Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti pairing delivers a robust experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released on 2014-06-25. This combination ranks 705th out of 2939 tested combos, placing it in the top 24% of all configurations. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU proves more than capable of feeding the graphics card at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the performance bottleneck lies. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 178 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 115 FPS, a reduction of 35.4%, and at 4K, the average falls to 62 FPS, which is 65.2% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the rendering workload at higher pixel counts outpaces the graphics card's capabilities.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. With Low settings, the system achieves 277 FPS at 1080p, 179 FPS at 1440p, and 96 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low figure is still more than double the 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS, indicating that even at the lowest quality, the resolution is the primary factor limiting performance. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is consistent, roughly a 35-36% drop for each preset, while the jump from 1440p to 4K incurs a further 46-50% reduction in frame rate.

This scaling behavior suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 384-bit bus are sufficient for the game's demands, but the sheer pixel throughput at 4K overwhelms the GPU's compute units. The data indicates that for maximum refresh rates, 1080p is the target resolution, while 4K requires a compromise on quality settings to remain fluid. The fact that 4K Medium (74 FPS) is only 19.4% slower than 4K High (62 FPS) shows that the game is sensitive to specific rendering features rather than a uniform load increase.

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 by TSMC. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide substantial single-thread headroom, which is crucial for older game engines like the one powering Minimum. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4516 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 indicate strong per-core performance that prevents the processor from becoming a limiting factor in this title.

The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth are more than adequate for a game from this era. The data supports this assertion: at 1080p Low, the system produces 277 FPS, a frame rate that would require the CPU to process draw calls and game logic at a very high rate without bottlenecking. The fact that the FPS scales down predictably as resolution increases, rather than plateauing, confirms that the CPU is not the constraint.

Interestingly, the Core Ultra 5 235's benchmark scores place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% higher score) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% lower score), showing that it sits in a highly competitive performance tier. In Minimum, this CPU headroom is largely unused; the processor is effectively idle waiting for the GPU to finish rendering frames at higher resolutions. For users with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, this CPU ensures that frame times remain consistent and that the GPU is always fed with data.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing. Based on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, it features 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures. The GPU's boost clock of 1665 MHz and FP32 performance of 34.10 TFLOPS reflect its raw compute power.

The benchmark data shows that the GPU is the clear bottleneck in this system. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 47, while at 1080p Ultra it reaches 136 FPS. This 65.4% reduction in performance across a 4x increase in pixel count is a textbook example of GPU-bound behavior. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 26896 places it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41187. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (0.8% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (2% higher average score), yet in this specific game, the RTX 3080 Ti's performance is what ultimately determines the playable settings.

The VRAM capacity of 12 GB proves sufficient for Minimum, even at 4K Ultra, as the game's 2014 release date means texture sizes are modest by modern standards. The GPU's 350 W TDP and 750 W suggested PSU indicate a power-hungry component, but the data does not link power draw to performance in this context. The RTX 3080 Ti's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 ensures compatibility with the game's rendering paths, though the measured performance suggests the game may primarily utilize older DirectX features, given the high frame rates achieved.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti achieves a rank of 705 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the top 24% of all systems tested, a strong result for a pairing of a mid-range 2025 CPU with a high-end 2021 GPU. The rank reflects the GPU's ability to push high frame rates at 1440p and playable rates at 4K, while the CPU's single-thread performance ensures no artificial frame rate caps are hit.

Relative to other combos, this system is likely held back by the CPU's 14-thread configuration, as many higher-ranked combos may feature CPUs with more cores or higher boost clocks. However, the data shows that in Minimum, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor, so the rank is predominantly a reflection of GPU performance. The combo's position in the 705th spot suggests that there are 704 combinations that deliver higher average FPS, likely featuring more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4090 series or newer generation cards.

The delta between this combo and the top performers is not quantifiable from the given data, but the frame rates suggest that at 1080p, the system is competitive with high-end setups, while at 4K, it falls behind GPUs with higher memory bandwidth or more shading units. The rank of 705 out of 2939 is a solid mid-to-high-tier placement, indicating that this system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and capable of 4K at reduced settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system excels:

• Low: 277 FPS
• Medium: 212 FPS (min 180, max 244)
• High: 178 FPS
• Ultra: 136 FPS

These numbers show that at 1080p, the system can drive high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz or 165Hz) even at High settings. The jump from Ultra to High is a 30.9% increase in frame rate, suggesting that Ultra settings impose a significant rendering cost.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limits:

• Low: 179 FPS
• Medium: 137 FPS (min 116, max 157)
• High: 115 FPS
• Ultra: 87 FPS

1440p High is still above 100 FPS, making it suitable for 144Hz gaming, but Ultra drops below the 90 FPS threshold, requiring a compromise for competitive play. The Medium preset's min FPS of 116 shows that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains playable frame times.

At 3840x2160, the system transitions from high refresh to standard 60Hz territory:

• Low: 96 FPS
• Medium: 74 FPS (min 63, max 85)
• High: 62 FPS
• Ultra: 47 FPS

4K Low is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, while High is right at the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra falls below it. The Medium preset's min FPS of 63 suggests that 4K Medium is the optimal balance for a smooth experience, as it stays above 60 FPS in the worst-case scenarios tested. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is not playable at a consistent 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for fast-paced action.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 144 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, the system achieves 178 FPS on High settings and 212 FPS on Medium, both exceeding 144 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (179 FPS) exceeds 144 FPS, while High (115 FPS) falls short.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 74 with a minimum of 63, providing a playable experience. 4K High averages 62 FPS, which is borderline, while 4K Ultra drops to 47 FPS, which is not smooth.

Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has 14 cores and 14 threads. The data suggests that the game does not heavily utilize multi-threading, as the CPU's single-thread score of 4516 in PassMark is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking, evidenced by the 277 FPS at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM usage impact on performance?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. The data does not indicate VRAM limitations, as the game's 2014 release likely has modest VRAM requirements, and the GPU performs consistently across resolutions without signs of memory swapping.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti a bottleneck for this CPU?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, FPS drops by over 65%, while the CPU's performance remains constant. This is classic GPU-bound behavior.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 705th out of 2939 tested combinations, placing it in the top 24% of all systems. This rank is primarily attributed to the GPU's strong performance, as the CPU is not a limiting factor in this title.