Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a compelling performance profile for Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The measured frame rates indicate this combination is exceptionally capable, with the data showing playable performance at every tested resolution and settings combination, though the highest fidelity options at 4K require a slight compromise. The analysis below details exactly how this hardware behaves across resolutions, which component drives performance, and how the combo ranks among thousands of other tested configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the combination achieves its most impressive results. The Ultra preset runs at an average of 145.3 FPS, which is the most demanding settings level available in the test suite. Since this comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold, Ultra is the recommended setting for this resolution. The data shows no reason to drop below this preset, as even the most graphically intensive option maintains a frame rate more than double the playability floor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the picture remains equally strong. The Ultra preset averages 96.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the best setting choice at this resolution as well. The performance headroom is significant, indicating that the hardware is not stressed at this resolution and settings level. The frame rate drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is substantial but predictable, representing the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more nuanced. The Ultra preset averages 51.4 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. Consequently, the data indicates that High is the best playable setting, delivering an average of 67.5 FPS. This is the only resolution where the most demanding preset cannot be used while maintaining smooth gameplay. The High preset still provides a solid experience, but the gap between High and Ultra at this resolution is notable, suggesting that 4K Ultra is beyond what this combo can handle fluidly.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a clear picture of component roles. At 1080p, the CPU is likely the primary driver, as the frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. The Low preset at 1080p averages 303.1 FPS, while Ultra averages 145.3 FPS. This scaling from Low to Ultra at the same resolution indicates that the GPU is being tasked more heavily as settings increase, but the sheer magnitude of these numbers suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames quickly enough to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

As resolution increases, the GPU becomes progressively more dominant. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows this clearly. At Low settings, the average drops from 303.1 FPS to 192 FPS, a reduction of roughly 37%. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 145.3 FPS to 96.6 FPS, a similar proportional decrease. This consistent scaling across settings at the same resolution increase points to resolution being a GPU-bound factor, while the CPU maintains its output capability.

The 4K results reinforce this interpretation. At Low settings, the average is 105.1 FPS, which is still very high but represents a further drop from the 1440p Low result of 192 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average falls to 51.4 FPS, below the playable threshold. This steep decline at Ultra settings specifically indicates that the GPU is struggling with the combination of high resolution and high graphical fidelity. The CPU’s role diminishes as resolution rises, since the GPU spends more time on pixel processing and less time waiting for draw calls.

The settings scaling at each resolution further illuminates the balance. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra reduces performance by about 52%, from 303.1 to 145.3 FPS. At 1440p, the same settings change reduces performance by about 50%, from 192 to 96.6 FPS. At 4K, the reduction is more pronounced, from 105.1 to 51.4 FPS, a drop of about 51%. This consistent percentage reduction across resolutions suggests that the settings themselves have a predictable impact on GPU workload, independent of resolution.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 4K with the highest settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average frame rate is 51.4 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset is the best playable option at this resolution, achieving 67.5 FPS.

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

A: The Ultra preset is the best choice at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 96.6 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and all four tested presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 303.1 FPS at 1080p to 105.1 FPS at 4K, a reduction of roughly 65%. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 145.3 FPS to 51.4 FPS, a reduction of about 65% as well.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU appears to be a significant factor, as frame rates are extremely high across all settings. The Low preset averages 303.1 FPS, and even Ultra averages 145.3 FPS, suggesting the CPU can handle the game’s logic and draw calls efficiently while the GPU manages the rendering load.

Q: What is the playable settings list at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with average frame rates of 67.5, 105.1, and 78.2 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset is not playable, as it averages 51.4 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from Medium to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 146.8 FPS, while Ultra averages 96.6 FPS. This represents a performance reduction of about 34% when selecting Ultra over Medium.

The Verdict

The data indicates that this combination can run Minimum with high confidence at most resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, all four settings presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 145.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 96.6 FPS. At 3840x2160, three of the four presets are playable, with High being the best option at 67.5 FPS; only Ultra falls short at 51.4 FPS.

This is a hardware pairing that excels at 1080p and 1440p, offering frame rates that are more than sufficient for smooth gameplay. The 4K experience is solid but requires a slight settings reduction to maintain fluid motion. Overall, the verdict is clear: this PC can run Minimum effectively, with the only caveat being that 4K Ultra is not achievable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the CPU’s nearest rivals provides context for what other processors would behave similarly. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 has an average benchmark score of 49228, which is just 0.3% lower than the i5-14600KF’s score. This indicates that the Ryzen 9 7900 would deliver nearly identical frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G is similarly close, with an average score of 49196, a delta of 0.4%. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is also within a narrow margin, scoring 48995, which is 0.8% lower.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon Pro 580 has an average score of 40318, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 5070’s average of 40377. This suggests that the Pro 580 would provide nearly equivalent performance in GPU-bound workloads. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063, a 0.8% deficit, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870, which is 1.2% higher. The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568, representing a 2% delta.

For a user considering alternatives, these rival components would produce measurable but generally small differences in frame rates. The closest matches are the Ryzen 9 7900 for the CPU and the Radeon Pro 580 for the GPU, both of which would deliver nearly indistinguishable results in Minimum.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 734th out of 3712 tested configurations in Minimum. This places the combo in the top 20% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a game from 2014. The percentile rankings of individual components support this positioning: the CPU is in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs.

The rank of 734 is a function of both the hardware’s raw capability and the game’s age. Since Minimum is a title from 2014, it is not particularly demanding by modern standards, which means even mid-range hardware can achieve high frame rates. The fact that this combo still ranks in the top 20% suggests that it provides a very smooth experience, though there are many other combinations that can also run the game well.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates, all reported as average FPS, provide a detailed view of performance across all tested scenarios.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 303.1 FPS, Medium averages 228.6 FPS, High averages 195 FPS, and Ultra averages 145.3 FPS. All of these figures vastly exceed the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the game is effectively trivial for this hardware at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 192 FPS, Medium averages 146.8 FPS, High averages 122.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 96.6 FPS. The scaling is consistent, with each preset tier reducing performance by a similar margin.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 105.1 FPS, Medium averages 78.2 FPS, High averages 67.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 51.4 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset falls below the playable threshold. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the performance gap between presets widens in absolute terms, though the proportional differences remain similar.

The lack of min or max FPS data means that frame time consistency cannot be assessed, but the average figures are uniformly high. The lowest recorded average across all tests is 51.4 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is the sole instance of sub-60 FPS performance. Every other tested configuration maintains an average above 60 FPS, making this combo a reliable choice for Minimum at all resolutions except 4K Ultra.