Minimum

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a study in extremes: a four-core entry-level CPU from Alder Lake driving the flagship Ada Lovelace GPU. In the 2014 third-person shooter Minimum, this combination produces overwhelming frame rates at every tested setting, with the benchmark data showing that the RTX 4090 is barely challenged even at 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 367 FPS, and it never dips below the 60 FPS playable threshold at any resolution or preset tested. The CPU’s 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs (avg benchmark score 13494) and the GPU’s 88th percentile ranking (avg benchmark score 60347) suggest a large imbalance, but the game’s modest demands mean the i3-12100F’s 4 cores and 8 threads (boost clock 4.30 GHz) are sufficient to feed the RTX 4090’s 16,384 shading units without creating a bottleneck in the measured data. The verdict is unambiguous: this combo runs Minimum with headroom to spare, even at the most demanding Ultra preset on a 4K display.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four presets, with average frame rates provided for all twelve combinations, and min/max values only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. The pattern is consistent: frame rates scale inversely with resolution and directly with preset demands, but the RTX 4090’s raw throughput (82.58 TFLOPS FP32, 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth) keeps averages far above the 60 FPS threshold.

1920x1080: At the lowest preset, the combo posts an average of 367 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded across all tests. High settings drop the average to 253 FPS, while Medium shows an average of 301 FPS with a min of 256 FPS and a max of 347 FPS. Ultra settings still deliver an average of 193 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 174 FPS, indicating that the GPU has massive headroom even when fully loaded by the Ultra preset.

2560x1440: Moving to 1440p, the averages remain exceptionally high. Low settings yield 254 FPS, High produces 163 FPS, and Medium averages 194 FPS with a min of 165 FPS and a max of 223 FPS. Ultra settings settle at 124 FPS. The drop from 1080p Ultra (193 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (124 FPS) is 69 FPS, a 35.8% reduction, which tracks with the 77% increase in pixel count (2,073,600 to 3,686,400 pixels). The i3-12100F’s single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score 893, Cinebench R23 single-core 1674) appears sufficient to keep up, as the frame rates are still far above any CPU-limiting territory.

3840x2160: At 4K, the RTX 4090 finally shows meaningful load. Low settings average 137 FPS, High settings average 88 FPS, and Medium averages 105 FPS with a min of 89 FPS and a max of 120 FPS. Ultra settings produce 67 FPS, which is the lowest average recorded but still 7 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The scaling from 1440p Ultra (124 FPS) to 4K Ultra (67 FPS) is a 46% reduction, nearly mirroring the pixel count increase (3,686,400 to 8,294,400 pixels, a 125% increase). This suggests the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, while the CPU’s role diminishes as resolution rises.

The min/max data for Medium presets reveals consistency: at 1080p, the spread is 91 FPS (256 to 347); at 1440p, the spread is 58 FPS (165 to 223); at 4K, the spread is 31 FPS (89 to 120). Smaller spreads at higher resolutions indicate that frame time variance decreases as the GPU becomes more saturated, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K with the highest settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 67, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by 7 FPS. The verdictByResolution data lists Ultra as the best playable setting at 4K, with an average of 67 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at if aiming for maximum frame rates?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 delivers the highest averages across all presets. At Low settings, the average is 367 FPS; at Ultra, it is 193 FPS. Even the lowest average at 1080p (Ultra, 193 FPS) is more than double the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the i3-12100F compare to its nearest CPU rivals in overall benchmark score?

A: The i3-12100F’s avg benchmark score is 13494. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, scores 13492 (deltaPct 0), making them effectively identical. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 (deltaPct 0.3, meaning the i3 is 0.3% higher), while the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 (deltaPct -0.7, meaning the i3 is 0.7% lower). The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351 (deltaPct 1.1, meaning the i3 is 1.1% higher).

Q: Is the RTX 4090’s benchmark position stronger than its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4090’s avg benchmark score is 60347. The Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 60326 (deltaPct 0), so they are statistically tied. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140 (deltaPct 0.3, meaning the RTX 4090 is 0.3% higher), while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896 (deltaPct -2.5, meaning the RTX 4090 is 2.5% lower). The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657 (deltaPct 2.9, meaning the RTX 4090 is 2.9% higher).

Q: Does the Medium preset provide stable frame times?

A: The min/max data for Medium shows tight ranges. At 1080p, the min is 256 FPS and max is 347 FPS (a 91 FPS spread). At 1440p, min is 165 FPS and max is 223 FPS (a 58 FPS spread). At 4K, min is 89 FPS and max is 120 FPS (a 31 FPS spread). All values remain far above 60 FPS, indicating stable performance.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo rank is 159 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 4.3% of all configurations. This position reflects the GPU’s dominant performance, as the CPU’s 68th percentile ranking is modest by comparison.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS average is the Ultra setting, based on the measured FPS data and the verdictByResolution field.

1920x1080: Ultra settings deliver an average of 193 FPS, with no min/max recorded. This is the highest preset available and far exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The next step down, Medium, averages 301 FPS with a min of 256 FPS.

2560x1440: Ultra settings average 124 FPS, which is 64 FPS above the playable threshold. This preset is fully playable, and the data shows no need to reduce to High (163 FPS) or Medium (194 FPS) for stability.

3840x2160: Ultra settings average 67 FPS, which is just 7 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset approaches the limit, but it still clears the bar. Medium averages 105 FPS, offering a 38 FPS buffer over Ultra if frame rate headroom is preferred.

The pattern is clear: at every resolution, the Ultra preset is the best choice, and the combo never forces a compromise. The 4K Ultra result is the tightest margin but remains playable.

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal: this PC can run Minimum at all tested resolutions and presets, with the verdictByResolution field listing every setting combination (High, Low, Medium, Ultra) as playable at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the lowest average recorded is 67 FPS at 4K Ultra. The best settings per resolution are Ultra across the board, with averages of 193 FPS at 1080p, 124 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K.

At 1080p and 1440p, the combo is massively overqualified, producing averages that are 3-6 times the playable threshold. Even at 4K Ultra, the 67 FPS average leaves only a narrow 7 FPS margin, but the absence of any min FPS data below 60 suggests consistent performance. The RTX 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for a game from 2014, and the i3-12100F’s 4 cores are not shown to bottleneck in the measured results. For players targeting 4K with max settings, the margin is slim but passable; for any lower resolution, the combo delivers excessive frame rates that would benefit high-refresh displays.

CPU and GPU Roles

The interaction between the i3-12100F and RTX 4090 changes with resolution, as evidenced by the FPS scaling data. At 1920x1080, the averages are extraordinarily high (193-367 FPS), which suggests the CPU can still keep up with the GPU’s output. The i3-12100F’s single-thread score (3dmark single-thread 893, Cinebench R23 single-core 1674) and 4 threads (3dmark 2-threads score 1659) are sufficient for a game that likely does not scale beyond a few threads. The 1080p results show the GPU is the primary driver, as the FPS differences between presets (Low 367, High 253, Medium 301, Ultra 193) are large and directly tied to GPU load.

At 2560x1440, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced. The averages drop by roughly 35-40% compared to 1080p (e.g., Ultra from 193 to 124 FPS), which aligns with the increased pixel count. The CPU’s influence fades as the GPU takes longer to render each frame. The 1440p Medium min/max (165-223 FPS) shows a 58 FPS spread, tighter than the 1080p spread of 91 FPS, further indicating GPU-bound behavior.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The averages drop another ~45-50% from 1440p (e.g., Ultra from 124 to 67 FPS), closely matching the pixel count increase. The 4K Medium spread is just 31 FPS (89-120), the smallest of all resolutions, confirming that frame pacing becomes more consistent when the GPU is saturated. The CPU’s role at 4K is minimal; even a slower CPU would likely produce similar results, as the RTX 4090 is working near its limits. Benchmark data supports this: the CPU’s multi-thread scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core 11860, Passmark multi-thread 14015) are strong but not exceptional, and the game’s 2014 release date suggests limited CPU demands.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Minimum, this pairing ranks 159th out of 3712 combos, placing it in the 95.7th percentile. This high rank is driven almost entirely by the RTX 4090’s performance, as the GPU’s avg benchmark score of 60347 is near the top of the charts. The GPU’s nearest rivals by score are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, deltaPct 0), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60140, deltaPct 0.3), AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61896, deltaPct -2.5), and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (58657, deltaPct 2.9). These rivals are all workstation or professional cards, underscoring the RTX 4090’s dominance in consumer gaming.

The CPU, by contrast, ranks in the 68th percentile of all CPUs with an avg score of 13494. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, deltaPct 0), Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, deltaPct 0.3), Intel Core 5 120UL (13594, deltaPct -0.7), and Intel Core i7-1250U (13351, deltaPct 1.1). These are all mid-range or low-power processors, and the i3-12100F is competitive with them, but it is far below the performance tier of the GPU. The rank of 159 out of 3712 indicates that most higher-ranked combos likely pair the RTX 4090 with a stronger CPU, but for Minimum, the measured FPS shows no practical disadvantage. The 4K Ultra result of 67 FPS is the only near-threshold outcome, and it still clears the bar. In summary, this combo ranks in the top 5% of all tested configurations, and its performance is sufficient for max settings at every resolution.