Minimum

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 presents a specific, measurable profile in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The data shows a combination that handles 1080p and 1440p gaming with authority but begins to strain at 4K, particularly under higher graphics presets. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and how this combo stacks up against other tested configurations.

FAQ

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested CPU and GPU combinations in Minimum?*

A: The combo ranks 2325th out of 2939 tested combinations. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it is capable, there are many other pairings that deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title.

Q: What is the best performance this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate observed is 148 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The minimum FPS for this setting was not recorded, but the average indicates a very playable experience for fast-paced gameplay.

Q: Is the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM a limiting factor in this game?

A: At the highest tested settings (Ultra) and resolution (4K), the average frame rate drops to 25 FPS. While the game is from 2014 and likely not VRAM-heavy, the data shows that performance degrades significantly at 4K Ultra, suggesting the GPU's overall compute capability, rather than VRAM capacity alone, is the primary constraint at that extreme setting.

Q: What are the CPU's single-threaded and multi-threaded benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H scores 2200.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 18911 in multi-core. In Passmark, it scores 4280 in single-thread tests and 36811 in multithread tests, indicating a strong processor for both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D?

A: The average benchmark score for the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is 44466, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D's average score of 44573. This makes the two processors effectively neck-and-neck in overall synthetic benchmark performance.

Q: What are the frame rates at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS. This suggests a smooth experience with some headroom for dips in more demanding scenes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the primary driver of frame rates in Minimum, especially as resolution and settings increase. Its performance metrics show a clear scaling pattern across the tested configurations. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The core clocks are a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz. These specifications support a Passmark G3D score of 17326, which places the GPU in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

The data from the measured FPS reveals how the GPU's workload scales. At 1080p, the RTX 5050 is not the bottleneck, allowing frame rates to soar to 148 FPS on Low settings. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is substantial, with a drop from 148 FPS to 73 FPS. This shows the GPU is being pushed harder by the increased visual fidelity of the Ultra preset. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The average frame rate at 4K High is 33 FPS, which drops to 25 FPS at 4K Ultra. These numbers are below the threshold for smooth, competitive play, indicating that the RTX 5050's compute power is insufficient for maximum settings at this resolution in Minimum.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which scores 1.6% higher, and the RTX A4000 Mobile, which scores 1.6% lower. This places the RTX 5050 in a specific performance tier. The data suggests that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, the GPU provides a solid experience, but for 4K, users will need to rely on lower presets like Low (52 FPS) or Medium (39 FPS) to achieve playable frame rates. The gap between the High (33 FPS) and Low (52 FPS) presets at 4K highlights the significant performance cost of the High preset's additional effects.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 25 W TDP. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18911 and a single-core score of 2200.5. Passmark scores further illustrate its capabilities, with a multi-thread score of 36811 and a single-thread score of 4280. This performance places the CPU in the 88th percentile of all CPUs.

In Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU is more than capable of keeping up, as evidenced by the high frame rates. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p, as the frame rate scales inversely with settings, which is a GPU-bound behavior. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 score of 2200.5, is crucial for game physics and AI, which are often single-threaded. Its multi-threaded power, with a Passmark multi-thread score of 36811, ensures that background tasks and modern game engines that use multiple threads are handled without issue.

The CPU's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which has a nearly identical average benchmark score (0.2% difference). This means the choice between these two CPUs would not significantly impact gaming performance in Minimum. The processor's high boost clock of 5.10 GHz likely contributes to its strong single-thread performance, which is beneficial for the game's core logic. The data indicates that the CPU is a strong partner for the RTX 5050, ensuring that it is not the limiting factor in the tested scenarios, particularly at 1080p and 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 achieves a rank of 2325 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 21st percentile of all tested combinations, meaning that roughly 79% of all tested CPU and GPU pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this game. This low ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual component's benchmark scores, but it reflects the specific demands of Minimum and the balance between the CPU and GPU.

The CPU's benchmark scores are excellent, ranking in the 88th percentile, and the GPU's Passmark G3D score of 17326 is respectable, ranking in the 66th percentile. However, the combo's overall rank in this game is lower than either component's individual percentile. This suggests that the pairing is not optimally balanced for Minimum. The RTX 5050, while a solid 1080p and 1440p card, does not have the raw power to push this combo higher in the rankings when compared to other pairings in the database, many of which will include higher-end GPUs.

The rank of 2325 indicates that while this setup is fully capable of playing Minimum, it does so at a performance level that is below the median of the database. For a game from 2014, this is likely due to the GPU's performance ceiling at higher settings, as the CPU's strong scores suggest it can handle a more powerful graphics card. The data implies that users with this combo should focus on 1080p or 1440p resolutions to maximize performance, as the 4K results are where the combo's ranking is likely dragged down. The 2939 total combos tested means there is a wide range of hardware configurations, and this particular pairing is on the lower end of the performance spectrum for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. This scaling is a key indicator of which component is the bottleneck.

At 1080p, the average frame rates are high across all settings. For example, at High settings, the average is 95 FPS. Moving to 1440p, the average at High settings drops to 61 FPS, a reduction of 34 FPS, or about 36%. This significant drop suggests that the GPU is starting to become more of a limiting factor at 1440p. When moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average FPS drops from 61 to 33, a further reduction of 46%. This steep decline is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The GPU is now the primary constraint, and the load on the CPU is less relevant.

The scaling from 1080p Low (148 FPS) to 1440p Low (96 FPS) is a 35% drop, and then to 4K Low (52 FPS) is a 46% drop. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is consistently larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p for the same settings. For instance, at Medium settings, the drop from 1080p (114 FPS) to 1440p (73 FPS) is 36%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K (39 FPS) is 47%. This pattern is consistent across all presets. It confirms that the GPU is the limiting component as resolution increases, especially at 4K.

The CPU's strong multi-threaded and single-threaded scores mean it is not likely to be a bottleneck at any of these resolutions. The data shows that the frame rate is heavily influenced by the resolution, which is a direct measure of the GPU's pixel-pushing workload. The conclusion is that the RTX 5050 is a 1080p and 1440p-class GPU for Minimum, and 4K requires a significant reduction in settings to be playable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: The average frame rate is 148 FPS, the highest observed in the dataset. This shows excellent performance for competitive play.
• Medium: The average is 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. This provides a very smooth experience with a high level of detail.
• High: The average drops to 95 FPS, still a very playable and smooth frame rate for most users.
• Ultra: The average is 73 FPS. This is a solid frame rate that remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: The average frame rate is 96 FPS, showing that even at a higher resolution, the combo can deliver high performance on lower settings.
• Medium: The average is 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS. This is a good balance of visual quality and performance.
• High: The average is 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS mark, providing a generally smooth experience.
• Ultra: The average is 47 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, but there may be noticeable dips in more demanding scenes.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: The average frame rate is 52 FPS, making it the only setting at this resolution that is comfortably playable without significant compromise.
• Medium: The average is 39 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS. This is on the edge of playability for a third-person shooter.
• High: The average is 33 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth and may feel stuttery in fast-paced action.
• Ultra: The average is 25 FPS. This is below the threshold for a good gaming experience and is not recommended for this combo.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering frame rates from 73 to 148 FPS depending on settings. 1440p is still very viable, with most settings offering near or above 60 FPS. 4K is only playable on Low settings, and even then, the 52 FPS average may not be ideal for all users. The minimum FPS data, where available, shows that the frame pacing is consistent at Medium settings across all resolutions, with the minimum being 97 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K.