Minecraft: Java Edition

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 117.6 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, so even the highest settings are comfortably playable.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Ultra, delivering 71.8 FPS on average. This clears the 60 FPS line, though the margin is narrower than at 1080p. The drop from Ultra at 1440p to the next tier is significant, but the preset itself remains viable.

For 3840x2160, the situation changes. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which averages 62.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls to 40.9 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. Medium settings average 75.3 FPS, and Low reaches 101.1 FPS, but High is the highest tier that still maintains playable performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data shows a clear pattern across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high across all presets: Low averages 298.7 FPS, Medium 240.1 FPS, High 185.9 FPS, and Ultra 117.6 FPS. The scaling between presets is large, which indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at this resolution. The CPU, an Intel Core i7-12700KF with 12 cores and 20 threads, has ample headroom given its benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core: 28838, single-core: 4071), so it does not bottleneck at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop proportionally with resolution. Low averages 187.3 FPS, Medium 149.5 FPS, High 122 FPS, and Ultra 71.8 FPS. The relative gaps between presets remain similar to 1080p, which suggests the GPU is still the dominant factor. However, the Ultra preset at 1440p shows a steeper decline compared to High, indicating that the GPU is starting to strain under the combination of higher resolution and maximum settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes clearly dominant. The Ultra preset drops to 40.9 FPS, while High averages 62.4 FPS. The difference between High and Medium is 12.9 FPS (from 62.4 to 75.3), and between Medium and Low is 25.8 FPS (from 75.3 to 101.1). These large per-preset gaps at 4K confirm that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, with its 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the limiting component. The CPU's role diminishes further at this resolution, as the frame rate is constrained by the GPU's pixel throughput and shading capacity.

In summary, the data indicates that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at all three resolutions. The CPU, being in the 85th percentile among all CPUs in the database, provides sufficient single-threaded and multi-threaded performance for this game, but the GTX 1660 SUPER (53rd percentile among GPUs) governs the attainable frame rates, especially as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1529 out of 1727 tested combos for Minecraft: Java Edition. This places the pairing in the lower portion of the database, which is consistent with the GPU's modest standing. The CPU is in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU sits in the 53rd percentile, and the overall combo rank reflects the weaker component's influence.

The rank of 1529 out of 1727 means that roughly 89 percent of tested combinations deliver higher average performance in this game. This is not a criticism of the CPU, which is strong, but rather a reflection that the GTX 1660 SUPER is a mid-range part from an older generation. The data shows that this combo is adequate for playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but it will not compete with higher-end GPU pairings in the database.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU, based on average benchmark scores, are the Intel Core i7-13700T (average score 35403, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-13600T (average score 35305, delta 0.2%), the Intel Core 5 213PE (average score 35428, delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-12700K (average score 35287, delta 0.2%). All of these are within a fraction of a percent of the i7-12700KF's average benchmark score of 35365. In practical terms, swapping to any of these CPUs would yield nearly identical frame rates in Minecraft: Java Edition, since the game is not CPU-bound at the tested settings.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (average score 12940, delta 0.4%), the AMD Radeon RX 580 (average score 12928, delta 0.4%), the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 (average score 13075, delta -0.7%), and the AMD Radeon 740M (average score 12870, delta 0.9%). Each of these GPUs is within one percent of the GTX 1660 SUPER's average benchmark score of 12986. Users with any of these alternative GPUs would experience essentially the same performance profile in this game, meaning the same preset recommendations and frame rate expectations apply.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080

• Low: average 298.7 FPS
• Medium: average 240.1 FPS
• High: average 185.9 FPS
• Ultra: average 117.6 FPS

The spread from Low to Ultra is 181.1 FPS, which is the largest across all resolutions. This indicates that the GPU's workload scaling is most pronounced at 1080p, where the CPU can feed frames quickly enough to expose the GPU's limits.

2560x1440

• Low: average 187.3 FPS
• Medium: average 149.5 FPS
• High: average 122 FPS
• Ultra: average 71.8 FPS

The drop from High to Ultra is 50.2 FPS, which is the steepest single-preset drop at this resolution. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces a significant rendering cost, likely related to shadow and draw-distance settings that heavily tax the GTX 1660 SUPER.

3840x2160

• Low: average 101.1 FPS
• Medium: average 75.3 FPS
• High: average 62.4 FPS
• Ultra: average 40.9 FPS

At 4K, the Ultra preset falls below the playable threshold, while High barely clears it. The gap between Medium and High is 12.9 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 21.5 FPS. The overall trend confirms that the GPU is overwhelmed at 4K with maximum settings.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minecraft: Java Edition at all three tested resolutions, but with important caveats.

At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 117.6 FPS. This is the most comfortable experience, with no risk of dropping below 60 FPS even in demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, all presets are also playable, including Ultra at 71.8 FPS. The margin above 60 FPS is moderate, so users should expect occasional dips during heavy chunk loading or complex redstone contraptions, but the average remains solid.

At 3840x2160, only Low, Medium, and High are playable. The best settings choice is High at 62.4 FPS, which narrowly clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 40.9 FPS is not playable by the database's standard. Users who prioritize visual quality at 4K should stick to High, while those who prefer smoother motion should consider Medium, which provides 75.3 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system handle Minecraft at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 40.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at 4K is High, averaging 62.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 2560x1440, averaging 71.8 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to similar Intel processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403 (0.1% lower), the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287 (0.2% higher). All are effectively equivalent in performance.

Q: Which GPU alternatives perform closest to the GTX 1660 SUPER?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (average score 12940, 0.4% higher) and AMD Radeon RX 580 (average score 12928, 0.4% higher) are the closest matches. The AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870 (0.9% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 scores 13075 (0.7% lower).

Q: Is the frame rate at 1080p high enough for competitive play?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset averages 117.6 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 298.7 FPS. This provides ample headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: What happens if I drop from High to Medium at 4K?

A: The average frame rate increases from 62.4 FPS at High to 75.3 FPS at Medium, a gain of 12.9 FPS. This provides a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.