Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a formidable performance profile for Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. Measured data indicates that this combination provides a wide range of frame rates across the three most common resolutions, with the most demanding settings at 4K presenting the only significant challenge. The RTX 3080 Ti, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, proves to be a dominant force, while the i5-12400’s six P-cores and twelve threads ensure the CPU is rarely a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this combo are extensive, covering three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high across the board. The Low preset produces an average of 275.3 FPS, while the Medium preset reaches 214.9 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 177.6 FPS, and the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a very high 137.7 FPS average. These figures show a clear scaling pattern, with the Ultra preset being 50% more demanding than the Low preset in terms of average frame rate reduction.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains extremely strong. The Low preset delivers an average of 176.8 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 139.7 FPS. The High preset records an average of 114.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 90.4 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a performance cost of roughly 35% across most presets, indicating the GPU is handling the increased pixel count efficiently. For instance, the High preset drops from 177.6 FPS to 114.7 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops from 137.7 FPS to 90.4 FPS.

At the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the GPU’s limits become more apparent. The Low preset still manages an average of 96.7 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 73.2 FPS. The High preset is playable with an average of 62.9 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls below the playable threshold with an average of 45 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steep; the High preset loses nearly half its frame rate, dropping from 114.7 FPS to 62.9 FPS, and the Ultra preset loses half its performance, dropping from 90.4 FPS to 45 FPS. The data shows that the gap between presets widens as the resolution increases, a classic sign of GPU-bound scaling.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the data identifies the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, but the best settings are the Ultra preset, which delivers an average of 137.7 FPS. This provides a massive performance headroom over the 60 FPS target, allowing for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the story is similar. All four presets are playable, including the Ultra preset, which achieves an average of 90.4 FPS. This makes the Ultra preset the best choice for this resolution, as it offers a significant improvement in visual quality over High (114.7 FPS) while still maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

The picture changes at 3840x2160. The Ultra preset is not playable, with an average of only 45 FPS. The best settings for 4K are the High preset, which averages 62.9 FPS. This just clears the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only high-fidelity option that is reliably smooth. The Medium preset also works well, averaging 73.2 FPS, but the High preset provides better visual quality for only a modest frame rate cost.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i5-12400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. At lower resolutions, the game becomes less GPU-bound and more dependent on the CPU’s ability to feed the graphics card. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a uniform performance cost across all presets, which suggests the CPU is keeping up with the GPU’s output. For example, the Low preset drops from 275.3 FPS to 176.8 FPS, a 36% reduction that correlates directly with the pixel count increase.

At 1440p to 4K, the GPU takes on a more dominant role. The performance cost of increasing resolution is more pronounced at higher settings, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The Ultra preset suffers the most, dropping from 90.4 FPS to 45 FPS, a 50% reduction. This indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti’s compute and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at this resolution. The GPU’s 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth is being saturated by the 4K workload, and the CPU’s role diminishes.

The i5-12400’s single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and Passmark single-thread score of 3456, is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 3080 Ti at 1080p and 1440p. The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989, also ensure that game logic and physics are processed without introducing frame pacing issues. However, the data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the GPU is the sole limiting factor, as the frame rate drops to 45 FPS regardless of the CPU’s headroom.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score provide insight into what other processors would behave similarly. The AMD EPYC 7643 has an average score of 18697, which is only 0.1% different from the i5-12400’s score of 18683. This server-class chip would deliver comparable game performance. The Intel Core i7-1355U has a score of 18730, a 0.3% difference, suggesting similar single and multi-thread capabilities for gaming. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811, which is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, which is 0.9% lower. These four CPUs would all show nearly identical frame rates in Minimum when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are more varied. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 has an average score of 40870, which is 0.8% lower than the RTX 3080 Ti’s 41187. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB scores 41707, a 1.2% difference, and the standard Tesla M40 scores 41897, a 1.7% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 scores 40377, which is 2% lower. In practice, these GPUs would produce very similar FPS numbers, with the RTX 3080 Ti having a slight edge over the Radeon Pro 5300 and a small deficit against the Tesla M40 models. The RTX 5070 would be the closest competitor in terms of gaming performance, being only 2% slower on average.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 45, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best quality setting for 1440p that stays above 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 90.4 FPS, making it the best visual option.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to the RTX 5070 for this game?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41187, while the RTX 5070 scores 40377, making the RTX 3080 Ti 2% faster on average.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data shows minimal CPU involvement at 1080p, with the Low preset reaching 275.3 FPS, indicating the i5-12400 is not limiting performance.

Q: What is the lowest playable setting at 4K?

A: The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 96.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and is the least demanding playable option.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset averages 214.9 FPS, while High averages 177.6 FPS, a difference of 37.3 FPS in favor of Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks at position 925 out of 3712 tested combos in the database for Minimum. This places it within the top 25% of all configurations tested. The high ranking is primarily driven by the GPU’s strong performance, as the RTX 3080 Ti sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. The CPU also contributes, being in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. The combination of a top-tier GPU with an upper-midrange CPU proves to be a highly effective pairing for this title, as the game is not particularly CPU-intensive and scales well with GPU power.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Minimum effectively across most settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system excels, with the Ultra preset delivering an average of 137.7 FPS, far exceeding the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also clears the threshold with an average of 90.4 FPS, providing a smooth and visually rich experience. At 3840x2160, the system remains capable, but users must make compromises. The High preset is the best option, with an average of 62.9 FPS, just barely entering the playable zone. The Ultra preset at 4K is not viable, dropping to 45 FPS. Overall, this hardware combination offers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience and can handle 4K with moderate settings.