Minimum

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a clear performance picture in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The measured data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, with the 1920x1080 Ultra preset being the headline achievement at 92 FPS average. Across all tested configurations, the combination never drops below the 60 FPS playable threshold at 1080p, while 1440p offers a strong balance and 4K requires a settings compromise.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high. The Low preset produces an average of 187 FPS, which is the highest measured value for this resolution. Medium delivers 143 FPS average, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. The High preset reaches 120 FPS average, while Ultra, the most demanding setting, still clears the playable bar comfortably with 92 FPS average. No minimum or maximum values are recorded for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution, but the averages alone indicate a wide margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain solid but show the expected decline from 1080p. Low settings yield 121 FPS average, Medium produces 92 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, and High drops to 78 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 1440p lands at 59 FPS average, which is one frame shy of the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the only sub-60 result outside of 4K, and it is marginal.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens. Low settings manage 65 FPS average, which is the only 4K preset that clears 60 FPS. Medium produces 50 FPS average, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. High falls to 42 FPS average, and Ultra bottoms out at 32 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 33 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the dominant factor at this resolution, with settings having a pronounced effect on the final frame rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i3-12100F and the AMD Radeon RX 9060. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, as evidenced by the scaling from Low to Ultra: the difference between 187 FPS and 92 FPS is a 95 FPS spread, which is entirely attributable to GPU workload. The CPU, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, provides enough headroom to feed the GPU at these frame rates, as even the most demanding 1080p preset stays above 90 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly. The jump from 1080p to 1440p reduces frame rates by roughly 35–40% across presets, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The Ultra preset at 1440p sits at 59 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that the GPU is nearing its limit at this resolution with maximum settings. The CPU still has headroom, as the 4-core/8-thread configuration is not a bottleneck at these frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the overwhelming constraint. The Low preset achieves 65 FPS, but Medium drops to 50 FPS, High to 42 FPS, and Ultra to 32 FPS. This steep decline, with a 33 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, is a hallmark of pixel- and shader-bound rendering where the RX 9060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are the limiting factors. The CPU's role is minimal at 4K; the data shows that even a modest quad-core can keep pace with the GPU's output at this resolution, as the frame rates are governed by the graphics card's fill rate and compute throughput.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 92 FPS. This is the optimal choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, and it leaves a 32 FPS buffer above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are High, producing 78 FPS average. This preset clears the 60 FPS bar by 18 FPS, while Ultra falls short at 59 FPS. For players who prefer higher fidelity, Medium is also viable at 92 FPS, but High offers the best balance of visual quality and performance among the playable options.

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, with an average of 65 FPS. This is a slim margin of 5 FPS above the threshold, and it represents a significant visual downgrade from the Medium or High presets, which are not viable at this resolution. Medium averages 50 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, so Low is the sole option for 4K gaming.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum, but the experience varies by resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 92 FPS is the standout result, proving that the combination of the Core i3-12100F and RX 9060 is more than adequate for 1080p gaming at maximum settings.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is positive but conditional. The High preset at 78 FPS is the best playable option, and Medium and Low also stay above 60 FPS. Ultra, however, falls to 59 FPS, which is a marginal miss. Players seeking 1440p Ultra will need to accept a frame rate just below the threshold, or dial back to High for a comfortable margin.

At 3840x2160, the system is limited. Only the Low preset at 65 FPS meets the 60 FPS requirement, and it does so with a narrow 5 FPS buffer. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall short, with averages of 50, 42, and 32 FPS respectively. The data indicates that 4K gaming is possible only with reduced visual settings, and even then, the margin for error is thin.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core 3 N355 has an average benchmark score of 13492, which is essentially identical to the Core i3-12100F's 13494 score, with a deltaPct of 0. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, trailing by 0.3%, while the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, leading by 0.7%. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, which is 1.1% behind. These CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, as the game is not heavily CPU-bound at the tested resolutions.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has an average score of 16129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16014, making it a close performance match. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, trailing by 1%, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 15852, also trailing by 1%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, which is 2.1% behind. These GPUs would yield similar FPS figures in Minimum, with the RTX 3060 Ti being the closest equivalent, potentially delivering 1–2 FPS more at the same settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 1920x1080 Ultra settings?*

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 92, which is 32 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, with a measured average of 78 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 59 FPS, which is just below the threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The 3840x2160 Low preset averages 65 FPS, while Medium drops to 50 FPS, High to 42 FPS, and Ultra to 32 FPS, all below the playable threshold.

Q: How does the Core i3-12100F compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355?

A: The two CPUs have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with the Core i3-12100F at 13494 and the Core 3 N355 at 13492, a deltaPct of 0. In Minimum, they would perform the same.

Q: Which GPU is closest in performance to the Radeon RX 9060?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has an average score of 16129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16014. This makes it the nearest performance equivalent among the listed rivals.

Q: What is the lowest playable setting at 3840x2160?

A: The Low preset, with an average of 65 FPS, is the only 4K setting that clears the 60 FPS threshold. The next step up, Medium, averages 50 FPS, which is not playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 2179th out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the upper-middle tier of the database, meaning it outperforms roughly 41% of all tested configurations. The ranking reflects a system that is solid for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but struggles at 4K with higher presets. The CPU's 68th percentile versus all CPUs and the GPU's 59th percentile versus all GPUs indicate that the graphics card is the weaker link, which aligns with the measured FPS data showing GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. For a game from 2014, this combo is more than sufficient for mainstream gaming, but it is not positioned among the top performers in the database.