Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers an exceptional performance profile in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The data indicates that this combination not only clears the 60 FPS threshold at every tested resolution but does so with significant headroom, allowing for maximum visual fidelity settings across the board. Benchmark results position this pairing in the 96.8th percentile of all tested combos, ranking 119th out of 3712, which underscores its elite status for this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this system each have closely matched rivals based on aggregate benchmark scores. For the Intel Core i7-12700K, the nearest performance equivalents are all within a fraction of a point. The Intel Core i5-13600T posts an average score of 35305, which is a negligible 0.1% lower than the i7-12700K’s 35287. Similarly, the Intel Core i7-12700KF (35365) is 0.2% lower, the Intel Core i7-13700T (35403) is 0.3% lower, and the Intel Core 5 213PE (35428) is 0.4% lower. These deltas are so small that in real-world gaming, the user would experience no discernible difference in CPU-bound scenarios within Minimum; the processor’s 12 cores and 20 threads are far beyond what this title requires.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has a more interesting set of comparisons. Its average benchmark score of 60347 is matched almost exactly by the Intel Arc Pro A60, which scores 60326 with a 0% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 0.3% higher at 60140, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% higher (61896) and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% lower (58657). The data suggests that while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier consumer card (88th percentile among all GPUs), its raw computational score is comparable to some professional workstation cards. However, for Minimum, the RTX 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth provide a substantial advantage in texture throughput, which is not fully captured by the average score comparison.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the Ultra setting at every resolution. At 3840x2160 (4K), the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS, which is the lowest margin above the playability threshold. This indicates that 4K Ultra is playable but leaves only 7 FPS of headroom before hitting the 60 FPS floor. The High preset at 4K produces an average of 85.8 FPS, Medium achieves 107.1 FPS, and Low reaches 138.1 FPS, showing a clear scaling curve as settings are reduced.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the Ultra preset averages 122.2 FPS, more than doubling the 60 FPS requirement. This provides a comfortable margin for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at this resolution hits 160.7 FPS, Medium reaches 192.5 FPS, and Low climbs to 256.1 FPS. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system becomes severely overkill for this game; the Ultra preset averages 193.9 FPS, while High is 256.6 FPS, Medium is 303.8 FPS, and Low tops out at 395.5 FPS. In all cases, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice because it delivers the best visual quality without compromising the 60 FPS target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU shifts as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the GPU is less stressed, allowing the CPU to become more of a limiting factor. The frame rates are extraordinarily high (193.9 FPS at Ultra), which indicates that the i7-12700K’s single-thread performance and 25 MB of L3 cache are sufficient to feed the RTX 4090 without bottlenecking. The scaling from Low (395.5 FPS) to Ultra (193.9 FPS) represents a 51% drop, which is primarily attributable to GPU workload increases, but the absolute numbers suggest the CPU still has headroom.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take a more dominant role. The Ultra preset drops to 122.2 FPS, a 37% reduction from the 1080p Ultra figure, while the Low preset falls to 256.1 FPS (a 35% reduction). This proportionally similar scaling indicates that both components are still working in concert, but the RTX 4090’s rendering load is increasing. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Ultra preset averages 67 FPS, which is 45% lower than 1440p Ultra, and the Low preset is 138.1 FPS, a 46% drop from 1440p Low. The consistent ~45% scaling across all settings at 4K demonstrates that the RTX 4090’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the primary determinants of performance, while the i7-12700K’s role diminishes to that of a stable frame provider.

The Verdict

This PC runs Minimum with outstanding results. The verdict data confirms that all four settings presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at every resolution tested. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS threshold with a 7 FPS margin. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 122.2 FPS, providing a 62 FPS buffer over the playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 193.9 FPS, which is 133.9 FPS above the requirement. The system is not just capable of running the game; it is capable of running it at maximum settings with frame rates that exceed most high-refresh-rate displays. For players who prioritize competitive play, the Low preset at 1080p (395.5 FPS) offers frame times well below 3 milliseconds, though this is likely unnecessary given the game’s age and the hardware’s strength.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with all settings maxed out?

A: Yes. The measured data shows the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 67 FPS, which is 7 FPS above the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4090 compared to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4090’s average benchmark score is 60347, which is effectively identical to the Intel Arc Pro A60’s 60326 (0% delta) and only 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48’s 60140.

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Minimum?*

A: The highest recorded average is 395.5 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p in this game?

A: The data suggests minimal bottlenecking. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 193.9 FPS, and at Low, it reaches 395.5 FPS, indicating the i7-12700K’s 3.60 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost clocks are more than adequate.

Q: Does the GPU’s 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs reflect its in-game performance?

A: Not entirely. The percentile is based on synthetic benchmarks, but in Minimum, the RTX 4090 delivers 67 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is a strong result given the game’s 2014 release and simpler rendering demands.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 160.7 FPS, while Ultra averages 122.2 FPS. This represents a 38.5 FPS reduction for the higher visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3712 tested combinations in the database, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 119th. This places it in the top 3.2% of all systems tested for Minimum. The rank reflects the balance of a high-end 12th-gen Intel processor with the flagship Ada Lovelace GPU. The CPU’s 84th percentile ranking among all processors and the GPU’s 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs combine to create a system that is well above average for this title. The 119th rank suggests that there are 118 other combinations that perform better, likely involving newer CPUs or specialized configurations, but for practical purposes, this system exceeds the requirements of Minimum by a wide margin at all settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact average FPS values for each resolution and settings combination. Minimum and maximum FPS values were not recorded in the dataset.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 85.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 138.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 107.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 67.0 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 160.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 256.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 192.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 122.2 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 256.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 395.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 303.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 193.9 |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: dropping from Ultra to Low settings yields substantial FPS gains at every resolution. At 4K, the jump from Ultra (67 FPS) to Low (138.1 FPS) is a 106% improvement. At 1440p, the same settings transition results in a 110% gain (122.2 to 256.1 FPS). At 1080p, the gain is 104% (193.9 to 395.5 FPS). This linear scaling suggests the game is well-optimized for the GPU architecture, with no unexpected performance cliffs or driver-related anomalies. The minimum FPS values are absent from the dataset, so any potential frame-time spikes cannot be assessed, but the average figures are uniformly above the playable threshold.