Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a consistently high-refresh experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014. The dataset shows that this combination is capable of exceeding the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution tested, with the only exception being the Ultra preset at 4K. The measured results indicate a system that is heavily biased toward GPU scaling at higher resolutions, while the 14-core processor provides ample headroom for the game's engine at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is structured across three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a clear picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 275.1 FPS, Medium averages 210.9 FPS, High averages 178 FPS, and the Ultra preset still maintains a robust 133.9 FPS average. All of these figures are far beyond the 60 FPS playability threshold, indicating that the game is heavily optimized for lower resolution output.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the performance remains well above the playable mark. The Low preset averages 177.7 FPS, Medium drops to 136.1 FPS, and High settles at 116.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution still clears the threshold comfortably with an average of 89.9 FPS. The data shows a predictable reduction in frame rates, but the delta between presets is consistent, suggesting that the GPU is handling the increased pixel count without hitting a hard bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve becomes more critical. The Low preset averages 97.6 FPS, which is still strong. Medium averages 71.6 FPS, and High averages 62.7 FPS, just barely clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset, however, falls below the playable mark with an average of 44.3 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to maintain 60 FPS, highlighting a significant performance cliff between High and Ultra settings at 4K resolution. The min and max FPS fields are null in the data, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates, which show a consistent degradation as resolution and quality increase.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck behavior as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more significant role, but the i5-14600K is more than capable of feeding the RX 9070 XT. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p reduces average FPS from 275.1 to 133.9, a difference of roughly 141 FPS, which is attributable to GPU load scaling. The CPU is not the limiting factor here; the GPU is the primary driver of the frame rate differences between presets.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's workload increases, and the scaling between presets becomes more pronounced. The difference between Low and Ultra is 87.8 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more saturated, but the CPU still has enough headroom to keep up with the rendering demands. The game engine appears to be well-balanced at this resolution, with neither component causing a severe bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The scaling from Low to Ultra yields a difference of 53.3 FPS, but the absolute numbers are much lower. The Ultra preset's drop to 44.3 FPS, compared to High's 62.7 FPS, suggests that the RDNA 4.0 architecture hits a memory bandwidth or shader limit at this extreme setting. The CPU's role diminishes significantly; the i5-14600K is likely idle waiting for the GPU to finish rendering frames. The data confirms that this combo is GPU-bound at 4K, especially on the Ultra preset.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 62.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 achieve an average of 89.9 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays well above the threshold.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 1080p?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 133.9 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold.

Q: Why does the 4K Ultra preset fail the 60 FPS test?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 44.3 FPS. This is the only combination in the dataset that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, indicating a significant GPU performance cliff.

Q: How does the Low preset compare to High at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 97.6 FPS, while High averages 62.7 FPS. The difference is 34.9 FPS, showing that Low provides a substantial frame rate boost.

Q: Does the resolution scaling affect the CPU or GPU more?

A: The data shows that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU has plenty of headroom, but at 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this specific CPU-GPU pairing in Minimum is 1012 out of 3712 tested combinations. This places it in the top 27% of all systems tested for this game. The percentile for the CPU is 90, meaning the i5-14600K outperforms 90% of all CPUs in general benchmarks. The GPU's percentile is 55, which is lower than the CPU's, but this is relative to all GPUs, not just those used for gaming. The combo rank itself reflects the balance between the two components. The high CPU percentile suggests that the processor is not the limiting factor, while the GPU percentile indicates that the graphics card is mid-pack overall. The rank of 1012 is respectable, but it is not at the very top, which suggests that other combinations with more powerful GPUs would achieve higher frame rates at the Ultra 4K setting.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at the playable threshold of 60 FPS in the vast majority of configurations. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset achieving 133.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra achieving 89.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system is playable on Low, Medium, and High settings, but not on Ultra. The High preset at 4K averages 62.7 FPS, which is just barely above the threshold, meaning there is little headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only failure point in the dataset. Therefore, the system is a solid high-refresh performer for 1080p and 1440p, and a capable 4K machine only if the user is willing to avoid the Ultra preset.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is the recommended setting. At 3840x2160, the best setting is High, which achieves an average of 62.7 FPS. This is the optimal balance between visual quality and performance, as the Ultra preset drops to 44.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the best setting is Ultra, with an average of 89.9 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a comfortable margin above the threshold. At 1920x1080, the best setting is also Ultra, achieving an average of 133.9 FPS. This is the highest preset available and provides a very smooth experience. These recommendations ensure that the user gets the best possible visual quality without sacrificing the playable frame rate.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly. The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618. Its closest rival is the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, a delta of 0.3%, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, a delta of 0.7%. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, a delta of -0.8%. These CPUs would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Minimum. For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has an average benchmark score of 13543. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, which scores 13536, a delta of 0.1%. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13515, a delta of 0.2%, and the NVIDIA P106-090 scores 13470, a delta of 0.5%. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 13407, a delta of 1%. These GPUs would exhibit very similar GPU-bound performance. Users with these alternatives would see comparable frame rates in Minimum, assuming the rest of the system is consistent. The data shows that the i5-14600K is a strong performer, while the RX 9070 XT's nearest rivals are older or lower-tier models, which explains its mid-pack percentile ranking.