Minimum

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER presents an interesting combination for running Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The data shows a system with extreme CPU headroom and a mid-range GPU that ultimately defines the performance ceiling. Benchmark results indicate that this combo can handle the game comfortably at most settings, but 4K resolution proves to be too demanding.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides average frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets. Min and max FPS values are not available in the database, so this analysis relies solely on average performance.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance across the board. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 172.2. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 128.7. High settings still produce a very smooth 111 FPS average. Even at Ultra, the most demanding preset, the system maintains an 85.5 FPS average. Every preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a substantial margin, with even the lowest result being more than 40% above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limitations. Low settings yield an average of 112 FPS. Medium settings produce 82.6 FPS. High settings are still playable with an average of 69.9 FPS. Ultra, however, drops to 54.6 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for most settings at this resolution, but the Ultra preset demands more than the card can deliver.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. Low settings average 56.9 FPS, just under the playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 43.3 FPS. High settings average 40.9 FPS. Ultra is the weakest result, with only 28.1 FPS. None of the presets at 4K reach 60 FPS, confirming that this combination is not suitable for 4K gaming in Minimum.

The scaling pattern across resolutions is consistent. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at each preset drops by roughly 35-40%. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is even steeper, with the High preset falling from 69.9 to 40.9 FPS. This steep decline at 4K is typical of a GPU that runs out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this specific CPU and GPU combination at rank 2577 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This puts it in the lower half of all tested configurations, approximately the 30th percentile. While the frame rates at 1080p are strong, the ranking reflects that many other combos in the database achieve higher performance, particularly at higher resolutions.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU. The RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Core i9-14900K sits at the 95th percentile among all CPUs. This is a classic pairing of a top-tier processor with a mid-range graphics card. The CPU is rarely the bottleneck in this combination, leaving the GPU to determine the final frame rates. The data supports this interpretation: the 4K results show the GPU struggling, while the 1080p results show plenty of headroom on the CPU side.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 85.5, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 69.9 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS at that resolution. Ultra falls short at 54.6 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with this combination?

A: No. The best result at 3840x2160 is 56.9 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets score lower, with Ultra averaging just 28.1 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The database shows the RTX 2060 SUPER with an average benchmark score of 18093. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile is 0.4% lower, the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% lower, the AMD Radeon RX 460 is 1.5% lower, and the Intel Arc A770M is 1.6% lower. The differences are minimal, indicating very similar performance levels.

Q: How does the Core i9-14900K compare to nearby CPUs?

A: The Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097. The Intel Core i9-14900KF is 0.3% lower, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 0.6% lower, and the AMD EPYC 7413 is 1.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% higher.

Q: What is the playable threshold used in the verdict?

A: The database uses a playable threshold of 60 FPS. Any preset averaging at or above this value is considered playable.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, this system can run Minimum at all presets, with Ultra averaging 85.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, High settings are the best playable option, averaging 69.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, no settings are playable; the closest is Low at 56.9 FPS, which still falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

For a 1080p monitor, this is an excellent combination. The CPU is overkill for this game, but the GPU still delivers smooth frame rates at every preset. For 1440p, the system is viable but requires turning down from Ultra to High to maintain playable performance. For 4K, this combo is not suitable, and users should either lower their expectations or consider a different GPU.

The bottleneck is clearly the RTX 2060 SUPER. The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, are far more than Minimum requires. The GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory are the limiting factors, especially at higher resolutions where the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient for the Ultra preset.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering this specific pairing, nearby hardware would behave similarly. On the CPU side, the Intel Core i9-14900KF is the closest match, with an average score 0.3% lower than the i9-14900K. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 0.6% lower, and the AMD EPYC 7413 is 1.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% higher. Any of these processors combined with the RTX 2060 SUPER would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum, since the game is unlikely to stress any of them.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals are very close in performance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile is 0.4% slower, the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% slower, the AMD Radeon RX 460 is 1.5% slower, and the Intel Arc A770M is 1.6% slower. Swapping the RTX 2060 SUPER for any of these would result in FPS differences of only a few frames in Minimum. The 1080p results would remain playable at all presets, the 1440p results would still be playable up to High settings, and 4K would still be out of reach.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 85.5 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and it clears the threshold with room to spare.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is High, averaging 69.9 FPS. Ultra drops to 54.6 FPS and is not recommended for a consistent 60 FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest option is Low at 56.9 FPS, but this still falls short of the playable threshold. Users targeting 4K should not expect a smooth experience with this hardware combination.