Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT delivers a wide performance envelope in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter that scales aggressively across resolutions and presets. Measured data shows this combination is capable of high refresh rates at 1440p and 1080p, but at 4K the GPU becomes the defining constraint, pushing the system to the edge of the 60 FPS playability threshold. The benchmark results reveal a hardware pairing where the CPU’s strong multi-threaded scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core at 19,784) are rarely the bottleneck, while the GPU’s raw throughput dictates the experience at higher pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces exceptional frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 249.4 FPS, Medium reaches 189.3 FPS, High holds at 161.9 FPS, and Ultra still delivers a commanding 121.5 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 127.9 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom even at the highest settings. Minimum frame data is not available in this dataset, so the analysis relies solely on averages.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain robust but show the expected cost of higher pixel counts. Low averages 161.3 FPS, Medium 124.4 FPS, High 105.9 FPS, and Ultra 80.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 80.4 FPS, a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p but still a substantial 50% reduction from the lowest to highest preset. The 1440p High preset retains a comfortable margin above 100 FPS, while Ultra remains playable with an average above 80 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. The Low preset averages 87.8 FPS, Medium 67.8 FPS, High 56.2 FPS, and Ultra 43.2 FPS. The step from Medium to High is a 11.6 FPS drop, crossing below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at 43.2 FPS is the only preset that falls significantly short of smooth gameplay. The 4K scaling penalty is steep: compared to 1440p, the same Low preset drops from 161.3 FPS to 87.8 FPS, a 45.6% reduction, illustrating how pixel count taxes the GPU far more than the CPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates a clear division of labor. At 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core 2,308) and multi-thread capabilities (PassMark multithread 34,404) are sufficient to feed the GPU, allowing frame rates to scale nearly linearly with preset changes. The 249.4 FPS Low result suggests the GPU is not fully saturated at low settings, but the Ultra preset at 121.5 FPS still benefits from the CPU’s ability to maintain high draw-call throughput.

At 1440p, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The relative scaling between presets narrows slightly compared to 1080p, but the system still achieves over 80 FPS at Ultra. This implies the CPU remains ahead of the GPU’s demands, as the frame rate drop from High to Ultra (25 FPS) is proportional to the increased shading workload rather than a CPU limitation.

At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the dominant factor. The Ultra preset’s 43.2 FPS versus the Low preset’s 87.8 FPS shows a 44.6 FPS swing driven entirely by pixel shading and memory bandwidth utilization. The RX 7800 XT’s 16 GB GDDR6 memory with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient, but the raw compute (FP32 37.32 TFLOPS) is challenged by 8.3 million pixels. The CPU’s role at 4K is minimal; even the Low preset at 87.8 FPS indicates the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU could likely push higher frame rates if the GPU allowed it.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core i5-13600T (avg score 35,305, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-12700KF (35,365, delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i7-13700T (35,403, delta -0.3%), and the Intel Core 5 213PE (35,428, delta -0.4%). These processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, as their multi-threaded performance is within 0.4% of the i7-12700K’s 35,287 average. The i7-12700KF is essentially the same chip without integrated graphics, while the 13700T and 13600T are lower-power variants with similar throughput.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are surprising: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (avg score 11,680, delta -0.5%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M (11,528, delta 0.9%), the NVIDIA Tesla K20c (11,479, delta 1.3%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (11,842, delta -1.8%). These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores, not gaming-specific tests, so actual Minimum performance would differ significantly. The RX 7800 XT’s 24,176 PassMark G3D score and 4,157 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score suggest it vastly outperforms these rivals in modern workloads, but the benchmark database ranks them as nearest by average score. This discrepancy highlights that synthetic averages can mask real-world gaming capability.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at all tested resolutions with at least one preset exceeding 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset—Low at 249.4 FPS, Medium at 189.3 FPS, High at 161.9 FPS, and Ultra at 121.5 FPS—clears the 60 FPS threshold with substantial headroom. The 2560x1440 resolution also sees all presets above 60 FPS, with Ultra at 80.9 FPS and High at 105.9 FPS providing excellent smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is conditional. The Low preset (87.8 FPS) and Medium preset (67.8 FPS) are playable, but High (56.2 FPS) and Ultra (43.2 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data indicates that 4K gaming is possible only when sacrificing visual quality to Medium or lower. The playable settings list for 4K includes Low and Medium, with Medium being the best option at 67.8 FPS average.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Medium, achieving an average of 67.8 FPS. This provides a 7.8 FPS margin above the threshold, leaving little room for scene complexity spikes but confirming playability.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 80.9 FPS. This is 20.9 FPS above the threshold, allowing for consistent smoothness even in demanding scenes. All four presets are viable, but Ultra offers the highest fidelity without sacrificing frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 121.5 FPS is the optimal setting, doubling the 60 FPS threshold. This resolution allows maximum visual quality with performance to spare, making it the ideal target for this hardware combination.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: No. The measured average at 3840x2160 High is 56.2 FPS, which is 3.8 FPS below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Medium preset at 67.8 FPS is the highest playable option at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35,287, which is within 0.4% of its nearest rivals: the Core i5-13600T (35,305), i7-12700KF (35,365), i7-13700T (35,403), and Core 5 213PE (35,428). This indicates near-identical CPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: The Low preset averages 161.3 FPS while Ultra averages 80.9 FPS, a difference of 80.4 FPS. This represents a 50% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to highest preset.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for 1080p performance?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary factor, as frame rates scale significantly with preset changes (from 249.4 FPS at Low to 121.5 FPS at Ultra). The CPU’s performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking at this resolution.

Q: Which 4K preset is recommended for the best balance?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 67.8 FPS, providing the highest visual quality while staying above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 87.8 FPS offers more headroom but reduces visual fidelity.

Q: How does this combination rank among all tested combos?

A: This CPU-GPU pairing ranks 1,268 out of 3,712 total combinations tested in Minimum, placing it in the upper third of all systems evaluated.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT combination ranks 1,268th out of 3,712 tested combos in Minimum, positioning it in the 34th percentile of all systems. This rank reflects the GPU’s mid-tier standing (51st percentile among all GPUs) and the CPU’s stronger position (84th percentile among all CPUs). The pairing’s overall performance is constrained by the GPU at higher resolutions, but the CPU’s headroom ensures that 1080p and 1440p scenarios are never processor-limited. The rank suggests that while this system is not a top-tier 4K machine, it offers a balanced experience for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions, with the data showing consistent 60+ FPS performance across all presets at 1440p and below.