Minimum

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is a capable combination for playing Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. Measured frame rates show that this system can run the game at 1080p and 1440p with high visual quality, while 4K requires Low settings to stay above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 59th percentile, indicating that the graphics card is the primary limiter. The i7-14700KF has a launch MSRP of $384.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 65 FPS. At Medium it drops to 50 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 42 and 32 FPS respectively, all below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: High settings deliver 78 FPS average, which is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS. Medium runs at 92 FPS and Low at 121, but High offers the best visual quality while meeting the threshold. Ultra falls to 59 FPS, just under the line.

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

A: The i7-14700KF scores 44,167 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, is 1% faster, while the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.2% slower, the Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.4% slower, and the Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.9% slower. All four are within 1% of its average benchmark score.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck?

A: Benchmark results indicate yes. The GPU's percentile (59) is far below the CPU's (94). At 1080p, frame rates scale from 187 FPS on Low to 92 on Ultra, a 51% drop, showing that the GPU load increases with settings while the CPU has ample headroom.

Q: What is the combo's rank among tested systems?

A: It ranks 2,179 out of 3,712 combinations tested for Minimum, placing it in the upper half of all tested configurations.

Q: Does the game support high refresh rates at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1080p Ultra, it averages 92 FPS, and at Medium it reaches 143 FPS, making it suitable for 144Hz displays at medium settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows that the RX 9060 is the primary determinant of performance in Minimum. The CPU, with a 94th percentile ranking and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,167, is far more capable than the GPU's 59th percentile and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3,322. This disparity is evident in how frame rates scale across resolutions and presets.

At 1080p, the GPU still has to work hard: average FPS drops from 187 at Low to 92 at Ultra, a 51% reduction. At 1440p, the same settings yield 121 and 59 FPS, and at 4K, 65 and 32. The resolution scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound workload—each step up in resolution reduces performance by a similar proportion regardless of preset. For example, moving from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra cuts FPS from 92 to 59, a 36% drop; from 1440p to 4K it falls to 32, another 46% drop. The CPU is not the limiting factor because even at Low settings, where the GPU is least stressed, the frame rates are still high (187 FPS at 1080p), indicating the processor can feed the GPU without issue.

The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game, but the card's overall performance tier—59th percentile—caps the experience. At 4K, even Low settings only reach 65 FPS, just above the playable threshold, confirming that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU, meanwhile, would not hold back any of the tested configurations; its 20 cores and 28 threads, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, are far beyond what this title requires.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.2% slower, the Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.4% slower, and the Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.9% slower; the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% faster. In Minimum, where the GPU is the limiting factor, swapping to any of these processors would yield nearly identical frame rates. The same applies to the GPU: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 0.7% slower, while the AMD Radeon R9 370X and RX 7700 are both 1% faster, and the Radeon Pro W5500 is 2.1% faster. These differences are negligible in practice—any of these cards would produce frame rates within a few percent of the RX 9060's results.

Because the game is not CPU-sensitive, the CPU choice has little impact on the measured FPS. The GPU's nearest rivals are all close enough that the playable settings at each resolution would remain the same. For example, the RTX 3060 Ti's 0.7% deficit would drop the 4K Low average from 65 FPS to roughly 64.5 FPS, still above 60. Similarly, the R9 370X's 1% advantage would push 1440p Ultra from 59 to about 59.6, still below the threshold. Thus, any of these alternatives would behave almost exactly like the RX 9060 in this game.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum. At 1920x1080, every preset—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—exceeds 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 92 FPS. At 2560x1440, High, Medium, and Low all pass the 60 FPS mark, with High at 78 FPS; Ultra falls to 59 FPS, just under the threshold. At 3840x2160, only Low is playable, hitting 65 FPS; Medium drops to 50, High to 42, and Ultra to 32. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, so the best settings per resolution are: 1080p Ultra, 1440p High, and 4K Low.

The system's performance is consistent with its hardware tier. The CPU is more than adequate, and the GPU's mid-range positioning dictates the playable settings. For 1080p gaming, this combo is overkill—Ultra runs at 92 FPS, leaving headroom for higher refresh rates. At 1440p, High is the sweet spot, and 4K requires Low settings but still meets the minimum playable frame rate. If 4K is a priority, a stronger GPU would be needed to enable higher presets.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3,712 tested combinations for Minimum, this pairing ranks 2,179th. That places it in the upper half of tested systems, though not near the top. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-tier position; the CPU is top-tier, but the overall performance is capped by the RX 9060. The GPU's 59th percentile aligns closely with the combo's overall standing, confirming that the graphics card is the limiting component. Still, the system outperforms the majority of tested configurations, and the CPU's high benchmark scores (e.g., 44,167 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 6,235 in single-core) ensure it will not become a bottleneck in this or most other games.

Best Settings per Resolution

For the best visual quality while maintaining at least 60 FPS, use the following settings:

• 1920x1080: Ultra — 92 FPS average. All presets exceed 60, but Ultra is the most demanding and still delivers a smooth experience.
• 2560x1440: High — 78 FPS average. Medium runs at 92 FPS and Low at 121, but High is the highest preset that meets the threshold. Ultra falls to 59 FPS, just below the playable line.
• 3840x2160: Low — 65 FPS average. Medium drops to 50 FPS, so Low is the only viable preset at this resolution.

These settings maximize image quality without sacrificing the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1080p, the system has significant headroom, allowing for high refresh rates if desired. At 1440p, High offers a good balance, and at 4K, Low is the only playable option, but it still meets the minimum requirement.