Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that, on this particular Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination, shows a clear performance hierarchy across settings and resolutions. The measured data reveals that while the CPU is a modern 16-core mobile part with a 5.00 GHz boost clock, the RTX 5060’s 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the primary constraint at higher presets, particularly at 4K. This analysis walks through the measured FPS rows, interprets the CPU and GPU roles, and provides a detailed breakdown of what to expect from this combo.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of which preset delivers the best experience at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 175 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all settings and resolutions. However, the Medium preset at 1080p still delivers 134 FPS on average, with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS. Given that the game is a third-person shooter where smoothness matters, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a strong balance: it is only 41 FPS below Low, but the visual upgrade from Low to Medium is substantial for a 2014 title. The High preset at 1080p drops to 112 FPS, and Ultra falls to 85 FPS, so those are viable if the user prefers fidelity, but Medium is the sweet spot for maintaining high frame rates without sacrificing too much visual quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset produces 113 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium at 1440p yields 86 FPS on average, with a minimum of 73 FPS, which remains above typical 60 FPS thresholds. High at 1440p drops to 72 FPS, and Ultra falls to 55 FPS, which borders on less fluid for a shooter. For 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset because it keeps the average above 80 FPS while providing a meaningful improvement over Low. The minimum of 73 FPS ensures that even demanding scenes stay reasonably smooth.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. Low is the only preset that achieves an average above 60 FPS, hitting 61 FPS. Medium at 4K drops to 46 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 30 FPS. For a third-person shooter, 30 FPS is generally considered the lower bound of playability, and 39 FPS is marginal. The data suggests that 4K is only viable with the Low preset if the user prioritizes frame rate, or the user should consider dropping to 1440p for a better experience. The Low preset at 4K is the only measured configuration that meets a 60 FPS target, though just barely, so it is the recommended setting for 4K on this combo.

Across all resolutions, Medium provides the most consistent balance of frame rate and visual quality, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, the user is forced into Low for playable performance, which indicates that this GPU is not well-suited for 4K gaming in Minimum at higher settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is a 16-core, 16-thread mobile processor from the Core Ultra Series 3, based on the Panther Lake architecture on a 3 nm process. Its base clock is 2.00 GHz, and it boosts to 5.00 GHz. The CPU has 18 MB of shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 and 2.5 MB of L2 per core. Memory support is LPDDR5X over a dual-channel bus, providing 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU’s benchmark scores include a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28221 and a single-core score of 3984, which places it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs.

For a game like Minimum, which was released in 2014, the CPU is likely not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 175 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it reaches 134 FPS. These high frame rates suggest that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently, even at high frame rates. The single-threaded performance, as indicated by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3984, is strong enough to handle the game’s logic and draw calls. The 16 cores and 16 threads provide ample multi-threaded capacity, though Minimum from 2014 is unlikely to use more than a few cores effectively.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core 7 253PE (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core 5 223PE (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Ryzen 9 7940H (deltaPct 0.2), and Intel Xeon 6507P (deltaPct 0.2). The Ultra X7 368H sits nearly level with these processors, with a negligible performance difference of less than 1%. This indicates that for CPU-bound scenarios, the Ultra X7 368H is competitive with these alternatives, but in Minimum, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher settings and resolutions.

At 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes further. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 30, while at 4K Low it is 61. This 31 FPS difference between settings is driven by the GPU’s workload, not the CPU. The CPU’s high boost clock of 5.00 GHz and strong single-core performance ensure that it does not hold back the GPU in most scenarios. However, the data shows that even at 1080p Ultra, the FPS drops to 85, which is significantly lower than the 175 FPS at 1080p Low. This indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher settings, while the CPU is more than capable of delivering high frame rates when the GPU is not overwhelmed.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB206 chip on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It has 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores. The GPU’s base clock is 2280 MHz, with a boost clock of 2497 MHz. Memory consists of 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a TDP of 145 W and is a dual-slot card with a 1x 8-pin power connector.

The RTX 5060’s benchmark scores include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 112787, and a Passmark G3D score of 20891. It sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (deltaPct -0.3), NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (deltaPct -0.8), and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (deltaPct 1.2). The RTX 5060 is roughly on par with these GPUs in synthetic benchmarks, with a maximum delta of 1.2% against the RX 6750 XT.

In Minimum, the GPU’s role is dominant. The measured FPS at 1080p Low is 175, which is the highest score in the dataset. As settings increase, the FPS drops: 134 at Medium, 112 at High, and 85 at Ultra. This pattern is consistent with the GPU becoming more loaded as visual effects increase. The 8 GB of VRAM is not likely to be a limitation at 1080p for a 2014 game, but at 4K, the higher memory demand could be a factor. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 30, which is very low. The GPU’s 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM are likely insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title, causing the severe performance drop.

The difference between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra is 90 FPS, which is a 51% reduction. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 31 FPS, a 51% reduction as well. This shows that the GPU is scaling predictably with settings, but the absolute numbers at 4K are too low for a smooth experience. The GPU’s 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, but for a 2014 game, the rendering pipeline may not be fully optimized for modern GPUs, or the game’s effects are heavy enough to tax the RTX 5060 at high resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combo, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS is 175, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the maximum measured value across all resolutions and settings.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Only at the Low preset, which achieves an average of 61 FPS. Medium drops to 46 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 30 FPS, so 60 FPS at 4K is only possible with Low settings.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has an average benchmark score of 40518. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 7 253PE, scores 40557, a delta of -0.1%. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940H scores 40431, a delta of 0.2%. The differences are all within 0.2%, indicating near-identical synthetic performance.

Q: What is the GPU’s VRAM size, and does it affect 4K performance?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory with a 128-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 30, which is very low, suggesting that the memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for high settings at this resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for any configuration?

A: The lowest minimum FPS is 39, recorded at 3840x2160 with the Medium preset, which has an average of 46 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. Other configurations do not list a minimum FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1920 out of 2939 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of all combos for Minimum. This indicates that while it can run the game, many other configurations perform better.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 175 FPS, which drops to 113 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 61 FPS at 3840x2160. This is a reduction of 35% from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 114 FPS, which is a 65% decrease. For the Medium preset, the FPS drops from 134 at 1080p to 86 at 1440p (a 36% reduction), and then to 46 at 4K (a 47% reduction from 1440p). High settings drop from 112 at 1080p to 72 at 1440p (36% reduction) and then to 39 at 4K (46% reduction). Ultra settings drop from 85 at 1080p to 55 at 1440p (35% reduction) and then to 30 at 4K (45% reduction).

The consistent pattern of roughly 35-36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and 45-47% from 1440p to 4K, indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The number of pixels increases by 78% from 1080p to 1440p, and by 125% from 1440p to 4K, but the FPS drops are less than proportional, suggesting that the GPU has some headroom in terms of pixel throughput. However, the absolute FPS at 4K is too low for playable performance at anything above Low settings. The CPU’s role in this scaling is minimal, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS drops are roughly uniform across all settings, regardless of the CPU’s workload. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS drops to be larger at lower resolutions where the CPU has more work relative to the GPU.

The data also shows that the difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution is consistent. At 1080p, Low averages 175 FPS and Ultra averages 85, a 90 FPS difference. At 1440p, Low averages 113 and Ultra averages 55, a 58 FPS difference. At 4K, Low averages 61 and Ultra averages 30, a 31 FPS difference. The absolute difference shrinks as resolution increases, but the percentage difference remains roughly 51% at both 1080p and 4K. This suggests that the GPU’s performance scaling with settings is consistent, but the overall performance headroom diminishes at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is as follows, organized by resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 175 FPS. Medium delivers an average of 134 FPS, with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS. High delivers an average of 112 FPS. Ultra delivers an average of 85 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only one with a recorded minimum and maximum, indicating that the frame times are more variable at this setting, but the minimum of 114 FPS is still well above common refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, Low delivers an average of 113 FPS. Medium delivers an average of 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS. High delivers an average of 72 FPS. Ultra delivers an average of 55 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 73 FPS remains above 60 FPS, making it a viable option for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset’s average of 55 FPS is below 60 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter in a fast-paced shooter.

At 3840x2160, Low delivers an average of 61 FPS. Medium delivers an average of 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. High delivers an average of 39 FPS. Ultra delivers an average of 30 FPS. At this resolution, Low is the only preset that averages above 60 FPS, and even then, it is just barely at 61 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 39 FPS is below playable thresholds for most users, and Ultra’s 30 FPS is the lowest measured average in the dataset.

The data shows that the Medium preset at 1080p and 1440p provides the best balance of average FPS and consistency, as evidenced by the recorded minimum and maximum values. At 4K, the Low preset is the only reasonable choice, but the 61 FPS average is marginal and may dip below 60 in demanding scenes, given that no minimum is recorded for that configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1920 out of 2939 tested combinations for Minimum. This places it in the 65th percentile of all combos, meaning it outperforms roughly 65% of tested configurations but falls behind about 35% of them. Given that this is a 2014 game, the rank is influenced by both the CPU and GPU, but the GPU’s performance is the more significant factor in determining the outcome.

The CPU’s synthetic benchmark score of 40518 is in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, which is strong. However, the GPU’s average benchmark score of 26331 is in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, which is lower. This mismatch suggests that the GPU is the weaker link in this combo. In Minimum, the measured FPS data confirms this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 175 FPS, which is high, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 30 FPS, which is low. The GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, has a delta of 1.2% in synthetic benchmarks, meaning the RTX 5060 is slightly slower than the RX 6750 XT. The RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary is 0.8% faster, and the MX550 is 0.3% faster, though these are all within noise.

The rank of 1920 out of 2939 means that many other combos, likely with more powerful GPUs or more VRAM, perform better in Minimum. The RTX 5060’s 8 GB of VRAM may be a limiting factor at 4K, as higher memory usage at Ultra settings could cause the GPU to fall back on slower memory handling. The combo’s performance at 1080p is strong, with 175 FPS on Low and 134 FPS on Medium, which is more than sufficient for a 2014 shooter. However, for users targeting 4K, this combo is not ideal, as the only playable setting is Low, and even then, the average FPS is just above 60. For 1440p, Medium settings provide a good experience, but Ultra falls below 60 FPS. Overall, this combo is a capable 1080p and 1440p performer, but it does not rank highly for 4K gaming, which is reflected in its position in the lower half of the tested combos.