Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 presents a compelling mid-range combination for Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The benchmark data indicates that this system is more than capable of delivering a smooth experience at most resolutions, though 4K gaming requires some compromises. Across the board, the pair demonstrates strong scaling, with the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck only at the highest resolution. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy: 1080p delivers exceptional frame rates, 1440p offers a perfect balance of visual fidelity and speed, and 4K remains playable only on lower settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates reveal a clear performance curve as resolution and graphical demands increase. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally fast. The Low preset produces an average of 214 FPS, which is an outstanding figure for competitive play. Moving up to Medium, the average drops to 164 FPS, with a minimum of 139 FPS and a maximum of 188 FPS, ensuring a consistently smooth experience. The High preset maintains a high average of 137 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra preset keeps the average above 100 FPS at 105 FPS. These results show that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU combination has ample headroom, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the system continues to perform admirably, but the scaling begins to show the GPU's workload increasing. The Low preset delivers an average of 138 FPS, still a very high number. The Medium preset averages 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 and a maximum of 121, showing that the frame pacing remains stable under load. High settings produce a strong 89 FPS average. The Ultra preset, while more demanding, still manages an average of 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold and indicates that the hardware can handle a high visual load at this resolution without significant stuttering.

The most significant performance drop occurs at 3840x2160. Here, the Ultra preset falls to an average of 36 FPS, which is not a playable experience. High settings yield a 48 FPS average, also below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset shows an average of 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65, indicating that it is borderline and can dip below the playable threshold. The only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience at 4K is Low, which achieves an average of 74 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is the point where this combination loses its comfortable performance margin.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark results indicate that the best settings are the most demanding preset that still maintains an average of at least 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system can handle the Ultra preset without breaking a sweat, achieving an average of 105 FPS. This is the optimal choice for players who want maximum visual quality at this resolution, as there is substantial performance headroom above the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average FPS of 68. This is a significant achievement, as it allows for full graphical fidelity while staying comfortably above the playable threshold. The 68 FPS average provides a fluid experience, though it is closer to the 60 FPS line than at 1080p, suggesting that there is less headroom for future patches or more demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the situation is different. The best settings that maintain a 60 FPS average are Low, which produces an average of 74 FPS. While this allows for a playable experience, it requires a significant reduction in visual quality. The data shows that the step from Low to Medium at 4K costs 17 FPS on average (from 74 to 57), pushing the system below the playable threshold. Therefore, for a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K, users must settle for the Low preset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data from the 1080p and 1440p results suggests that the GPU is the primary factor in determining performance at these resolutions, but the CPU is also a capable partner. The relatively small performance gap between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings indicates that the GPU is not being fully saturated at 1080p, with the CPU providing enough throughput to feed it. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 137 at 1080p to 89 at 1440p, a 35% decrease. This significant drop highlights that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as the pixel count increases.

The transition to 3840x2160 further reinforces the GPU's dominant role. The performance drop from 1440p to 4K is substantial. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 138 to 74, a 46% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 89 to 48, a 46% reduction as well. This consistent scaling strongly suggests that the Radeon RX 7700's rendering capabilities, including its 16 GB of memory and 256-bit memory bus, are the decisive factor at 4K. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-12600KF with 10 cores and 16 threads, appears to have sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The pattern of results indicates that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, the GPU is the main performance driver, but the CPU is more than adequate to keep up. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting component, as the CPU's performance is less likely to be the constraint at such high resolutions. The fact that the system can achieve 214 FPS at 1080p Low settings, a figure that is often CPU-bound in many games, suggests that the CPU is very capable. However, the inability to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra points directly to the GPU's raw rendering power being insufficient for that specific workload.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global benchmark database, this specific CPU and GPU combination holds a rank of 1717 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places the system in the 46th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating it is a solid, mid-range performer. While it is not a top-tier setup, it is far from being a low-end one. The ranking reflects a balance where the CPU is a strong performer, but the GPU, while capable, is not in the highest performance tier.

Looking at the individual components, the Intel Core i5-12600KF has a percentile rank of 79 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799. This indicates that the CPU is a high-performing part, significantly above average. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which is also 0.3% slower. This shows that the i5-12600KF is competitive with older high-end processors.

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has a percentile rank of 58 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15852. This places it in the upper-mid range of graphics cards. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, is 1.7% faster, while the AMD Radeon R9 370X is 0.1% slower. The combination of a high-percentile CPU with a mid-range GPU explains why the combo's overall rank is not higher; the GPU's performance ceiling limits the system's overall capability in a game like Minimum, which is heavily reliant on the graphics card at higher resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 1920x1080 with the highest settings?*

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows that the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 achieves an average of 105 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that still hits 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 is the most demanding option that stays above 60 FPS, with an average frame rate of 68 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Yes, but only with reduced settings. At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 74 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, making it an inconsistent experience.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12600KF compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score that is 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, making them essentially equivalent in performance.

Q: Which component is more important for performance at 1920x1080?

A: The GPU is the primary driver of frame rates at 1080p, as the CPU has enough headroom to feed it. The data shows a 77 FPS difference between Low and Ultra presets (214 vs 137 FPS), which highlights the GPU's role in determining performance.

Q: Does the system maintain a stable frame rate at 1440p on Medium settings?

A: Yes. The Medium preset at 2560x1440 has an average of 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS, indicating stable frame pacing without significant dips.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7700 can definitively run Minimum. The verdict by resolution is clear and unambiguous. At 1920x1080, the system is an excellent performer, capable of running the Ultra preset at an average of 105 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a smooth and responsive experience. At 2560x1440, it remains a strong choice, with all four presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) providing an average above 60 FPS, with the best visual quality at Ultra delivering 68 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system is still playable, but only with significant graphical compromises. The only preset that maintains a 60+ FPS average is Low, which achieves 74 FPS. Players who prioritize resolution over visual fidelity can enjoy the game at 4K, but those who want high settings will need to drop to 1440p. The data clearly shows that this combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it offers a high level of performance and visual quality. For 4K, it is a passable option for those willing to lower settings, but it is not a true 4K gaming machine.