Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is a high-end combination that delivers exceptional performance in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The data shows this combo ranks in the 86.6th percentile (rank 497 out of 3712 tested combinations), placing it firmly in the top tier of systems tested for this title. With benchmark scores placing the CPU at the 85th percentile and the GPU at the 84th percentile among their respective categories, this pairing is well-balanced for demanding scenarios, though the measured frame rates reveal that even this hardware encounters a limit at the most extreme settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 497 out of 3712 tested configurations indicates that this system outperforms approximately 86.6% of all combinations tested for Minimum. This places it in the upper echelon of gaming rigs, where only a small fraction of systems deliver higher average frame rates. The ranking reflects the synergy between a CPU that scores 35,365 on average benchmarks (85th percentile) and a GPU with an average benchmark score of 44,795 (84th percentile).

When examining the CPU's position among its peers, the i7-12700KF is virtually tied with several nearby alternatives. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35,403 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35,428 (0.2% higher), while the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35,305 (0.2% lower) and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35,287 (0.2% lower). These deltas are within measurement noise, meaning the CPU is performance-equivalent to this cluster of processors.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070 Ti's average score of 44,795 sits close to several rivals. The AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT scores 45,384 (1.3% higher) and the Intel Arc A730M scores 45,592 (1.7% higher), while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile scores 45,152 (0.8% higher). The NVIDIA RTX A6000 is the only nearby rival that scores lower, at 44,075 (1.6% lower). This tells us that the RTX 4070 Ti's performance is tightly clustered with these alternatives, with no single competitor offering a decisive advantage.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 326.8 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 211.5 FPS on High and 162.7 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution is a 50.1% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck even at the lowest settings, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease considerably: Low settings produce 212.1 FPS, High produces 136.6 FPS, and Ultra produces 102.3 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 35.1%, while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 37.1%. This consistent reduction across presets confirms that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting as resolution increases, with the CPU's role diminishing.

At 3840x2160, the pattern becomes more pronounced. Low settings yield 111.4 FPS, High produces 71.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 57.3 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Low settings shows a 47.5% reduction, while at Ultra it is 44.0%. These numbers indicate that the GPU is overwhelmingly the limiting factor at 4K, with the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads providing more than enough processing power to keep up. The fact that Low settings at 4K still achieve 111.4 FPS, versus 326.8 FPS at 1080p Low, underscores the GPU-centric nature of the workload at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings achieve an average of 326.8 FPS, Medium settings reach 250.9 FPS, High settings produce 211.5 FPS, and Ultra settings maintain 162.7 FPS. All presets comfortably exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold, with even the most demanding Ultra preset providing more than 2.7 times the minimum playable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very strong. Low settings deliver 212.1 FPS, Medium settings achieve 160.8 FPS, High settings produce 136.6 FPS, and Ultra settings maintain 102.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 109.8 FPS, showing that the GPU has significant headroom even at the highest preset. Every setting here is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limits. Low settings achieve 111.4 FPS, which is still highly playable. Medium settings produce 85.5 FPS, and High settings maintain 71.7 FPS. Ultra settings, however, drop to 57.3 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the only resolution and preset combination where the system cannot maintain a playable frame rate, indicating that 4K Ultra is beyond the capabilities of this hardware.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are all within 0.2% of the i7-12700KF's average benchmark score of 35,365. The Intel Core i7-13700T and Intel Core 5 213PE score marginally higher (35,403 and 35,428, respectively), while the Intel Core i5-13600T and Intel Core i7-12700K score marginally lower (35,305 and 35,287). In practice, any of these processors would deliver indistinguishable performance in Minimum, as the frame rate differences would be less than 1 FPS in most scenarios.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070 Ti's nearest rivals show slightly larger variances. The Intel Arc A730M scores 1.7% higher (45,592), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT scores 1.3% higher (45,384), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile scores 0.8% higher (45,152). The NVIDIA RTX A6000 scores 1.6% lower (44,075). These differences translate to roughly 1-2 FPS in actual gameplay, meaning users with any of these GPUs would experience nearly identical performance in Minimum. The RTX A6000, despite being a workstation card, would be the closest lower-performing alternative, while the Arc A730M would be the closest higher-performing option.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which maintains an average of 162.7 FPS. This is the recommended setting for this resolution, as it provides the best visual quality while still delivering more than 2.7 times the playable threshold. The frame rate is high enough to support even 144Hz monitors without issue.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings are also the best choice, delivering 102.3 FPS. This is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides the full visual experience. The system has enough headroom that even the most demanding preset does not stress the hardware significantly, leaving room for other applications or streaming.

At 3840x2160, the best settings that maintain 60 FPS are High, which produces 71.7 FPS. This is the highest preset that clears the playable threshold, though it is notably Medium settings (85.5 FPS) and Low settings (111.4 FPS) also remain playable. Ultra settings at 57.3 FPS fall below the threshold, so they should be avoided if maintaining a consistent 60 FPS is a priority.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 57.3 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at 4K is High, which achieves 71.7 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: The system performs exceptionally well at 2560x1440, where Ultra settings deliver 102.3 FPS. This offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the frame rate is well above the playable threshold while still providing high resolution.

Q: How much faster is Low settings compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve 326.8 FPS, which is approximately 2.0 times faster than Ultra settings at 162.7 FPS. This represents a 50.2% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops by 35-48% when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same preset, which is consistent with GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample processing power.

Q: Is this system overkill for 1080p gaming?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, even Ultra settings produce 162.7 FPS, which is far above the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings achieve 326.8 FPS, suggesting that the system is capable of driving very high refresh rate monitors at this resolution.

Q: What is the lowest playable frame rate recorded?

A: The lowest average frame rate recorded across all tested configurations is 57.3 FPS at 4K Ultra settings. This is the only test scenario that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the system's only limitation.

The Verdict

This system can run Minimum at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 with all presets, including Ultra, maintaining average frame rates of 162.7 FPS and 102.3 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, the system runs the game at High settings with 71.7 FPS, Medium with 85.5 FPS, and Low with 111.4 FPS, all of which clear the 60 FPS threshold. The only configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS is 4K Ultra, which produces 57.3 FPS.

The verdict is clear: this PC is more than capable of running Minimum at high frame rates for the vast majority of resolution and settings combinations. The combination of the i7-12700KF and RTX 4070 Ti delivers excellent performance that will satisfy gamers using 1080p or 1440p displays, and even 4K users can enjoy the game at High settings without compromise. Only those seeking absolute maximum visual quality at 4K will need to make a sacrifice, either lowering to High settings or accepting slightly reduced frame rates.