Minimum

Can Intel Core i7-12700KF + AMD Radeon RX 9060 run Minimum? Yes, this combination delivers playable frame rates at every tested resolution, though the margin of comfort narrows significantly at 4K. The data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p and 1440p, the combo is overwhelmingly capable, with even the most demanding Ultra preset remaining above the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p. At 4K, however, only the Low preset maintains a 60+ FPS average, making that resolution a compromise between visual fidelity and smoothness. The benchmark results position this pairing as a high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p machine that can handle 4K only at reduced settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally strong. The Low preset produces an average of 187 FPS, which is more than triple the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium settings see the average drop to 143 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, indicating consistent frame delivery. High settings still deliver a very smooth 120 FPS average. The most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 92 FPS, which remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that this resolution is entirely playable at all settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales down but remains robust. The Low preset yields an average of 121 FPS, still double the playability threshold. Medium settings produce an average of 92 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, showing minor frame dips but no concerning drops below 60 FPS. High settings deliver 78 FPS on average, which is still well within smooth territory. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 59 FPS, which is just 1 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold, making it technically unplayable by the strict definition used in this analysis.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes more constrained. The Low preset is the only playable option, producing an average of 65 FPS, which is just 5 FPS above the threshold. Medium settings fall to an average of 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS, indicating noticeable stutter. High settings yield only 42 FPS on average, and the Ultra preset drops further to 32 FPS. These figures show that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant setting reductions to maintain smooth gameplay.

The progression across resolutions is linear and predictable: each step down from 1080p to 1440p to 4K incurs a substantial performance cost. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 92 FPS; at 1440p Ultra, it falls to 59 FPS; at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 32 FPS. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra. The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions, with the difference being 95 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary performance limiter for this game across all tested resolutions, but the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 95 FPS (187 vs 92), suggesting that the GPU is being pushed harder as settings increase, but the CPU has enough headroom to feed it. The minimum FPS figures at 1080p Medium (122 FPS) and the overall high averages indicate that the Intel Core i7-12700KF, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, is not a bottleneck at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 62 FPS drop (121 to 59), which is a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is becoming more saturated as resolution increases, and the CPU's influence diminishes. The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium (79 FPS) remains well above the threshold, indicating that even with increased GPU load, the CPU maintains consistent frame delivery.

The 4K results confirm the GPU-bound nature of this combo. The performance drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 122 FPS (187 to 65), a 65% reduction, which is entirely attributable to the GPU's pixel throughput limitations. The Radeon RX 9060, with its 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus, simply cannot sustain high frame rates at 3840x2160. The CPU's 3.60 GHz base clock and 5.00 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

The preset scaling further illustrates this dynamic. At 1080p, the Ultra preset achieves 92 FPS, which is 49% of the Low preset's 187 FPS. At 4K, the Ultra preset achieves 32 FPS, which is also 49% of the Low preset's 65 FPS. This consistent ratio across resolutions indicates that the GPU's relative performance across settings does not change with resolution, confirming that the GPU is the dominant factor in all scenarios.

Best Settings per Resolution

The recommended settings are determined by identifying the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, which achieves an average of 65 FPS. This is the best possible setting at 4K, as Medium drops to 50 FPS and High falls to 42 FPS. The 65 FPS average provides a small margin above the threshold, but users should expect occasional dips below 60 FPS during intense scenes, given that Medium's minimum is 42 FPS and the trend suggests Low would have a similar variance.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, delivering an average of 78 FPS. This provides a comfortable 18 FPS margin above the threshold. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as its 59 FPS average falls just below the 60 FPS requirement. Medium settings also qualify as playable with 92 FPS, but High offers better visual quality while maintaining a smooth experience.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, achieving an average of 92 FPS. This is the only resolution where the highest quality settings are fully playable, with a 32 FPS margin above the threshold. All other presets — High at 120 FPS, Medium at 143 FPS, and Low at 187 FPS — are also playable, but Ultra provides the best visual experience without compromising performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rival data for the CPU and GPU provides context for how other hardware would perform in this game.

For the Intel Core i7-12700KF, the closest competitors are all within 0.2% of its average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-13700T has an average score of 35403, which is 0.1% lower than the i7-12700KF's 35365. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, 0.2% higher, and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, 0.2% lower. The Intel Core i7-12700K is the most identical, with a score of 35287, just 0.2% higher. In practice, any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, as the game is not CPU-bound at any tested resolution.

For the AMD Radeon RX 9060, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, with an average score of 16129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16014. This translates to a negligible performance difference in real-world gaming. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, 1% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 15852, also 1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is the furthest, scoring 15679, 2.1% lower. A user with an RTX 3060 Ti would see virtually identical FPS in Minimum, while those with the RX 7700 would experience roughly 1% lower performance, which is imperceptible in practice.

The combination of the i7-12700KF with any of these rival GPUs would yield similar results, as the CPU is not a limiting factor. The GPU-centric nature of the game means that the graphics card choice has a much larger impact on the measured FPS than the CPU choice.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in game places this pairing at 2179 out of 3712 tested combinations. This puts it in the 58.7th percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms roughly 59% of all possible CPU-GPU pairings. This is a solid mid-to-upper tier ranking, consistent with the GPU's 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs and the CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs.

The ranking suggests that while the CPU is a high-performing component, the GPU holds the combo back from a higher position. The i7-12700KF's strong benchmark scores (85th percentile) would normally push a combo higher, but the RX 9060's more modest 59th percentile GPU ranking limits the overall performance. The 4K results, where only Low settings are playable, are the primary drag on the ranking. At 1080p and 1440p, the combo performs much better than its overall rank might suggest, as the game is not particularly demanding at those resolutions.

Relative to the 3712 tested combos, this pairing is firmly in the upper half, but not among the elite. The data indicates that users seeking higher 4K performance would need a more powerful GPU, while those gaming at 1080p or 1440p would find this combo more than adequate.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Minimum at 60 FPS on 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produce an average of 65 FPS. Medium settings drop to 50 FPS, and High settings fall to 42 FPS, so 4K requires significant compromises.

Q: What is the highest quality setting playable at 1440p?

A: High settings achieve an average of 78 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings drop to 59 FPS, just below the playability limit.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in this game?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 16129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16014. In practical terms, both GPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Minimum.

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

A: The GPU is the dominant factor at all resolutions. The performance scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent across resolutions, and the 4K results show a 65% frame rate reduction from 1080p, which is attributable to the GPU's limitations. The CPU is never a bottleneck.

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming?

A: Ultra settings are fully playable at 1080p, delivering an average of 92 FPS. This is the only resolution where the highest quality preset maintains 60+ FPS.

Q: Why does the combo rank at 2179 out of 3712 if the CPU is in the 85th percentile?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The RX 9060 ranks in the 59th percentile among all GPUs, which drags the overall combo ranking down despite the strong CPU performance. The 4K results, where only Low settings are playable, also negatively impact the ranking.