 GTexel/s texture rate are capable, but the 4K workload overwhelms them.

Interestingly, the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (234 FPS) and Ultra (115 FPS) is 119 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 77 FPS (151 vs 74), and at 4K, it narrows to 41 FPS (81 vs 40). This trend suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU can push more frames, allowing the GPU's settings to have a larger impact. At 4K, the GPU is the bottleneck regardless of settings, so the FPS differences are compressed. This analysis confirms that the RX 7700 XT is the limiting component for Minimum at 1440p and above, while the Ultra 5 235 provides ample CPU headroom.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 combined with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 1052 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places the pairing in the 64th percentile of all configurations, indicating that it outperforms the majority of systems while not being at the absolute top tier. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, with the Ultra 5 235's strong single-thread performance complementing the RX 7700 XT's mid-range GPU capabilities.

Relative to other combos, this system sits in a competitive position. The CPU's percentile of 89 is higher than the GPU's percentile of 67, suggesting that the processor has more headroom than the graphics card. This imbalance means that in CPU-bound scenarios, such as 1080p with Low settings, the combo can achieve very high frame rates (234 FPS), but in GPU-bound scenarios, such as 4K with Ultra settings, performance lags (40 FPS). The combo's overall rank confirms its versatility, as it handles a wide range of game settings and resolutions without severe bottlenecks.

The nearest rivals for the GPU, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (avgScore 22435, deltaPct 0.5) and the RTX 4060 Mobile (avgScore 22729, deltaPct -0.8), show that the RX 7700 XT is closely matched with these competitors. The deltaPct values indicate that the RX 7700 XT is within 1.5% of these GPUs in synthetic benchmarks, but in Minimum, the measured FPS shows that the combination with the Ultra 5 235 produces results that are competitive with mid-range systems. The rank of 1052 out of 2939 is a solid mid-pack result, showing that this combo is a reliable choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1435 MHz, with a boost clock of 2544 MHz and a game clock of 2171 MHz. These specifications are crucial for Minimum, as the game's textures and effects require substantial memory bandwidth and compute power.

The GPU's 3456 shading units, 216 TMUs, and 96 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute of 35.17 TFLOPS allows the GPU to handle complex lighting and particle effects, which are common in third-person shooters. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the memory capacity and bandwidth become limiting factors. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (40 FPS) and High (52 FPS) reflects this constraint, as the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates at that resolution.

The GPU's benchmark results show an average score of 22549, placing it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (avgScore 22435, deltaPct 0.5) and the RTX 4060 Mobile (avgScore 22729, deltaPct -0.8). These deltaPct values indicate that the RX 7700 XT is essentially on par with these mobile GPUs, which is notable given that the RX 7700 XT is a desktop part. In Minimum, the GPU's performance at 1080p High (151 FPS) and 1440p High (97 FPS) demonstrates that it is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at these resolutions, but 4K gamers will need to lower settings to achieve playable frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RX 7700 XT in Minimum?*

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 with the High preset provides an average of 97 FPS, making it the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 151 FPS, but 1440p offers a sharper image without sacrificing smoothness.

*Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Minimum?*

A: Yes, but only with lower settings. The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 81 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 62 FPS. The High preset falls to 52 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS, so players should use Medium or Low for 4K.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile in benchmarks?

A: The RX 7700 XT has an average benchmark score of 22549, while the RTX 5060 Mobile scores 22435, a deltaPct of 0.5. This means the RX 7700 XT is slightly ahead, but the difference is minimal.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, where FPS drops significantly with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's performance is sufficient to allow the GPU to reach high frame rates, but the GPU's capabilities cap performance at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the components in this combo?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has a launch MSRP of $257, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT has a launch MSRP of 449 USD.

Q: How does the Ultra 5 235 compare to the Intel Core i9-13900HX in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, while the Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, a deltaPct of -0.1. This indicates that the Ultra 5 235 is statistically tied with the i9-13900HX in overall performance.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance in Minimum. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 234 FPS, the Medium preset averages 179 FPS with a min of 153 and max of 206, the High preset averages 151 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 115 FPS. These figures show that the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 151 FPS, the Medium preset averages 116 FPS with a min of 98 and max of 133, the High preset averages 97 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution represents a 23 FPS drop, which is a significant sacrifice for marginal visual improvements. The Medium preset offers a good middle ground with 116 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 81 FPS, the Medium preset averages 62 FPS with a min of 53 and max of 72, the High preset averages 52 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 40 FPS. The 4K results show that the GPU is heavily taxed, with only the Low preset providing a consistently smooth experience above 60 FPS. The Medium preset's min FPS of 53 indicates that there may be occasional frame drops, which could be problematic in fast-paced gameplay.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, providing high frame rates at High and Medium settings, while 4K requires Low or Medium settings for playable performance. The measured FPS values are a direct reflection of the GPU's specifications, particularly its 12 GB VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, which are adequate for 1440p but strained at 4K. Overall, this combo is a strong choice for competitive and casual play at mainstream resolutions, with the Ultra 5 235 ensuring no CPU bottlenecks and the RX 7700 XT delivering solid GPU performance.