Minimum

Minimum, the 2014 third-person shooter, responds predictably to the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing, but the scaling pattern reveals a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The data shows a smooth, consistent progression from playable to highly competitive frame rates as resolution drops, with the Ultra preset acting as the primary bottleneck at 4K. This combination lands at rank 1752 out of 2939 tested combos, placing it in the 40th percentile overall, which is a respectable position for a mobile CPU paired with a mainstream desktop GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data tells a clear story about where this system's limits lie. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average frame rates range from 31 FPS on Ultra to 62 FPS on Low, with High and Medium sitting at 40 and 48 FPS respectively. The jump from Ultra to Low at 4K represents a 100% performance increase, which is substantial. This wide spread indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the dominant limiting factor—lowering settings directly translates into significant FPS gains because the RTX 4060's 8 GB frame buffer and 128-bit memory interface are being taxed heavily by the pixel count.

Dropping to 2560x1440 (1440p) shows a marked improvement across all settings. The Low preset hits 116 FPS, which is a 87% increase over the 4K Low result. High reaches 75 FPS, Medium 89 FPS, and Ultra 57 FPS. The scaling from 4K to 1440p is not linear—the 1440p Low result is nearly double the 4K Ultra result—which suggests that the GPU has more headroom once the pixel fill rate demand drops. The Medium preset at 1440p, with its min FPS of 75 and max FPS of 102, shows a stable frame time distribution, indicating the system is well within its comfort zone at this resolution.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system really opens up. The Low preset produces 180 FPS, which is a 55% jump over the 1440p Low result. High hits 116 FPS, Medium 138 FPS, and Ultra 88 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 1080p is smaller than the gap between 4K and 1440p, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario—the RTX 4060 begins to approach its architectural limits as resolution drops, but the CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures it never becomes the bottleneck. The 1080p Medium result, with a min FPS of 117 and max FPS of 158, shows a 41 FPS spread, which is wider than at 1440p, suggesting that at 1080p the frame pacing becomes slightly less consistent as the GPU finishes frames faster.

The overall pattern indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 4K, only the Low preset achieves a playable 62 FPS average, and even that is below the 75 FPS threshold that many players consider smooth. The transition from 4K to 1440p yields the largest relative gains, with the High preset jumping from 40 to 75 FPS—an 87.5% improvement that makes 1440p High the sweet spot for visual quality and performance balance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the star of this show, and its specifications directly explain the measured results. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is adequate for Minimum at 1080p and 1440p, but it becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the higher resolution demands more frame buffer capacity and bandwidth. The 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS is indicative of the GPU struggling to keep up with the pixel throughput.

The clock speeds are telling: the base clock is 1830 MHz, and the boost clock reaches 2460 MHz. This boost behavior is crucial for maintaining frame rates in Minimum, as the GPU can dynamically increase its clock speed during lighter scenes. The Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process from TSMC, delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is the raw compute capability that drives the pixel and texture rates. The texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s are the figures that matter most for a third-person shooter, where texture detail and fill rate directly impact visual fidelity.

The RTX 4060's 3072 shading units and 96 texture mapping units are well-balanced for this game's engine. The 48 ROPs handle the final pixel output, and at 4K they are clearly overworked, as evidenced by the 62 FPS Low result being the only playable option. The 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present but largely irrelevant for Minimum, which was released in 2014 and does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS. The GPU's percentile ranking of 61% versus all GPUs places it in the upper midrange, and its average benchmark score of 17639 puts it within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which is a much older card—this shows the RTX 4060 is a solid modern performer but not a high-end part.

The 115 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest this is a power-efficient card, and the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is sufficient for the bandwidth this GPU can actually use. The 8 GB VRAM is the single most impactful spec for Minimum at higher resolutions; at 4K Ultra, the game likely exceeds the available frame buffer, causing the 31 FPS result. At 1080p, the 8 GB is more than sufficient, which is why the Low preset can hit 180 FPS without any memory-related stuttering.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1752 out of 2939 puts this pairing in the 59.6th percentile of all tested combinations. This is a mid-pack result, which is expected given the RTX 4060's 61st percentile GPU ranking and the Core Ultra X9 388H's 88th percentile CPU ranking. The CPU is clearly the stronger component in this pairing, but the GPU holds the combo back from higher rankings.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its performance. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D scores 44573 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the Core Ultra X9 388H's 44466 average. The Intel Core i9-13950HX is 0.3% behind, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 is 0.4% behind. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, meaning the Core Ultra X9 388H is essentially tied with these alternatives for CPU-bound scenarios. However, in Minimum, the CPU is rarely the bottleneck, so this CPU ranking has minimal impact on the combo's overall position.

The GPU's nearest rivals tell a different story. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the RTX 4060's 17639. The AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% behind, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 is 0.5% behind. These are all much older or integrated GPUs, which suggests the RTX 4060 is performing at a level comparable to a mid-range 2013-era card in raw compute benchmarks. This is not a knock on the RTX 4060—it means the GPU is well-optimized for its architecture, but it also explains why the combo rank is not higher.

The rank of 1752 out of 2939 means there are 1187 combos that perform better, and 1751 that perform worse. For a mainstream mobile CPU paired with a budget desktop GPU, this is a reasonable position. The combo's strength is in its balance: the CPU's 16 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks, while the GPU handles the game rendering. In Minimum, this balance results in the 1080p High preset achieving 116 FPS, which is a solid experience for most players.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Minimum with this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 180 FPS, High hits 116 FPS, and even Ultra manages 88 FPS. At 2560x1440, the High preset drops to 75 FPS, which is still playable, but 1080p offers the most headroom.

Q: Can this system handle 4K in Minimum?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The 4K Low preset averages 62 FPS, which is playable. The 4K High preset drops to 40 FPS, and 4K Ultra is unplayable at 31 FPS. For a smooth 4K experience, stick to Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rival in raw compute?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score is 17639, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7790's 17666. It is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon 780M's 17588. This means it performs on par with much older hardware in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H a bottleneck for the RTX 4060?

A: No. The CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock and 16 cores provide more than enough processing power for Minimum. The CPU's average benchmark score of 44466 is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, indicating it is not holding back the GPU at any tested resolution.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The data includes min and max FPS for Medium presets. At 1080p, the range is 117 to 158 FPS, a 41 FPS spread. At 1440p, it is 75 to 102 FPS, a 27 FPS spread. At 4K, it is 41 to 55 FPS, a 14 FPS spread. Higher resolutions show tighter frame pacing.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1752 out of 2939 tested combos, placing it in the 59.6th percentile. This means it outperforms roughly 60% of all tested systems, but it is not a top-tier setup.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data makes the optimal settings clear. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the 2560x1440 High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers a 75 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay, and it maintains visual fidelity that a third-person shooter benefits from. The 1440p Medium preset offers 89 FPS, which is better for competitive play, but the step up to High is worth the 14 FPS cost for the improved textures and effects.

For players with a 1080p monitor, the High preset is the best option. It achieves 116 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most standard monitors, and it provides the best visual experience without sacrificing performance. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 88 FPS, which is still playable, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often not worth the 24% performance hit. The Low preset at 1080p hits 180 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate esports displays, but the graphical downgrade is noticeable in a game that relies on environmental storytelling.

At 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option at 62 FPS. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is borderline, and the High preset at 40 FPS is not smooth enough for a shooter where reaction time matters. If 4K is a priority, the system should be run at Low settings, and even then, expect frame drops in busy scenes. The 4K Ultra preset at 31 FPS is not recommended under any circumstances. The Medium preset at 1440p, with its 75 FPS minimum and 102 FPS maximum, offers the most consistent frame pacing of all tested configurations, making it a strong alternative for players who prioritize stability over maximum settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor from the Panther Lake architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its base clock of 2.10 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz provide the single-thread performance that Minimum relies on for game logic and physics calculations. The CPU's average benchmark score of 44466 places it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-end mobile processor. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, scores 44573, a 0.2% difference that is imperceptible in gaming.

In Minimum, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, but it still matters. The 16 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for a 2014-era game engine, which likely uses only a few threads. The 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded tasks, such as enemy AI and collision detection, are processed quickly. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide fast access to frequently used data, reducing latency in gameplay.

The CPU's memory support for LPDDR5X with a 153.6 GB/s bandwidth is another factor. Minimum does not require high memory bandwidth, so this is not a limiting factor. The CPU's integrated Arc B390 graphics are irrelevant for this game since the RTX 4060 handles all rendering. The 25 W TDP indicates this is a power-efficient chip, which is beneficial for laptop users who want sustained performance without thermal throttling.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 88% versus all CPUs shows it is a top-tier processor, but in Minimum, the bottleneck is clearly the GPU. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the system hits 180 FPS, which is likely near the GPU's maximum output. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see diminishing returns as resolution drops, but the FPS continues to scale up to 180, indicating the CPU has plenty of headroom. The 0.3% delta between the Core Ultra X9 388H and the Intel Core i9-13950HX confirms that this CPU is not holding back the RTX 4060 in any meaningful way. For players considering this combo, the CPU is a solid foundation that will not need upgrading for several generations of GPU upgrades.