Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a robust experience in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The data shows this combination is more than capable of exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold across all tested resolutions, with the only limitation appearing at 4K with Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down exactly which settings to use, where the bottleneck lies, and how this specific pairing compares to other hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimal settings at each resolution, prioritizing the highest visual quality that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the best playable setting is High, which delivers an average of 68.6 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. While Ultra is technically available, it drops to 51.6 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold. Low and Medium also remain playable, with averages of 105.3 FPS and 81.8 FPS respectively, but High offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the RTX 5070 has enough headroom to run Ultra settings, achieving an average of 93.5 FPS. This is the highest preset available and stays comfortably above 60 FPS. High runs at 125.3 FPS, Medium at 147.5 FPS, and Low at 193.6 FPS, but there is no reason to drop below Ultra given the performance margin.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combination is essentially overkill. Ultra settings produce an average of 144.3 FPS, which is the best choice. High runs at 190.4 FPS, Medium at 229.6 FPS, and Low at 298.5 FPS. The data indicates that even at Ultra, the system is far from strained, leaving significant performance headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal how the CPU and GPU workloads scale with resolution and settings, indicating which component is the primary driver of performance.

At 1920x1080, the GPU is clearly not the limiting factor. The jump from Low (298.5 FPS) to Ultra (144.3 FPS) is a reduction of roughly 52%, showing that the GPU is doing more work as settings increase. However, the absolute FPS values are so high that the CPU's role in feeding frames becomes more prominent. The Core i7-12700KF, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, provides ample processing power, as evidenced by its strong multi-threaded scores (e.g., 28,838 in Cinebench R23 multi-core). At this resolution, the CPU is likely the primary bottleneck, but it is a high-performance one, allowing the system to maintain frame rates far above what most displays can show.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly toward the GPU. The scaling from Low (193.6 FPS) to Ultra (93.5 FPS) shows a similar percentage drop as at 1080p, but the overall frame rates are lower. This indicates the GPU is starting to take on a more significant role, though the CPU still has plenty of headroom. The RTX 5070’s 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is being utilized more effectively here, but the Core i7-12700KF continues to keep pace without issue.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The difference between Low (105.3 FPS) and Ultra (51.6 FPS) is stark, with the latter falling below the playable threshold. This is a clear sign that the RTX 5070's compute resources, such as its 672.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6144 shading units, are saturated at 4K Ultra. The CPU's role diminishes here, as the GPU is working hard to fill the 8.3 million pixels. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the GPU is the limiting factor, while the CPU is more relevant at lower resolutions where frame rates are higher.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data provides the exact average FPS for every resolution and settings combination tested. Note that minimum and maximum FPS values were not recorded, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates.

3840x2160 (4K)

• High: 68.6 FPS average
• Low: 105.3 FPS average
• Medium: 81.8 FPS average
• Ultra: 51.6 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• High: 125.3 FPS average
• Low: 193.6 FPS average
• Medium: 147.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 93.5 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p)

• High: 190.4 FPS average
• Low: 298.5 FPS average
• Medium: 229.6 FPS average
• Ultra: 144.3 FPS average

The pattern is consistent: each step up in settings reduces the average FPS by a significant margin, and each step down in resolution increases it. The most notable gap is at 1080p, where Low to Ultra represents a 154.2 FPS difference, while at 4K the same settings gap is only 53.7 FPS. This reinforces the idea that the GPU is more constrained at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data for both the CPU and GPU, several alternative components would produce nearly identical performance in this system.

For the Intel Core i7-12700KF, the closest rival is the Intel Core i7-13700T, which has an average benchmark score of 35,403 compared to the 12700KF's 35,365 — a negligible -0.1% difference. The Intel Core 5 213PE is also nearly identical at 35,428 (-0.2%). The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35,305 (0.2% faster), and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35,287 (0.2% faster). In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver the same frame rates in Minimum, as the differences are well within the margin of error for game benchmarks.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 580, with an average score of 40,318 versus the RTX 5070's 40,377 — a 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40,063 (0.8% slower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40,870 (1.2% faster). The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile is the farthest of the group at 39,568 (2% slower). While these are professional-grade cards, their benchmark scores indicate that they would produce very similar FPS results in this game, potentially within a few frames per second of the RTX 5070.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured data shows an average of 51.6 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which achieves 68.6 FPS.

Q: What is the highest FPS this combination can achieve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 298.5 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At more realistic Ultra settings, the peak is 144.3 FPS at the same resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the GPU is becoming the more significant factor, as the FPS drops from 193.6 at Low to 93.5 at Ultra. However, the CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid being a bottleneck, as evidenced by the high frame rates across all settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rival in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40,377. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 580, scores 40,318, which is 0.1% lower. This means the two would perform nearly identically in Minimum.

Q: What is the playable threshold for this game?

A: The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS average. Settings that produce an average below this are considered unplayable, such as 4K Ultra at 51.6 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested hardware combinations for this game?

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 770th out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it in the top 21% of all configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 770th out of 3,712 tested system configurations for Minimum. This places it in the upper quintile of all tested hardware pairings, indicating that it is a high-performing setup for this title. Given that the game is from 2014, this ranking reflects the substantial headroom this modern hardware provides. The CPU alone sits in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, confirming that both components are above-average performers. The combination's rank suggests that while there are faster configurations, this pairing is more than sufficient for a smooth and visually rich experience, particularly at 1440p and 1080p where it can max out the game's settings with ease. At 4K, it is only the Ultra preset that trips the playable threshold, making it a very capable 4K machine for this game with a minor settings adjustment.