Minimum

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Minimum with the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination shows a clear progression of performance across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 277 FPS, while Medium reaches 212.9 FPS and High achieves 178 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 135.7 FPS at this resolution, which is more than double the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected scaling cost of higher pixel counts. Low settings produce an average of 176.7 FPS, Medium drops to 139.4 FPS, and High settles at 115.6 FPS. The Ultra preset still comfortably clears the playability bar with an average of 88.4 FPS. This resolution demonstrates that the combination has substantial headroom even under maximum graphical load.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the performance curve becomes more telling. Low settings deliver 93.9 FPS on average, Medium reduces to 75.7 FPS, and High barely maintains playability at 60.1 FPS average. The Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 45.4 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: each preset step at 4K costs roughly 15-18 FPS, with the gap between Medium and High being the smallest at 15.6 FPS, while the drop from High to Ultra is the steepest at 14.7 FPS.

The relationship between resolution and settings reveals that the RTX 4070's performance scales predictably. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 141.3 FPS, representing a 51% reduction in average frame rate. At 1440p, that same comparison shows an 88.3 FPS difference, a 50% reduction. At 4K, the delta narrows to 48.5 FPS, a 52% reduction. This consistency suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, rather than any CPU bottleneck emerging at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-14700K in the benchmark database include several AMD processors with closely matched average scores. The AMD EPYC 9115 sits within 0.1% of the i7-14700K's average benchmark score, making it virtually indistinguishable in overall compute performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X trails by a mere 0.2%, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.7% behind. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F rounds out the group at 0.9% lower average score. These deltaPct values indicate that any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum when paired with the same GPU, assuming the game's engine scales similarly with comparable processor architectures.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070's nearest rivals present a more varied picture. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 matches within 0.1% of the RTX 4070's average benchmark score, which is notable given the Tesla's professional focus. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 sits 0.4% higher, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% higher and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 is 1.3% lower. For gaming purposes, the RTX 4080 Mobile would deliver slightly better frame rates in Minimum, while the RX Vega 56 would perform nearly identically to the desktop RTX 4070. The Tesla P4 and Radeon PRO W6400 would be marginally slower, though the differences are small enough that real-world gameplay would feel equivalent.

When considering alternative combinations, a system built with the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X instead of the i7-14700K would show negligible performance differences in Minimum. Similarly, swapping the RTX 4070 for an RX Vega 56 would produce frame rates within a fraction of a percent of the measured values. The practical implication is that this particular CPU-GPU pairing sits in a performance cluster where several other hardware combinations would yield very similar gameplay experiences.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 993rd out of 3,712 tested combinations in Minimum. This places the pairing in roughly the 73rd percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it outperforms nearly three-quarters of the hardware combinations in the database for this specific game. The ranking reflects the strong synergy between the CPU and GPU, though it also indicates that a substantial number of more powerful configurations exist.

The i7-14700K itself sits in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4070 ranks in the 81st percentile among all GPUs. The combo's 73rd percentile ranking in Minimum is lower than either component's individual percentile, suggesting that the game's performance characteristics do not fully leverage the strengths of both parts. This is typical for a Third-Person Shooter from 2014, where GPU load often dominates and even mid-range modern graphics cards can produce high frame rates.

The rank of 993 out of 3,712 also implies that 2,719 tested combinations deliver lower performance in Minimum. This places the system well within the upper tier of gaming configurations, comfortably ahead of the median combination. The data indicates that this pairing is more than sufficient for the game's demands, with the bottleneck appearing primarily at 4K Ultra settings where the GPU reaches its limits.

The Verdict

Based on the verdictByResolution data, this PC can definitively run Minimum at all three tested resolutions, though not at every preset combination. At 1920x1080, all four settings — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the most demanding Ultra preset averaging 135.7 FPS. This means the system maintains smooth gameplay at the highest quality settings available at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same holds true: every preset from Low to Ultra stays above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 88.4 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the playability threshold. This makes 1440p the optimal resolution for this combination if the user prioritizes visual quality while maintaining high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the verdict becomes more nuanced. The High, Low, and Medium presets all remain playable, with High averaging exactly 60.1 FPS — just barely clearing the threshold. The Ultra preset falls short at 45.4 FPS average, making it unsuitable for smooth 4K gameplay. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which achieves 60.1 FPS on average. For users who want to play at 4K, they must accept High settings or lower to maintain the 60 FPS target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals how the CPU and GPU contribute differently across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are so high — 277 FPS at Low settings — that the CPU's single-thread performance likely becomes a factor. The i7-14700K's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160 and Geekbench single-core score of 2569 indicate strong per-thread performance, which helps sustain these very high frame rates. However, the GPU still dominates the frame time budget, as evidenced by the consistent percentage drops when moving from Low to Ultra at each resolution.

The scaling between resolutions provides insight into the GPU's role. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all settings drops by approximately 36%. From 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops by another 48%. This steep scaling curve is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing pixel count directly taxes the graphics processor. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's requirements, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at 4K High settings.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and higher frame rates. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 277 FPS, which requires the CPU to submit draw calls and update game state at a rate that would bottleneck a weaker processor. The i7-14700K's 20 cores and 28 threads, along with its 5.60 GHz boost clock, provide ample headroom for this task. At 4K, the CPU's workload becomes relatively less demanding because the GPU's rendering time dominates the frame interval, making the processor less critical to overall performance.

Interestingly, the preset scaling shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions. The percentage difference between Low and Ultra is nearly identical at 1080p (51%), 1440p (50%), and 4K (52%). If the CPU were the bottleneck at lower resolutions, the percentage gap would narrow as resolution decreases. Instead, the consistent scaling suggests the RTX 4070 determines frame rates across the board, with the CPU providing sufficient throughput even at the highest FPS values.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings in Minimum?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 45.4, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The highest playable setting at 4K is High, which averages 60.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 88.4 FPS. This makes it the recommended choice for 1440p gaming with this hardware.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to the RX Vega 56 in average benchmark scores?

A: The RX Vega 56 has an average benchmark score that is 0.4% higher than the RTX 4070's average score. The difference is negligible for gaming performance in Minimum.

Q: Which CPU rival is closest to the i7-14700K in performance?

A: The AMD EPYC 9115 is the closest rival, with an average score 0.1% higher than the i7-14700K. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.2% lower, making both essentially equivalent in overall compute performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Minimum at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the primary factor at all resolutions. The percentage FPS drop from Low to Ultra is nearly identical at 1080p (51%), 1440p (50%), and 4K (52%), indicating the RTX 4070 limits performance rather than the CPU.

Q: What frame rate does the system achieve at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 212.9. This represents a 24.1% reduction compared to Low settings (277 FPS) but remains well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that maintains at least 60 FPS, delivering an average of 135.7 FPS. This provides maximum visual quality with more than double the playability threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains viable, averaging 88.4 FPS — a 47.3 FPS margin above the 60 FPS cutoff. The 1440p Ultra experience is slightly less smooth than 1080p Ultra but still maintains high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding setting that clears 60 FPS, with an average of exactly 60.1 FPS. This leaves virtually no headroom for frame rate fluctuations, but the average confirms playability. Users seeking a more comfortable margin at 4K should consider Medium settings, which average 75.7 FPS, or Low settings at 93.9 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p Ultra is the sweet spot for this combination, balancing visual fidelity with substantial performance headroom, while 1080p Ultra offers the smoothest high-quality experience.