Minimum

Minimum is a third-person shooter released in 2014, and the measured performance data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 provides a clear picture of how this combination handles the title. The dataset includes average frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets, revealing a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher settings but begins to show CPU limitations at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, the role of each component, and what the numbers mean for a playable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K shows a predictable decline, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly depending on the quality preset. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 256 at 1920x1080 to 165 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 91 FPS, and then further to 89 at 3840x2160, another 76 FPS drop. This steep curve indicates that at Low settings, the system is heavily reliant on the GPU, and increasing the pixel count directly taxes the rendering pipeline. The jump from 1080p to 1440p represents a 35.5% decrease in frame rate, while the jump from 1440p to 4K represents a 46.1% decrease, showing that the cost of each additional pixel grows as resolution increases.

At Medium settings, the scaling is slightly less aggressive in absolute terms but similar in pattern. The average FPS goes from 196 at 1080p to 126 at 1440p, a drop of 70 FPS, and then to 68 at 4K, another 58 FPS reduction. The relative drops are 35.7% and 46.0%, respectively, which closely mirrors the Low preset behavior. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter throughout, as the workload scales almost linearly with pixel count when the visual complexity is moderate.

High settings introduce a more pronounced bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the average FPS is 164, which drops to 106 at 1440p and then to 57 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 58 FPS (35.4%), but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 49 FPS (46.2%). The 4K result of 57 FPS is barely above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU is nearing its limits with this preset. Ultra settings show the most severe scaling, with 125 FPS at 1080p falling to 81 at 1440p and then to 43 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the playable threshold, and the data suggests that the GPU is completely saturated at this configuration.

The scaling pattern reveals that the limiting component is the GPU across all tested scenarios. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions, where the pixel count is insufficient to keep the graphics card fully occupied. Instead, the frame rates continue to rise dramatically from 1440p to 1080p, particularly at Low settings where the 1080p result of 256 FPS is nearly three times the 4K result. This indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX has ample headroom to feed the RTX 4080 at 1080p, and the graphics card is the component that dictates performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant factor in this game's performance, and its specifications align with the observed results. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. For a game from 2014 like Minimum, this memory capacity is far beyond what is required, meaning VRAM is unlikely to be a constraint at any resolution or settings preset. The data supports this, as there are no anomalies that would suggest memory swapping or capacity issues, even at 4K Ultra where the frame rate drops to 43 FPS.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 2205 MHz and a boost of 2505 MHz, which are high for the Ada Lovelace architecture. The memory clock is rated at 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective, and the combination of these clocks with the 256-bit bus yields the 716.8 GB/s bandwidth. In practice, these clocks allow the GPU to sustain high fill rates, which is critical for a third-person shooter that likely relies on detailed environments and character models. The pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are substantial, and they directly support the frame rates seen at 1440p and 1080p.

The RTX 4080's overall benchmark scores place it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% faster in average score, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% slower. This positioning confirms that the RTX 4080 is a high-end part, and the measured FPS in Minimum aligns with that standing. At 1440p High, the 106 FPS average is strong, and at 1080p Low, the 256 FPS average shows the GPU's raw capability when not constrained by resolution.

The GPU's 16 GB memory buffer is particularly relevant for Minimum's High and Ultra presets, which may load higher-resolution textures. Even though the game is older, the data shows that the RTX 4080 can handle the Ultra preset at 1440p with an 81 FPS average, indicating that the memory and compute resources are sufficient. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 43 FPS, which suggests that the GPU's compute throughput, rather than its memory capacity, becomes the limiting factor. The 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is high, but the demands of 4K Ultra appear to exceed what the card can deliver for a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 164 FPS average, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors. The Medium preset offers 196 FPS, and Low offers 256 FPS, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is likely minimal in a game from 2014. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 125 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 23.8% reduction from High. For most users at 1080p, the High preset is the sensible choice, as it provides a high frame rate without sacrificing the visual fidelity that the preset name implies.

At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 106 FPS, which is a solid experience for a 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitor. The Medium preset offers 126 FPS, which is a 18.9% improvement over High, but the visual downgrade may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 81 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The data suggests that High is the best experience at 1440p, as it maintains a triple-digit frame rate while the Ultra preset dips to 81 FPS. If a higher refresh rate is preferred, Medium at 126 FPS is a viable alternative, but the measured min FPS of 107 for Medium indicates that frame pacing might be less consistent than High.

At 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. The High preset averages 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay but still playable on a standard 60 Hz display. The Medium preset averages 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a more comfortable margin. The Low preset averages 89 FPS, but the visual quality at Low is likely too degraded for a 4K display. The Ultra preset at 43 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the playable threshold. For 4K, the Medium preset is the best measured option, as it offers 68 FPS with a min FPS of 58, ensuring that the experience remains fluid during intense moments.

The data indicates that the High preset is the sweet spot for 1080p and 1440p, while Medium is the best choice for 4K. The Low preset provides the highest frame rates but sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a game that likely has detailed environments. The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it still achieves 125 FPS, but at higher resolutions it fails to maintain playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 256 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce this to 196 FPS, with a min FPS of 166 and a max of 225, indicating a range of 59 FPS. High settings average 164 FPS, and Ultra settings average 125 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with each step up in quality costing approximately 30 to 60 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 131 FPS, which is a 51.2% reduction, demonstrating the significant impact of the quality presets on the GPU workload.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show a clear step down from 1080p. Low settings average 165 FPS, which is still above the 144 Hz threshold. Medium settings average 126 FPS, with a min of 107 and a max of 145, showing a range of 38 FPS. High settings average 106 FPS, and Ultra settings average 81 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 84 FPS, a 50.9% reduction. The min FPS of 107 at Medium is notable, as it indicates that the frame rate can dip below the average, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more marginal. Low settings average 89 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K that exceeds 60 FPS by a wide margin. Medium settings average 68 FPS, with a min of 58 and a max of 78, making it the only preset with a min FPS close to the playable limit. High settings average 57 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings average 43 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay. The range between Low and Ultra at 4K is 46 FPS, a 51.7% reduction, consistent with the scaling seen at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 918th out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the 68.8th percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the overall performance of the pair, which is strong but not top-tier due to the age of the game and the high-end nature of the components. The CPU itself is in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 52073, and its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 8124P (0.1% slower) and the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (0.2% faster). The GPU is in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247.

The combo rank of 918 out of 2939 suggests that there are many combinations that perform better in Minimum, but this is likely due to the game's age and the fact that it does not heavily utilize the features of modern hardware. The RTX 4080's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% faster in average score, which means that this combination is competitive with the best available options. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700, is 0.4% faster in average score, indicating that the Ultra 5 235HX is a capable processor for gaming.

The rank also implies that the system is well-balanced, as neither component is severely bottlenecking the other. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system can achieve 256 FPS, which is a measure of the CPU's ability to feed the GPU. At 4K Ultra, the 43 FPS result shows the GPU's limits, but the CPU is not the limiting factor. This balance is reflected in the rank, which is above the median but below the top 10% of combos, likely due to the presence of more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer generations.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance, with High settings achieving 106 FPS and Low settings reaching 165 FPS, providing a smooth experience without the extreme demands of 4K.

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

A: At 4K, the Medium preset averages 68 FPS with a min of 58 FPS, which is playable. The High preset averages 57 FPS, which is marginal, and Ultra averages 43 FPS, which is not recommended.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in this game?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score is 54247, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X. In practice, the measured FPS reflects this high-end positioning.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 256 FPS, indicating that the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU. The frame rates continue to rise as resolution drops, confirming the GPU is the limiter.

Q: What is the highest FPS measured for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 256 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 196 FPS at 1080p Medium, showing that the Low preset provides the best raw performance.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 918th out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the upper third of all configurations, which is consistent with its high-end CPU and GPU components.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a mobile processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, featuring 14 cores and 14 threads. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, and it has a TDP of 55 W. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the data shows that it does so effectively. At 1080p Low, the 256 FPS average is a direct indicator that the CPU can process frames quickly enough to keep the RTX 4080 fully utilized.

The CPU's benchmark scores support its gaming capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 34731 in multi-core and 4903 in single-core, which are strong results for a mobile chip. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4683, and its multithread score is 40849. These scores place the CPU in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 52073. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, is only 0.2% faster, indicating that the Ultra 5 235HX is competitive with desktop processors from a previous generation.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient, as the game is unlikely to utilize all of them. The single-core performance is what matters most for a title from 2014, and the 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures that the CPU can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a bottleneck. The data confirms this, as the frame rates scale with resolution in a manner consistent with GPU-bound performance. The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s also contributes to the system's overall responsiveness, though it is not a limiting factor in this game.

The CPU's integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 48EU, are not used in this configuration, but they do not detract from the discrete GPU's performance. The CPU's power consumption of 55 W is low for a gaming processor, which is a benefit in a mobile form factor, but it does not appear to compromise performance in Minimum based on the measured results. The 5.10 GHz boost clock is the key specification for this game, as it allows the CPU to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed.