Minimum

# Minimum — Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile delivers a robust experience in Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. This combination ranks 1228th out of 3712 tested combos in this game, placing it in the upper third of all configurations. The data shows strong performance across all resolutions, with the system maintaining playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings, though the gap between Low and Ultra presets reveals significant headroom for optimization depending on display capabilities.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p as the sweet spot, with 106 FPS at High settings and 81 FPS at Ultra. At 1080p, the system delivers 164 FPS at High and 125 FPS at Ultra, while 4K drops to 57 FPS at High and 43 FPS at Ultra.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX scores 40,642 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which places it within 0.7% of the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (62,738 avg benchmark score) and 0.1% of the Intel Core i7-13790F (63,080 avg). Its 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates top-tier processing capability.

Q: What GPU memory configuration does this system use?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory operates at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed, which supports the high frame rates observed across all tested settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 Mobile competitive with other GPUs in its class?

A: The GPU holds an 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 38,135. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, scores 38,349 (0.6% higher), while the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 37,648 (1.3% lower).

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 196 FPS at 1080p Medium, with minimum and maximum readings of 166 and 225 FPS respectively. This represents a 20% improvement over High settings (164 FPS) at the same resolution.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread results?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265HX achieves 5,737 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 40,642 in multi-core, a ratio of roughly 1:7. This indicates strong single-thread performance (93rd percentile overall) while the 20-core, 20-thread configuration provides substantial parallel processing capability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is built on the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. The GPU contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, with 7,424 shading units, 232 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The 58 ray tracing cores and 232 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for advanced rendering features, though Minimum's 2014 release date means these capabilities may not be fully utilized by the game engine.

The memory subsystem consists of 12 GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 192-bit interface, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This configuration proves adequate for all tested settings in Minimum, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across resolutions. The GPU's base clock of 1290 MHz and boost clock of 1665 MHz, combined with the 110 W TDP, represent a mobile implementation that balances performance with thermal constraints.

Benchmark results indicate the RTX 4080 Mobile achieves 24.72 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 133.2 GPixel/s pixel rate, with 386.3 GTexel/s texture throughput. The GPU scores 24,926 in Passmark G3D and 11,191 in GPU compute tests, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival comparisons show a tight grouping: the GeForce MX570 scores 38,299 (0.4% higher), the RTX 5080 Mobile scores 38,349 (0.6% higher), and the RTX 4070 scores 37,648 (1.3% lower).

In Minimum specifically, the GPU demonstrates scaling consistent with its mid-range positioning. At 4K, the transition from Low (89 FPS) to Ultra (43 FPS) represents a 52% performance reduction, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher settings. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is never stressed by this game's requirements, as evidenced by the absence of memory-related stuttering in the measured data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals distinct scaling patterns across settings. At High settings, the system delivers 164 FPS at 1080p, 106 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 46% drop from 1440p to 4K, showing that pixel count has a substantial impact on performance.

Low settings exhibit the most dramatic scaling: 256 FPS at 1080p, 165 FPS at 1440p, and 89 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p transition reduces frame rates by 36%, while the 1440p to 4K step causes a 46% reduction. This consistent scaling pattern suggests the GPU is the limiting component throughout, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at lower resolutions.

Medium settings show similar characteristics: 196 FPS at 1080p, 126 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 36% and 46% respectively, mirroring the other presets. Ultra settings produce 125 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 43 FPS at 4K, with reductions of 35% and 47%.

The consistent scaling ratios across all settings indicate that Minimum is primarily GPU-bound in this configuration. The CPU's 20 cores and 30 MB of L3 cache provide ample processing power, as demonstrated by the linear frame rate decreases corresponding to pixel count increases. At 1080p Low, the 256 FPS result suggests the system is approaching the upper limits of what the GPU can deliver, with the CPU unlikely to be a bottleneck at any tested configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and RTX 4080 Mobile ranks 1228th out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the 67th percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the system's balanced performance profile, where neither component dramatically outperforms the other in this particular game.

The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all processors contributes significantly to this position. With an average benchmark score of 63,173, the Core Ultra 7 265HX sits within 0.7% of the Core Ultra 7 255HX (62,738) and 0.1% of the Core i7-13790F (63,080). The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G scores 63,331 (0.2% higher), while the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 scores 62,839 (0.5% lower).

The GPU's 81st percentile ranking provides complementary performance. The RTX 4080 Mobile's average benchmark score of 38,135 places it slightly below the GeForce MX570 (38,299, 0.4% higher) and RTX 5080 Mobile (38,349, 0.6% higher), while outperforming the RTX 4070 (37,648, 1.3% lower) and Tesla P4 (37,628, 1.3% lower).

The combined ranking of 1228th suggests that while both components are individually strong, the pairing does not achieve top-tier status in Minimum. This could be attributed to the game's age and its interaction with modern hardware, where the 2014 engine may not fully leverage the CPU's 20 threads or the GPU's advanced features like ray tracing and DLSS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 256 FPS average, Medium settings achieve 196 FPS (with a range of 166 to 225 FPS), High settings reach 164 FPS, and Ultra settings maintain 125 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 51% performance decrease, with each preset tier costing approximately 20-25% of the previous tier's performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease proportionally. Low settings average 165 FPS, Medium settings achieve 126 FPS (range: 107 to 145 FPS), High settings reach 106 FPS, and Ultra settings maintain 81 FPS. The Low to Ultra spread narrows to 51%, consistent with the 1080p results, confirming the GPU-bound nature of the workload.

At 3840x2160, the system still maintains playable frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 89 FPS, Medium settings achieve 68 FPS (range: 58 to 78 FPS), High settings reach 57 FPS, and Ultra settings maintain 43 FPS. The Ultra setting at 4K represents the only configuration that drops below 60 FPS, though the 43 FPS average remains within playable range for a third-person shooter.

The Medium settings data provides the most complete picture, with minimum and maximum frame rates recorded at all three resolutions. At 1080p, the 166-225 FPS range shows a 36% variance between minimum and maximum. At 1440p, the 107-145 FPS range represents a 35% variance. At 4K, the 58-78 FPS range shows a 34% variance. This consistent variance pattern suggests stable frame pacing across resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play at high refresh rates, the 1080p Low preset provides the best experience with 256 FPS average. This configuration maximizes the system's capability to drive high-refresh-rate displays, with the frame rate exceeding what most monitors can display. The 1440p Low setting at 165 FPS offers a similar advantage for users prioritizing resolution over visual fidelity.

For balanced visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1440p (126 FPS average) represents the optimal configuration. This setting maintains frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold while providing improved visual quality over Low. The measured minimum of 107 FPS ensures consistent performance even during demanding scenes, with the 107-145 FPS range indicating minimal frame time variance.

At 4K, the Medium preset (68 FPS average) is the highest quality setting that maintains 60+ FPS performance. The 58-78 FPS range shows acceptable variance, though users with variable refresh rate displays will benefit from the frame rate staying within the adaptive sync range. The High preset at 4K (57 FPS) drops below 60 FPS, making it less suitable for smooth gameplay.

The Ultra preset is only recommended for users prioritizing maximum visual quality over frame rate. At 1440p, the 81 FPS average remains playable, while 1080p Ultra (125 FPS) provides a good balance of quality and performance. The 4K Ultra setting (43 FPS) is best avoided for active gameplay, as the frame rate drops below what most players consider acceptable for a shooter.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX features 20 cores and 20 threads based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 3 nm process. The CPU operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 55 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache.

Benchmark results demonstrate the CPU's strong performance across various workloads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40,642 and single-core score of 5,737 represent the most relevant metrics for gaming performance. Passmark results show 47,985 in multi-thread tests and 4,500 in single-thread tests, with specific workloads like data compression (511,817), floating-point math (161,605), and integer math (126,954) indicating substantial compute capability.

In Minimum, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate scaling across resolutions. The 20-core configuration provides ample processing power for game logic and physics, with the 30 MB L3 cache helping to reduce memory latency. The dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth ensures the CPU can feed data to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all processors indicates it outperforms the vast majority of available CPUs. Its nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the Core i7-13790F (63,080, 0.1% higher), AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G (63,331, 0.2% higher), and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 (62,839, 0.5% lower). This performance level ensures the CPU does not limit the GPU in Minimum, as the frame rates at 1080p Low (256 FPS) demonstrate the system's ability to sustain very high performance when GPU load is low.