Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1570th out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the 58th percentile of all tested systems for this title. This is a solid mid-pack position, indicating that while this combo is not at the absolute top tier for this game, it sits comfortably above the majority of configurations tested. The CPU itself holds the 85th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, showing a system built on a strong processor foundation with a capable graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1570 out of 3712 tested systems places it in the upper half of all configurations evaluated for Minimum. This position is largely driven by the i7-12700KF's strong synthetic benchmark performance, which achieves an average score of 35365. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the processor is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-13700T (which scores 35403, a delta of -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, +0.2%), the Intel Core 5 213PE (35428, -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-12700K (35287, +0.2%). These minute deltas of less than one percent indicate that the 12700KF's computational performance is effectively indistinguishable from these closely matched alternatives in synthetic workloads.

The GPU side shows a similar pattern of close competition. The RTX 3070's average benchmark score is 17208, which puts it just 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037). It trails the NVIDIA Tesla K40c by 1.5% (17468). These narrow margins suggest that in this game, the GPU's raw compute capability is not the limiting factor; instead, the system's overall rank is more reflective of the balanced combination of a strong CPU and a competent GPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results from the measured FPS data reveal how the balance of CPU and GPU workload shifts across resolutions and presets in Minimum. At 1920x1080, the system shows enormous headroom, with average FPS ranging from 113.3 at Ultra settings to 229 at Low settings. This indicates that at 1080p, the RTX 3070 is not the bottleneck; the CPU is feeding frames fast enough that even the highest preset maintains more than double the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a performance drop of approximately 50%, from 229 FPS down to 113.3 FPS, which is typical of a GPU-bound workload at higher settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but the scaling pattern changes. At this resolution, Ultra settings yield 70.2 FPS, while Low settings produce 146.5 FPS. The differential between Low and Ultra here is roughly 52%, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower across the board. This suggests that the GPU is beginning to take on more responsibility, but the CPU is still keeping pace well above the 60 FPS threshold at every preset. The transition from 1440p to 2160p is where the GPU's role becomes dominant. At 3840x2160, Ultra settings drop to 40.8 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, while High settings achieve 52.4 FPS. Only Low (80.5 FPS) and Medium (64.1 FPS) presets remain above 60 FPS at 4K.

The data clearly shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the i7-12700KF provides ample CPU throughput, and the RTX 3070 is the primary determinant of frame rate as settings increase. At 4K, the GPU becomes heavily strained, and the gap between presets widens significantly: the difference between Low and Ultra at 2160p is nearly 50 FPS (80.5 to 40.8). This indicates that for 4K play, the RTX 3070's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become constraining factors at higher quality settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the target. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear this threshold. The best playable setting is Ultra, which delivers an average of 113.3 FPS. This leaves substantial performance headroom, meaning players could even consider higher refresh rate displays without compromising visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. Every preset from Low (146.5 FPS) through Medium (115 FPS), High (93.5 FPS), and Ultra (70.2 FPS) remains above 60 FPS. The best playable setting is again Ultra, with an average of 70.2 FPS. This configuration provides a comfortable margin above the playable threshold, allowing for smooth gameplay with maximum visual fidelity.

The 3840x2160 resolution presents a more constrained scenario. Here, Ultra settings fall to 40.8 FPS, which is unplayable by the 60 FPS standard, and High settings at 52.4 FPS also miss the mark. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which achieves an average of 64.1 FPS. Low settings at 4K produce 80.5 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual experience while still clearing the threshold by a small margin. Players who prioritize frame rate stability over visual quality might opt for Low, but Medium is the highest preset that satisfies the 60 FPS requirement.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 40.8 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at 4K is Medium, which averages 64.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum visual quality without sacrificing 60 FPS?

A: 2560x1440 with Ultra settings yields an average of 70.2 FPS, making it the highest resolution where maximum quality settings clear the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, Ultra runs at 113.3 FPS, but 1440p offers a higher pixel count while still maintaining smooth performance.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 7600 XT's score of 17083. This is a negligible difference in synthetic performance, suggesting they are closely matched in overall capability.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the system produces 229 FPS on Low settings and 113.3 FPS on Ultra, indicating that the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor as settings increase. The i7-12700KF provides more than enough throughput to avoid becoming a bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average FPS is 113.3. At 2560x1440 Ultra, it drops to 70.2 FPS, representing a decrease of approximately 38% when moving to the higher resolution.

Q: Does the combo exceed the playable threshold at all settings and resolutions?

A: No. At 3840x2160, both High (52.4 FPS) and Ultra (40.8 FPS) presets fall below 60 FPS. At 2560x1440 and 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—remain above the 60 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 229 FPS, Medium produces 177.6 FPS, High produces 150 FPS, and Ultra produces 113.3 FPS. The data shows a consistent decline as visual quality increases, with the largest absolute drop occurring between Low and Medium (a decrease of 51.4 FPS). The step from High to Ultra represents a reduction of 36.7 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the other steps.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 146.5 FPS for Low, 115 FPS for Medium, 93.5 FPS for High, and 70.2 FPS for Ultra. The scaling here is more uniform in absolute terms, with each preset step costing roughly 20-25 FPS. This suggests that at 1440p, the GPU workload scales more predictably with each increase in settings.

At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 80.5 FPS for Low, 64.1 FPS for Medium, 52.4 FPS for High, and 40.8 FPS for Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 16.4 FPS, but the gap between Medium and High is 11.7 FPS, and the gap between High and Ultra is 11.6 FPS. This pattern indicates that at 4K, the GPU is increasingly strained, and each additional quality level costs a significant portion of performance. No min or max FPS data is available in the measured results, so only average frame rates are reported for this analysis.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum, but the answer depends heavily on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all presets clearing the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings run at 113.3 FPS, providing a highly fluid experience with maximum visual quality. At 2560x1440, the verdict is also positive, with Ultra settings achieving 70.2 FPS. This resolution offers an ideal balance of image clarity and performance, making it the recommended target for this hardware.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more nuanced. The system can run the game at Low (80.5 FPS) and Medium (64.1 FPS) presets, both of which stay above the 60 FPS playable threshold. However, High (52.4 FPS) and Ultra (40.8 FPS) presets fall short of smooth playability. The best settings for 4K are Medium, which provides a playable 64.1 FPS average, though players seeking higher visual fidelity at 4K would need to accept frame rates below 60 FPS or consider lowering the resolution. The verdict by resolution confirms this: 1080p and 1440p are fully playable at Ultra, while 4K is limited to Medium as the highest playable preset. Overall, this combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and below, with 4K playable only at reduced quality settings.