Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti combination delivers a remarkably robust experience in Minimum, a third-person shooter that scales dramatically across resolutions and presets. The data shows a system capable of triple-digit frame rates in nearly every configuration, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck only at the most demanding 4K Ultra setting. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data to explain exactly where the limits lie and how to best configure the game for your display.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this CPU and GPU combo in Minimum?*

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 326 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the game presents very little challenge to the hardware at the lowest graphical preset.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in overall benchmark performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which places it just 0.1% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HX and a mere 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375. This puts it in a dead heat with top-tier laptop and desktop processors.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all other graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 44795. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, is only 0.8% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT is 1.3% slower.

Q: At which resolution does the 4K Ultra setting fall below 60 FPS?

A: At 3840x2160 (4K) with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 56 FPS. This is the only measured configuration in the entire dataset that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a significant performance wall at this setting.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 211 on Low settings to 103 on Ultra settings. This represents a 108 FPS reduction, demonstrating that the Ultra preset more than halves the performance of the Low preset at this resolution.

Q: Is the game's performance more dependent on the CPU or GPU based on the data?

A: The data suggests a balanced dependency that shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates cap out around 326 FPS. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, evidenced by the 56 FPS result at Ultra settings, which is a 170 FPS drop from the 1080p Ultra score.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, is the dominant performance driver in Minimum at higher resolutions. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the game's data demands at all measured resolutions. The core clocks, with a base of 2310 MHz and a boost of 2610 MHz, allow the card to quickly process the game's geometry and effects.

The GPU's role becomes most apparent when examining the scaling from 1440p to 4K. At 1440p High, the system produces 135 FPS. Moving to 4K High, the frame rate drops to 73 FPS, a reduction of 62 FPS. This inverse relationship between resolution and performance is a classic indicator of GPU-bound workloads. The card's raw compute power, measured at 40.09 TFLOPS FP32, is being increasingly taxed as the pixel count rises.

The transition from Medium to Ultra settings at 4K further illustrates the GPU's workload. The average FPS falls from 87 on Medium to 56 on Ultra, a significant 31 FPS drop. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU's shader and rasterization units. The RTX 4070 Ti's 80 ROPs and 240 TMUs are clearly the limiting factor at this extreme setting, as the system cannot maintain a smooth 60 FPS.

In contrast, at 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom. The 326 FPS result at Low settings shows that the card is far from its limit, and even at Ultra, it produces 160 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions, and its full capabilities are only truly challenged when the pixel count is maximized.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 provides the foundation for the high frame rates observed in Minimum. With 14 cores and 14 threads, the processor has substantial multi-threaded capacity, reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769. The boost clock of 5.00 GHz is crucial for single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085, which ensures the game's primary simulation thread can be processed quickly.

The CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where the GPU is not the limiting factor. At this resolution, the frame rates cap out, suggesting a CPU bottleneck. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system produces 326 FPS, while at 1440p Low, it produces 211 FPS. The fact that the 1080p score is significantly higher indicates that the CPU is able to feed the GPU faster at lower resolutions, but the absolute ceiling of the CPU's capability is being approached.

This is further supported by the PassMark multi-thread score of 37816 and the single-thread score of 4516. These scores place the CPU in the 89th percentile of all processors, showing it is a top-tier part. The architecture, Arrow Lake-S on a 3nm TSMC process, contributes to its efficiency, allowing it to maintain high clocks without excessive power draw from its 65W TDP.

However, the CPU's performance is not infinite. The data shows that the 1080p Low score of 326 FPS is the highest in the dataset, and it is likely that the CPU's processing power is what prevents even higher scores. The game's engine, from 2014, may not be able to fully utilize the 14 cores, but the high single-thread performance ensures that the main game logic does not bottleneck the system until frame rates exceed 300 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Minimum reveals a wide performance envelope across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the game is exceptionally fluid. The Low preset delivers an average of 326 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce 250 FPS, with a minimum of 212 FPS and a maximum of 287 FPS. High settings yield 210 FPS, while the Ultra preset still maintains a high average of 160 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high but show a clear step down. The Low preset averages 211 FPS, which is a significant but expected drop from the 1080p result. Medium settings average 161 FPS, with a minimum of 137 FPS and a maximum of 185 FPS. High settings produce 135 FPS, and the Ultra preset settles at 103 FPS. This resolution represents a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, as even the most demanding preset stays above the 100 FPS mark.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the dominant factor. The Low preset still manages an average of 113 FPS, which is excellent for 4K. Medium settings drop to 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. High settings yield 73 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the only configuration to fall below 60 FPS, averaging just 56 FPS. The gap between each setting is larger at 4K than at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU's resources are being consumed rapidly as quality increases.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shift in system bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 210 at 1080p to 135 at 1440p, and then to 73 at 4K. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card must render four times as many pixels at 4K compared to 1080p.

The scaling is even more pronounced at the Low preset. The frame rate falls from 326 FPS at 1080p to 211 FPS at 1440p, and then to 113 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 46%. This suggests that while the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, the GPU begins to take over as the resolution increases, even at the lowest quality settings.

This pattern indicates a classic balance between the two components. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is powerful enough to drive frame rates well above 300 FPS at 1080p, but it cannot overcome the sheer pixel throughput required at 4K. The RTX 4070 Ti, while very capable, has a finite amount of rendering power, and the demands of 4K resolution eventually overwhelm it, particularly at the Ultra preset where the average FPS drops to 56. The data shows that the system is CPU-bound at 1080p, balanced at 1440p, and GPU-bound at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this hardware depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p high-refresh-rate monitor (240Hz or higher), the High preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 210 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most displays and provides a smooth, responsive experience. The Ultra preset, at 160 FPS, is also viable, but the 50 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not be worth the marginal visual improvement for competitive play.

At 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. With an average of 161 FPS and a minimum of 137 FPS, it ensures that frame times remain consistently low, which is crucial for a third-person shooter. The High preset, at 135 FPS, is also excellent, but the Medium preset provides a higher safety margin against frame drops. The Ultra preset, at 103 FPS, is still playable, but it is recommended only for users who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rate.

For 4K displays, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the highest quality setting that maintains a smooth experience. The average of 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS, keeps the gameplay fluid and responsive. The Low preset, at 113 FPS, offers an even higher frame rate but with a significant reduction in visual quality. The High preset, at 73 FPS, is borderline but acceptable for slower-paced gameplay. The Ultra preset, at 56 FPS, should be avoided for competitive play, as the sub-60 FPS average will likely result in noticeable stutter and input lag. Therefore, the Medium preset at 4K is the recommended choice for this combination.