Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is a capable combination for playing Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. Benchmark data shows this pairing handles the game smoothly at most settings, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions. The data indicates a clear hierarchy: 1080p gameplay is excellent, 1440p is very good, and 4K requires settings compromises to maintain fluidity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo are consistent across all tested configurations, with no reported minimum or maximum FPS values, only averages. At 1920x1080, the performance is robust across the board. The Low preset delivers an average of 175.1 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates a massive headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium preset averages 136.8 FPS, still far above the playable threshold. High settings yield 116.3 FPS average, a strong result that suggests the GPU is the primary limiter rather than the CPU. Even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 88.5 FPS, which is well clear of the 60 FPS playable mark.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down as expected, but remain highly playable. The Low preset averages 112.5 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 1080p result but still excellent. Medium preset averages 87 FPS, demonstrating smooth performance. High settings produce an average of 75.7 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset falls to 58.6 FPS average, dipping just below the playable threshold, indicating that this setting is too demanding for consistent smoothness at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the demands on the GPU become severe. The Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 63 FPS — just barely clearing the 60 FPS mark. The Medium preset drops to 47.9 FPS average, which is noticeably below the playable threshold and would result in visible stutter. High settings average 39.1 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 29.3 FPS. These last two presets are clearly not suitable for 4K gameplay with this hardware, as the average frame rates are too low for a smooth experience.

Best Settings per Resolution

Identifying the most demanding preset that still maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is straightforward from the data.

• 1920x1080: The Ultra preset is the best choice, achieving an average of 88.5 FPS. This is the most visually demanding configuration that remains fully playable, offering the highest fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.
• 2560x1440: The High preset is the optimal selection, averaging 75.7 FPS. This provides a good balance of visual quality and performance, staying well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 58.6 FPS falls short, so High is the ceiling for smooth play.
• 3840x2160: The Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 63 FPS. This barely clears the playable threshold, but it is the sole setting that allows for acceptable performance at 4K. Any higher preset will result in frame rates below 60 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 39.1 FPS, which is far below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only the Low preset achieves a playable average of 63 FPS at this resolution.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 75.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 58.6 FPS, so it does not meet the playability requirement.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 88.5 FPS. This is significantly above the 60 FPS threshold, making it fully playable and the recommended settings for maximum visual quality at this resolution.

Q: Is the Low preset at 4K a smooth experience?

A: The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 63 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playable threshold. It is technically playable, but with less headroom than other resolutions, meaning any demanding scene could cause dips below 60 FPS.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The Low preset averages 112.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 58.6 FPS. This is a substantial difference of 53.9 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset imposes nearly double the performance cost compared to Low.

Q: Does the game run better at 1080p High or 1440p Medium?

A: The 1080p High preset averages 116.3 FPS, which is higher than the 1440p Medium preset's 87 FPS average. The lower resolution provides a significant performance advantage, as expected, but both settings are comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination ranks 2376 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the overall performance distribution. While the rank may seem modest, it reflects the sheer number of higher-end and more modern hardware combinations that have been benchmarked. The fact that this combo achieves playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p across multiple presets reflects its practical capability, even if it does not compete with top-tier configurations. The percentile data for the individual components supports this: the CPU is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This suggests the pairing is well-balanced, with the CPU providing a strong foundation and the GPU being the more likely bottleneck in demanding scenarios.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals of the individual components, several alternative systems would produce similar results. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core i7-12700KF, Intel Core i7-13700T, and Intel Core 5 213PE. All of these processors have average benchmark scores within -0.1% to -0.4% of the i7-12700K. In practice, swapping in any of these CPUs would yield nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, as the game is not heavily CPU-bound at the tested resolutions.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, AMD FirePro D300, AMD FirePro W7000, and NVIDIA Quadro K5200. These graphics cards have average scores within -0.6% to 0.8% of the RX 6650 XT. However, it is crucial to note that these are professional or workstation-class cards, not consumer gaming GPUs. While their raw compute scores are similar, their driver optimizations and gaming performance may differ. That said, the data indicates they would produce comparable frame rates in Minimum, meaning a system with one of these GPUs and a similar CPU would behave much like the tested combo. The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a particularly close match, as it is essentially the same chip without integrated graphics, and would be a direct substitute.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run Minimum effectively across most common gaming scenarios. The verdict by resolution is clear:

• 1920x1080: Fully playable at all presets. The Ultra preset averages 88.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the ideal resolution for this combo, offering maximum visual quality with excellent performance.
• 2560x1440: Playable at Low, Medium, and High presets. The High preset is the best option, averaging 75.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 58.6 FPS is not recommended for consistent smoothness.
• 3840x2160: Only playable at the Low preset, which averages 63 FPS. This is a marginal result that barely clears the threshold, so 4K gaming is possible but requires significant visual compromises.

In summary, this is a solid mid-range system for Minimum. It excels at 1080p and handles 1440p well, but 4K is only viable with the lowest settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the final frame rates. The CPU, an Intel Core i7-12700K, is a high-end 12-core processor with a strong benchmark presence (84th percentile). Its role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and its capabilities are likely not a limiting factor in this game. Evidence for this comes from the smooth performance at 1080p, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck at higher presets. For example, the jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p results in a drop from 175.1 FPS to 88.5 FPS — a massive 86.6 FPS difference that can only be attributed to the GPU's rendering workload. The CPU maintains high frame rates even when the GPU is under heavy load, suggesting it has ample headroom.

Conversely, the GPU, an AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, is the primary performance driver. This becomes evident when examining resolution scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 88.5 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 58.6 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 29.3 FPS. This steep decline with increasing resolution is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, as the rendering resolution directly impacts the GPU's pixel throughput. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results show its limitations. The fact that the GPU's percentile ranking (65th) is lower than the CPU's (84th) further supports the conclusion that the RX 6650 XT is the limiting component. At 1080p, the CPU has excess capacity, and the GPU is working hard. At 4K, the GPU is overburdened, and the CPU's extra power cannot compensate. Therefore, for this game, the GPU's performance dictates the playable settings at each resolution, while the CPU provides a stable and capable foundation that does not hinder overall performance.