Minimum

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a dominant performance profile in Minimum, a third-person shooter released on 2014-06-25. Benchmark data confirms that this combination handles the game with substantial headroom across all tested resolutions and presets, with only the most demanding 4K Ultra setting falling below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The measured results show a system that is clearly overqualified for the title’s requirements, offering high refresh rate capability even at 1440p and 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo is extensive, covering three resolutions and four quality presets each. At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high across the board. The Low preset yields an average of 312.4 FPS, while Medium produces 237.8 FPS. The High preset delivers 201.4 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a strong 151.5 FPS average. These numbers indicate that the system is never bottlenecked at 1080p, with all settings providing frame rates well beyond what any standard display can refresh.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive but shows the expected scaling from the increased pixel count. The Low preset averages 198 FPS, which is a drop of roughly 114 FPS from the 1080p Low result. Medium follows at 152 FPS, while High reaches 128.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces 98.7 FPS, still comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold and suitable for high refresh rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K rendering become apparent, but the combo still delivers playable results in most configurations. The Low preset averages 109.3 FPS, which is a significant reduction from the 1080p Low figure but still very smooth. Medium drops to 83.7 FPS, and High falls to 67.5 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only configuration that fails to maintain 60 FPS, averaging just 52.9 FPS. This puts 4K Ultra just outside the playable range, though the High preset remains viable.

The scaling between presets is consistent across resolutions. From Low to Ultra at 1080p, the frame rate drops by approximately 51.5%, while at 1440p the drop is about 50.2%, and at 4K it is roughly 51.6%. This uniformity suggests that the GPU is the primary scaling factor, with the CPU maintaining sufficient headroom to avoid introducing bottlenecks at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 634th out of 3712 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the top 17% of all systems tested. This percentile ranking reflects the strong overall performance, though it is importantly the game’s age means many exotic or modern high-end configurations can outperform this pairing. The CPU alone sits in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 83rd percentile against all GPUs, indicating both components are well above average.

The combo’s rank is driven primarily by the GPU’s raw throughput, as the RTX 4070 SUPER’s benchmark scores are substantial. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 and Passmark G3D score of 29995 demonstrate strong DirectX 12 and general 3D performance. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and Geekbench multi-core score of 19429 provide ample processing power to feed the GPU at all settings.

Relative to the full test pool, this rank indicates that while the combo is not at the absolute top, it outperforms the vast majority of systems. For a game released in 2014, this level of performance is far beyond what was typical at launch, and the data shows the system is well-positioned for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1440p and even 4K with adjusted settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data identifies the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which delivers an average of 151.5 FPS. This provides a massive margin over the playable threshold, making it ideal for 144Hz or even 240Hz displays.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 98.7 FPS. This is comfortably above 60 FPS and leaves room for demanding scenes or background tasks. The 1440p Ultra preset offers a strong balance of visual quality and performance, suitable for 100Hz-class monitors.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are High, which averages 67.5 FPS. While this is only 7.5 FPS above the playable threshold, it remains playable and provides good visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 83.7 FPS offers more headroom for users who prefer a safety margin, but High is the optimal choice for maximizing quality while staying above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 52.9 FPS falls short of the threshold and should be avoided for consistent playability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals from the component benchmark data, several alternatives would behave similarly to this combo. On the CPU side, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 has an average benchmark score of 46971, which is just 0.2% lower than the i7-13700K’s 46881. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, a 0.3% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score around 46653, representing a 0.5% delta. These CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, as the game is not particularly CPU-intensive at high resolutions.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB has an average score of 43262, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 43223. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268, also a 0.1% delta. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (non-24GB version) scores 43301, a 0.2% difference, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, which is 1% higher. These GPUs would produce very similar FPS results, though the RTX 4090 Mobile might offer a marginal improvement in the most demanding 4K Ultra settings.

For users considering alternatives, any of these CPUs paired with any of these GPUs would yield comparable performance to the i7-13700K + RTX 4070 SUPER combo. The deltas are all within 1%, meaning the in-game experience would be statistically indistinguishable in most scenarios.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the CPU and GPU split responsibilities across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, with the Low preset hitting 312.4 FPS. These numbers suggest the CPU is doing significant work to feed the GPU, but the i7-13700K with its 16 cores and 24 threads is more than capable. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a drop from 312.4 to 109.3 FPS, a 65% reduction, which is primarily attributable to GPU pixel throughput limits.

At 2560x1440, the CPU’s role diminishes as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 99.3 FPS (from 198 to 98.7), whereas at 1080p the gap is 160.9 FPS (from 312.4 to 151.5). This indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU’s rendering workload dominates, and the CPU’s frame generation capability becomes less relevant.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the bottleneck. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is just 56.4 FPS (from 109.3 to 52.9), showing that even at Low settings, the GPU is struggling to maintain high frame rates due to the sheer pixel count. The CPU’s performance at 4K is largely irrelevant, as the GPU cannot produce frames fast enough to stress the processor.

The preset scaling tells a similar story. At 1080p, increasing from Low to Ultra reduces FPS by 51.5%, while at 4K the same preset change reduces FPS by 51.6%. This consistency suggests the GPU’s shader and texture throughput scales linearly with quality settings, while the CPU maintains a constant level of performance regardless of preset.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. The 4K High preset averages 67.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K Ultra preset drops to 52.9 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 is the best choice, delivering an average of 98.7 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers the highest visual quality among playable options.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival for this game?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which is within 0.5% of its closest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX, and Intel Xeon w3-2535. The differences are negligible for Minimum.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: No, at 1920x1080 the CPU and GPU work in balance. The Low preset reaches 312.4 FPS, indicating the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output. The GPU becomes the primary bottleneck only at 4K, where pixel throughput limits performance.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The 1080p High preset averages 201.4 FPS, which is more than triple the 60 FPS playable threshold and suitable for very high refresh rate displays.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 634th out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the top 17% of all systems. This is a strong result, though the game’s age means many newer high-end configurations can outperform it.