Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that turns out to be a surprisingly demanding title for modern hardware, and the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 reveal a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions. The data set shows a clear hierarchy where the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at higher pixel counts, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates exceptionally high at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a steep and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is classic behavior for a system where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo delivers 191 FPS, which falls to 123 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 66 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 36% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 46% loss when stepping up to 4K. The scaling pattern is nearly linear, suggesting that the RTX 5070's rendering throughput is being consumed proportionally by the additional pixels.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with even higher absolute numbers, starting at 297 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 192 FPS at 1440p, and settling at 103 FPS at 4K. The gap between Low and High settings widens as resolution increases, which indicates that the GPU is doing more work per pixel at higher quality levels, but the overall trend remains consistent: the RTX 5070 is the limiting factor once you move past 1080p. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 51 FPS, which is playable but shows the ceiling of this configuration for this game.

The data also reveals that the transition from Medium to Ultra at each resolution costs more frames than the step from Low to Medium. At 1440p, Medium produces 147 FPS while Ultra drops to 94 FPS, a 36% reduction, whereas Low to Medium only loses 23% of the frame rate. This suggests that Ultra settings in Minimum introduce effects or geometry that disproportionately tax the GPU, making the quality-versus-performance tradeoff steeper at the high end of the settings spectrum.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node and houses 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. Its boost clock of 2512 MHz and base clock of 2325 MHz provide the raw speed needed to push high frame rates, and the 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Minimum, the GPU's role is clearly dominant at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that the 4K High score of 66 FPS is barely above the 4K Medium minimum of 67 FPS, indicating that the card is running near its memory or shading limits.

The GPU's shading resources include 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines, which together produce a pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 30.87 TFLOPS gives the card substantial compute headroom, but the measured data shows that this headroom is not fully utilized at 1080p, where the frame rates are likely capped by CPU or game engine limitations rather than GPU throughput. The fact that 1080p Low hits 297 FPS while 1080p Ultra only reaches 146 FPS suggests the GPU is still doing significant work even at lower resolutions, but the scaling pattern points to diminishing returns at higher settings.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 with an average score delta of 0.1%, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 at 0.8%, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 at -1.2%. These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores across all tests, not specifically Minimum, so they provide a general indication of the RTX 5070's positioning rather than a game-specific ranking. The GPU's percentile of 82 among all GPUs indicates it sits comfortably in the upper tier of hardware, which aligns with the strong FPS numbers seen in the measured data.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth provide a solid foundation for feeding the GPU in a game like Minimum. The CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant here, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085, which suggests it can handle the game's main thread without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

At 1080p, the CPU's role becomes more apparent. The jump from 191 FPS at High to 297 FPS at Low indicates that the processor is capable of pushing frame rates well above 200 FPS when the GPU is not heavily loaded. The fact that 1080p Ultra still achieves 146 FPS suggests the CPU can keep up even with higher quality settings, but the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p (151 FPS difference) is larger than the gap at 4K (52 FPS difference), reinforcing that the CPU has more influence at lower resolutions where the GPU has spare capacity.

The CPU's multithreaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769 and a Passmark multithread score of 37816, indicates it has ample processing power for game logic and background tasks. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with a delta of 0.1% and the Intel Core i9-13900HX with a delta of -0.1%, showing that this processor sits in a competitive performance tier. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms its strong positioning, and the measured FPS data suggests that for Minimum, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor except possibly at the very highest frame rates at 1080p Low.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 558th out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 19% of all configurations evaluated. This ranking reflects the overall performance across all resolutions and settings, and the data shows that the combo is capable of delivering playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra, which is notable for a game that pushes modern hardware.

The rank suggests that while this is not an extreme top-tier configuration, it is well above average for this game. The measured FPS numbers support this positioning, as the combo achieves 66 FPS at 4K High, which is a solid result for a high-resolution gaming scenario. The 1080p numbers are particularly impressive, with 297 FPS at Low and 191 FPS at High, indicating that this combo can drive high-refresh-rate monitors without issue at lower resolutions.

The fact that the combo ranks 558th out of 2939 means there are 557 configurations that perform better, but these likely include setups with more expensive CPUs or higher-tier GPUs. The data shows that the Intel Ultra 5 235 and RTX 5070 pairing is a balanced one, with neither component severely bottlenecking the other in Minimum, as evidenced by the consistent scaling across resolutions and settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance of performance and visual quality, with 123 FPS at High and 94 FPS at Ultra. At 1080p, the combo exceeds 190 FPS at High, which is excellent for high-refresh displays, but 1440p provides a more immersive experience while still maintaining high frame rates.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Minimum?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K High, the combo achieves 66 FPS, while 4K Medium reaches 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS. 4K Ultra drops to 51 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less smooth. For 4K, Medium or High settings are recommended based on the measured data.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game?

A: The CPU's impact is most visible at 1080p, where the frame rates can reach 297 FPS at Low settings. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235's boost clock of 5.00 GHz and strong single-thread performance keep it from bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the difference is 151 FPS (297 Low vs 146 Ultra), at 1440p it is 98 FPS (192 Low vs 94 Ultra), and at 4K it is 52 FPS (103 Low vs 51 Ultra). The gap narrows as resolution increases because the GPU workload grows.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for Minimum?

A: Based on the measured data, yes. The card achieves playable frame rates at all settings and resolutions, and the 672.0 GB/s memory bandwidth appears sufficient for this game. No VRAM-related stuttering is indicated in the measured FPS numbers.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 558th out of 2939 tested combos, placing it in the top 19% of all configurations. This indicates it performs well above average for Minimum, with the GPU's 82nd percentile and CPU's 89th percentile rankings contributing to its strong overall position.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 297 FPS, Medium reaches 228 FPS with a minimum of 193 and maximum of 262, High achieves 191 FPS, and Ultra drops to 146 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is well within the capability of this hardware, with even Ultra settings maintaining frame rates above 140 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 192 FPS, Medium produces 147 FPS with a range of 125 to 169, High maintains 123 FPS, and Ultra falls to 94 FPS. The 1440p results show that the combo can handle high refresh rates at this resolution, with even Ultra staying above 90 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 103 FPS, Medium achieves 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 and maximum of 91, High delivers 66 FPS, and Ultra drops to 51 FPS. The 4K numbers demonstrate that while the combo is capable of 4K gaming, players will need to choose between higher quality settings or higher frame rates at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 228 FPS, which is more than enough for any display, while at 1440p it maintains 147 FPS with a minimum of 125, ensuring smooth gameplay. Even at 4K, Medium achieves 79 FPS with a minimum of 67, which is playable without major frame drops.

For players prioritizing maximum visual quality, Ultra settings are viable at 1080p and 1440p, with 146 FPS and 94 FPS respectively. However, at 4K, Ultra drops to 51 FPS, which may be too low for fast-paced shooter gameplay. In this case, High settings at 4K provide a better experience with 66 FPS, though still below the 60 FPS threshold that Medium comfortably exceeds.

The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play at 1080p or 1440p, where frame rates of 297 FPS and 192 FPS provide a significant advantage. The data shows that Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a 43% improvement over High at 1080p (228 vs 191 FPS) while maintaining similar visual fidelity, making it the best choice for most players across all three resolutions.