Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT presents a compelling dataset for analyzing system bottlenecks in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that scales predictably with graphical load, but with distinct inflection points that indicate where each component dominates. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to provide a clear picture of the platform's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a classic resolution scaling curve, with average frame rates decreasing as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 252 FPS average. This drops to 162 FPS at 1440p and further to 87 FPS at 4K. The scaling factor from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 0.64 (162/252), while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 0.54 (87/162). This accelerating decline indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The High preset tells a similar story. At 1080p, the average is 162 FPS, which falls to 104 FPS at 1440p and 56 FPS at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 1440p is 58 FPS, while the delta between 1440p and 4K is 48 FPS. This suggests that the transition from 1080p to 1440p imposes a heavier relative penalty than the transition from 1440p to 4K, which is counterintuitive for a purely GPU-bound scenario. This could indicate that at 1080p, the CPU is providing more headroom than the GPU can utilize, or that the game engine has a frame rate ceiling at lower resolutions.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most severe scaling. Starting at 123 FPS at 1080p, it drops to 79 FPS at 1440p and 43 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35.8%, and from 1440p to 4K is 45.6%. This non-linear behavior at the highest settings suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are being saturated progressively, with the 4K Ultra scenario representing a heavy workload that pushes the RX 7800 XT to its limits. The 4K Ultra average of 43 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, indicating that this setting is not viable for smooth gameplay at that resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the primary driver of frame rate changes across settings. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s, which is a significant asset for handling high-resolution textures. The GPU's boost clock of 2430 MHz and game clock of 2124 MHz, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, deliver substantial compute throughput. The measured data shows that at 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as evidenced by the frame rate differences between Low (87 FPS) and Ultra (43 FPS) being over 50%.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals, based on average benchmark scores, is noteworthy. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, scores -0.5% lower, while the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT scores -1.8% lower. However, the RX 7800 XT sits at the 51st percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is an average performer in the broader market. This is reflected in the game results: the GPU can handle 1080p and 1440p with high frame rates, but it struggles to maintain high averages at 4K on higher presets.

The memory configuration is crucial for this game. The 16 GB frame buffer is more than sufficient for 4K textures, as evidenced by the fact that the 4K Medium preset achieves 67 FPS average with a minimum of 57 FPS. The 4K High preset, which likely utilizes more memory for shadow detail and post-processing, drops to 56 FPS. This suggests that the GPU's compute units, not its memory capacity, are the limiting factor at 4K. The 37.32 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the theoretical ceiling, and the data shows that the GPU approaches this limit at 4K Ultra, where the average of 43 FPS represents a significant workload.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 provides a robust foundation for this GPU. With 20 cores and 20 threads, it offers ample parallel processing capability for game logic and physics. Its boost clock of 5.30 GHz and base clock of 2.40 GHz are high, and the 30 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. The CPU's multi-core performance is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. This headroom is evident in the game data: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 252 FPS, a figure that is often constrained by CPU draw call limits in older titles like Minimum, which was released in 2014.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 4464P at -0.3% and the AMD EPYC 9124 at -0.7%. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F is nearly identical at +0.3%. This indicates that the CPU is a high-performance part that is unlikely to bottleneck the RX 7800 XT in most scenarios. However, the data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU may be reaching its limits in terms of single-threaded performance for this game engine.

The single-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 5960 is high, and the PassMark single-thread score of 4689 reinforces this. Yet, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p on the Low preset shows a larger drop (252 to 162 FPS) than what would be expected if the GPU were the sole bottleneck. This implies that the CPU's processing of game logic is a co-limiting factor at 1080p, and the GPU only becomes the dominant constraint as resolution increases. The CPU's 65W TDP is efficient, but its performance is not the primary driver of frame rate differences between settings; the GPU is.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance of performance and visual quality is achieved at the Medium preset. At 1080p, this preset yields an average of 193 FPS with a minimum of 164 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers an average of 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays.

For 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option among the tested settings. It achieves an average of 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS, which is playable, though the minimum frame rate dips below 60 FPS. The High preset at 4K drops to 56 FPS average, which may cause noticeable stutter on some displays. The Low preset at 4K offers 87 FPS average, but the visual fidelity is likely too compromised for a 2014 title that benefits from higher detail settings.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution. At 1080p, it achieves 123 FPS, which is lower than the High preset's 162 FPS, indicating that the Ultra settings impose a heavy load that reduces performance without a proportional visual benefit. At 1440p, the Ultra preset's 79 FPS is below the Medium preset's 124 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 43 FPS, which is not smooth. Therefore, the data strongly supports Medium as the best experience across all resolutions, with High being a viable alternative for 1080p and 1440p users who prioritize image quality over frame rate headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT combination ranks 930th out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 68.3rd percentile of all systems in the database, indicating that it performs better than the majority of tested configurations. This is a solid ranking, but not exceptional, given that the CPU is in the 93rd percentile and the GPU is in the 51st percentile.

The ranking suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this combo, pulling the overall rank down from what the CPU alone would suggest. The CPU's high percentile (93rd) is offset by the GPU's average percentile (51st), resulting in a combined rank that is above the median but not near the top. This is consistent with the measured data: the system excels at lower resolutions where the CPU matters more, but falls behind at 4K where the GPU's performance is insufficient to compete with higher-end cards.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals indicate that the RX 7800 XT is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (-0.5%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (-1.8%). This means that the combo's rank is likely similar to what it would be with those GPUs, assuming the CPU remains the same. The CPU's rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 4464P (-0.3%) and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (+0.3%), are also close in performance, suggesting that swapping the CPU for a near-equivalent wouldn't significantly alter the combo's ranking.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 104 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for most monitors and indicates that the GPU can handle this resolution well.

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with Ultra settings?*

A: The data shows an average of 43 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, and the minimum frame rate is not reported, so it may dip lower. It is not recommended for a consistent experience.

Q: How does the RX 7800 XT compare to its nearest rival in benchmarks?

A: The RX 7800 XT has an average benchmark score of 11627. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, has an average score of 11680, which is -0.5% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT scores 11842, which is -1.8% higher than the RX 7800 XT.

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming?

A: The Medium preset offers an average of 193 FPS with a minimum of 164 FPS. The High preset achieves 162 FPS, and the Low preset achieves 252 FPS. Medium is recommended for a balance of visuals and performance, as the High preset's lower frame rate may not be worth the visual gain.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The frame rate drops significantly from Low (87 FPS) to Ultra (43 FPS), while the CPU's performance is consistent across settings. The GPU's 16 GB memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but its compute power limits high-detail performance.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 930th out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it above the median but not in the top tier, reflecting the GPU's average performance relative to its peers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings combination. Minimum and maximum frame rates are only provided for the Medium preset across all resolutions.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 3840x2160 | High | 56 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 87 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 67 | 57 | 77 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 43 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | High | 104 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 162 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 124 | 106 | 143 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 79 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | High | 162 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 252 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 193 | 164 | 222 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 123 | — | — |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the Medium preset provides the most stable frame pacing, as evidenced by the reported minimum and maximum values. At 1080p, the Medium preset's minimum of 164 FPS is high enough to prevent any perceptible stutter. At 1440p, the minimum of 106 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the minimum of 57 FPS is just below 60, which may be noticeable on some displays but is generally acceptable for a third-person shooter. The Low preset at 1080p achieves the highest average at 252 FPS, but the lack of reported minimums makes it difficult to assess consistency. The Ultra preset consistently delivers the lowest frame rates, reinforcing its status as a visually demanding but performance-heavy option.