Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a playable experience in Minimum, but the margin for error depends heavily on the chosen resolution. At 1080p, this combo is decisively capable, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every preset. Moving to 1440p, the system remains strong, though Ultra settings dip to just below the playable mark. At 4K, only the Low preset maintains a consistent 60+ FPS average, making that resolution a compromise between visual fidelity and performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark data places this specific CPU-GPU pairing within a well-defined performance envelope. For the Intel Core i5-12400F, the nearest rivals are closely matched in average benchmark score, indicating that swapping the processor would yield negligible changes in Minimum's frame rates. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS posts an average score of 19047, representing a 0% delta from the i5-12400F's 19039 average. The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056, a -0.1% difference, while the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X both land within 0.3% of the i5-12400F's score, with 18982 and 18979 respectively. For gaming purposes, these differences are imperceptible; the system would behave nearly identically with any of these processors installed.

On the graphics side, the AMD Radeon RX 9060's nearest rivals show slightly more variance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti averages 16129, which is -0.7% from the RX 9060's 16014 average. The AMD Radeon R9 370X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 score 15862 and 15852 respectively, both sitting 1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 2.1% with a 15679 average. In practical terms, the RX 9060 and RTX 3060 Ti should produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, while the R9 370X and RX 7700 would be marginally slower. The Pro W5500 would show a slightly more noticeable, but still modest, performance deficit.

The CPU's benchmark profile shows strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and a Passmark multithread score of 19433. The single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Geekbench singlecore score of 1964 and a Passmark singlethread score of 3481. This indicates the processor is well-balanced for gaming workloads. The GPU's DirectX 12 Passmark score of 44 is notably low, but this does not reflect real-world gaming performance; the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 and Passmark G3D score of 17631 are more indicative of its actual gaming capability.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 1080p with all settings maxed out?*

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 92 FPS, well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 deliver an average of 78 FPS. This is the highest preset that maintains a 60+ FPS average at that resolution. Ultra at 1440p drops to 59 FPS, just below the threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable on this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings. At 3840x2160 with Low presets, the average FPS is 65. Medium drops to 50 FPS, and High falls to 42 FPS, both below the playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct competitors?

A: The i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19039 is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047, 0% delta) and within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-1335U (18982) and AMD EPYC 7773X (18979). Performance differences are negligible.

Q: How does the GPU stack up against the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060's average score of 16014 is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3060 Ti's 16129. In Minimum, frame rates would be nearly indistinguishable between the two cards.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at 1080p Medium?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium settings, the average FPS is 143, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. This indicates strong frame pacing with no severe dips.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured performance data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is overwhelmingly capable. Low settings produce an average of 187 FPS, which climbs to 143 FPS at Medium (with a min of 122 and max of 165), 120 FPS at High, and 92 FPS at Ultra. Every preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS threshold by a substantial margin.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limits. Low settings average 121 FPS, Medium drops to 92 FPS (min 79, max 106), and High settles at 78 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 59 FPS, which is just one frame shy of the playable threshold. The gap between Medium and High is 14 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 19 FPS, indicating that Ultra carries a disproportionately heavy rendering load.

The 3840x2160 results show the steepest performance cliff. Low settings average 65 FPS, which is playable but with little headroom. Medium drops to 50 FPS (min 42, max 57), High falls to 42 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 32 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium at 4K is 15 FPS, and between Medium and High is 8 FPS. These numbers suggest that 4K is only viable for players willing to accept minimum visual quality.

The data also shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU's strong multi-threaded scores (Cinebench R23 multicore of 12380, Passmark multithread of 19433) ensure it does not limit performance, but the RX 9060's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth become strained as pixel count increases.

The Verdict

This system can run Minimum effectively, with the verdict varying by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold, making this the ideal resolution for the combo. The Ultra preset's 92 FPS average provides a smooth, high-fidelity experience without compromise.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable at Low (121 FPS), Medium (92 FPS), and High (78 FPS). However, Ultra falls to 59 FPS, missing the 60 FPS target by a single frame. Players seeking 1440p Ultra should be prepared for occasional dips below the threshold, though the average is borderline.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings (65 FPS) achieve a playable average. Medium (50 FPS), High (42 FPS), and Ultra (32 FPS) all fall short. 4K gaming is technically possible but requires sacrificing visual quality to maintain smooth gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains 60+ FPS is Ultra, achieving an average of 92 FPS. This provides the maximum visual fidelity without any performance concerns.

For 2560x1440, High settings are the optimal choice, delivering an average of 78 FPS. While Medium (92 FPS) offers more headroom, High provides better visuals while still staying comfortably above the threshold. Ultra at 59 FPS is not recommended due to its sub-60 average.

For 3840x2160, Low settings are the only viable option, with an average of 65 FPS. This preset is the sole configuration that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at 4K. The 15 FPS gap between Low and Medium (50 FPS) makes Medium a poor trade-off, as the visual improvement does not justify the performance loss.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested hardware combinations in Minimum, this pairing ranks 2179th out of 3712 combos. This places it in the 59th percentile of all tested GPUs (the RX 9060's percentileVsAllGpus is 59), while the CPU sits in the 73rd percentile against all processors. The rank suggests that while the system is above average, it is not a top-tier configuration.

The rank is somewhat modest given the 1080p performance, but the 4K results drag the overall standing down. At 1080p, the combo performs like a high-end system, but at 4K, it behaves like a mid-range one. The GPU's 8 GB memory capacity and 128-bit bus are likely contributing factors to the 4K performance ceiling. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, combined with its 65 W TDP and 18 MB L3 cache, are sufficient for the game's demands, but the overall ranking reflects the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. Players targeting 1080p will find this combo ranks effectively higher than its global position suggests, while 4K enthusiasts may find the rank indicative of the compromises required.