Minimum

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 3425th out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places the combo in the bottom percentile of all recorded configurations, at roughly the 8th percentile or lower for overall game performance. The data indicates a substantial bottleneck: while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU severely limits the experience. The Arc B370's benchmark scores place it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is its only recorded graphics benchmark. This pairing is fundamentally imbalanced for a third-person shooter like Minimum, where frame rate consistency is critical.

The combo's rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU. The Core i7-14700KF, by contrast, sits at the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70163. The disparity between the CPU's high standing and the GPU's low standing explains the poor in-game results. This is not a case of a mid-range system; it is a high-end processor paired with an entry-level integrated graphics solution.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS in Minimum at any resolution?

A: According to the recorded data, the only resolution where the system reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold is 1920x1080. At this resolution, the Low preset averages 85 FPS and the Medium preset averages 65 FPS. Neither 2560x1440 nor 3840x2160 achieves 60 FPS at any preset.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1080p?

A: The best playable setting at 1920x1080 is Medium, which delivers an average of 65 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75. This is the highest preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at this resolution drops to an average of 55 FPS, which is below the playable mark.

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

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is nearly identical to its closest rivals. It is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186), 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190), and 0.7% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168).

Q: Is the CPU a limiting factor in this game?

A: No, the CPU data suggests it is not the limiting factor. The i7-14700KF has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and a single-core score of 6235, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as frame rates drop dramatically with increasing resolution and settings despite the CPU's ample headroom.

Q: What resolution is unplayable with this combo?

A: Both 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 are unplayable at all presets. At 1440p, the best average is 55 FPS on Low, which is still below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the best average is 30 FPS on Low, which is far from playable.

Q: Why is there no min/max FPS data for some presets?

A: The database records min and max FPS only for the Medium preset at each resolution. For Low, High, and Ultra presets, only average FPS data was captured. This is a limitation of the measurement method, not an indication of performance stability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded FPS data for this combo shows a clear pattern: performance scales directly with resolution and preset, with no preset at 1440p or 4K reaching the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are uniformly poor. The Low preset averages 30 FPS. Medium averages 23 FPS, with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 26. High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is a 50% reduction in average frame rate, from 30 to 15 FPS. No setting at this resolution is remotely playable.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance improves but remains below the playable threshold. Low averages 55 FPS, which is close to 60 but still misses it. Medium averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 48. High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 28 FPS, showing that the GPU cannot sustain high frame rates even at lower presets.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system finally becomes playable. Low averages 85 FPS, which is well above the threshold. Medium averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75, making it the highest playable preset. High averages 55 FPS, which is below 60, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is steep: 85, 65, 55, and 42 FPS, respectively. This indicates that the GPU's fill rate and shading power are the primary constraints.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run Minimum, but only at 1080p and only with reduced settings. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, there are no playable settings, meaning no preset achieves an average of 60 FPS or higher. At 2560x1440, the same applies, with no playable settings recorded. At 1920x1080, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with the best setting being Medium at an average of 65 FPS.

This is a marginal pass. The system can play the game, but users must accept 1080p as the maximum resolution and Medium as the highest quality preset. The 65 FPS average at Medium is only 5 FPS above the playable threshold, leaving little headroom for demanding scenes. The minimum recorded FPS at this setting is 56, which dips below the 60 FPS line, indicating occasional stutter. For a third-person shooter, this may be acceptable for casual play, but competitive players will find the frame pacing inconsistent.

The GPU's 5th percentile ranking and its 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance are the defining factors. The 20-core, 28-thread CPU is overkill for this workload, as evidenced by the fact that frame rates do not improve at lower resolutions, which would be expected if the CPU were the bottleneck. The conclusion is that this system is not recommended for Minimum beyond 1080p Medium.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The GPU's nearest rivals provide a reference for what other hardware would perform similarly. The Arc B370 is within 1.4% of four other GPUs in 3DMark Steel Nomad: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% faster), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (0.7% faster), and the AMD FirePro M2000 (1.4% slower). Any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, meaning they would also be limited to 1080p Medium.

On the CPU side, the i7-14700KF's nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.2% slower, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.4% slower, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.9% slower, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% faster. Since the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game, swapping to any of these processors would have a negligible impact on the measured FPS. The performance ceiling remains the GPU, and the results would be identical regardless of which of these CPUs is paired with the Arc B370.

The combination of a high-end CPU with a low-end GPU means that the system's performance profile is defined by the GPU. Users seeking similar behavior should look for any system with a GPU in this performance class, as the CPU choice will not materially change the outcome in Minimum.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of 60 FPS or higher is as follows:

• 3840x2160: No preset achieves 60 FPS. The best average is 30 FPS on Low, which is unplayable.
• 2560x1440: No preset achieves 60 FPS. The best average is 55 FPS on Low, which is below the threshold.
• 1920x1080: Medium is the best playable preset, with an average of 65 FPS, a minimum of 56, and a maximum of 75. Low is also playable at 85 FPS average, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS mark.

The data shows that 1080p Medium is the only configuration that meets the playable threshold while offering a reasonable visual experience. The High and Ultra presets at 1080p are not viable, as they drop to 55 and 42 FPS, respectively. The 1080p Medium setting is the clear recommendation for this system.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Minimum is starkly evident from the scaling data. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 85 on Low to 42 on Ultra, a 43 FPS difference. At 1440p, the same preset change yields a drop from 55 to 27 FPS, a 28 FPS difference. At 4K, the drop is from 30 to 15 FPS, a 15 FPS difference. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, as the frame rate loss scales with the GPU's workload.

The CPU's role is minimal. The i7-14700KF has a PassMark multi-thread score of 52425 and a single-thread score of 4480, both far above what a 2014 game like Minimum would require. The fact that the 1080p Low preset reaches 85 FPS, while 1440p Low only reaches 55 FPS, shows that the GPU is saturated before the CPU becomes a factor. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rate would be similar across resolutions at the same preset, which is not the case. Instead, the frame rate halves from 1080p to 4K, confirming a GPU-bound scenario.

As resolution increases, the GPU's limitations become more pronounced. At 4K, even the Low preset cannot maintain 30 FPS, which is a clear sign that the GPU's 20 ROPs and 40 TMUs are insufficient for the pixel and texture load. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 28 threads provide no advantage in this scenario. The data suggests that for Minimum, the GPU determines playability, and the CPU is a bystander. Users should focus on GPU upgrades, not CPU upgrades, to improve frame rates in this title.