Minimum

# Minimum — Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a dominant performance profile in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the system never drops below 67 FPS, with the highest measured average reaching 394 FPS at 1080p Low. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-limited at 4K Ultra, but becomes increasingly CPU-bound at lower resolutions and settings, where the 14-core processor's single-thread strength becomes the primary constraint. This pairing ranks 107th out of 2,939 tested combinations in the game, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 193, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 67 — a 65% reduction in frame rate from quadrupling the pixel count. This steep decline indicates that at 4K Ultra, the RTX 4090's rendering workload dominates, and the GPU is the limiting factor. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but the sheer pixel throughput at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings pushes the AD102 chip to its limits.

The scaling pattern changes dramatically when examining lower settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 394 FPS, while at 4K Low it still manages 137 FPS. The 65% drop at Ultra settings versus a 65% drop at Low settings (from 394 to 137) might seem similar, but the absolute frame rates tell a different story. At 1080p Low, the CPU is clearly the limiting component — the Intel Core Ultra 5 235's boost clock of 5.00 GHz and 14 cores are working to feed the GPU, which has headroom to spare. At 4K Low, the GPU becomes more involved, but the 137 FPS result still suggests the RTX 4090 is not fully saturated at this resolution with minimal settings.

The Medium preset provides the most revealing data for resolution scaling. At 1080p Medium, the average is 301 FPS with a minimum of 256 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it drops to 194 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it falls to 105 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p (a 36% reduction) and from 1440p to 4K (a 46% reduction) shows that the game becomes progressively more GPU-bound as resolution increases. However, the fact that 4K Medium still delivers 105 FPS — well above the 60 FPS threshold — demonstrates that this combination can handle high-refresh-rate 4K gaming, even with a demanding preset.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Minimum?*

A: The highest measured average is 394 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the system is heavily CPU-limited at this resolution and preset, as the RTX 4090 is capable of far higher frame rates in less demanding scenarios.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 67, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The minimum FPS was not recorded for this specific configuration, but the average suggests consistent playability at 4K Ultra.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46,062, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. It performs within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (score 46,030) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (score 46,098), and is 0.2% ahead of both the AMD EPYC 4364P (score 45,970) and AMD EPYC 7303 (score 45,960).

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 254 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 124 FPS. This represents a 51% reduction in frame rate from the lowest to the highest preset, with Medium (194 FPS) and High (163 FPS) falling in between.

*Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM sufficient for Minimum at 4K?*

A: The data shows no indication of VRAM limitations. The RTX 4090 features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 384-bit bus and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, which proves more than adequate for this 2014 title. The performance at 4K Ultra (67 FPS) is limited by raw GPU processing power, not memory capacity.

*Q: How does this system rank among all tested combinations in Minimum?*

A: This Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + RTX 4090 combination ranks 107th out of 2,939 tested configurations, placing it in the top 4% of all systems tested in this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In Minimum, the CPU's role becomes increasingly important as resolution decreases and settings are lowered. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 394 FPS — a frame rate that is far beyond what the GPU alone could produce if the CPU were not keeping up with the game's draw calls and physics calculations.

The processor's single-thread performance is particularly relevant here. With a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,085 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4,516, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 demonstrates strong per-core efficiency. This matters in a 2014 title like Minimum, which likely relies on fewer threads for critical game logic. The 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures that the game's main thread can execute quickly, which is essential at frame rates approaching 400 FPS.

The multi-threaded capabilities are also substantial. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,769 and PassMark multi-thread score of 37,816 indicate that the 14 cores can handle background tasks and any multi-threaded game systems without bottlenecking. The processor's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with performance nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, confirms its position as a high-end desktop part. The 65W TDP and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (102.4 GB/s bandwidth) provide ample data throughput for the game's asset streaming, though memory bandwidth is unlikely to be a constraint given the game's age.

At 4K Ultra, the CPU's role diminishes relative to the GPU. The 67 FPS average at this configuration indicates that the RTX 4090 is the primary limiting factor, as the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU with draw calls. However, at 1080p Low, the CPU becomes the bottleneck — the 394 FPS result suggests that the processor's instruction throughput is the ceiling, not the GPU's rendering capability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 394 FPS, Medium yields 301 FPS (with a minimum of 256 FPS and maximum of 347 FPS), High achieves 253 FPS, and Ultra drops to 193 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 51% reduction in frame rate, reflecting the increased GPU workload at higher presets. Even at Ultra, the 193 FPS average exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors, making this resolution entirely GPU-bound at lower presets and CPU-bound at Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear shift toward GPU limitation. Low settings average 254 FPS, Medium averages 194 FPS (minimum 165, maximum 223), High averages 163 FPS, and Ultra averages 124 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 36-38% across presets, which aligns with the pixel count increase of 78%. This suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint at this resolution, though the CPU still has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is firmly the limiting component. Low settings average 137 FPS, Medium averages 105 FPS (minimum 89, maximum 120), High averages 88 FPS, and Ultra averages 67 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with a 46-50% reduction in frame rates across presets. This indicates that the RTX 4090's pixel throughput is the limiting factor at 4K, particularly at Ultra settings where the 67 FPS average is the lowest recorded in the dataset. The Medium preset's minimum of 89 FPS shows that even the lowest dips stay comfortably above 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the defining component in this system, representing the flagship of the GeForce 40-series. It features 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, 176 raster output units, 128 RT cores, and 512 tensor cores, all operating at a boost clock of 2520 MHz. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Minimum at any resolution or setting.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (score 60,326, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (score 61,896, -2.5% delta), though these comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks rather than in-game performance. The RTX 4090's raw compute capabilities — 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate — ensure that it can handle Minimum's rendering demands with substantial headroom.

In Minimum, the RTX 4090's role is most evident at 4K Ultra, where it produces 67 FPS. This is the only configuration in the dataset where the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as the pixel count and shader complexity overwhelm even this flagship card. At lower resolutions and settings, the GPU has excess capacity — at 1080p Low, the 394 FPS result is limited by the CPU, not the GPU. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 and PassMark G3D score of 38,194 quantify the GPU's overall capability, but the in-game data provides the most relevant evidence: the RTX 4090 is a high-end card that can handle this 2014 title at maximum settings at 4K, though not at high refresh rates.

The GPU's 450W TDP and triple-slot design reflect its performance-class positioning. The 1x 16-pin power connector and 850W suggested PSU indicate that this is a power-hungry component, but the benchmark data shows that this power translates directly into frame rate. The RTX 4090's end-of-life production status and successor in the GeForce 50-series do not diminish its current performance in Minimum, where it remains one of the fastest cards available.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The 105 FPS average at 3840x2160 Medium is significantly higher than the 88 FPS at High and 67 FPS at Ultra, while still providing substantially better visuals than the 137 FPS Low preset. The minimum of 89 FPS at 4K Medium ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes, making this the recommended configuration for 4K displays. For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, Ultra at 67 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for frame rate drops.

At 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice. The 163 FPS average provides excellent smoothness on high-refresh-rate monitors, while the 124 FPS at Ultra offers only a marginal visual improvement at a 24% performance cost. The Medium preset at 194 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but High strikes the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate. The Low preset at 254 FPS is unnecessary for most players, as the visual compromise outweighs the additional frame rate beyond what most 1440p monitors can display.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 193 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most mainstream monitors. This makes Ultra the clear recommendation for 1080p gaming, as the visual benefits come at no practical cost to smoothness. For players with 240Hz or higher refresh rate displays, the High preset at 253 FPS is a better choice, though the difference between High and Ultra is primarily in shadow quality and draw distance. The Medium preset at 301 FPS is only recommended for extreme competitive scenarios where every frame matters, as the visual downgrade from High is noticeable.

Across all resolutions, the data shows that this system is capable of running Minimum at high settings with excellent frame rates. The RTX 4090's performance is the limiting factor only at 4K Ultra, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 becomes the bottleneck only at 1080p Low. For the best overall experience, 1440p High or 4K Medium provide the most balanced performance-to-visual ratio, depending on the player's display and preference for frame rate over graphical fidelity.