Minimum

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is an exceptionally high-end combination, and the benchmark data for Minimum confirms it sits near the top of the tested hardware pool. This combo ranks 123rd out of 3712 tested configurations, placing it in the top percentile of all systems evaluated for this title. The measured frame rates are consistently far above the 60 FPS playable threshold across every resolution and preset tested, indicating that this hardware is not merely adequate for Minimum — it is overwhelmingly overpowered for it.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3712 total tested combos, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 123. This places it in the top 3.3% of all tested systems, a position that reflects the sheer performance headroom this hardware brings to a game released in 2014. The rank is driven primarily by the GPU's raw output, as the RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60347 places it in the 88th percentile against all GPUs. The CPU, with an average benchmark score of 69355, sits in the 94th percentile against all CPUs. When combined, these two components produce a system that is essentially unburdened by Minimum's engine demands, resulting in frame rates that are multiples of the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

Given the game's 2014 release date, the workload leans heavily on the GPU, but the CPU still plays a supporting role that becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system produces 394.3 FPS on Low settings, which is a strong indicator that the CPU is feeding frames faster than most displays can even show them. The delta between the Low and Ultra presets at this resolution is 199.3 FPS, demonstrating that as graphical load increases, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role. Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 252.5 FPS, while Ultra drops to 123.9 FPS — a 128.6 FPS gap that shows the GPU's workload scaling with resolution. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor: Low produces 134 FPS, but Ultra falls to 64.7 FPS, a 69.3 FPS reduction. The scaling between 1080p and 4K is substantial, with the 4K Ultra result being roughly a third of the 1080p Low result, confirming that the RTX 4090 is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the i7-14700K provides more than enough headroom to avoid limiting frame delivery at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data covers three resolutions and four presets, with average frame rates provided for each configuration. No minimum or maximum frame rate data is available, so the analysis relies on average FPS values.

1920x1080:

• Low: 394.3 FPS
• Medium: 301 FPS
• High: 256.8 FPS
• Ultra: 195 FPS

The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with Ultra still delivering nearly three times the playable threshold. The step from Low to Medium is a 93.3 FPS drop, while Medium to High is 44.2 FPS, and High to Ultra is 61.8 FPS. The diminishing returns are clear: the gap between Low and Medium is larger than the gap between High and Ultra, suggesting that the highest preset is not disproportionately punishing.

2560x1440:

• Low: 252.5 FPS
• Medium: 196.7 FPS
• High: 160.7 FPS
• Ultra: 123.9 FPS

At 1440p, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. The Low to Medium drop is 55.8 FPS, Medium to High is 36 FPS, and High to Ultra is 36.8 FPS. The scaling is more linear here, with each preset step costing roughly 40-50 FPS, but even the lowest result at Ultra is more than double the 60 FPS threshold.

3840x2160:

• Low: 134 FPS
• Medium: 106.4 FPS
• High: 90.5 FPS
• Ultra: 64.7 FPS

4K is where the hardware finally shows some restraint. Low produces 134 FPS, which is still well above playable, but Ultra falls to 64.7 FPS — just barely clearing the 60 FPS line. The drops are 27.6 FPS from Low to Medium, 15.9 FPS from Medium to High, and 25.8 FPS from High to Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that comes close to the playable threshold, highlighting how resolution scaling impacts the GPU more than the CPU.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Minimum, and it does so with significant margin. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, with the lowest result being 195 FPS at Ultra. At 2560x1440, the same is true: all presets exceed 123.9 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold. At 3840x2160, the system still clears 60 FPS on every preset, with Ultra delivering 64.7 FPS and High delivering 90.5 FPS. The verdict by resolution confirms that all playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra at every resolution. The best settings at each resolution are the Ultra preset, with 195 FPS at 1080p, 123.9 FPS at 1440p, and 64.7 FPS at 4K. The only caveat is that 4K Ultra is within 4.7 FPS of the 60 FPS threshold, so any additional background load or thermal throttling could theoretically push it below that mark, but the data shows it clears the bar.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-14700K, based on average benchmark score, provide context for CPU-bound behavior. The AMD EPYC 9115 has an average score of 69288, which is 0.1% lower than the i7-14700K's 69355. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, a 0.2% advantage over the i7-14700K. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, 0.7% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996, 0.9% higher. These delta percentages are all within a single point, meaning that swapping the i7-14700K for any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU is the limiting factor.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090's nearest rivals are less intuitive. The Intel Arc Pro A60 has an average score of 60326, a 0% delta, meaning it performs identically in aggregate benchmarks. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, which is 2.5% higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657, 2.9% lower. In practice, these GPU alternatives would likely produce very similar frame rates at 1080p, but at 4K Ultra, the 2.9% lower score of the Radeon PRO V710 could push the result below the 60 FPS threshold, whereas the 2.5% higher score of the Radeon Pro W6600M might provide slightly more headroom.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is the Ultra preset, and the exact average frame rate is provided below.

• 1920x1080: Ultra preset at 195 FPS — this is the highest quality setting, and it delivers over three times the playable threshold.
• 2560x1440: Ultra preset at 123.9 FPS — still more than double the 60 FPS requirement, leaving ample room for frame time spikes.
• 3840x2160: Ultra preset at 64.7 FPS — this is the only configuration where the margin is slim, but it does clear the bar.

The data indicates that users can enable the maximum graphical settings at any resolution without falling below 60 FPS. The only consideration is that at 4K, the Ultra preset leaves only 4.7 FPS of headroom, so High settings at 90.5 FPS would be a safer choice for maintaining a consistent frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 64.7 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest frame rate this combo achieves?

A: The highest measured average is 394.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 123rd out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 3.3% of all configurations.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU provides enough headroom to deliver 394.3 FPS on Low, but the GPU becomes more relevant as settings increase, with Ultra dropping to 195 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average is 64.7 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is still above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Are there any settings where this combo falls below 60 FPS?

A: No. All twelve measured configurations—four presets at three resolutions—produce average frame rates above 60 FPS. The lowest result is 64.7 FPS at 4K Ultra.