Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers a wide spread of performance in Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. Benchmark data shows this combination is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain a stable 60 FPS at 4K with the highest visual settings. The measured results reveal a clear scaling pattern across resolutions, with the GPU becoming the dominant factor as pixel count increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces exceptional frame rates across all settings. The Low preset averages 242.6 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this configuration. Moving to Medium drops the average to 182.7 FPS, while High achieves 152.9 FPS. The Ultra preset still maintains a very smooth 120.7 FPS average, demonstrating that the RTX 3070 Ti has ample headroom at this resolution.

The 2560x1440 results show a predictable performance curve. Low settings yield 156.5 FPS, which drops to 119.5 FPS at Medium. The High preset averages 98.3 FPS, and Ultra still clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably with 78.8 FPS. These numbers indicate that the hardware is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes significantly. The Low preset averages 81.1 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium drops to 63.2 FPS. High settings average 51.5 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Ultra preset at 4K averages only 40.6 FPS, making it the only configuration in the entire dataset that falls well short of smooth gameplay. Notably, the dataset does not include minimum or maximum FPS values for any resolution or preset, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 120.7 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin and provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. All four presets at this resolution are playable.

For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also delivers the best balance, averaging 78.8 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold, and the data shows that even the most demanding settings remain fluid at this resolution. The High preset at 98.3 FPS and Medium at 119.5 FPS are also viable options if higher frame rates are preferred.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 63.2 FPS. The Low preset at 81.1 FPS is also playable, but Medium offers better visual fidelity while still maintaining a playable frame rate. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they average 51.5 FPS and 40.6 FPS respectively, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rate differences between presets are substantial: Low averages 242.6 FPS while Ultra averages 120.7 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti is the primary bottleneck, as the i5-14600KF has enough processing power to feed the GPU at these lower pixel counts. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594, supports this interpretation.

At 2560x1440, the scaling between presets narrows slightly, with Low at 156.5 FPS and Ultra at 78.8 FPS. The GPU is still the limiting factor, but the gap between Low and Ultra is proportionally smaller than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU workload is increasing, but the CPU is still keeping up without becoming a constraint.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role becomes dominant. The difference between Low (81.1 FPS) and Ultra (40.6 FPS) is a 2x gap, and even the Medium preset at 63.2 FPS shows significant GPU strain. The CPU's influence diminishes at 4K because the GPU is saturated with pixel work. The i5-14600KF’s multi-core capabilities, reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544, are more than sufficient for this game, but the RTX 3070 Ti’s 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and 608.3 GB/s bandwidth become the determining factors at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination ranks 1361 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 37% of all configurations. The percentile data for the individual components corroborates this positioning: the CPU sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 75th percentile among all GPUs. The combo rank is lower than the CPU percentile suggests, which implies that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 49394 places it very close to its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, a 0.3% difference, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, a 0.4% difference. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.8% behind at 48995, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is 0.8% ahead at 49796. These margins are negligible for gaming purposes.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 29945 is similarly tightly grouped with its nearest rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile scores 29928 (0.1% difference), the AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095 (-0.5%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783 (0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433 (-1.6%). All of these alternatives would likely deliver very similar frame rates in Minimum.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1080p?*

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 120.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 63.2 FPS, making it the most demanding setting that stays at or above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 81.1 FPS is also playable.

Q: How does the i5-14600KF compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900?

A: The i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, while the Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, a difference of only 0.3%. Performance is effectively identical.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti or the i5-14600KF more important for this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is the primary factor, as frame rates scale significantly with preset changes. At 4K, the GPU becomes even more dominant, with the CPU having minimal impact.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p on High settings?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 98.3 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Which preset should I avoid at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages only 40.6 FPS, which is far below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 51.5 FPS is also below this threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at 60 FPS or higher across the majority of tested configurations. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the threshold, with Ultra achieving 120.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 78.8 FPS. At 3840x2160, only the Low and Medium presets are playable, with Medium at 63.2 FPS being the best visual option that still meets the 60 FPS requirement. The High preset at 4K falls short at 51.5 FPS, and Ultra is not viable at 40.6 FPS.

The overall verdict is that this combination is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming at maximum settings, and it can handle 4K gaming at medium settings. For players prioritizing high refresh rates, the 1440p Ultra preset at 78.8 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and speed. For 4K users, sticking to Medium is the recommended path to maintain smooth gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are all within 0.8% of the i5-14600KF’s average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.3% faster), AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (0.4% faster), and Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (0.8% slower) would all deliver nearly identical gaming performance in Minimum. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is 0.8% faster, which is also within the margin of error.

For the GPU, the closest alternatives are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% slower), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% slower), and AMD Radeon RX 6700 (1.6% slower). Any of these GPUs paired with the i5-14600KF would produce very similar frame rates in this game, with differences well under 2% in synthetic benchmarks. The RTX 2080 Ti, being a previous-generation card, offers a particularly relevant comparison for users considering used hardware.