Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a playable experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter, but the data reveals a clear performance hierarchy that depends heavily on your resolution and settings. At 1080p, this combo is a high-refresh-rate monster; at 4K, it struggles to maintain smooth framerates on higher presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to show exactly where the bottlenecks lie and how to configure the game for the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable but steep decline as resolution increases, highlighting the growing burden on the GPU. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 130 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 84 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K, the average falls further to 45 FPS, which is a 65% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is a classic indicator that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The trend is even more pronounced at the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system pushes an average of 202 FPS, but this drops to 130 FPS at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 70 FPS at 4K (a 65% reduction from the 1080p Low score). The consistent percentage drops between 1080p and 1440p across settings suggest the CPU can keep up at these resolutions, and the workload is shifting to the graphics card. However, the dramatic falloff from 1440p to 4K, where the average FPS roughly halves, confirms that the RTX 4070's compute and memory bandwidth are being saturated by the 4K pixel count.

The Medium preset offers the only complete dataset with minimum and maximum FPS values, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the average is 154 FPS, with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. The frame deltas remain relatively tight at each resolution, indicating that while the average FPS drops, the experience doesn't become stuttery or erratic. This suggests that the performance degradation is a smooth scaling of workload rather than a sudden CPU or memory bottleneck causing hitches.

The data clearly shows that 4K is a significant challenge for this hardware in Minimum. The 4K High average of 45 FPS is below the 60 FPS target many players consider smooth, and the 4K Ultra average of 34 FPS is barely playable. The sweet spot for this resolution is the Low preset, which achieves a solid 70 FPS average. For players targeting 1440p, the High preset at 84 FPS offers a good balance of visual fidelity and performance, while the Ultra preset at 64 FPS is still respectable. At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 99 FPS is the best way to take advantage of high-refresh-rate displays, as even the most demanding settings clear the 90 FPS threshold.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic. The high boost clock of 5.10 GHz is critical for single-threaded performance, which often dictates frame pacing in older game engines.

Looking at the CPU's benchmark data, its single-threaded capabilities are strong. It scores 4903 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4683 in Passmark single-thread. This strength is reflected in the game's performance at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 202 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of processing the game's simulation and rendering commands fast enough to avoid becoming a bottleneck, even when the GPU is not heavily taxed.

However, the CPU's multi-threaded performance is also noteworthy, though it seems less critical for this specific game. The Core Ultra 5 235HX scores 34731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 40849 in Passmark multithread. While Minimum may not utilize all 14 cores, having a robust multi-threaded score ensures that background tasks or game engine threads that do scale across cores won't cause frame drops. The CPU's Passmark physics score of 2550 and data compression score of 426417 indicate it can handle complex calculations and asset streaming without issue.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing for most settings. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is almost entirely a GPU-driven change. The CPU's performance remains constant, so the drop in FPS at higher resolutions is due to the increased pixel rendering workload on the RTX 4070. The 14 cores and 24 MB of L3 cache provide ample headroom for the game's requirements, ensuring that the processor is not a source of frame time spikes or stutters, as evidenced by the consistent minimum FPS values at the Medium preset.

The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 52073 place it in a competitive position. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (0.2% faster) and the Intel Core i9-13900F (0.7% faster), showing that the Ultra 5 235HX is a very capable mobile processor. In Minimum, this level of CPU performance means that the game's logic and physics are handled with ease, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of visual performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 1562 out of 2939 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the 47th percentile of all tested systems, which is a middle-of-the-road ranking. This is a curious result given the strong individual performance of both components, but it highlights that the ranking is based on all tested combos, many of which may include more powerful desktop CPUs and GPUs.

The combo's rank suggests that while it is capable, it is not at the top of the heap for this specific title. This is likely due to the RTX 4070 being a mobile or mainstream desktop part that is outperformed by higher-tier GPUs like the RTX 4080 and 4090. In the context of this database, the combo is solidly mid-pack, meaning it will deliver a good experience but won't set any records.

The GPU itself ranks in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (0.4% faster) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (1.3% slower). This indicates that the RTX 4070 is a strong performer on its own. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking is even more impressive. When combined, the system's 1562 rank is a result of the aggregate scores, and in a game like Minimum, the GPU's load is the primary driver of FPS.

The data shows that while this combo isn't in the top tier, it is far from the bottom. A rank of 1562 out of 2939 means there are 1377 combos that are slower and 1561 that are faster. This positions the system as a dependable choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Minimum, with the ability to handle 4K only at lower settings. The ranking reflects a balanced system that won't be the source of frustration for a typical gamer, but those seeking the absolute highest frame rates will need to look at more powerful hardware.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Minimum?*

A: The data shows 1440p offers the best balance. At 1440p High, the combo averages 84 FPS, which is smooth and visually detailed. While 1080p can hit 130 FPS on High, 1440p provides a significant visual upgrade with only a 35% performance drop.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The measured data shows a 4K Low average of 70 FPS, which is playable. However, 4K High (45 FPS) and 4K Ultra (34 FPS) are below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck at higher resolutions. The FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU's performance remains constant. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 202 FPS, indicating the CPU has headroom to spare.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other systems tested?

A: It ranks 1562 out of 2939 combos for Minimum. This puts it in the middle of the pack, indicating a solid, balanced performance that is neither exceptional nor disappointing.

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

A: At 1440p, the High preset averages 84 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 64 FPS. This is a 24% reduction in performance for the higher visual quality, which may not be worth it if you prefer higher frame rates.

Q: Is the frame pacing consistent, or are there stutters?

A: Based on the Medium preset data, frame pacing is consistent. At 1440p Medium, the average is 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS, showing a tight frame time distribution without major hitches.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the driving force behind the visual output in this configuration. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. With 5888 shading units and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, it delivers 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications are directly reflected in the game's performance scaling.

The GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth are sufficient for Minimum, even at 4K. The game, being from 2014, has modest texture and geometry requirements compared to modern titles. The 12 GB frame buffer is unlikely to be a limiting factor. The bottleneck at 4K is more likely the raw compute throughput needed to fill those pixels. The drop from 54 FPS at 4K Medium to 45 FPS at 4K High and 34 FPS at 4K Ultra illustrates how the GPU's shader and ROP throughput is taxed by higher-quality effects and lighting.

The RTX 4070's performance relative to its rivals is strong. It sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs and has an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, is only 0.4% faster, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% slower. This shows that the RTX 4070 is a very capable part, well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and solid 1440p experiences. In Minimum, its performance is the primary reason the system can achieve 130 FPS at 1080p High and 84 FPS at 1440p High.

The GPU's compute capabilities, as shown by its Passmark GPU Compute score of 14720, also contribute to the game's physics and particle effects. While the CPU handles the core game logic, the GPU accelerates any GPU-based compute tasks. The 46 RT cores and 184 Tensor cores are present, though they are unlikely to be heavily utilized in a 2014 title that does not support ray tracing or DLSS. The GPU's role is purely a rasterization workhorse, and it performs this role admirably until the resolution is pushed to 4K with high preset details.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend entirely on your target resolution and refresh rate.

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice. With an average of 99 FPS, it provides a significant visual upgrade over High (130 FPS) while still maintaining a frame rate that is smooth on most 100Hz+ monitors. The performance cost of Ultra is a 24% reduction compared to High, but the visual improvements in shadow quality and texture filtering are worth it for a game from this era. If you have a 144Hz or 165Hz display, you could drop to High to get closer to your monitor's maximum refresh rate, but Ultra remains the best balance.

For 1440p displays, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 84 FPS, which is a very playable frame rate. The Ultra preset drops to 64 FPS, which is still smooth but may be noticeable on a 75Hz or higher refresh rate monitor. The Medium preset at 100 FPS is also a valid option if you prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but High offers a substantial improvement in visual quality for a 16 FPS drop.

For 4K displays, the choice is much more constrained. The Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 70 FPS. The Medium preset at 54 FPS is borderline; it is playable but sacrifices the fluidity that makes action games enjoyable. The High (45 FPS) and Ultra (34 FPS) presets are not recommended for serious gameplay, as they fall below the 60 FPS target and will feel sluggish. If you are playing Minimum at 4K, you should strongly consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or 1080p to unlock higher settings and a better experience overall.

In summary, the data suggests a practical approach: prioritize 1440p High for the best overall experience. This configuration uses the RTX 4070's strengths without overwhelming it, and the CPU has enough power to ensure no hiccups. The 4K mode is best reserved for screenshots or less demanding scenarios, as the Low preset is the only one that delivers acceptable performance.