Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience in Minimum, a third-person shooter released on 2014-06-25. At 4K, the combination remains usable but requires a settings compromise to hold 60 FPS. Measured data shows the combo ranks 1328 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The CPU sits at the 85th percentile against all tested processors, while the GPU lands at the 75th percentile, meaning this pairing leans on a slightly stronger-than-average processor relative to its graphics card. The result is a system that can push high frame rates at mainstream resolutions but begins to show limits when pixel count climbs to 3840x2160. Below is a detailed breakdown of settings, measured frame rates, and how this combo compares to nearby hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 118 FPS. This is the most demanding setting available, and the combo clears the 60 FPS threshold by nearly double. Low settings reach 240 FPS average, Medium hits 184 FPS, and High produces 155 FPS, so every preset at 1080p is comfortably playable. The data shows no reason to drop below Ultra unless chasing very high refresh rates, as even the heaviest load leaves ample headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, Ultra remains the best playable preset, averaging 76 FPS. That is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, though the margin narrows compared to 1080p. High averages 100 FPS, Medium 119 FPS, and Low 155 FPS. For a 1440p monitor with a 60 Hz refresh, Ultra is the obvious choice, but if the display runs at 120 Hz or higher, dropping to Medium or High will provide a smoother experience. The measured max FPS at Medium is 137, which suggests the GPU can occasionally spike well above the average.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Ultra averages only 41 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and not considered playable. High averages 54 FPS, also short of 60 FPS. Medium averages 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 74, making it the highest setting that clears the threshold. Low averages 84 FPS, providing a comfortable margin for 4K gaming. The verdict data confirms Medium as the best playable setting at 4K, with an average of 64 FPS. For players who prioritize visual fidelity, Medium is the ceiling; for those who want smoother motion, Low is the safer pick.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this CPU and GPU pairing in Minimum is 1328 out of 3712 tested combinations. That places it in the 35.8th percentile of all combos, meaning roughly 64% of tested systems perform better. However, this rank must be interpreted with context: the game is from 2014, and many newer, higher-end GPUs dominate the top of the list. The RTX 3070 Ti is an end-of-life product from the GeForce 30-series, and the i7-12700KF is a 12th-gen Alder Lake desktop CPU, so the pairing represents a previous-generation mid-range to upper-mid-range build.

Within the CPU's nearest rivals, the i7-12700KF shows a near-tie with several other processors. The Intel Core i7-13700T has an average benchmark score of 35403, which is 0.1% lower than the i7-12700KF's average of 35365. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, 0.2% higher. The Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, 0.2% lower, and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, 0.2% higher. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver virtually identical frame rates in Minimum. The i7-12700KF's 12 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, are more than sufficient for a 2014 title, so the bottleneck in this system is the GPU, not the processor.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3070 Ti's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, which scores 29928 in average benchmarks, just 0.1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, 0.5% higher, and the RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, 0.5% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433, 1.6% higher. These small deltas suggest that swapping the GPU for any of these alternatives would produce nearly identical performance in Minimum. The combo rank of 1328 is therefore not a reflection of weakness but rather the dense competition in this performance band.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured data shows a wide spread across settings. Low settings average 240 FPS, which is likely a cap or a result of the game engine's frame limit. Medium averages 184 FPS, with a minimum of 156 and a maximum of 212. High averages 155 FPS, and Ultra averages 118 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 122 FPS, indicating that the game scales heavily with settings. The minimum FPS at Medium is 156, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, so even frame drops do not threaten playability.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 155 FPS, Medium 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 137, High 100 FPS, and Ultra 76 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 79 FPS. The minimum at Medium is 101 FPS, so there is no risk of dipping below 60 FPS even in heavy scenes. Ultra's 76 FPS average leaves a 16 FPS margin above the playable threshold, which is acceptable for most players but not ideal for those sensitive to frame time spikes.

At 3840x2160, the numbers become more constrained. Low averages 84 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 74, High averages 54 FPS, and Ultra averages 41 FPS. The minimum at Medium is 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, meaning there will be occasional dips into sub-60 territory. The maximum of 74 FPS shows the system can reach higher, but the average is just above the line. High and Ultra are not playable by the 60 FPS standard, with averages of 54 and 41 FPS respectively. For 4K, the choice is between Low's 84 FPS and Medium's 64 FPS, with the understanding that Medium will have brief drops below 60 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU, several hardware combinations would behave similarly in Minimum. On the CPU side, the Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core 5 213PE, and Intel Core i7-12700K all have average benchmark scores within 0.2% of the i7-12700KF. Any of these processors paired with the same RTX 3070 Ti would produce frame rates that are statistically indistinguishable in this game. The i7-12700K is the closest match, with a delta of 0.2%, and it shares the same Alder Lake architecture, so thermals and power draw would be nearly identical. The i5-13600T and i7-13700T are lower-power variants, but for a 2014 title, core count and clock speed differences are unlikely to matter.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile is the closest rival, with a delta of 0.1%. However, that is a mobile part, so it would not be a direct desktop swap. The AMD Radeon RX 6800, with a delta of 0.5%, is a viable desktop alternative. The RTX 2080 Ti, at 0.5% lower, would perform slightly worse but within a rounding error. The AMD Radeon RX 6700, at 1.6% higher, would be a marginal step up. In practice, any of these GPUs paired with the i7-12700KF would land in the same performance band, with differences of a few FPS at most across the measured settings.

For a full system swap, combining the i7-12700K with the RX 6800 would yield nearly identical results, as both components sit within a fraction of a percent of the original pair. The RTX 2080 Ti would be a slight downgrade, but the delta is so small that the 4K Medium setting would still average around 64 FPS. The RX 6700 would be a slight upgrade, potentially pushing the 4K Medium average to 65 or 66 FPS, though that is within the margin of measurement error.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with 60 FPS?*

A: At 3840x2160, the highest playable setting is Medium, which averages 64 FPS. However, the minimum FPS at Medium is 54, so there will be occasional dips below 60 FPS. Low settings average 84 FPS and hold 60 FPS more consistently. Ultra and High are not playable, averaging 41 and 54 FPS respectively.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Ultra is the best playable setting, averaging 76 FPS. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—stay above the 60 FPS threshold, so players can choose based on visual preference. Medium averages 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS, which is a good option for high refresh rate displays.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1328 out of 3712 tested combinations. That places it in the upper-middle range, with about 64% of tested systems performing better. The CPU ranks at the 85th percentile, while the GPU ranks at the 75th percentile, indicating the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is not a bottleneck, as even Ultra settings average 118 FPS. Low settings reach 240 FPS, and Medium averages 184 FPS with a minimum of 156 FPS. The CPU, with 12 cores and 20 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU at these frame rates. The bottleneck would only appear at 4K Ultra, where the GPU averages 41 FPS.

Q: What are the closest alternatives to this CPU and GPU?

A: The CPU's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core 5 213PE, and Intel Core i7-12700K, all within 0.2% of its average benchmark score. The GPU's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, AMD Radeon RX 6800, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, and AMD Radeon RX 6700, with deltas ranging from 0.1% to 1.6%. Swapping to any of these would produce nearly identical performance in Minimum.

Q: Does the game support high refresh rate gaming at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, Low settings average 240 FPS, which is ideal for 240 Hz monitors. Medium averages 184 FPS, High averages 155 FPS, and Ultra averages 118 FPS. All presets exceed 100 FPS, so this system can drive 144 Hz or 165 Hz displays without issue at 1080p.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum effectively across all tested resolutions, with clear caveats at 4K. At 1920x1080, every preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra averages 118 FPS, so any settings choice is valid. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 76 FPS, which is above the playable threshold, and all other presets exceed 100 FPS. The system is well-suited for 1440p gaming with high visual quality. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium averaging 64 FPS but dipping to 54 FPS at minimum. High and Ultra fall short of the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 54 and 41 FPS respectively. The verdict data confirms that the best playable setting at 4K is Medium, with an average of 64 FPS, while 1440p and 1080p can both run Ultra. For a 2014 title, this hardware provides a smooth experience at mainstream resolutions, and 4K users should expect to compromise on settings to maintain playable frame rates. The combo's rank of 1328 out of 3712 reflects its position among a large field of tested systems, but for the game's age, the performance is more than adequate. Players with 1080p or 1440p monitors can max out the game without concern, while 4K owners should stick to Medium or Low for a stable experience.