Minimum

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a wide spread of performance in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. Measured data across three resolutions and four settings presets shows that this combination is consistently capable of exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold, with the only exception being the most demanding preset at 4K. The i7-13700K sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 3070 ranks in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, indicating a processor-heavy configuration that still manages to keep frame rates high due to the game’s age.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 pushes very high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 229 FPS, which is the highest measured value for this combo. Medium drops to an average of 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS. High settings produce 147 FPS on average, while Ultra remains comfortably above 60 FPS at 112 FPS. No minimum or maximum values are listed for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution, but the average scores show a clear downward trend as graphical fidelity increases.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers. Low delivers 148 FPS average, Medium averages 113 FPS with a range of 96 to 130 FPS, and High drops to 95 FPS. Ultra is still playable at 72 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 76 FPS, which is slightly smaller than the 117 FPS gap seen at 1080p. This narrowing suggests the GPU becomes a larger factor at higher resolution, but the CPU still has enough headroom to keep frame rates well above 60 FPS for all presets.

At 3840x2160, the performance ceiling becomes visible. Low settings average 79 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS — the only preset where the minimum dips below 60 FPS. High averages 51 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39 FPS. The data shows a steep drop from Low to Medium (18 FPS) and then a further 10 FPS decline from Medium to High. The minimum FPS at Medium (52) is the only recorded instance of a frame rate below the playability threshold in the entire dataset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is the dominant component at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 117 FPS, which is the largest spread of any resolution. This large delta suggests the RTX 3070 is not fully saturated at 1080p, allowing the i7-13700K’s 16 cores and 24 threads to drive frame rates higher. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10717 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 support this interpretation, as the CPU has substantial headroom for game logic and draw calls.

As resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role. The spread between Low and Ultra narrows to 76 FPS, and the average frame rates drop by roughly 35-40% across presets compared to 1080p. This scaling is consistent with the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth becoming more relevant. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 22214 places it in the 61st percentile, which is modest compared to the CPU’s 89th percentile, yet it still handles 1440p Ultra at 72 FPS.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The difference between Low and Ultra shrinks to 40 FPS, and the absolute frame rates drop sharply. The RTX 3070’s 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 96 ROPs are insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at High or Ultra settings. The CPU’s role diminishes further, as evidenced by the fact that even the highest CPU benchmark scores cannot compensate for the GPU’s pixel throughput limits at 3840x2160. The data shows a clear transition from CPU-bound at 1080p to GPU-bound at 4K, with 1440p serving as a balanced middle ground.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 112 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the dataset, and it provides a substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium achieves 175 FPS and Low 229 FPS, but Ultra is the optimal choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing playability.

For 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best setting, averaging 72 FPS. This is only 12 FPS above the playability threshold, so there is less headroom than at 1080p, but the average remains safely above 60 FPS. High averages 95 FPS, offering a more comfortable buffer, but Ultra's 72 FPS is still technically playable by the benchmark’s standard.

At 3840x2160, the best setting that maintains 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 61 FPS. This is the only resolution where the best playable preset is not the highest available. Low averages 79 FPS and is also playable, but Medium provides better visual quality while still meeting the threshold. High (51 FPS) and Ultra (39 FPS) both fall short of 60 FPS and are not recommended.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of the i7-13700K’s average benchmark score of 46881. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971, which is 0.2% higher, making it statistically indistinguishable in synthetic tests. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022 (0.3% higher), while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score 46654 (0.5% lower). In gaming, these differences are negligible, so any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum when paired with the RTX 3070.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average score of 17083, which is 0.7% higher than the RTX 3070’s 17208. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 (1.0% lower), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 (1.1% lower). The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, which is 1.5% higher. These deltaPct values are all within the margin of error for benchmark variance, meaning a user with any of these GPUs would experience similar frame rates at the same settings and resolution. However, the GTX 690 and HD 7970M are notably older architectures, so their driver support and feature sets may differ.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at all tested resolutions, but the playable settings vary. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 112 FPS and Low reaching 229 FPS. The verdict data lists High, Low, Medium, and Ultra all as playable, with Ultra being the best settings choice.

At 2560x1440, the same four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 72 FPS. This is a slim margin above the 60 FPS threshold, but it is consistent. High at 95 FPS offers more headroom, and Low at 148 FPS is the fastest option.

At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable. Medium averages 61 FPS, which just barely meets the threshold, while Low averages 79 FPS. High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS at 51 and 39 FPS respectively. For a stable 4K experience, Medium is the recommended setting, but users who prioritize frame rate over visuals should use Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 4K?

A: Medium is the highest setting that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 maintain 60 FPS at 1440p Ultra?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 1440p Ultra is 72, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the fastest preset at 1080p?

A: Low settings produce the highest average frame rate at 1920x1080, reaching 229 FPS.

Q: Which component limits performance at 4K?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160, as evidenced by the sharp drop in frame rates and the narrower gap between Low and Ultra presets.

Q: Are there any presets where the minimum FPS falls below 60?

A: Yes, at 4K Medium the minimum FPS is 52, which is the only recorded instance below the playability threshold.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 rank 1589 out of 3712 tested combos for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1589 out of 3712 places this configuration in the upper half of all tested systems, but not near the top. Given the CPU’s 89th percentile standing and the GPU’s 61st percentile, the ranking reflects a system that is stronger on the processor side than the graphics side. This is consistent with the game’s 2014 release date, which likely benefits more from single-thread and multi-thread CPU performance than from the latest GPU features.

The rank suggests that many other combos achieve higher average frame rates, likely those with more powerful GPUs such as the RTX 40-series or AMD equivalents. However, the RTX 3070 still delivers playable performance at all resolutions except 4K High and Ultra. For a game of this era, the i7-13700K’s strong single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2116) helps maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, while the RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Medium settings at 4K. The rank of 1589 indicates that while this combo is not a top-tier performer, it is more than adequate for a smooth experience in Minimum at most settings.