Minimum

FAQ

Q: What is the game "Minimum" and what hardware combination is being analyzed here?

A: "Minimum" is a Third-Person Shooter released on 2014-06-25. This analysis covers the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K processor paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 graphics card.

Q: What are the key specifications of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K?

A: The CPU features 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It has a TDP of 125 W, uses the Intel Socket 1851, and is built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node. It includes 30 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory.

Q: What are the key specifications of the AMD Radeon RX 7700?

A: The GPU is based on the Navi 32 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture and a 5 nm process node. It has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth. The boost clock is 2459 MHz, and it features 2560 shading units and 96 ROPs.

Q: What are the measured FPS results at 1080p with different settings?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 214 at Low settings, 164 at Medium, 137 at High, to 105 at Ultra settings. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 139 FPS and a maximum of 188 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among other tested combinations in this game?

A: The combination of Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1298 out of 2939 total tested combos in "Minimum", placing it roughly in the 56th percentile of all tested configurations.

Q: What is the performance percentile of the CPU and GPU individually?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks in the 58th percentile among all GPUs.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 plays a critical role in determining "Minimum's" frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is substantial for a game from 2014, meaning VRAM capacity is unlikely to be a limiting factor even at 4K resolution with maximum settings. The card's 96 ROPs handle pixel output at a rate of 236.1 GPixel/s, which directly impacts fill-rate-bound scenarios common in third-person shooters with detailed environments.

The clock speeds are equally important. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The difference between game and boost clocks shows the card's ability to sustain high frequencies under load, which is crucial for maintaining consistent frame pacing in fast-paced action sequences. The memory clock of 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) combined with the 256-bit bus produces the 624.1 GB/s bandwidth figure, ensuring texture streaming and geometry processing don't become bottlenecks.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 25.18 TFLOPS and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s are the raw compute resources that shader-heavy effects in "Minimum" can leverage. The card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which means it can handle modern rendering techniques, though "Minimum" predates many of these features. The 40 RT cores are present but unlikely to be utilized by this 2014 title, so their impact on measured results is minimal. Instead, the traditional rasterization throughput—measured by the 2560 shading units and 160 TMUs—is what drives the FPS numbers observed in the data.

The relationship between VRAM and clocks becomes apparent when examining the resolution scaling. At 1080p, the GPU has ample memory bandwidth and compute headroom, but at 4K the 624.1 GB/s bandwidth and 236.1 GPixel/s pixel rate become more stressed. The 16 GB VRAM capacity, however, means that even at 4K Ultra, the card never runs out of memory, so the FPS drops are purely a function of compute and bandwidth limits rather than capacity constraints.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 214 at 1920x1080 to 138 at 2560x1440, then to 74 at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 65%, indicating that the GPU becomes progressively more limiting as pixel count increases.

The scaling at Medium settings follows a similar trajectory: 164 FPS at 1080p, 106 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 35% and 46% respectively, mirroring the Low setting pattern almost exactly. This consistency suggests that the resolution scaling is primarily driven by pixel throughput rather than settings-specific effects. The High settings show 137 FPS at 1080p, 89 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K, with drops of 35% and 46% again.

Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic scaling: 105 FPS at 1080p, 68 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47%. This consistent pattern—roughly one-third reduction per resolution step—indicates that the limiting component is the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 5.50 GHz boost clock, is clearly not the bottleneck even at 1080p Low where 214 FPS is achieved.

The data also shows that the gap between settings narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 109 FPS (214 vs 105). At 4K, that gap shrinks to 38 FPS (74 vs 36). This convergence suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that settings changes have diminishing returns, as the pixel throughput becomes the dominant constraint. The Medium settings at 4K show a minimum of 48 FPS and maximum of 65 FPS, indicating frame time variance that could affect gameplay smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers its highest performance. Low settings produce an average of 214 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. Medium settings reduce this to 164 FPS, with a minimum of 139 FPS and maximum of 188 FPS, showing consistent frame delivery. High settings yield 137 FPS average, still smooth for competitive play. Ultra settings drop to 105 FPS, which remains playable but shows the cost of maximum visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings average 138 FPS, maintaining high refresh rate capability. Medium settings produce 106 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS and maximum of 121 FPS, indicating some frame time spikes but generally stable performance. High settings average 89 FPS, which is suitable for 60Hz displays but may not fully utilize 144Hz panels. Ultra settings drop to 68 FPS, which is playable but shows the GPU beginning to struggle with the higher pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 74 FPS, which is acceptable for 60Hz displays but shows significant degradation from the 214 FPS at 1080p. Medium settings produce 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and maximum of 65 FPS, meaning some scenes will dip below 60 FPS. High settings average 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings drop to 36 FPS, which is borderline playable but will feel sluggish in fast-paced combat.

The Medium settings at each resolution provide the most complete dataset, as they include minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the 139-188 FPS range shows tight frame pacing. At 1440p, the 90-121 FPS range indicates more variance but still acceptable. At 4K, the 48-65 FPS range reveals that the GPU is near its limits, with occasional dips below 60 FPS. The absence of min/max data for other settings leaves some uncertainty, but the averages across all settings paint a consistent picture of performance scaling.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1298 out of 2939 tested combos in "Minimum". This places the configuration in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems, indicating that while it performs well, there are many faster combinations available. The rank reflects the GPU's 58th percentile standing among all GPUs, which is the primary driver of gaming performance in this title.

The CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs means the processor is far more capable than the GPU in this pairing. The data shows that in "Minimum", the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU has significant headroom. This is evidenced by the large FPS numbers at 1080p Low (214 FPS), which suggests the CPU could drive even higher frame rates if paired with a more powerful GPU.

Examining the nearest rivals for each component provides context for the ranking. The CPU's closest competitors are the Intel Xeon 6511P (-0.2% delta), Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (-0.7% delta), Intel Core i7-14700KF (+1% delta), and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (+1.3% delta). These small deltas indicate that the Core Ultra 7 265K is positioned among a tight cluster of high-performance processors, with no significant advantage or disadvantage over its immediate rivals.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 370X (-0.1% delta), AMD Radeon RX 9060 (-1% delta), AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (+1.1% delta), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (-1.7% delta). The delta percentages show that the RX 7700 is essentially on par with these competitors, with the RTX 3060 Ti being the fastest of the group by a small margin. The fact that the RX 7700 ranks 1298th overall suggests that many combos with higher-end GPUs outperform this pairing in "Minimum".

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, but the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The 164 FPS average with a 139 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes, while still providing improved visuals over Low settings. The High preset at 137 FPS is also viable if visual fidelity is prioritized, and even Ultra at 105 FPS remains above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. The 106 FPS average with a 90 FPS minimum keeps frame rates above the 60 FPS threshold, and the visual upgrade over Low is significant. The High preset at 89 FPS is acceptable for 60Hz displays but leaves less headroom for frame time spikes. The Ultra preset at 68 FPS is borderline, with the risk of noticeable stuttering in busy scenes. Low at 138 FPS is the best choice for competitive play, but sacrifices visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 74 FPS is the only setting that consistently stays above 60 FPS. Medium at 57 FPS will dip below 60 FPS at times, as evidenced by the 48 FPS minimum. High at 48 FPS and Ultra at 36 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as the GPU is too saturated at these settings. For 4K gaming, players should stick with Low settings to maintain acceptable frame rates, or consider lowering the resolution.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for this hardware combination. It delivers 106 FPS average, which is high enough for most gaming monitors, while providing a meaningful visual improvement over Low settings. The 90 FPS minimum ensures that even the most demanding scenes remain fluid. If a higher refresh rate is the priority, dropping to 1080p Medium yields 164 FPS with minimal visual compromise. Conversely, if visual fidelity is paramount and 60 FPS is acceptable, 1440p High at 89 FPS is a viable option.