Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a playable experience in Minimum across all tested resolutions, provided you adjust settings appropriately. At 1080p, this combo has headroom to max out the game; at 1440p, it holds high settings comfortably; at 4K, you must drop to Low to stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark data identifies the most demanding preset that keeps average frame rates at or above 60 FPS for each resolution.

• 1920x1080: Ultra settings deliver an average of 88 FPS. This is the highest preset tested, and it stays well above the playable threshold. The jump from High to Ultra costs 27 FPS on average, yet the result remains smooth. For users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, dropping to High (115 FPS) or Medium (137 FPS) provides extra headroom, but Ultra is fully playable.

• 2560x1440: High settings produce an average of 74 FPS. This is the best visual quality that maintains 60+ FPS. Medium runs at 88 FPS and Low at 116 FPS, but High is the sweet spot for image fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. Ultra falls to 57 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, so it fails the 60 FPS requirement.

• 3840x2160: Low settings are the only playable option, averaging 62 FPS. This is a narrow margin above the 60 FPS line. Medium drops to 48 FPS, High to 40 FPS, and Ultra to 30 FPS. At 4K, the RTX 5050's 8 GB frame buffer and 128-bit memory bus become a bottleneck; even Low only clears the bar by 2 FPS, suggesting that any scene complexity could push it under.

The pattern is clear: this combo is a 1080p max-settings machine, a 1440p high-settings machine, and a 4K low-settings machine. For 4K users, the margin at Low is thin—consider capping the frame rate or accepting occasional dips.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution changes. At 1080p, the Core i5-12400's six P-cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 5050; the GPU is the primary driver of performance. Evidence: going from Low (179 FPS) to Ultra (88 FPS) at 1080p shows a 51% drop in frame rate, which aligns with GPU workload scaling rather than CPU limits.

At 1440p, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The spread from Low (116 FPS) to Ultra (57 FPS) is 51%, nearly identical to 1080p's relative scaling. However, the absolute numbers are lower across the board, indicating that the RTX 5050 is now the limiting factor. The CPU still keeps pace—there is no sign of a CPU-induced plateau between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings.

At 4K, the GPU bottleneck is severe. Medium (48 FPS) is only 23% faster than High (40 FPS), and Ultra (30 FPS) is 25% slower than High. This compression of frame rates at higher settings suggests the GPU is running out of raw throughput and memory bandwidth. The 320.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB GDDR6 memory are simply insufficient for 4K Ultra in this game. The CPU's role at 4K is minimal; the i5-12400's single-thread score of 2257 in Cinebench R23 and multi-thread score of 15989 show it has ample headroom for a 2014-era title.

Comparing across resolutions at the same setting: High at 1080p (115 FPS) drops to 74 FPS at 1440p (36% loss) and then to 40 FPS at 4K (46% loss from 1440p). This nonlinear scaling confirms that the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance ceiling is never tested; even at 1080p Low (179 FPS), the frame rate is likely still GPU-bound given the RTX 5050's mid-range positioning (66th percentile among all GPUs).

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly in Minimum.

CPU alternatives: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitors are:

• AMD EPYC 7643 (avg score 18697, 0.1% slower) — a server chip, but the score parity means similar CPU-bound behavior.
• Intel Core i7-1355U (avg score 18730, 0.3% slower) — a mobile chip that would match the i5-12400 in this game.
• AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (avg score 18811, 0.7% slower) — a newer laptop processor with comparable throughput.
• Intel Core i3-14100F (avg score 18519, 0.9% faster) — a cheaper desktop part that offers nearly identical multi-core performance.

For Minimum, all these CPUs would deliver the same experience—none of them would bottleneck the RTX 5050 at any resolution. The i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads are overkill for a game from 2014, so any of these rivals would produce identical frame rates.

GPU alternatives: The RTX 5050 averages 21035, sitting in the 66th percentile. Its nearest rivals:

• AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (avg score 21153, 0.6% slower) — a mobile GPU that would perform nearly identically.
• AMD Radeon HD 8970M (avg score 21237, 1% slower) — an older laptop part with similar raw throughput.
• AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (avg score 20713, 1.6% faster) — a desktop GPU that would give slightly better frame rates in Minimum.
• NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (avg score 21379, 1.6% slower) — a workstation GPU with comparable gaming performance.

In practice, any of these GPUs would produce the same settings breakdown: playable at Low in 4K, High in 1440p, and Ultra in 1080p. The RX 5600 XT's 1.6% advantage might translate to 1-2 FPS in Minimum, which is negligible. Since the RTX 5050 has 8 GB VRAM, these rivals with similar memory sizes would face the same 4K limitations.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K with High settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average frame rate is 40 FPS, well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only Low settings (62 FPS) meet the requirement at 4K.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p to maintain 60 FPS?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 74 FPS, which is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS. Ultra drops to 57 FPS, failing the threshold.

Q: Is the RTX 5050 or the Core i5-12400 the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the primary constraint. At 1920x1080, frame rates scale from 179 FPS (Low) to 88 FPS (Ultra), a 51% reduction that tracks GPU workload. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-thread score of 15989 indicates it has ample headroom for this 2014 title.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at the same settings?

A: At High settings, 1080p averages 115 FPS while 4K averages 40 FPS — a 65% reduction. At Medium, the gap is 137 FPS vs 48 FPS (65% reduction). This consistent drop highlights the GPU's memory bandwidth (320.0 GB/s) and 8 GB capacity as limiting factors.

Q: Does the RTX 5050 have enough VRAM for Ultra at 1440p?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory is sufficient capacity-wise, but the GPU's raw throughput is the issue. Ultra at 2560x1440 averages 57 FPS, just below the playable threshold. The 2.1% difference between High (74 FPS) and Ultra (57 FPS) suggests the extra settings load is more than the GPU can handle.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: Medium settings at 1920x1080 average 137 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and maximum of 158 FPS. This is the most consistent performance profile in the dataset, ideal for high-refresh monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides exact average, minimum, and maximum frame rates where available. Note that minimum and maximum values are only recorded for Medium settings across all resolutions.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: average 30 FPS — unplayable, below the 60 FPS threshold.
• High: average 40 FPS — unplayable.
• Medium: average 48 FPS, minimum 41 FPS, maximum 55 FPS — the min/max spread of 14 FPS shows inconsistent frame pacing.
• Low: average 62 FPS — the only playable setting, but with no min/max data, the margin is uncertain.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: average 57 FPS — just below the playable threshold.
• High: average 74 FPS — playable and the recommended setting.
• Medium: average 88 FPS, minimum 75 FPS, maximum 102 FPS — the min stays above 60 FPS, making this a safer choice for locked 60 FPS.
• Low: average 116 FPS — smooth, with headroom for high refresh rates.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: average 88 FPS — playable, the best visual setting.
• High: average 115 FPS — excellent for 144Hz displays.
• Medium: average 137 FPS, minimum 117 FPS, maximum 158 FPS — the tightest min/max spread (41 FPS range) among all Medium settings.
• Low: average 179 FPS — the highest recorded frame rate, suitable for 240Hz monitors.

The Medium settings data is the only complete set with min/max values. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 117 FPS guarantees no drops below 60 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 75 FPS still clears the threshold. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 41 FPS confirms the unplayable nature of that setting.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 2274 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 38.7th percentile of all systems tested, meaning roughly 61% of combinations perform better.

Contextualizing the rank: the CPU sits in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 66th percentile. The combo's lower rank (38.7th) reflects that Minimum is a GPU-demanding title at higher resolutions, and the RTX 5050's mid-pack positioning drags the overall ranking down despite a capable CPU. The data indicates that many combos with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs would rank higher in this game.

The rank of 2274 suggests this is a lower-mid-tier setup for Minimum specifically. It is fully playable at 1080p Ultra and 1440p High, but the 4K experience is limited to Low settings. For a game released in 2014, the absolute frame rates are respectable, but the combo's percentile shows that most tested systems achieve higher performance. The RTX 5050's nearest rival, the RX 5600 XT (1.6% faster), would likely rank slightly better, while the i5-12400's rivals would not change the outcome since the CPU is rarely the limiting factor.

In practical terms, this rank means the combo handles Minimum competently at mainstream resolutions, but it is not a standout performer. Users targeting 4K should look at higher-tier GPUs, while 1080p gamers will find this setup more than adequate. The 3712 total combos include many with more powerful graphics cards, so the 2274 position is a clear signal that the RTX 5050, not the i5-12400, is the component holding back higher settings at 4K.