Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that still punishes modern hardware at high resolutions, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the Intel Arc B370 produces a playable but heavily GPU-bound experience that requires careful settings management. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern: the integrated Arc B370 graphics is the limiting factor at every resolution, while the 14-core CPU has ample headroom even in the most demanding scenes.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all quality presets, confirming that the Intel Arc B370's integrated graphics is the primary bottleneck in this combo. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 85 FPS at 1920x1080 to 55 FPS at 2560x1440, a 30 FPS reduction, and then to 30 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 64.7% loss from 1080p to 4K, which is a massive penalty that indicates the GPU is completely saturated at higher pixel counts.

The scaling pattern holds across other presets. At High settings, the average drops from 55 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 1440p and finally to 19 FPS at 4K. Medium settings show 65 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most demanding, starting at 42 FPS at 1080p, falling to 27 FPS at 1440p, and collapsing to 15 FPS at 4K. In every case, the step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 35-40% of the frame rate, while the step to 4K costs another 40-45%.

This behavior is characteristic of a GPU that has a fixed execution budget regardless of resolution. The Arc B370 operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, and its 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is simply not enough to maintain high frame rates when pixel count quadruples. The fact that the 1080p Low result of 85 FPS is the only measured value above 60 FPS in the entire dataset reinforces that this is a low-end graphics solution. Even at 1440p Low, the average drops to 55 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target.

The min and max frame data available for Medium settings shows the variance increasing with resolution: at 1080p Medium, the range is 56-75 FPS (a 19 FPS spread), at 1440p Medium it is 36-48 FPS (a 12 FPS spread), and at 4K Medium it is 19-26 FPS (a 7 FPS spread). The absolute spread narrows at higher resolutions because the GPU is consistently near its limit, whereas at 1080p there is more headroom for occasional spikes. The data suggests that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can deliver a consistently smooth experience, and even then only on Low or Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2703 out of 2939 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems evaluated. This is a very low position that reflects the Arc B370's limited graphics capability rather than any CPU deficiency. The Core Ultra 5 235 is a modern desktop processor with 14 cores and 14 threads, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs tested. The GPU, by contrast, sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs based on its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184.

The rank of 2703 out of 2939 means that only 236 tested combos performed worse in this game. That places this system firmly in the entry-level tier for Minimum, which is not surprising given that the Arc B370's nearest GPU rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (average score 1186, deltaPct -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (average score 1190, deltaPct -0.5%), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (average score 1192, deltaPct -0.7%), and the AMD FirePro M2000 (average score 1168, deltaPct 1.4%). All of these are legacy parts from a decade ago, and the Arc B370's performance is essentially tied with them, differing by less than 1% in either direction.

The CPU's nearest rivals tell a different story. The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, deltaPct 0.1%), the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, deltaPct -0.1%), the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970, deltaPct 0.2%), and the AMD EPYC 7303 (45960, deltaPct 0.2%). These deltas are all within 0.2%, meaning the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class. The bottleneck is unambiguous: the GPU holds the combo back from achieving a higher rank, while the CPU has more than enough headroom for this game's requirements.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process as part of the Panther Lake chip. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS and FP16 of 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1). The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, drawing a thermal design power of 25 W.

Critically, the Arc B370 uses system shared memory for both its frame buffer and its memory bus. The memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," which means the GPU relies on the CPU's DDR5 memory. The Core Ultra 5 235 supports dual-channel DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, but this is shared with the CPU and is not dedicated graphics memory. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 confirms the GPU's low-end positioning, and its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs means it outperforms only a small fraction of the graphics hardware in the database.

The measured frame rates in Minimum align with this performance profile. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 85 FPS, which is the only result above 60 FPS. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 65 FPS, still playable but with min FPS of 56. High settings at 1080p yield 55 FPS, and Ultra drops to 42 FPS. The GPU's compute capacity of 6.144 TFLOPS is simply insufficient for higher resolutions or quality settings in this game. The 25 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate this is designed for power efficiency, not gaming performance, and the measured results are consistent with that design goal.

An important consideration is that the Arc B370 has no dedicated video memory. The "System Dependent" bandwidth means performance will vary based on the system memory configuration, but even with the Core Ultra 5 235's dual-channel DDR5, the GPU cannot escape its fundamental compute limitations. The data shows that every resolution above 1080p results in average frame rates below 60 FPS, and 4K is essentially unplayable on any preset, with the best result being 30 FPS on Low.

FAQ

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so sharply from 1080p to 4K?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has only 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and relies on system shared memory. At 3840x2160, the pixel count is four times higher than at 1920x1080, and the GPU cannot keep up. The data shows a 64.7% frame rate drop on Low settings (85 FPS to 30 FPS) when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 holding back the Arc B370 in Minimum?

A: No. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Intel Core i9-13900HX) differ by only 0.1% in average benchmark score. The GPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the steep resolution scaling.

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

A: The only resolution that consistently delivers above 60 FPS is 1920x1080, and only on Low settings (85 FPS). At 1440p, the best result is 55 FPS on Low, and at 4K, no preset exceeds 30 FPS. For a smooth experience, 1080p is the only viable choice.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168), with deltas ranging from -0.7% to 1.4%.

Q: Does the Arc B370 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." The GPU uses the CPU's DDR5 memory, which the Core Ultra 5 235 supports at 102.4 GB/s in dual-channel configuration.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p with this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, the measured averages are 55 FPS on Low, 42 FPS on Medium (with min 36 and max 48), 35 FPS on High, and 27 FPS on Ultra. All of these are below 60 FPS, so 1440p is only suitable for less demanding play.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of settings for this combo in Minimum. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 85 FPS average, which is the only result with substantial headroom above 60 FPS. Medium settings at 1080p produce 65 FPS average with a minimum of 56 FPS, which is playable but occasionally dips below the 60 FPS threshold. High settings at 1080p drop to 55 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS.

For a stable, smooth experience, 1080p Low is the only preset that guarantees performance well above 60 FPS. The 85 FPS average leaves room for scene complexity without dropping below playable levels. If visual quality is a priority, 1080p Medium is a reasonable compromise, as the 65 FPS average with a 56 FPS minimum means most of the game will run smoothly, with only rare dips. High settings at 1080p are borderline, as the 55 FPS average frequently falls below 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, no settings preset achieves 60 FPS. Low settings give 55 FPS, which is close but not consistent, while Medium gives 42 FPS, High gives 35 FPS, and Ultra gives 27 FPS. For 1440p gaming, Low is the only recommendation, and even then users should expect occasional frame rate drops. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse: Low gives 30 FPS, Medium gives 23 FPS, High gives 19 FPS, and Ultra gives 15 FPS. None of these are playable for a third-person shooter, so 4K is not recommended.

The data suggests that the optimal experience is 1080p with Medium settings, balancing the 65 FPS average with improved visual fidelity over Low. Users who prioritize frame rate above all else should select 1080p Low, while those who want better visuals can accept the minor frame rate penalty of Medium. High and Ultra settings at 1080p are not recommended because they push the average below 60 FPS, and the GPU's limited 6.144 TFLOPS performance cannot compensate for the increased shading and texture demands.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake-S architecture, built on a 3 nm TSMC process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a thermal design power of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14769 and single-core score is 2085, while PassMark tests show a multi-thread score of 37816 and a single-thread score of 4516.

In Minimum, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, but the data confirms it is not a bottleneck. The 14 cores and 14 threads provide ample processing power for a 2014 third-person shooter, which was designed for the hardware of that era. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database, and its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are all within 0.2%: the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, deltaPct 0.1%), Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, deltaPct -0.1%), AMD EPYC 4364P (45970, deltaPct 0.2%), and AMD EPYC 7303 (45960, deltaPct 0.2%).

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s from dual-channel DDR5 is shared with the Arc B370 GPU, which relies on system memory for its frame buffer. This is a potential concern, but the measured frame rates do not show signs of memory bandwidth starvation at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU's compute limits are reached before memory bandwidth becomes an issue. The CPU's 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes are irrelevant for this integrated graphics setup, as the GPU is part of the same chip and uses the IGP bus interface.

The PassMark data shows strong CPU performance across various workloads: integer math at 87948, floating point math at 117951, data compression at 390711, and data encryption at 29293. These scores indicate the CPU can handle game logic, physics, and AI calculations in Minimum without difficulty. The physics score of 2570 and find prime numbers score of 371 are lower, but these do not translate to gaming bottlenecks in a title from 2014. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo, and any frame rate issues are attributable to the Arc B370's graphics performance.