Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile is a capable mobile combination for Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The data shows this combo delivers playable frame rates at most settings, but with significant limitations at 4K. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU roles, ranking, and measured performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At this resolution, the combo achieves 148 FPS on Low, 114 FPS on Medium, 95 FPS on High, and 73 FPS on Ultra. All presets are comfortably playable, with Low and Medium offering high refresh rate potential.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 52 on Low, 39 on Medium, 33 on High, and 25 on Ultra. The 4K Ultra preset is the only setting where the average FPS drops below 30, making it less viable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 Mobile compare to the RTX 4090 Mobile?

A: The benchmark results indicate the RTX 5050 Mobile has an average score of 43268, while the RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667. This puts the RTX 5050 Mobile 0.9% behind the RTX 4090 Mobile in the GPU benchmark suite, showing that the 5050 is closer to the top of the mobile stack than its naming suggests.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H compare to the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X?

A: The CPU benchmarks show the Ultra 9 185H scores 35670 on average, while the Ryzen 7 7700X scores 35909. This makes the Intel chip 0.7% slower than the AMD desktop part in the synthetic benchmark suite, despite being a mobile processor.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance like?

A: The data shows a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1810.5 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1794. These numbers place the processor in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, indicating solid single-threaded capability for games that rely on it.

Q: Does the combo rank well among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2973 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 80th percentile of all combos tested, meaning it outperforms roughly 80% of configurations in this specific game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, allowing it to handle both multi-threaded workloads and single-threaded tasks effectively. The CPU's cache configuration includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache.

For Minimum, a third-person shooter, the CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1810.5 and Geekbench single-core score of 1794 indicate that the processor can handle the game's physics and game logic calculations efficiently. The 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that this is a strong performer for gaming workloads.

The multi-threaded capabilities also matter, as the data shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and a Passmark multithread score of 29376. While Minimum may not fully utilize all 22 threads, having 16 cores ensures that background tasks and game engine threads do not bottleneck the main game loop. The processor's 7 nm process node and 45 W TDP make it an efficient choice for mobile systems.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support helps feed the GPU with data. This is reflected in the measured FPS, where the combo achieves 148 FPS at 1080p Low, showing that the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile combination ranks 2973 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This ranking places it in the lower half of the distribution but still ahead of a significant number of configurations. The percentile positioning indicates that while this is not a top-tier gaming combo, it is far from being a weak performer.

The CPU alone sits in the 85th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 35670. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 (0.1% faster), the Intel Core 7 250H (0.2% faster), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (0.7% faster). These differences are minimal, showing that the Ultra 9 185H is well-positioned in the mobile CPU market.

The GPU, the RTX 5050 Mobile, has an average benchmark score of 43268 and ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show a tight cluster: the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB matches it exactly, the Quadro M6000 is 0.1% slower, and the RTX 4070 SUPER is 0.1% faster. The RTX 4090 Mobile is only 0.9% faster, which is surprising given the generational gap.

The combo rank of 2973 out of 3712 suggests that the combination of these two components does not perfectly translate to top-tier gaming performance in Minimum. This could be due to the GPU being more of a mid-range part despite its high benchmark scores, or the game being more dependent on other system factors. However, the measured FPS data shows that the combo is more than capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings in Minimum.

At 1920x1080, the combo excels in all settings:

• Low: 148 FPS average
• Medium: 114 FPS average, with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131
• High: 95 FPS average
• Ultra: 73 FPS average

These numbers show that 1080p is the ideal resolution for this combo, with even the Ultra preset maintaining a 73 FPS average. The Medium preset offers a balanced experience at 114 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but with more variation:

• Low: 96 FPS average
• Medium: 73 FPS average, with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84
• High: 61 FPS average
• Ultra: 47 FPS average

The 1440p results show that the combo can still deliver a playable experience at all settings. The High preset sits right at 61 FPS, which is playable, while Ultra drops to 47 FPS. The Medium preset at 73 FPS provides a comfortable margin for smoother gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles at higher settings:

• Low: 52 FPS average
• Medium: 39 FPS average, with a minimum of 34 and maximum of 45
• High: 33 FPS average
• Ultra: 25 FPS average

The 4K results clearly show the GPU's limitations at this resolution. While Low is playable at 52 FPS, the Medium preset drops to 39 FPS, High to 33 FPS, and Ultra to 25 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only setting where the average FPS falls below 30, making it difficult to play smoothly.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm process from TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. The GPU has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores.

The GPU's clock speeds are relatively modest, with a base clock of 1020 MHz and a boost clock of 1500 MHz. The memory runs at 1500 MHz with 24 Gbps effective speed. This configuration delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s.

In Minimum, the GPU's role is critical at higher resolutions. The measured FPS at 4K shows a clear drop-off from Low to Ultra, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game, which was released in 2014 and does not require massive memory allocations.

The GPU's benchmark scores show it performs at a level comparable to much older desktop cards. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 84171 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2365 place it in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs. The fact that it performs within 0.9% of the RTX 4090 Mobile in the average benchmark score suggests that the RTX 5050 Mobile is an efficient and powerful part, despite its lower tier in the 50-series lineup.

Settings Recommendations

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

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality. The 114 FPS average with a minimum of 97 FPS ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. For players with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 148 FPS is the best choice, while those prioritizing visual fidelity can use High at 95 FPS or Ultra at 73 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. The 73 FPS average with a minimum of 62 FPS provides a consistently smooth experience. The High preset at 61 FPS is also acceptable, but the lower minimum frame rate could cause occasional stutters. The Ultra preset at 47 FPS is playable but may not feel as responsive.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only setting that provides a truly playable experience at 52 FPS. The Medium preset at 39 FPS is borderline, and the High preset at 33 FPS may be too low for fast-paced shooter gameplay. The Ultra preset at 25 FPS is not recommended for competitive play.

For the best overall experience, the data suggests using Medium settings at 1440p. This provides a balance of visual fidelity and performance, with an average FPS of 73 and a minimum of 62. If playing at 1080p, Medium at 114 FPS is the sweet spot, offering high frame rates without sacrificing too much visual quality. For players who prioritize maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 148 FPS, which is ideal for high refresh rate displays.