Minimum

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for this Intel Core Ultra 7 165H + AMD Radeon 8060S combination reveal a classic GPU-bound scaling curve in Minimum. Across every settings preset, the performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, confirming that the integrated Radeon 8060S graphics solution is the primary limiting factor rather than the 16-core Meteor Lake processor.

At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 120 FPS at 1920x1080 to 78 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 42 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 35% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 46% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K is 65%, which is a steep penalty that points directly at pixel throughput limitations of the 8060S.

The Low preset tells the same story with higher absolute numbers. At 1920x1080, the combo produces 187 FPS, dropping to 121 FPS at 1440p and 65 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-4K reduction here is 65% as well, indicating that even at the lowest graphical load, the rendering pipeline saturates before the CPU can become a meaningful constraint. The consistency of this scaling ratio across Low and High is notable — it suggests the bottleneck is uniform regardless of settings complexity.

Medium settings provide the most complete data set, with minimum and maximum frame rates recorded at each resolution. At 1080p, the average is 143 FPS with a range of 122-165 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 92 FPS with a range of 79-106 FPS. At 4K, the average falls to 50 FPS with a range of 42-57 FPS. The minimum frame rates at 4K (42 FPS) are identical to the High preset average at that resolution, which indicates that Medium at 4K is already pushing the GPU to its limits under load spikes.

Ultra settings produce the most dramatic scaling. The 1080p average of 92 FPS collapses to 59 FPS at 1440p and 32 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is below the 30 FPS threshold for playability on many displays, and even the 1440p result at 59 FPS hovers near the edge of smooth gameplay. The scaling from 1080p to 4K on Ultra is a 65% drop, again matching the pattern seen in other presets.

What this data indicates is a GPU that scales predictably with resolution but lacks the raw throughput to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The CPU, with its 22 threads and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, is never exposed as the bottleneck in these measurements. If the processor were limiting performance, we would expect to see diminishing FPS gaps as resolution increases — the opposite is true here. The 8060S, with its 2560 shading units and 14.85 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is the clear constraint, and users targeting 4K will need to accept significantly reduced settings or lower resolutions for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently exceeds 90 FPS across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the average is 143 FPS, and even Ultra maintains 92 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (121 FPS) and Medium (92 FPS) achieve averages above 90 FPS, while 4K never exceeds 65 FPS on any preset.

Q: How does the Radeon 8060S compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Radeon 8060S has an average benchmark score of 55757, placing it 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698) and 0.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (56083). The GPU sits in the 87th percentile of all GPUs tested.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H a bottleneck in this game?

A: No. The resolution scaling data shows consistent FPS drops from 1080p to 4K across all settings, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551, provide sufficient headroom that the 8060S becomes the limiting component before the processor does.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 78 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a playable frame rate for most users, though it is 35% lower than the 120 FPS achieved at 1080p with the same settings, illustrating the significant cost of higher resolution.

Q: How does Ultra settings performance compare to Medium at the same resolution?

A: At 1080p, Ultra produces 92 FPS versus 143 FPS on Medium — a 36% reduction. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 59 FPS versus 92 FPS on Medium — a 36% reduction. At 4K, Ultra yields 32 FPS versus 50 FPS on Medium — a 36% reduction. The consistent penalty suggests Ultra settings add a uniform rendering cost.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1677 out of 2939 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the upper-middle tier of systems. This ranking reflects the 8060S's position in the 87th GPU percentile but also accounts for the fact that many desktop discrete GPU configurations outperform this mobile-oriented setup.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8060S is the dominant performance driver in this combination, and its specifications explain the measured results. Based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, this integrated GPU features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The 40 ray tracing cores and 14.85 TFLOPS FP32 throughput place it firmly in the mid-range mobile graphics tier, which is consistent with its 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The memory configuration is system-shared, with no dedicated VRAM. This means the GPU draws from the same DDR5 pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." In practice, this shared memory architecture can introduce latency and bandwidth contention, particularly at higher resolutions where memory pressure increases. The measured performance drop from 1080p to 4K — consistently around 65% across presets — likely reflects both pixel throughput limits and shared memory bandwidth constraints.

Clock speeds are notable: the base clock is 1295 MHz with a boost clock of 2900 MHz. The boost behavior is critical for the 1080p results, where the GPU can maintain higher clocks due to lower memory pressure and thermal headroom. At 4K, the sustained load likely causes clocks to settle closer to base, contributing to the steep FPS decline. The pixel rate of 185.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 464.0 GTexel/s are the theoretical limits, but the measured data shows real-world throughput falls well short of these peaks, especially at 4K Ultra where the average is only 32 FPS.

The GPU's benchmark profile reinforces its positioning. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2162 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 84626 place it in the same performance class as the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (0.1% higher average score) and just 2.8% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 in average benchmark score. However, the 8060S is an integrated part with a 55 W TDP, whereas those rivals are discrete cards with their own power budgets — the efficiency of achieving this performance within an IGP form factor is noteworthy, though the benchmark results are what matter for gameplay.

The GPU's API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means Minimum — a 2014 title — runs well within the supported feature set. The absence of any API-level bottlenecks is consistent with the observation that resolution, not API compatibility, drives the FPS differences.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Minimum, this Intel Core Ultra 7 165H + AMD Radeon 8060S pairing ranks 1677 out of 2939 total combos. That places it in the 57th percentile of all tested systems — a solid mid-pack result that reflects a capable but not top-tier gaming setup.

The ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual component percentiles. The CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all processors, and the GPU in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Yet the combo ranks lower than either component's individual standing would suggest. This discrepancy points to the integrated nature of the 8060S — while its raw benchmark scores are competitive with discrete GPUs like the RX 6750 GRE, the shared memory architecture and thermal constraints of an IGP configuration likely reduce sustained gaming performance relative to what the benchmark averages imply.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its contribution. The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H scores 0.3% higher in average benchmark score, while the AMD EPYC 4244P and AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 both score 0.4% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is 0.5% higher. These are all within noise-level deltas, meaning the 165H is neither a standout nor a laggard among its immediate peers. The 16-core, 22-thread configuration with a 5.00 GHz boost clock provides ample compute headroom, and the PassMark multi-thread score of 25933 confirms strong parallel performance.

The GPU's rivals tell a more interesting story. The Radeon 8060S edges out the RX 6750 GRE by 0.1%, trails the RTX 5080 by 0.6%, leads the Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.7%, and beats the RTX 4080 by 2.8%. These are remarkably close margins, especially considering that the RTX 5080 and RTX 4080 are high-end discrete desktop cards. The 8060S achieving parity with these in synthetic benchmarks, while ranking 1677th in-game, suggests that the measured FPS in Minimum is not purely a function of GPU compute potential — system memory bandwidth and thermal management play significant roles that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture.

Compared to the full field of 2939 combinations, the 1677 rank means roughly 57% of tested systems outperform this combo in Minimum, while 43% perform worse. For a mobile-oriented CPU+IGP combination, this is a respectable result, though users expecting desktop-class discrete performance from the 8060S's benchmark scores will find the in-game ranking more sobering.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a complete picture of this combo's capabilities across all four settings presets and three resolutions.

1920x1080:

• Low: 187 FPS average
• Medium: 143 FPS average (122-165 FPS range)
• High: 120 FPS average
• Ultra: 92 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo delivers excellent performance across the board. Even Ultra settings maintain an average above 90 FPS, which is smooth for a third-person shooter. Low settings push into high-refresh territory at 187 FPS, though the gap between Low and Medium — 44 FPS — suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for visual quality without sacrificing frame rate.

2560x1440:

• Low: 121 FPS average
• Medium: 92 FPS average (79-106 FPS range)
• High: 78 FPS average
• Ultra: 59 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance drops become more pronounced. Low remains comfortably playable at 121 FPS, and Medium at 92 FPS is still smooth. High dips to 78 FPS, which is acceptable for most players, but Ultra at 59 FPS is borderline — playable but not ideal for competitive play where higher refresh rates matter.

3840x2160:

• Low: 65 FPS average
• Medium: 50 FPS average (42-57 FPS range)
• High: 42 FPS average
• Ultra: 32 FPS average

At 4K, the combo struggles. Only Low settings achieve a playable 65 FPS average. Medium at 50 FPS is marginal, with minimum frame rates dipping to 42 FPS. High and Ultra at 42 FPS and 32 FPS respectively are below the threshold for smooth gameplay on most displays. The 4K results clearly indicate that this combo is not suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming in Minimum.

The minimum frame rates recorded for Medium settings are instructive. At 1080p, the minimum of 122 FPS is still well above playability thresholds. At 1440p, the minimum of 79 FPS remains playable. At 4K, the minimum of 42 FPS is approaching the lower bound of acceptable performance, and frame pacing may become noticeable during intense scenes.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the data supports Medium settings as the best balance. The 143 FPS average with a minimum of 122 FPS provides a substantial buffer above 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even during demanding sequences. High settings at 120 FPS are also viable, but the 23 FPS reduction from Medium to High yields only marginal visual improvements in a 2014 title. Ultra at 92 FPS is playable, but the 36% performance penalty versus Medium is difficult to justify unless visual fidelity is the absolute priority.

At 1440p, Medium settings are the clear recommendation. The 92 FPS average with a 79 FPS minimum keeps gameplay smooth, while High at 78 FPS introduces occasional dips that may be noticeable on high-refresh displays. Low at 121 FPS is the choice for competitive players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, but Medium offers the best compromise between image quality and performance. Ultra at 59 FPS is not recommended — the sub-60 average risks stutter during action-heavy scenes.

For 4K, the options are limited. Low settings at 65 FPS is the only preset that maintains playable performance, and even this is borderline for fast-paced third-person shooting. Medium at 50 FPS with a 42 FPS minimum will feel sluggish during combat, and High and Ultra at 42 FPS and 32 FPS respectively are not viable for gameplay. If 4K is the target resolution, the data suggests either accepting Low settings or considering a different hardware configuration, as the 8060S simply lacks the pixel throughput for higher presets at this resolution.

The overall recommendation across all resolutions is Medium settings. The measured data shows a consistent 36% performance reduction from Medium to Ultra at every resolution, while the gap from Medium to Low is approximately 31% at 1080p, 32% at 1440p, and 30% at 4K. Medium sits in the middle of this range, offering the most balanced experience — the 143 FPS at 1080p and 92 FPS at 1440p are both strong results, and even the 50 FPS at 4K is closer to playable than the High preset's 42 FPS. Users who prioritize frame rate above all else should select Low, while those with 1080p displays and a preference for maximum visual quality can reasonably choose Ultra without falling below 90 FPS.