Minimum

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers a wide spread of performance in Minimum, a third-person shooter released on 2014-06-25. Measured data shows this combination is highly capable, clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold in every tested resolution except for the most demanding preset at 4K. The following analysis breaks down the exact frame rates, compares the hardware to its nearest rivals, and identifies the optimal settings for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces exceptional frame rates across all settings. On Low, the average FPS is 256.3, which is a massive 61 FPS headroom over the next setting down. Medium delivers an average of 196 FPS, while High drops to 164.6 FPS. Even at Ultra, the most demanding preset, the average remains a very smooth 124.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a performance cost of roughly half the frame rate, yet every setting remains far above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but the gap between presets narrows slightly in percentage terms. Low settings produce an average of 165 FPS, which is still faster than many displays' refresh rates. Medium follows at 128 FPS, High at 109.4 FPS, and Ultra at 81.3 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is about 51% of the Low figure, but the Ultra result still leaves 21.3 FPS of headroom above the playable threshold, indicating that this resolution is well within the hardware's comfort zone.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. Low settings yield an average of 88.6 FPS, which is still comfortably playable. Medium drops to 69.1 FPS, leaving only 9.1 FPS of headroom above the 60 FPS line. High falls below the threshold to 56.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 42.3 FPS. The data shows a steep decline from Low to Ultra—a 46.3 FPS difference—which suggests that 4K is the boundary where the GPU's compute capacity becomes the limiting factor, particularly at higher presets.

No minimum or maximum FPS values were recorded in the measured data, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. The absence of frame-time variance metrics means the consistency of these averages is unknown, but the high average values at 1080p and 1440p imply a generally smooth experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i3-12100F, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355, which scores 13492 (a 0% delta), and the Intel Core i5-9500 at 13452 (0.3% slower). On the higher side, the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% faster, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, which is 1.1% slower. These deltas are all within a 1.1% band, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum when paired with the same GPU, assuming the game is not heavily CPU-bound at the tested resolutions.

For the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile, which scores 47743 (1.5% slower), and the Intel Arc A550M at 49737 (2.5% faster). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti scores 49957 (3% faster), and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 scores 50001 (3% faster). These delta values are small, so swapping the RX 6800 XT for the RTX 5070 Ti, for example, would yield roughly 3% higher average FPS in the same game scenario. Conversely, the RTX A1000 Mobile would be about 1.5% slower. Since the RX 6800 XT's measured FPS at 1080p Ultra is 124.9, a 3% faster rival would produce approximately 128.6 FPS, while a 1.5% slower one would produce about 123 FPS—differences that are noticeable only in direct comparison, not in practical gameplay smoothness.

The CPU's percentile rank against all processors is 68, while the GPU's percentile rank against all GPUs is 85. This indicates the GPU is the stronger component of the pair relative to their respective markets, which aligns with the observed FPS scaling where GPU-heavy presets (Ultra) cause larger drops than resolution changes alone.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?*

A: Yes, but only on Low or Medium settings. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 is 88.6 on Low and 69.1 on Medium. High settings drop to 56.5 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and Ultra is even lower at 42.3 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: The data shows Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 81.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the most demanding playable preset at this resolution, offering the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How does the RX 6800 XT compare to its closest rival, the RTX 5070 Ti, in this game?

A: According to the benchmark data, the RTX 5070 Ti has an average score 3% higher than the RX 6800 XT. In practical terms for Minimum, this would translate to roughly 3% higher FPS; for example, at 1080p Ultra, the RX 6800 XT's 124.9 FPS would become approximately 128.6 FPS on the RTX 5070 Ti.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RX 6800 XT at 1080p?

A: The measured FPS at 1080p ranges from 256.3 on Low to 124.9 on Ultra, which are very high values. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core 5 120UL, is only 0.7% faster in average benchmark score, and the CPU's percentile rank is 68. Given the high frame rates, the data does not indicate a significant CPU limitation at this resolution, though the lack of min/max FPS data means frame-time consistency is unverified.

Q: What settings should be avoided at 4K to stay above 60 FPS?

A: High and Ultra settings at 3840x2160 should be avoided, as they produce average FPS of 56.5 and 42.3, respectively. Stick to Low (88.6 FPS) or Medium (69.1 FPS) for a playable experience.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Minimum?*

A: This combination ranks 1222 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top third of all configurations. This rank reflects the strong GPU and mid-tier CPU pairing, which excels at lower resolutions but struggles with the most demanding 4K presets.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that this PC can run Minimum at 60 FPS or higher for the vast majority of tested configurations. At 1920x1080, all four settings—Low (256.3 FPS), Medium (196 FPS), High (164.6 FPS), and Ultra (124.9 FPS)—easily clear the playable threshold. The same applies to 2560x1440, where even Ultra maintains an average of 81.3 FPS, well above the 60 FPS line.

The situation at 3840x2160 is more nuanced. The verdict by resolution lists Low and Medium as playable, with Medium being the best playable setting at an average of 69.1 FPS. High and Ultra are not playable, falling to 56.5 and 42.3 FPS respectively. Therefore, for 4K gaming, users must compromise on visual quality to maintain smooth gameplay. For 1440p and 1080p, the hardware is more than sufficient, delivering high frame rates even at maximum settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Minimum, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT holds the rank of 1222 out of 3712 total combinations. This places it in the 33rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the configurations in the database. Given that the GPU ranks in the 85th percentile among all GPUs, the overall combo rank is likely dragged down by the CPU, which only ranks in the 68th percentile. This suggests that while the GPU is a top-tier performer, the CPU is more mid-range, and the combination's overall position reflects that balance.

Comparatively, the nearest CPU rival (Intel Core 5 120UL) is only 0.7% faster, and the nearest GPU rival (RTX 5070 Ti) is 3% faster. If both were substituted simultaneously, the combo rank could improve, but such a change would be marginal given the small delta percentages.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that still maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is as follows:

• 1920x1080: Ultra settings, with an average FPS of 124.9. This is the highest quality preset available and provides a massive 64.9 FPS headroom above the playable threshold.
• 2560x1440: Ultra settings, with an average FPS of 81.3. This leaves 21.3 FPS of headroom, making it a safe choice for demanding visuals.
• 3840x2160: Medium settings, with an average FPS of 69.1. This is the only 4K preset above 60 FPS aside from Low, and it offers better visual fidelity while still ensuring smooth gameplay.

These recommendations are based solely on the measured average FPS values; the absence of min/max data means there is no information about frame drops, but the averages are sufficiently high to suggest stable performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high (256.3 FPS on Low), which typically indicates that the CPU is the primary driver of performance, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 131.4 FPS, a 51% reduction, which is a larger proportional drop than at higher resolutions. This suggests that at 1080p, the GPU's workload increases significantly with preset quality, but the CPU is still able to feed it fast enough to maintain over 120 FPS even at Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are lower across the board (165 FPS on Low to 81.3 FPS on Ultra), but the proportional drop is similar (51% from Low to Ultra). The absolute values are still high, indicating that both components are working in balance, but the GPU is starting to take on more of the rendering load as pixel count increases.

The most telling shift occurs at 3840x2160. The drop from Low (88.6 FPS) to Ultra (42.3 FPS) is 46.3 FPS, a 52% reduction, but the absolute values are much lower. This points to the GPU becoming the dominant bottleneck at 4K, as the sheer pixel throughput overwhelms the RX 6800 XT's capabilities at higher presets. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K because the GPU is no longer able to render frames fast enough to be limited by CPU processing speed. This is consistent with the GPU's 85th percentile rank, which indicates it is a high-end part, but not sufficient for maxed-out 4K in this title.

In summary, at 1080p and 1440p, the i3-12100F is sufficient to keep the RX 6800 XT well-fed, allowing the GPU to deliver high frame rates. At 4K, the GPU's raw compute becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance is largely irrelevant to the final frame rate. This makes the combo excellent for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but only acceptable for 4K with reduced settings.