Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and AMD Radeon 890M combination represents a specific mobile hardware pairing tested against a large database of other configurations. In the game Minimum, this combo achieves a rank of 2767 out of 2939 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the performance distribution. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is consistently playable at 1080p but becomes increasingly strained at higher resolutions, with the integrated GPU acting as the primary bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 28 W. The cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU shows a multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 14551 and a single-core score of 1759, with a PassMark multithread score of 25933.

The CPU's performance percentile sits at 84, meaning it outperforms 84% of all tested CPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark score include the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H (0.3% higher), AMD EPYC 4244P (0.4% lower), AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (0.4% lower), and AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (0.5% lower). These delta percentages are negligible, indicating the 165H sits in a tightly clustered performance band.

For Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, the CPU role is largely about maintaining consistent frame pacing rather than pushing extreme throughput. The game is not particularly demanding on modern processors. The 165H's 16 cores and 22 threads provide ample headroom for game logic, physics, and background tasks. The 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance, which is often more critical for older game engines that may not scale well across many cores. The PassMark single-thread score of 3509 confirms solid single-core capability.

However, the benchmark data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 84 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 41 FPS. This significant drop with increasing graphical settings points to the GPU being the constraint. The CPU's job is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game state updates. Given the game's age, the 165H's processing power is likely sufficient to keep up with the Radeon 890M's output at all tested settings. The Cinebench R15 single-core score of 257 and R20 score of 1303 further support that individual core performance is adequate for this workload.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on TSMC's 4 nm process. It features 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation pipelines, with 16 ray tracing cores. The GPU has a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. It uses system shared memory, meaning its VRAM size, type, and bus width are all system dependent. The GPU's TDP is 15 W, and it interfaces via PCIe 4.0 x8.

The 890M's performance percentile is 45, placing it in the lower half of all tested GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 9210. The nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (0.1% lower), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (0.7% lower), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (0.9% lower), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (1% lower). This grouping indicates that the 890M's raw compute performance is comparable to older discrete GPUs from a decade ago, which aligns with the game's release timeframe.

In Minimum, the GPU's role is decisive. The measured FPS scales directly with graphical settings. At 1080p, the average frame rate goes from 84 FPS at Low to 64 FPS at Medium, 54 FPS at High, and 41 FPS at Ultra. This 43 FPS drop from Low to Ultra is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited shading and texture throughput. The 890M's 5.939 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is enough for the game's low-end presets but struggles with the increased pixel and texture workload at higher settings.

The GPU's memory situation is also critical. Because it uses system shared memory, bandwidth is system dependent. This can become a bottleneck in scenes with heavy texture streaming or high-resolution buffers. The pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s and texture rate of 185.6 GTexel/s are modest figures that explain the performance collapse at 4K. The GPU is clearly the limiting component in this pairing, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate drops when increasing resolution or settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and AMD Radeon 890M ranks 2767 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 6th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 94% of tested combos perform better. This low rank is expected given that the 890M is an integrated GPU, while many tested combos likely pair discrete graphics cards with high-end processors.

The rank relative to the CPU's own percentile (84) and GPU's percentile (45) highlights a significant imbalance. The CPU is a strong performer, sitting well above average, while the GPU is below average. This mismatch means the combo's overall ranking is dragged down by the GPU. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor; at 4K Ultra, the system produces 14 FPS, which is far below what the CPU could theoretically support.

Compared to other combos, this pairing is likely representative of thin-and-light laptops or compact desktops where the integrated GPU is the only graphics option. The rank of 2767 suggests that users seeking higher frame rates in Minimum would need to look at configurations with discrete GPUs, even older ones like the GTX 960, which the 890M closely rivals in average benchmark score but may trail in real-world gaming due to driver optimizations or memory bandwidth differences.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. All values are average FPS unless otherwise noted.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 29 FPS
• Medium: 22 FPS (min 19, max 26)
• High: 19 FPS
• Ultra: 14 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 54 FPS
• Medium: 41 FPS (min 35, max 48)
• High: 35 FPS
• Ultra: 27 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 84 FPS
• Medium: 64 FPS (min 55, max 74)
• High: 54 FPS
• Ultra: 41 FPS

At 1080p, the system delivers a playable experience across all settings, with Low providing 84 FPS and Ultra still maintaining 41 FPS. The Medium preset shows a min-max range of 55-74 FPS, indicating some frame pacing inconsistency but generally smooth gameplay. At 1440p, performance drops significantly. Low settings yield 54 FPS, which is still playable, but Ultra falls to 27 FPS, which is borderline. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with even Low settings only reaching 29 FPS, and Ultra dropping to 14 FPS, which is effectively unplayable for a shooter.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 15-20% performance at the same resolution, while each step up in resolution costs a larger percentage. For example, going from 1080p Low (84 FPS) to 1440p Low (54 FPS) is a 36% drop, and further to 4K Low (29 FPS) is a further 46% drop. This scaling indicates the GPU is bandwidth and fill-rate limited.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings presets produce an average FPS above 40. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium settings exceed 40 FPS, while at 3840x2160, no preset reaches 30 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083. Its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H, scores 33989, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD EPYC 4244P scores 34220 (0.4% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X scores 34260 (0.5% lower). These differences are within a fraction of a percent.

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

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. At 1080p, increasing settings from Low to Ultra drops average FPS from 84 to 41, a 51% reduction, while the CPU has ample headroom. The CPU's 84th percentile rank versus the GPU's 45th percentile confirms this imbalance.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 55 and the maximum is 74, with an average of 64 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 35 and maximum is 48, averaging 41 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 19 and maximum is 26, averaging 22 FPS.

Q: How does the Radeon 890M compare to the GTX 960 in benchmark scores?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M has an average benchmark score of 9210, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 has a score of 9273. This means the 890M is 0.7% lower in aggregate performance, placing them in a very similar performance class.

Q: What is the combo's rank relative to all tested configurations?

A: This specific combo ranks 2767 out of 2939 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the bottom 6% of all tested systems.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target frame rate and resolution. For 1080p, the High preset at 54 FPS provides a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The Ultra preset drops to 41 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less responsive in a fast-paced third-person shooter. The Medium preset at 64 FPS is a strong alternative if higher frame rates are preferred over visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the Low preset at 54 FPS is the only setting that maintains a smooth 50+ FPS experience. Medium at 41 FPS is acceptable for less competitive play, but High and Ultra fall below 40 FPS, which could impact gameplay responsiveness. For 4K, no settings are recommended, as even Low at 29 FPS is below the threshold for a playable shooter experience.

The data suggests that the best experience for this combo is at 1080p with Medium or High settings. The Medium preset offers 64 FPS with a min-max range of 55-74 FPS, providing consistent performance. The High preset at 54 FPS is also viable, sacrificing some frame rate for improved visuals. Users prioritizing competitive gameplay should choose Low at 84 FPS, while those wanting the best visuals at playable frame rates should stick with High. Ultra is not recommended at any resolution due to the significant FPS penalty.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU's limitations. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 84 at 1080p to 54 at 1440p, a 36% reduction, and then to 29 at 4K, a further 46% reduction. This pattern holds across all settings: at Medium, the drop is 64 to 41 (36%) and then to 22 (46%); at High, it is 54 to 35 (35%) and then to 19 (46%); at Ultra, it is 41 to 27 (34%) and then to 14 (48%).

The consistent ~35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~46% drop from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU is primarily fill-rate and memory-bandwidth limited. The number of pixels increases by 78% from 1080p to 1440p and by 125% from 1440p to 4K, but the FPS drops are larger than the pixel count increases would suggest. This is because the 890M's system shared memory bandwidth, which is system dependent, cannot keep up with the increased data demands.

The resolution scaling analysis confirms that the limiting component is the GPU. The CPU's performance does not degrade with resolution, as its workload is largely resolution-independent. The fact that FPS drops so dramatically at higher resolutions, while the CPU has a high 84th percentile rank, points squarely at the Radeon 890M as the bottleneck. For users of this combo, 1080p is the practical ceiling for a smooth experience, and even then, the Ultra preset pushes the system to its limits.