Minimum

Minimum, the 2014 third-person shooter, shows a dramatic performance scaling curve with the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. The data reveals a setup that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, but which transitions into a more balanced workload as pixel count climbs, ultimately delivering a highly playable experience at 4K despite the game's age and the modern hardware's brute force.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second (FPS) data shows a classic resolution scaling pattern, but with an unusually steep drop-off that highlights the RTX 5080's dominance over the Core Ultra 5 235. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 369 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 238 FPS, a 35.5% reduction, and then to 4K Low at 128 FPS, which is a 65.3% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames far faster than the processor can feed it.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at the High preset. The system hits 237 FPS at 1080p, falls to 153 FPS at 1440p (a 35.4% drop), and then plummets to 82 FPS at 4K (a 65.4% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across presets—roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p and another 46% from 1440p to 4K—suggests a predictable workload increase tied directly to pixel count. This is characteristic of a game that is not heavily dependent on complex geometry or physics, but rather on raw fill rate and memory bandwidth.

What this scaling tells us is that the RTX 5080 is the bottleneck at 4K, where even its massive 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are challenged by the sheer number of pixels. Conversely, at 1080p, the Core Ultra 5 235's 5.00 GHz boost clock and 14 cores are insufficient to keep up with the GPU's frame generation capabilities. The data shows that the CPU's performance ceiling is somewhere around 369 FPS, which is a very high number, but it still holds the system back from what the GPU could theoretically produce at 1080p Low.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the star of this pairing, and its specifications dictate the performance envelope. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card has both the capacity and bandwidth to handle Minimum at any resolution without memory-related stuttering. The 960.0 GB/s bandwidth is a critical asset at 4K Ultra, where the 63 FPS average suggests the card is working hard, but not running out of resources. The 1,875 MHz memory clock (30 Gbps effective) is a key enabler for the high frame rates seen at 1440p and 1080p.

The GPU's clock speeds—2,295 MHz base and 2,617 MHz boost—are relatively modest for a flagship card, but the architecture's efficiency compensates. The 10,752 shading units and 336 tensor cores provide immense parallel processing power, which is reflected in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,637 and the Passmark G3D score of 36,565. These benchmark scores place the RTX 5080 in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 56,083 is just 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB. This indicates that while the card is powerful, it is not operating in a class of its own.

In the context of this game, the GPU's role is clear: it is the primary driver of frame rates at resolutions above 1080p. The data shows that at 4K, the RTX 5080 is the limiting component, as the FPS scales almost linearly with the number of pixels. The GPU's 112 ROPs and 879.3 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient to maintain high fill rates, but the 4K Ultra preset's 63 FPS average shows that even this hardware has limits when pushed to maximum settings at 2160p. The GPU's 87th percentile ranking versus all GPUs reinforces that this is a high-end part, but the measured results in Minimum show that it is not overkill for 4K gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of all tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 173rd out of 2,939 combos for Minimum. This places it in the top 5.9% of all tested systems, which is an impressive showing. The rank of 173 is notable because it is not higher, given the RTX 5080's individual GPU ranking. This discrepancy suggests that the CPU is holding the combo back from reaching the very top tiers of performance, where faster processors paired with the same or similar GPUs likely achieve higher frame rates.

The CPU's own percentile ranking of 89th versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46,062, shows that it is a strong processor, but not the absolute best. Its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% higher score), the Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% lower score), and the AMD EPYC 4364P (0.2% higher score). These are all high-end parts, and the Core Ultra 5 235's position among them indicates it is competitive, but the 14-core, 14-thread configuration without hyper-threading may be a limiting factor in some workloads.

The combo rank of 173 suggests that there are 172 other combinations of CPUs and GPUs that produce higher average frame rates in Minimum. Given the GPU's 87th percentile ranking, it is likely that many of those higher-ranked combos pair a more powerful CPU, such as a higher-core-count or higher-clock-speed processor, with the RTX 5080. This is a strong argument for the CPU being the bottleneck in this system, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully utilized. The data shows that this combo is high-performing, but not elite, and the CPU is the component that prevents it from climbing higher in the rankings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1080p, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates across the board. The Low preset yields an average of 369 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. The Medium preset drops to 283 FPS, with a minimum of 240 FPS and a maximum of 325 FPS. High settings produce 237 FPS, and Ultra settings bring up the rear at 181 FPS. All of these numbers are far beyond what any display can refresh, making 1080p a resolution where the CPU is the clear bottleneck.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain very high, but the GPU begins to assert its influence. Low settings produce an average of 238 FPS, which is still incredibly smooth. Medium settings average 182 FPS (min 155, max 210), High settings average 153 FPS, and Ultra settings average 117 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 50.8% reduction in frame rate, which shows that the GPU is now doing more of the heavy lifting. These numbers are all well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making 1440p an excellent sweet spot for this hardware.

At 4K, the performance drops to more moderate levels, but remains playable. The Low preset yields an average of 128 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings average 98 FPS (min 83, max 113), High settings average 82 FPS, and Ultra settings average 63 FPS. The jump from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 50.8% reduction in frame rate, mirroring the scaling seen at 1440p. The minimum FPS recorded for 4K Medium is 83, which indicates that the system does not experience significant frame time spikes. The 4K Ultra average of 63 FPS is just above the 60 FPS target, suggesting that this is the maximum settings and resolution combo that can be run smoothly, but with little headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 369 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5080 or the Core Ultra 5 235 the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data shows that the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p, as frame rates cap out around 369 FPS. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, with frame rates scaling down significantly with increased resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested CPU and GPU combinations?

A: This combo ranks 173rd out of 2,939 tested combinations for Minimum, placing it in the top 5.9% of all systems.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the 4K Medium preset?

A: For the 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 83 and the maximum FPS is 113, with an average of 98 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings in Minimum?

A: Yes, the 4K Ultra preset produces an average of 63 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, but with very little headroom.

Q: What is the performance difference between the CPU and its nearest rival?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46,062. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, scores 46,030, which is a 0.1% difference.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear roadmap for optimizing the gameplay experience in Minimum with this hardware. For players using a 1080p display, the Ultra preset at 181 FPS is the obvious choice. The frame rate is so high that any potential visual benefits from lower settings are irrelevant, and the system has massive headroom. There is no reason to sacrifice visual quality at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset produces a frame rate that is more than triple the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 117 FPS remains the best choice for most users. This frame rate is high enough for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors. However, for those with 240Hz or faster displays, the High preset at 153 FPS might be preferable, as it offers a significant frame rate increase of 30.8% over Ultra. The Medium preset at 182 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but the visual downgrade from High is likely too steep for the additional 29 FPS. The Low preset at 238 FPS is only recommended for players who prioritize absolute maximum frame rates above all else.

At 4K, the situation is more nuanced. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is technically playable, but it offers no headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset at 82 FPS is the sweet spot for 4K, providing a 30.2% increase over Ultra while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 98 FPS is an excellent choice for players who want to ensure a very stable frame rate, and the Low preset at 128 FPS is ideal for those who prefer maximum fluidity over visual fidelity. Based on the data, the High preset at 4K offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, ensuring a smooth experience without pushing the hardware to its absolute limit. The 1440p High preset is the overall best experience, delivering 153 FPS with high visual quality and ample headroom, while the 4K High preset is the best option for 2160p displays.