Minimum

# Minimum — Intel Core Ultra X9 388H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

The benchmark data for Minimum with this Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile combination shows a system that handles the game comfortably across most settings, though 4K Ultra pushes it below the 60 FPS threshold. The measured frame rates reveal a clear pattern: at 1080p, the combo delivers well over 120 FPS at every preset, while 4K Ultra drops to 43 FPS average, indicating that resolution scaling has a pronounced effect on performance. This analysis walks through the measured results step by step, examining how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the overall experience in this 2014 third-person shooter.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K follows a predictable curve, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly depending on the quality preset. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 164 at 1920x1080 to 106 at 2560x1440, then to 57 at 3840x2160. That represents a 35% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% drop when stepping up to 4K. The scaling is roughly proportional to the pixel count increase, which suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

At Low settings, the pattern is similar but with higher absolute numbers: 256 FPS at 1080p, 165 FPS at 1440p, and 89 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 36% and 46% respectively, nearly identical to the High preset scaling. This consistency indicates that the rendering workload scales with resolution in a predictable manner regardless of the quality level, reinforcing the interpretation that the RTX 4080 Mobile's fillrate and bandwidth are the constraining resources as resolution increases.

Medium settings show the same trend: 196 FPS at 1080p, 126 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result includes a measured minimum of 58 FPS and maximum of 78 FPS, giving a 20 FPS spread that suggests some scene-to-scene variability at this resolution. Ultra settings, however, tell a different story — the drop from 125 FPS at 1080p to 81 FPS at 1440p is a 35% reduction, but the fall to 43 FPS at 4K is a 47% decrease, the steepest relative decline among all presets.

What this scaling data reveals is that the system is not CPU-bound at any resolution tested. If the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H were the limiting factor, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at higher resolutions rather than continue dropping. Instead, the consistent 35-47% reductions at each resolution step point squarely at the GPU as the bottleneck. The 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS average is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and even then, the game remains playable for those who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile ranks 1228 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the upper third of all configurations in the database. This percentile positioning — roughly the 67th percentile — reflects a system that is well above average for this game, but not at the very top tier. The ranking makes sense given the measured frame rates: the combo delivers smooth 60+ FPS gameplay at 4K on Medium settings and above 120 FPS at 1080p on Ultra, which is strong performance for a mobile platform.

The CPU component of this combo holds an 88th percentile ranking among all processors tested, with an average benchmark score of 44466. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D at 44573 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i9-13950HX at 44342 (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 at 44309 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i5-13600 at 44240 (0.5% lower). These deltas are remarkably tight — less than one percent separates the entire group — indicating that the Core Ultra X9 388H is positioned at the very top of current mobile CPU performance, virtually tied with the best desktop and mobile alternatives.

The GPU side is less dominant in relative terms. The RTX 4080 Mobile sits at the 81st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 38135. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 at 38299 (0.4% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile at 38349 (0.6% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 at 37648 (1.3% lower), and the NVIDIA Tesla P4 at 37628 (1.3% lower). The GPU's percentile ranking is lower than the CPU's, which aligns with the resolution scaling analysis — the GPU is the bottleneck in this pairing, and its relative standing among GPUs is solid but not exceptional.

The combo's overall rank of 1228 out of 3712 suggests that while the individual components are strong, the pairing does not catapult to the top of the Minimum leaderboard. This is likely because the game's performance ceiling is more dependent on GPU throughput than CPU capability, and the RTX 4080 Mobile's 81st percentile standing anchors the combo's overall position.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for playing Minimum with this hardware?*

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at High settings provides an excellent balance with a 106 FPS average, while 1920x1080 at Ultra delivers 125 FPS. For 4K gaming, Medium settings at 68 FPS average is the highest preset that maintains playable frame rates.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 68 with a minimum of 58, which is playable. At 4K High, the average drops to 57 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 43 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 4K Medium is the ceiling for this combo.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest competitors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H scores 44466 on average, which is within 0.5% of its nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (44573), Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342), AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44309), and Intel Core i5-13600 (44240). The differences are negligible in real-world terms.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for this game's performance?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. Frame rates drop consistently by 35-47% at each resolution step, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 88th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 81st percentile further supports this conclusion.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with this setup?

A: At 1920x1080, the measured averages are 256 FPS on Low, 196 FPS on Medium, 164 FPS on High, and 125 FPS on Ultra. Even the most demanding preset at 1080p maintains well above 120 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 Mobile compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 38135, placing it at the 81st percentile. Its closest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 (38299, 0.4% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile (38349, 0.6% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (37648, 1.3% lower), and NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, 1.3% lower).

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance envelope is broad and consistently high. Low settings produce an average of 256 FPS, making this the fastest configuration tested. Medium settings yield 196 FPS average with a minimum of 166 and maximum of 225 FPS, showing a stable 59 FPS spread. High settings deliver 164 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 125 FPS average. All 1080p presets exceed 120 FPS, meaning this resolution is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors regardless of quality settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the first signs of GPU pressure. Low settings average 165 FPS, Medium averages 126 FPS with a range of 107 to 145 FPS, High averages 106 FPS, and Ultra averages 81 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p has a 38 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, indicating more variability than the 1080p Medium result. Even at Ultra, the 1440p average of 81 FPS stays comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low settings average 89 FPS, Medium averages 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 78 FPS, High averages 57 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K is the only configuration that maintains an average above 60 FPS at this resolution. The 4K results show a consistent degradation pattern: each quality tier costs approximately 11-25 FPS compared to the next lower setting.

The measured data includes minimum and maximum values only for the Medium presets across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the 166-225 FPS range represents a 35% fluctuation. At 1440p Medium, the 107-145 FPS range is a 35% fluctuation as well. At 4K Medium, the 58-78 FPS range is a 34% fluctuation. This consistency in relative variability suggests the game's frame pacing at Medium settings scales uniformly with resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a TDP of 25 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports LPDDR5X memory over a dual-channel bus, providing 153.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

For Minimum, a game from 2014, the CPU's computational headroom is substantial. The measured frame rates at 1080p exceed 250 FPS on Low settings, and the consistent scaling with resolution indicates the CPU is never the bottleneck. The processor's benchmark results — 18911 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2200.5 in single-core — place it at the 88th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44466.

The nearest CPU rivals are all within 0.5% of the Core Ultra X9 388H's average score, which means this processor is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, Intel Core i9-13950HX, AMD Ryzen AI Max 385, and Intel Core i5-13600 for overall CPU performance. In Minimum specifically, the CPU's 16 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient; the game's 2014-era engine is unlikely to leverage all available threads, but the high single-thread performance from the 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures responsive gameplay.

The lack of hyperthreading (16 cores, 16 threads) is notable but not a practical concern for this title. The PassMark multi-thread score of 36811 and single-thread score of 4280 confirm strong throughput across both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads. For a game like Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics updates, and the data shows it does so without constraining frame rates at any resolution or quality setting.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting 60 FPS as the minimum acceptable frame rate, the measured data provides clear guidance. At 4K, Medium settings are the highest quality preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, with a measured 68 FPS average and 58 FPS minimum. High and Ultra at 4K fall short, averaging 57 and 43 FPS respectively. If 4K is the target resolution, Medium is the recommended preset.

At 1440p, all presets deliver averages above 60 FPS, but Ultra at 81 FPS leaves headroom for occasional dips. High at 106 FPS and Medium at 126 FPS both offer comfortable margins above the 60 FPS threshold. For players with 144 Hz displays, Medium or High at 1440p would be the sensible choices, as both exceed 100 FPS average.

At 1080p, the question becomes one of refresh rate rather than minimum playability. Ultra at 125 FPS average supports 120 Hz displays, while High at 164 FPS and Medium at 196 FPS can drive 144 Hz or 165 Hz panels. Low at 256 FPS is only relevant for extreme high-refresh-rate monitors or competitive play where every frame counts.

The best overall experience depends on the display. For a 4K monitor, Medium settings provide the highest visual quality while staying above 60 FPS. For 1440p, High settings at 106 FPS offer a strong balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. For 1080p, Ultra at 125 FPS delivers the best image quality without sacrificing high frame rates. The Medium preset's measured minimum and maximum values across all resolutions show a consistent 34-35% fluctuation, suggesting that frame pacing is stable regardless of resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a chip size of 294 mm² and 35,800 million transistors. It features 7424 shading units, 232 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, along with 58 ray tracing cores and 232 tensor cores. The GPU has a base clock of 1290 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz, with a TDP of 110 W.

Memory configuration consists of 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 2250 MHz, translating to 18 Gbps effective. This bandwidth is a critical factor in the 4K scaling behavior — the 192-bit bus and 12 GB capacity are sufficient for Minimum's textures, but the bandwidth is the limiting resource as resolution increases.

The GPU's benchmark results include a PassMark G3D score of 24926 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 159575, placing it at the 81st percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 38135 is within 1.3% of its nearest rivals, with the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 and RTX 5080 Mobile slightly ahead and the RTX 4070 and Tesla P4 slightly behind.

In Minimum, the RTX 4080 Mobile's role is dominant. The resolution scaling analysis shows that frame rates drop by 35-47% at each resolution step, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. The GPU's 81st percentile ranking versus the CPU's 88th percentile confirms that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing. At 4K Ultra, the 43 FPS average indicates the GPU is fully saturated, while at 1080p Low, the 256 FPS average suggests the GPU still has headroom but is approaching the limits of what the game engine can deliver.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is more than adequate for Minimum, as the game's 2014-era textures are unlikely to exceed even 4 GB at Ultra settings. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, however, becomes the constraining factor at 4K, where the fillrate demands of 8.3 million pixels per frame exceed what the GPU can sustain at higher quality presets.