Minimum

Minimum is a third-person shooter from 2014, and this benchmark analysis examines the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700. The data shows a combination that ranks in the 46th percentile of tested system configurations for this title, placing it at position 1717 out of 3712 tested combos. This mid-pack ranking is notable because the CPU and GPU individually sit in higher percentiles against their respective peers, suggesting the game’s engine has specific bottlenecks that prevent this pairing from fully translating raw component strength into top-tier frame rates. The following sections break down the measured performance across resolutions and presets, identify near-equivalent hardware, and provide clear guidance on optimal settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1717 out of 3712 tested configurations places this system squarely in the middle of the database for Minimum. That percentile position — roughly the 46th percentile — is lower than either component’s individual standing. The Intel Core i7-14700KF sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 70163. The AMD Radeon RX 7700, meanwhile, holds the 58th percentile among GPUs, averaging 15852 in its benchmarks. The discrepancy between component-level percentiles and the in-game combo rank indicates that Minimum does not scale linearly with hardware capability.

The measured frame rates confirm this pattern. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers an average of 105 FPS, which is strong but not exceptional for a system with this CPU’s multi-threaded prowess. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and single-core score of 6235 show a processor that excels in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 20974 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865 are competent but not class-leading figures. When combined, the system produces frame rates that are playable everywhere but never dominate the leaderboard.

What the rank tells us is that this hardware pairing is balanced rather than extreme. In a game like Minimum, which relies on a mix of CPU physics and GPU rendering, the i7-14700KF has enough headroom to feed the RX 7700 at lower resolutions, while at 4K the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The data shows no single component dragging the system down; instead, the overall performance profile is one of consistency across the tested spectrum.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 3840x2160?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 74 FPS. Medium settings drop to 57 FPS average with a minimum of 48 FPS, while High and Ultra average 48 and 36 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best preset for 2560x1440 gaming?

A: Ultra settings are playable, averaging 68 FPS. The data shows all four presets — Low at 138, Medium at 106, High at 89, and Ultra at 68 — stay above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-14700KF scores 70163 on average, which is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX. It trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%.

Q: What GPU alternatives are closest in performance?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, which is 0.1% higher than the RX 7700’s 15852. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is 1% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.1% slower.

Q: Is this system better suited for 1080p or 1440p?

A: At 1920x1080, even Ultra settings produce 105 FPS average, while Low hits 214 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 68 FPS but remains above 60. The 4K resolution is the only one where the system struggles beyond Low settings.

Q: What does the 46th percentile combo rank imply for gameplay?

A: The rank of 1717 out of 3712 indicates this system is slightly below the median for Minimum. However, the playable frame rates at all resolutions except 4K High and Ultra suggest the ranking reflects competition from more specialized builds, not a fundamental inadequacy.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a complete picture of performance scaling. At 3840x2160, the system starts at 36 FPS average on Ultra and climbs steadily through the presets. Medium settings yield 57 FPS average, with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 65. Low settings jump to 74 FPS average, while High sits between at 48 FPS average. The notable gap between Low and Medium — 17 FPS — suggests the Medium preset introduces significant rendering loads that the RX 7700 cannot fully absorb at 4K.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates become more comfortable. Ultra settings average 68 FPS, which is the lowest playable result at this resolution. High settings produce 89 FPS, Medium reaches 106 FPS with a minimum of 90 and maximum of 121, and Low tops out at 138 FPS. The spread between presets is consistent, with each step down adding roughly 20 FPS. This linear scaling indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at 1440p, as the CPU has ample headroom to handle the increased pixel count without introducing bottlenecks.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its full potential. Low settings hit 214 FPS average, Medium delivers 164 FPS with a minimum of 139 and maximum of 188, High reaches 137 FPS, and Ultra still manages 105 FPS. The gap between Ultra and Low is 109 FPS, showing how much headroom exists at this resolution. Even the most demanding preset clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin. The min/max data for Medium at 1080p — 139 to 188 — indicates stable frame pacing without severe drops.

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows a predictable pattern. At Ultra settings, average FPS drops from 105 to 68 to 36 as resolution increases. That represents a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% further reduction from 1440p to 4K. Low settings follow a similar trajectory: 214 to 138 to 74 FPS. The data does not include min/max values for most presets, but the Medium preset at each resolution provides insight into frame stability — 4K Medium varies between 48 and 65 FPS, 1440p Medium between 90 and 121, and 1080p Medium between 139 and 188.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data for both components offers context for what other hardware would deliver comparable results. On the CPU side, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996 on average, which is just 0.2% behind the i7-14700KF’s 70163. In practical terms, the two processors are indistinguishable for Minimum, and swapping between them would produce nearly identical frame rates. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, 0.4% slower, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, 0.9% slower. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 70879, 1% faster, making it the closest superior alternative.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, which is 0.1% higher than the RX 7700’s 15852. This effectively matches the RX 7700 in raw benchmark terms, though the R9 370X is an older architecture with different feature support. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, 1% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, 1.7% faster. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, 1.1% slower. None of these alternatives represent a significant upgrade or downgrade; the performance envelope is tightly clustered within a 2% band.

When considering a full system swap, pairing a Ryzen 7 9700F with the RX 7700 would yield nearly identical results to the i7-14700KF, as the CPU difference is negligible. Similarly, keeping the i7-14700KF and swapping the RX 7700 for an RX 9060 would add roughly 1% performance — not enough to change the playable settings at any resolution. The closest meaningful upgrade would be an RTX 3060 Ti, which at 1.7% faster might push 4K Medium from 57 to 58 FPS, still short of the 60 FPS threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

The verdictByResolution data identifies the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS average at each resolution. At 3840x2160, that preset is Low, with an average of 74 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 57 FPS average, so it fails the playability threshold. This means 4K users must accept minimal quality settings to keep frame rates fluid. The 16 GB GDDR6 memory on the RX 7700 is not the limiting factor here — the rendering workload at 4K exceeds what the GPU’s 2560 shading units can handle at higher presets.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Ultra, averaging 68 FPS. This is the most demanding setting the system can run while staying above 60 FPS. The margin is slim — just 8 FPS over the threshold — but the data confirms that all presets at 1440p are playable. High settings offer a more comfortable 89 FPS average for users who prefer headroom over maximum visual fidelity, but Ultra remains viable.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings average 105 FPS, making it the best playable preset. The system has substantial reserve capacity at this resolution, with Low settings reaching 214 FPS for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays. The 105 FPS average at Ultra is more than 75% above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this resolution is where the combo performs most comfortably. For users with 144Hz monitors, even High settings at 137 FPS would be a better match, but the data supports Ultra for maximum quality.

The Verdict

This system can run Minimum, and it does so with playable frame rates at most configurations. The verdictByResolution data is unambiguous: at 1920x1080, all four presets — Low at 214 FPS, Medium at 164, High at 137, and Ultra at 105 — clear the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the same applies, with Ultra at 68 FPS being the minimum playable result. The only compromise comes at 3840x2160, where just Low settings at 74 FPS meet the threshold; Medium at 57, High at 48, and Ultra at 36 FPS all fall short.

For users targeting 4K, the system requires a significant quality reduction to maintain fluid gameplay. Low settings at 4K are playable, but the visual tradeoff is substantial. The more practical sweet spot is 1440p Ultra, which offers both high visual quality and a playable 68 FPS average. At 1080p, the system is overqualified, with Ultra settings producing 105 FPS and lower presets exceeding 137 FPS for high-refresh-rate displays.

The data shows no configuration where this system fails to run the game. Even the worst-case scenario — 4K Ultra at 36 FPS — is technically running, though it falls well below the 60 FPS playability standard. The combination of the i7-14700KF’s strong single-thread performance and the RX 7700’s 16 GB memory capacity ensures that Minimum never becomes unplayable, only visually compromised at the highest resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling data between resolutions and presets reveals which component carries the workload for Minimum. At 1920x1080, the CPU dominates the performance picture. The i7-14700KF’s single-core score of 6235 in Cinebench R23 and 4480 in PassMark single-thread tests provides the foundation for the 214 FPS Low preset result. At this resolution, the GPU is not fully taxed, as evidenced by the modest frame rate drop when moving from Low to Ultra — from 214 to 105 FPS. The CPU’s headroom keeps the system from becoming GPU-limited at 1080p.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The frame rate drops from 138 to 68 FPS between Low and Ultra at this resolution, a steeper decline than at 1080p. The RX 7700’s 624.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 performance become the limiting factors. The CPU still has capacity — its 44167 Cinebench R23 multi-core score indicates it could process more frames — but the GPU’s pixel throughput of 236.1 GPixel/s constrains output.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The frame rate at Ultra falls to 36 FPS, while even Low settings only reach 74 FPS. The CPU’s role diminishes further, as the i7-14700KF’s 20 cores and 28 threads are largely idle while the RX 7700 struggles with the 8.3 million pixel workload. The 16 GB VRAM is sufficient, but the 2560 shading units and 96 ROPs cannot sustain high preset quality at 4K.

The presets themselves also modulate component roles. At any resolution, moving from Low to Medium adds significant GPU load — the 17 FPS drop at 4K and 32 FPS drop at 1440p demonstrate this. The jump from Medium to High and High to Ultra continues this trend, with the GPU absorbing the additional rendering complexity. The CPU’s contribution remains constant across presets, as Minimum’s physics and game logic do not scale with quality settings. This means users who want to improve performance should first reduce resolution, then lower preset — the data shows resolution has a larger impact on FPS than preset changes at equivalent quality levels.