Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that, on paper, should not stress modern hardware. Yet, the measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination reveals a system that is consistently bound by the graphics card, with performance scaling that behaves differently across resolutions and presets. The following analysis breaks down the measured frames per second (FPS) data, contextualizes the combo’s standing against other tested configurations, and offers a component-level interpretation of the results.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, confirming that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary limiting factor in this pairing. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 131 FPS at 1920x1080 to 85 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 46 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 46 FPS, which is a 65% decrease from the 1080p figure. This pattern is typical of a GPU that runs out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth as the render resolution increases.

The scaling is less dramatic but still pronounced at Medium settings. The average FPS goes from 100 at 1080p to 65 at 1440p, and then down to 35 at 4K. The measured minimum and maximum values at Medium settings also show the strain: at 1080p, the range is 85 to 115 FPS, but at 4K, the range narrows to 30 to 40 FPS. This compression of the frame time variance at higher resolutions suggests that the system is hitting a hard performance ceiling, likely due to the GPU's 6 GB memory capacity and 192-bit bus.

At High settings, the same trend holds, with averages of 84 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of 64 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and only 22 FPS at 4K. The data indicates that the CPU, with its 14 cores and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, is not the bottleneck at any resolution; the consistent FPS drops align with the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth limits rather than any CPU-side physics or draw call constraints.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 2509 out of 2939 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the lower 15th percentile of all tested pairings, which is a low position, but the context matters. The combo rank reflects the balance of the two components; here, the GPU's performance percentile is far below the CPU's, creating an imbalance.

The CPU itself, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (average score 46030, a delta of 0.1%) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (average score 46098, a delta of -0.1%). This indicates the CPU is a high-end performer, capable of feeding a much faster GPU than the GTX 1660 SUPER.

In contrast, the GTX 1660 SUPER ranks at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12986. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (average score 12940, a delta of 0.4%) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 (average score 12928, a delta of 0.4%). The GPU's mid-pack standing, combined with the CPU's top-tier position, explains the low combo rank: the system is underutilizing its processor, and the overall gaming performance is capped by the graphics card's modest capabilities. The 2509th rank out of 2939 is a direct consequence of this mismatch.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture using a 12 nm process at TSMC, with a chip designated TU116. It features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The memory subsystem consists of 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The base clock is 1530 MHz, with a boost clock of 1785 MHz, and the memory runs at an effective speed of 14 Gbps.

For Minimum, the GPU's 6 GB VRAM capacity is likely a decisive factor at 4K. The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 22 FPS, and even at Low settings it only reaches 46 FPS. These numbers suggest that the game is not only fill-rate limited but also potentially hitting memory capacity limits at the highest resolution, leading to texture swapping or reduced LODs. The measured data shows no min or max FPS values for most 4K presets, except Medium (min 30, max 40), which indicates unstable frame pacing under heavy load.

At 1080p, the GPU performs adequately, with the Low preset averaging 131 FPS. The pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s are sufficient for this older title at lower resolutions. However, the FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, and the data reflects that the card is best suited for 1080p gaming or 1440p with reduced settings. The GPU's percentile ranking of 53 places it in the middle of the pack, and its direct rivals, such as the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and RX 580, show similar average scores, reinforcing that this is a mainstream-level graphics solution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance of visual quality and frame rate is achieved at 1920x1080 with the High preset, which produces an average of 84 FPS. This is above the standard 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a higher average of 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS, but the jump to High only costs 16 FPS on average while likely providing a noticeable visual improvement in a third-person shooter where environmental detail matters.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that maintains a consistently playable frame rate, with an average of 85 FPS. The High preset at 1440p drops to 54 FPS, which might be acceptable for some players, but the data shows a steeper decline than the 1080p High to 1440p High transition (84 to 54 FPS, a 36% drop). The Medium preset at 1440p averages 65 FPS, which is a compromise, but the minimum of 55 FPS could lead to occasional stutters in intense scenes.

For 4K gaming, the data strongly advises against it. Even the Low preset only averages 46 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness threshold, and the Ultra preset averages 22 FPS, which is unplayable. The recommendation is to stick to 1080p for a stable experience, using High settings for a balance of visuals and performance, or dropping to Medium for a higher frame rate buffer. The 4K data is only useful for understanding the GPU's hard limits, not for practical gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K resolution?

A: Technically yes, but not comfortably. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 ranges from 46 FPS on Low settings to 22 FPS on Ultra settings. The Medium preset averages 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS. These numbers are below the 60 FPS target for smooth play.

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

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is optimal. At this resolution, the High preset averages 84 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 131 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 reduces the High preset average to 54 FPS, which is a significant drop.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062. It is 0.1% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (avg 46030) and 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX (avg 46098). Its performance delta against the AMD EPYC 4364P is +0.2% (45970).

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER a bottleneck for the Ultra 5 235 in this game?

A: Yes, the data suggests this. The GPU ranks at the 53rd percentile (average score 12986), while the CPU ranks at the 89th percentile (average score 46062). The FPS scaling with resolution changes is consistent with GPU limitations, not CPU constraints.

Q: What are the measured FPS differences between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 131 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 64 FPS. This is a difference of 67 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is 51% slower than Low.

Q: Does the GPU's memory size affect 1440p performance?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 54 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 41 FPS. While the data does not explicitly show VRAM overflow, the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions compared to 1080p suggest memory bandwidth constraints are a factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture and built on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It has 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, offering a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's role appears minimal given the measured FPS data. The frame rates are consistently low at 4K across all presets, which would not be the case if the CPU were the limiting factor. The processor's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769 and single-core score of 2085 indicate strong computational capability, but this game does not seem to leverage it heavily. The PassMark multithread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 further confirm that the CPU has ample headroom.

The bottleneck is clearly the GPU. The CPU is ranked in the 89th percentile, with rivals like the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX performing within 0.1% of its average score. This suggests that the Ultra 5 235 is overqualified for pairing with a GTX 1660 SUPER in this title. The 14-core configuration and high boost clock are wasted potential when the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering demands. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, the FPS is 131, which is high but still below what a top-tier CPU could potentially push if paired with a faster GPU, indicating that the GPU's limits are hit first.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER in Minimum is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces an average of 131 FPS. The Medium preset averages 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. The High preset averages 84 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 64 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 85 FPS. The Medium preset averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. The High preset averages 54 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 41 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 46 FPS. The Medium preset averages 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. The High preset averages 29 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 22 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: dropping settings from Ultra to Low yields substantial gains at every resolution, with the largest absolute gain at 1080p (67 FPS difference between Low and Ultra). The scaling from 1080p to 4K is also consistent, with roughly a 50-65% reduction in average FPS across all presets, underscoring the GPU's inability to handle higher pixel counts. The minimum and maximum values, where available, show that frame pacing becomes tighter at lower resolutions and looser at 4K, indicating more consistent performance when the GPU is less stressed.