Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that, on the surface, looks like a modest title, but the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination reveals a surprisingly demanding workload at higher settings. This mobile platform, built on Intel's Arrow Lake-HX architecture and NVIDIA's Blackwell 2.0 design, demonstrates a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets, with the data showing a significant reliance on the graphics card to maintain smooth gameplay. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS, component roles, and scaling characteristics of this specific hardware pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded for this pairing at 1920x1080 is 175, which is achieved with the Low settings preset. This drops to 134 with Medium settings, 112 with High, and 85 with Ultra settings.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the data shows it is a challenge. The average FPS ranges from 61 on Low settings down to 30 on Ultra settings. The Medium preset at 4K yields an average of 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS, indicating that playable frame rates are only achievable on the lowest settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 26331 places it in a tight cluster. It is 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon 860M and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550, and 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary. It is 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT.

Q: What is the performance difference between the 1080p and 1440p High settings?

A: Dropping from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on High settings results in a 40 FPS loss, going from an average of 112 FPS down to 72 FPS. This represents a substantial 35.7% decrease in performance when increasing the resolution.

Q: What is the measured FPS range for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows an average FPS of 86, with a recorded minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS. This indicates a stable experience with a 26 FPS variance between the minimum and maximum frames.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to the Intel Core i7-13790F?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63173, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-13790F's score of 63080. This makes the two virtually identical in overall CPU performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its core configuration, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, provides substantial compute headroom. The data from the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, where it scores 40642, shows a processor capable of handling heavy threading workloads. However, in the context of Minimum, a game from 2014, the CPU's role appears to be more about maintaining a solid foundation than being the primary bottleneck.

The benchmark results show the CPU performing well relative to its peers. Its average benchmark score of 63173 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13790F, which is 0.1% slower, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, which is 0.2% faster. This suggests the 265HX offers competitive processing power. In single-threaded tasks, the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 578 and the Passmark single-thread score of 4500 indicate strong per-core performance, which is often critical for older game engines that may not scale perfectly across many cores.

The fact that the 265HX has 20 threads but the game's engine was designed in an era of 4-core and 8-thread processors means that a significant portion of its capability may go unused. The data implies this CPU has enough power to feed the RTX 5060 in most scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions and settings. The L3 cache of 30 MB shared and a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support further reduce the chance of a CPU-side data bottleneck. The performance deltas between the 265HX and its rivals are all under 1%, suggesting that in a GPU-bound title like Minimum at higher settings, the choice between these CPUs would have a negligible impact on the final frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the dominant component in this pairing for Minimum, as the measured FPS scales dramatically with resolution and graphical settings. Built on the GB206 chip using a 5 nm process, it features 3840 shading units and 30 RT cores. The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The card's boost clock of 2497 MHz and base clock of 2280 MHz are key to its performance. The data clearly shows that as the workload increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

The RTX 5060's average benchmark score of 26331 puts it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Interestingly, its closest rivals in the data are not high-end desktop cards but a mix of integrated and mobile solutions, such as the AMD Radeon 860M and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550, with performance deltas of -0.3%. It also trades places with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (-0.8%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (1.2% faster). This suggests that while the 5060 is a capable mobile GPU, its performance in synthetic tests is tightly grouped with these other parts.

In the game itself, the GPU's role is highlighted by the frame rate drop from 175 FPS at 1080p Low to 30 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The card's 8 GB of VRAM is adequate for the game's needs, even at 4K, as the data does not indicate any memory-related stuttering. The pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s become the determining factors as resolution increases. The RTX 5060's performance is the primary reason why the system struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, as the raw compute power required to render each frame at that resolution exceeds what the card can deliver at higher quality presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how the system scales across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably. The Low preset delivers an average of 175 FPS, which drops to 134 on Medium (with a minimum of 114 and maximum of 154). The High preset averages 112 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a respectable 85 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the RTX 5060 and Core Ultra 7 265HX combination is more than sufficient for a smooth experience, even at the highest quality settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates take a notable hit but remain generally playable. The Low preset drops to 113 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 86 FPS (min 73, max 99). The High preset falls to 72 FPS, and the Ultra preset dips to 55 FPS. The data shows that 1440p is a viable resolution for this combo, provided the user is willing to adjust settings; the drop from High to Medium at this resolution is a 14 FPS gain, which could be significant for gameplay smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become evident. The Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, averaging 61 FPS. The Medium preset averages 46 FPS with a minimum of 39, which is borderline. The High preset falls to 39 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 30 FPS. This data indicates that 4K gaming with this hardware is only viable at the lowest settings, and even then, the frame rate is not exceptionally high. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep, with the High preset losing 73 FPS (from 112 to 39).

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is ranked 1920 out of 2939 tested combinations for this game. This places it in the 35th percentile of all tested combos, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is also not at the bottom. This ranking is likely influenced by the fact that the RTX 5060, while a modern card, is positioned in the mid-range and its performance is challenged by the high resolutions and settings used in the testing.

The ranking is a sum of its parts. The CPU is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a high-end mobile processor. However, the GPU is only in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. In a game like Minimum, which is graphically intensive, the GPU's lower percentile ranking relative to the CPU pulls the overall combo ranking down. This suggests that the system is somewhat unbalanced for this specific title, with the GPU being the limiting factor. The data implies that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly higher combo rank, as the CPU would have more headroom to support it.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p gaming, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 112 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and it offers a significant visual upgrade over the Medium preset. The Ultra preset is also viable at 85 FPS, but the 24% performance drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains for all users. The Medium preset at 134 FPS is for those who prioritize maximum frame rates, but High offers a better balance.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It provides an average of 86 FPS with a minimum of 73, ensuring a stable experience. The High preset drops to 72 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS is borderline and may result in noticeable stuttering. For a competitive edge, the Low preset at 113 FPS is an option, but the Medium preset offers a more balanced visual and performance compromise.

For 4K gaming, the data strongly suggests sticking to the Low preset. The 61 FPS average is just above the 60 FPS target, but it is the only preset that achieves this. The Medium preset at 46 FPS is playable but not ideal, and the High and Ultra presets at 39 and 30 FPS, respectively, are too slow for a smooth experience. Users seeking 4K should accept the visual compromises of the Low preset or consider lowering the resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. From 1080p to 1440p on High settings, the average FPS drops from 112 to 72, a 35.7% decrease. From 1440p to 4K on the same settings, the average FPS drops further from 72 to 39, a 45.8% decrease. This escalating drop-off is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload, where the number of pixels to render grows exponentially.

The scaling factor is consistent across settings. On Low settings, the FPS drops from 175 at 1080p to 113 at 1440p (a 35.4% decrease) and then to 61 at 4K (a 46.0% decrease). This indicates that the limiting component is the GPU across all presets. The CPU's performance, as evidenced by its high benchmark percentile, is not a bottleneck at any resolution. The data suggests that the RTX 5060's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and its pixel fill rate are the primary constraints at higher resolutions.

This pattern has important implications. It shows that the RTX 5060 is insufficient for 4K gaming in this title at high settings, but it also shows that the system scales predictably. A user can estimate the performance trade-off of moving between resolutions with relative accuracy. The data confirms that for this hardware, 1080p is the native resolution for high-refresh-rate gaming, 1440p is the optimal balance of quality and performance, and 4K is only feasible with significant compromises to visual fidelity.