Minimum

Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter, presents an interesting scaling challenge for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the AMD Radeon 8060S. The measured data indicates that this combination is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, with a significant performance cliff appearing as resolution increases. The AMD Radeon 8060S, based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, proves to be the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the 14-core Intel processor provides ample headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot, 1440p is playable but requires settings adjustments, and 4K demands significant compromises to maintain acceptable frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, revealing a GPU-bound workload. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 120 FPS at 1920x1080 to 78 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 35%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 42 FPS, which is a 65% decrease from the 1080p figure and a 46% decrease from the 1440p result. This steep decline is a classic indicator that the AMD Radeon 8060S is the limiting component; the GPU's rendering load scales dramatically with pixel count, and its 14.85 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 187 FPS at 1080p to 121 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 65 FPS at 4K (a 65% drop from 1080p). This proportional decrease across settings confirms that the resolution itself, rather than the quality preset, is the dominant factor in performance degradation. The data suggests that the Radeon 8060S has a fixed performance ceiling that cannot be circumvented by simply lowering graphical fidelity, as the pixel throughput requirement remains the same.

Interestingly, the gap between 1440p and 4K is larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p. For Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 143 at 1080p, to 92 at 1440p, and then to 50 at 4K. The 4K result represents a 46% drop from the 1440p figure, whereas the 1440p result was a 36% drop from 1080p. This non-linear scaling is typical of GPUs that are nearing their memory bandwidth or fillrate limits, and it indicates that 4K gaming with this configuration will always be a compromise. The system shared memory bandwidth is marked as "System Dependent," suggesting that the integrated graphics rely on the system's DDR5 memory, which can further exacerbate the performance hit at high resolutions.

For a practical takeaway, 1080p is clearly the intended resolution for this hardware combo, delivering high frame rates even at Ultra settings. 1440p is viable for competitive play at Low or Medium settings, but the frame rate drops below 60 FPS at Ultra. 4K should only be considered for slower-paced gameplay or when visual fidelity at the cost of smoothness is acceptable, as even Low settings only yield 65 FPS. The benchmark results indicate that users should treat 4K as a showcase mode rather than a standard gaming resolution for this setup.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of how the quality presets impact performance, allowing for precise recommendations based on target frame rates. For a 60 FPS baseline, the data shows that the AMD Radeon 8060S can achieve this at 1080p with Ultra settings, averaging 92 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset drops to 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold, making High settings (78 FPS) the better choice for a smooth experience. At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS; the highest is Low at 65 FPS, which is the only playable option for action-oriented gameplay.

For competitive or high-refresh-rate gaming, the Low preset is a standout. At 1080p, it delivers an average of 187 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold for many gaming monitors. The Medium preset also provides a high frame rate of 143 FPS, offering a good balance between visual quality and speed. At 1440p, the Low preset's 121 FPS is excellent for fast-paced titles, while Medium at 92 FPS is still respectable. The High preset at 1440p (78 FPS) is the highest quality setting that maintains a frame rate suitable for most gamers, but it falls short of the high-refresh-rate mark.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and its performance is telling. At 1080p, it achieves 92 FPS, which is a 36% reduction from High settings (120 FPS). At 1440p, the Ultra preset's 59 FPS represents a 24% drop from High settings (78 FPS), and it is the only preset that fails to maintain a 60 FPS average at this resolution. At 4K, Ultra is effectively unplayable at 32 FPS, a 24% decrease from the already low High preset (42 FPS). The data suggests that the visual uplift from High to Ultra is not worth the substantial performance cost, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is already struggling.

The best overall experience, balancing visual fidelity and performance, is High settings at 1080p or 1440p. At 1080p, High yields 120 FPS, which is smooth and visually appealing. At 1440p, High yields 78 FPS, which is a good target for a 75 Hz or 144 Hz display with adaptive sync. The Medium preset is a solid fallback for 1440p if you prefer a higher frame rate, and the Low preset is the only viable option for 4K. The data indicates that users should avoid Ultra on this hardware unless they are playing at 1080p and prioritize image quality over a high refresh rate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8060S is the star of the show in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the measured FPS. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, with a pixel rate of 185.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 464.0 GTexel/s. These figures, combined with 2560 shading units, dictate the raw processing power available for rendering. The benchmark results, placing the GPU in the 87th percentile overall, show it is a capable mobile part, but its performance in Minimum is clearly bounded by its compute and memory resources.

The GPU's memory configuration is unique, as it shares system memory rather than having dedicated VRAM. This is a critical factor for 4K performance, where the demand for memory bandwidth is immense. The system shared memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," meaning it relies on the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX's dual-channel DDR5 memory, which has a theoretical bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This is significantly lower than what a dedicated graphics card with its own GDDR6 or GDDR6X memory would offer, explaining why the GPU struggles at 4K. The frame rate drops of 46-65% from 1440p to 4K are consistent with a GPU that is starved for memory bandwidth.

The GPU's performance is directly tied to its clocks. The high boost clock of 2900 MHz helps maintain decent performance at 1080p, where the memory bandwidth is less of a constraint. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's compute units become the bottleneck, and the clock speed cannot compensate for the lack of dedicated memory. The Radeon 8060S's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, with deltaPct values of 0.1% and -0.6%, respectively. This indicates that the 8060S is a mid-range performer, capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions but not designed for 4K gaming.

The GPU's 14.85 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the theoretical peak, and the measured FPS in Minimum suggests that the game is well-optimized to utilize this compute power at 1080p. At 4K, the GPU's 64 ROPs are likely the limiting factor, as the pixel fillrate of 185.6 GPixel/s is insufficient to keep up with the demands of 8.3 million pixels. The data strongly suggests that the Radeon 8060S is a 1080p and light 1440p GPU, and that its shared memory architecture is a significant drawback for high-resolution gaming. For Minimum, the GPU's role is to provide a smooth 1080p experience, which it does admirably, but it should not be pushed beyond its limits.

FAQ

Q: Can this hardware run Minimum at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data shows that 4K is only playable at Low settings, where the average FPS is 65. At Medium settings, the average drops to 50 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 42 and 32 FPS respectively. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 4K is not recommended.

Q: What is the best resolution to use for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: The measured results indicate that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution for high refresh rates. At Low settings, the average FPS is 187, and at Medium, it is 143. Even at High settings, the average is 120 FPS, which is suitable for 120 Hz or 144 Hz displays.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance?

A: At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 92 FPS, which is 28 FPS lower than the High preset's 120 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra averages 59 FPS, which is 19 FPS lower than High's 78 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra is significant, making High the more balanced choice.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the AMD Radeon 8060S is the limiting component. The frame rate drops heavily as resolution increases, which is a sign of GPU-bound performance. The CPU has 14 cores and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, providing ample headroom at all resolutions.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gaming?

A: For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the High preset is recommended, averaging 78 FPS. If you prefer a higher frame rate, the Medium preset averages 92 FPS, and the Low preset averages 121 FPS. The Ultra preset should be avoided as it averages only 59 FPS.

Q: Does the Radeon 8060S have enough memory for this game?

A: The Radeon 8060S uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth dependent on the system's DDR5 RAM. The data shows that this setup struggles at 4K, likely due to memory constraints, but performs well at 1080p and 1440p, indicating sufficient memory for lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX plays a supporting role in Minimum, providing enough processing power to avoid bottlenecking the GPU. This 14-core, 14-thread processor is based on the Arrow Lake architecture and features a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 4903 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 34731 points in multi-core, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. These scores indicate a high level of performance that is more than adequate for a 2014 title like Minimum, which is not known for being CPU-intensive.

The CPU's single-core performance is particularly strong, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4683. This is crucial for gaming, as many game engines rely heavily on a few threads for primary game logic and rendering commands. The high boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensures that these threads can be processed quickly, preventing any stutter or frame pacing issues. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 187, which is a high enough frame rate to stress the CPU, and the fact that the GPU is still the limiting factor suggests the CPU is not holding back performance.

The multi-core performance of the 235HX is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34731. This is useful for background tasks, streaming, or games that utilize multiple threads for physics or AI. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce latency when accessing frequently used data, further improving responsiveness. The nearest rivals in the benchmark database, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Core i7-14700, have deltaPct values of 0.2% and -0.4% respectively, indicating that the 235HX is on par with these desktop-class processors in synthetic tests.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game logic efficiently. The 14 cores, while not all utilized by the game, provide a safety margin for other applications running concurrently. The 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth from the dual-channel DDR5 setup is sufficient for the CPU's needs, and it also serves the GPU's shared memory, which is a potential bottleneck at high resolutions. The data suggests that the CPU is never the limiting factor in this configuration, as the GPU's performance drops proportionally with resolution, a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The Core Ultra 5 235HX is a high-end mobile processor that ensures Minimum runs as smoothly as the GPU allows.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and AMD Radeon 8060S combination is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is strong across the board. The Low preset achieves an average of 187 FPS, the highest measured in the entire dataset. The Medium preset follows at 143 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. The High preset averages 120 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 92 FPS. All of these results are above 60 FPS, indicating that 1080p is fully playable at any settings level, with Low and Medium being excellent for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the performance begins to show the strain on the GPU. The Low preset maintains a high average of 121 FPS, which is suitable for competitive gaming. The Medium preset averages 92 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, providing a good balance for most users. The High preset averages 78 FPS, which is acceptable for a 75 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset drops to 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS standard, making it the first preset to fail this threshold. The data shows a clear progression: as settings increase at 1440p, the frame rate decreases by roughly 20-30 FPS per tier, except for the jump from High to Ultra, which is a 19 FPS drop.

At 3840x2160, the performance is limited, and the GPU's shared memory architecture becomes a significant handicap. The Low preset averages 65 FPS, which is the only preset to exceed 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. The High preset averages 42 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. The frame rate drops are steep, with a 15 FPS difference between Low and Medium, an 8 FPS difference between Medium and High, and a 10 FPS difference between High and Ultra. These results confirm that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware if you desire smooth gameplay, as even the lowest settings struggle to maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

The data also reveals the scaling efficiency between resolutions. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 66 FPS (187 to 121), and from 1440p to 4K is 56 FPS (121 to 65). At High settings, the drops are 42 FPS (120 to 78) and 36 FPS (78 to 42), respectively. This shows that the absolute frame rate loss is greater at lower settings, but the percentage loss is more consistent. The Medium preset's minimum FPS values provide insight into frame time consistency: at 1080p, the minimum is 122 FPS (85% of the average), at 1440p it is 79 FPS (86% of the average), and at 4K it is 42 FPS (84% of the average), indicating that the game maintains a relatively stable frame rate without major stutters.