Minimum

This analysis evaluates the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER for running Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released on 2014-06-25. The data is derived from measured FPS results across three resolutions and four settings presets, with a playability threshold of 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 311th out of 3712 tested combos for this game. This places the combo in the top 8.4% of all tested configurations, indicating a very high level of performance headroom for Minimum. The percentile ranking for the CPU (90th vs all CPUs) and GPU (86th vs all GPUs) confirms that both components are in the upper echelon of their respective categories.

The rank of 311 is particularly noteworthy because it is not a linear function of the component averages. The CPU's average benchmark score is 48618, while the GPU's average score is 54209. The game's engine appears to reward the combination's balanced strengths, as the rank is better than what would be expected from a simple average of the two percentiles. The measured data shows that this combo does not just meet the 60 FPS threshold—it massively exceeds it at every resolution tested, even at the highest preset. The lowest average FPS recorded across all tests is 60 at 4K Ultra, which is exactly at the playable threshold, while every other configuration produces averages well above 100 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results for Minimum reveal a clear pattern where the GPU is the primary performance driver, but the CPU's strength becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. The scaling from 4K to 1440p to 1080p demonstrates this relationship distinctly.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily loaded. The average FPS at Ultra is 60, which is the playable threshold. When reducing the preset from Ultra to High, the average jumps to 79 FPS (+31.7%). Further reductions to Medium (94 FPS) and Low (123 FPS) show continued scaling, but the gains per preset step diminish. This indicates that at 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER's rendering capacity is the limiting factor—the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts. The Ultra preset delivers 112 FPS, which is 86.7% higher than the 4K Ultra result. This significant jump suggests the GPU is no longer the sole bottleneck. The scaling from Ultra to High (147 FPS) is a +31.3% improvement, while Medium (175 FPS) and Low (228 FPS) continue the trend. The fact that the 1440p Ultra score (112) is nearly double the 4K Ultra score (60) highlights how resolution-dependent the GPU load is.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's role becomes more pronounced. The Ultra preset yields 173 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 354 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p at Ultra is +54.5% (from 112 to 173), which is substantial. However, the scaling from Medium to Low at 1080p (271 to 354 FPS, +30.6%) shows that even at 1080p, the GPU still has enough power to maintain very high frame rates. The i5-14600K, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, ensures that the game logic and draw calls are never the limiting factor, but the data shows that the GPU is still the primary determinant of frame rate even at 1080p.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, it can. The measured data shows all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) achieve average FPS at or above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset delivers exactly 60 FPS average, while High reaches 79 FPS, Medium 94 FPS, and Low 123 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 112 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes Ultra the best choice, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining excellent frame rates.

Q: How much performance difference is there between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The difference is significant. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 354 FPS average, while the Ultra preset achieves 173 FPS average. This represents a 104.6% performance advantage for Low over Ultra, but both are far above the playable threshold.

Q: Is the minimum FPS ever below 60?

A: The data includes minimum FPS measurements only for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 80 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the minimum is 149 FPS; and at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 230 FPS. All measured minimums are well above 60 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 311th out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 8.4% of all configurations tested for Minimum. This is consistent with the CPU being in the 90th percentile and the GPU in the 86th percentile of their respective categories.

Q: Does the game run better at 1440p than 4K?

A: Yes, significantly. At Ultra settings, 1440p achieves 112 FPS average compared to 60 FPS at 4K, which is an 86.7% improvement. Similarly, at High settings, 1440p reaches 147 FPS versus 79 FPS at 4K, a 86.1% improvement.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, provide similar computational performance. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H has an average score of 48698, which is 0.2% higher than the i5-14600K's 48618. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, a 0.3% difference. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, a 0.7% difference. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, a 0.8% difference. These CPUs would likely produce very similar frame rates in Minimum, as the game is not CPU-bound at the tested resolutions.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has an average score of 54247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (1.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.7% higher), and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 (2.8% higher). These GPUs are all within a 3% performance envelope, meaning that swapping the RTX 4080 SUPER for any of these would result in a negligible change in FPS for Minimum. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER is slightly below its rivals in raw compute, but the differences are so small that they would not be perceptible in gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of exactly 60 FPS. This is the maximum visual quality setting that maintains playability.

At 2560x1440, the best preset is Ultra, delivering an average of 112 FPS. This provides a substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold, allowing for smooth gameplay with maximum settings.

At 1920x1080, the best preset is Ultra, achieving an average of 173 FPS. This is more than 2.8 times the playable threshold, ensuring an extremely smooth experience with all settings maxed out.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Minimum at all tested resolutions and presets. The verdict data confirms that every resolution—3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080—has all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) marked as playable, meaning they all achieve at least 60 FPS average.

At 4K, the Ultra preset hits exactly 60 FPS, which is the playable threshold. This means that users can enjoy the game at maximum quality at 4K, though there is no headroom for frame rate dips. At 1440p, the Ultra preset provides 112 FPS, offering a comfortable buffer. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 173 FPS, which is an exceptional experience for a game from 2014.

The combination of the i5-14600K and RTX 4080 SUPER is overkill for Minimum at 1080p, as the Low preset reaches 354 FPS. Even the most demanding scenario—4K Ultra—is exactly at the playable threshold, making this a capable system for the game at any resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160:

• Low: 123 FPS average
• Medium: 94 FPS average, with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS
• High: 79 FPS average
• Ultra: 60 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 228 FPS average
• Medium: 175 FPS average, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS
• High: 147 FPS average
• Ultra: 112 FPS average

1920x1080:

• Low: 354 FPS average
• Medium: 271 FPS average, with a minimum of 230 FPS and a maximum of 312 FPS
• High: 228 FPS average
• Ultra: 173 FPS average

The data shows a consistent scaling pattern: as resolution decreases, frame rates increase proportionally. The minimum FPS values, where recorded, are all well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating stable performance without significant dips. The maximum FPS values suggest that the system has additional headroom for future game updates or more demanding scenes.