Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is a capable mobile combination for Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014. The benchmark data shows that this pairing is positioned in the lower-middle tier of tested configurations for this specific title, ranking 2262nd out of 3712 total combos. While the processor is a high-end mobile part with strong synthetic scores, the GPU ultimately dictates the frame rates, which are best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p play or smooth 1440p experiences, rather than 4K gaming.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Minimum?*

A: This combination ranks 2262nd out of 3712 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower half of all benchmarked systems. The data indicates it is a competent setup, but not a top-tier performer for this title.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the system is not ideal for a smooth experience. The data shows an average of 40 FPS on High settings and 31 FPS on Ultra, which falls below the standard for fluid gameplay. While the Low preset reaches 62 FPS, it requires significant visual compromises.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high-refresh-rate experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance. The data shows an average of 180 FPS on Low settings, 138 FPS on Medium, and 116 FPS on High, making it well-suited for monitors with refresh rates of 144Hz or higher.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H has an average benchmark score of 35670. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, scores 35719, which is a negligible 0.1% difference. It also trails the Intel Core 7 250H by 0.2% and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 by 0.4%, indicating these processors are nearly identical in raw compute power.

Q: Does the 8 GB of VRAM on the GPU create any limitations at lower resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for the highest settings, as the Ultra preset still achieves an average of 88 FPS. However, the performance drop from High (116 FPS) to Ultra (88 FPS) is a 24% reduction, suggesting that the higher preset demands significantly more resources.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 9 185H a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 Mobile in this game?

A: Based on the frame rate data, it appears the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. For instance, at 2560x1440, the drop from Low (116 FPS) to High (75 FPS) shows a clear GPU dependency. The CPU's high core count and clock speeds are more than sufficient to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the massive frame rates at 1080p Low.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of Minimum, this specific hardware pairing is a mid-pack performer. The combo's rank of 2262 out of 3712 tested systems places it in the 39th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly 39% of all recorded configurations. This is a clear indicator that while the components are modern and capable, other tested systems with more powerful GPUs or more optimized configurations achieve higher frame rates.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's position in the performance hierarchy. The RTX 4060 Mobile sits in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, which is a solid mid-range standing. Its average benchmark score of 22729 is very close to that of the desktop NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, which scores 22895 (a 0.7% difference). This suggests that in raw compute, the mobile 4060 is nearly equivalent to a previous-generation desktop card, which explains its ability to produce strong results at 1080p and 1440p, but not at 4K.

The CPU, however, is a high-end part. Its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs and a score of 35670 put it in the top tier of processors. The gap to its nearest rivals (AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, Intel Core 7 250H, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845) is less than 0.7%, meaning the 185H provides no meaningful advantage over these alternatives in synthetic tests. This suggests that the performance difference between combos in this game will be determined almost entirely by the GPU, not the CPU. The data for this combo shows that the GPU is the primary driver of the final ranking, and the high-end CPU ensures there is no processor-induced bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is the defining component for this combo's gaming performance. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process and features 3072 shading units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1545 MHz and a boost clock of 1890 MHz, with a memory clock of 2000 MHz running on a 128-bit bus.

The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory provides a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in the performance scaling observed across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the GPU has enough bandwidth to push high frame rates, but the 24% drop from the High preset (116 FPS) to the Ultra preset (88 FPS) indicates that the Ultra settings require more memory throughput and fill rate than the High settings. The pixel rate of 90.72 GPixel/s and texture rate of 181.4 GTexel/s are decent for a mobile part, but they become a limiting factor when the resolution increases.

At 2560x1440, the performance is still very playable. The GPU produces 116 FPS on Low and 75 FPS on High. This shows that the 4060 Mobile has sufficient compute power for 1440p gaming, but the average frame rates are lower than at 1080p, as expected. The situation changes dramatically at 3840x2160. The 4K resolution requires the GPU to render four times as many pixels as 1080p, and the data shows the GPU cannot keep up. The average FPS drops to 40 on High and 31 on Ultra, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience. The 8 GB VRAM buffer is not the primary issue here; rather, the raw shading power and memory bandwidth of the RTX 4060 Mobile are insufficient for demanding 4K workloads in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a clear picture of the performance scaling. The data is split across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the system is at its best. The Low preset delivers an average of 180 FPS, a high enough number to fully utilize a 165Hz or even 240Hz monitor. The Medium preset shows a significant performance cost, dropping to 138 FPS, but still remains excellent for competitive play. The High preset yields 116 FPS, which is also very smooth. The Ultra preset brings the average down to 88 FPS; while still playable, it represents a 24% decrease from High, indicating a heavy load on the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. The Low preset averages 116 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p High preset. This suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution and the GPU is still managing the load well. The Medium preset averages 89 FPS, and the High preset averages 75 FPS. Both are perfectly playable for a single-player or casual shooter. The Ultra preset drops to 57 FPS, which is just at the edge of smoothness for many players, but it is a significant compromise compared to High.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, averaging 62 FPS. The Medium preset averages 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS, showing noticeable frame time inconsistency. The High preset averages 40 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 31 FPS. These results clearly show that 4K is not a viable option for a consistently smooth experience in Minimum with this hardware.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends on the user's display and performance priorities.

For 1920x1080 users, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 116 FPS, which is a 33% improvement over the Ultra preset's 88 FPS with a minimal visual difference in most cases. For competitive players who prioritize maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 180 FPS offers a significant advantage, but the Medium preset at 138 FPS is a better balance of visual quality and performance if the monitor can support it.

For 2560x1440 users, the High preset is the recommended choice. It provides an average of 75 FPS, which is a good balance for a smooth and visually detailed experience. The Medium preset at 89 FPS is a better option for those who prefer higher frame rates, as the visual difference between Medium and High is often subtle, but the 14 FPS gain is noticeable. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action, so it is not recommended.

For 3840x2160 users, the data suggests avoiding this resolution for serious play. The only preset that achieves a playable average is Low at 62 FPS, but the visual quality is heavily compromised. The Medium and High presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold. It is strongly recommended to use a lower resolution, such as 2560x1440 with High settings, for a much better experience than 4K on Low.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, which are high clocks for a mobile part. The CPU features a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data quickly enough to avoid bottlenecking. The benchmark results suggest it does this admirably. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 180 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that requires a strong single-threaded performance from the CPU. The 185H's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 1810.5 and Passmark single-thread score of 3697 are strong indicators of its capability in this scenario.

The multi-core performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5. While Minimum may not utilize all 22 threads effectively, the high core count ensures that background tasks and game logic do not interfere with frame pacing. Furthermore, the CPU's performance is statistically identical to its nearest rivals, with a delta of less than 0.7% compared to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and Intel Core 7 250H. This means upgrading the CPU without changing the GPU would yield no measurable improvement in this game's frame rates, as the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios. The data confirms that the Core Ultra 9 185H is more than sufficient for this workload, providing a stable platform for the RTX 4060 Mobile to perform at its full potential.