Minimum

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Minimum with the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination shows clear scaling across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the lowest preset delivers 188 FPS average, while the Medium preset produces 144 FPS average with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. High settings at 1080p yield 121 FPS average, and Ultra settings still hold 92 FPS average. This resolution is clearly the strongest for this pairing, as every preset remains far above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops but remains playable across most presets. Low settings deliver 121 FPS average, High settings reach 78 FPS average, and Medium settings produce 93 FPS average with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. Ultra settings fall slightly below the playable threshold at 59 FPS average. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 36% of the frame rate at High settings, from 121 FPS down to 78 FPS, which indicates the GPU is becoming a limiting factor at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes substantially. Low settings still generate 65 FPS average, which clears the 60 FPS threshold, but Medium settings drop to 50 FPS average with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. High settings produce 42 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 32 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 33 FPS, showing that the preset level has a significant impact on this GPU at high pixel counts. The minimum FPS values recorded only for Medium settings across all resolutions indicate that this is the only preset with complete frame time data, but the averages alone demonstrate that 4K requires the Low preset for consistent playability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database records the Intel Core i9-14900K as ranking in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF with an average score of 79371, which is 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus at 79574, which is 0.6% higher. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041, putting it 1.2% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, which is 1.7% behind the i9-14900K. These deltas are all small enough that in real gaming workloads, particularly for a third-person shooter like Minimum, the choice among these CPUs would not produce a noticeable difference in frame rates.

On the GPU side, the RTX 2070 SUPER ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480, which is 1% higher, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534, which is 1.2% higher, the Intel Arc B570 at 20556, which is 1.3% higher, and the Intel Arc A750 at 20582, which is 1.5% higher. All of these alternatives sit within a narrow band of performance, meaning that swapping the RTX 2070 SUPER for any of them would yield nearly identical frame rates in Minimum. The RTX 3070 Mobile is particularly notable as a laptop part matching a desktop GPU, but the recorded scores confirm it lands in the same performance tier.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 92 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset available at 2560x1440?

A: High settings are the best playable option at 1440p, delivering 78 FPS average. Ultra settings fall to 59 FPS average, just below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable with this combination?

A: Only with the Low preset, which produces 65 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 50 FPS average, and High and Ultra fall to 42 and 32 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to the Intel Arc B570?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is 1.3% higher than the RTX 2070 SUPER's 20282. The difference is minor and would not meaningfully change Minimum's frame rates.

Q: What CPU is closest in performance to the i9-14900K?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900KF is the nearest rival with an average score of 79371, just 0.3% higher than the i9-14900K's 79097.

Q: Does the Medium preset at 1080p maintain acceptable minimum frame rates?

A: Yes. The Medium preset at 1080p records a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, with an average of 144 FPS, so frame pacing remains strong.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra being the best option at 92 FPS average. At 2560x1440, three presets are playable: High at 78 FPS, Medium at 93 FPS, and Low at 121 FPS; Ultra falls just short at 59 FPS. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold with 65 FPS average. This system can run Minimum, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution. At 1080p, the user has full freedom to max out every setting. At 1440p, the user must sacrifice Ultra but can still enjoy High settings comfortably. At 4K, the user is restricted to Low settings for a smooth experience. The data suggests that 1440p High is the sweet spot for visual quality and performance, while 1080p Ultra is the choice for maximum fidelity.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 65 FPS. Medium falls to 50 FPS, so it cannot be recommended for smooth play. At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, delivering 78 FPS average. Ultra is not viable at this resolution since it produces 59 FPS, just under the threshold. At 1920x1080, Ultra is the best playable preset with 92 FPS average, and it is also the most demanding preset tested. The pattern is consistent: each resolution step down allows one additional preset tier to become playable. 4K supports only Low, 1440p supports up to High, and 1080p supports up to Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Minimum, this combination ranks 2142 out of 3712 tested combinations. That places it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking, which aligns with the measured FPS data. The RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting factor in this pairing, as its 65th percentile GPU ranking is far below the i9-14900K's 95th percentile CPU ranking. The CPU is capable of feeding frames at a much higher rate than the GPU can render, especially at higher resolutions. The rank of 2142 out of 3712 means that roughly 57% of tested combinations perform better in this game, which is consistent with the GPU being a mid-tier part by current standards. However, the combo still achieves playable frame rates at all resolutions with the right preset, so the rank does not indicate a failure, only a position relative to more powerful GPU pairings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the i9-14900K and the RTX 2070 SUPER in Minimum becomes clear when examining the scaling across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the CPU has more influence because the GPU can render frames quickly enough to keep up. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p only costs 96 FPS (from 188 to 92), but the absolute frame rates are high enough that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads are far more than this game needs, given its 2014 release date, so the CPU headroom is massive at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to assert itself as the primary constraint. The frame rate at High settings drops from 121 FPS at 1080p to 78 FPS, a 36% reduction, while the CPU workload remains essentially unchanged. The Ultra preset at 1440p lands at 59 FPS, just below the threshold, which shows that the GPU's pixel throughput is the deciding factor. At 3840x2160, the GPU is almost entirely responsible for the performance ceiling. The Low preset produces 65 FPS, but every step up in settings causes a steep drop: Medium at 50, High at 42, Ultra at 32. The CPU's role at 4K is minimal, as the RTX 2070 SUPER cannot render enough frames to stress the i9-14900K.

The data shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the bottleneck in all scenarios where the resolution exceeds 1080p. The i9-14900K's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4697, indicate a CPU with enormous headroom for a game from 2014. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 18169 and its 65th percentile ranking confirm that it is the weak link. For users who want to play Minimum at 4K, the only viable path is the Low preset, and even then the margin above 60 FPS is just 5 FPS. At 1440p and 1080p, the CPU's strength ensures that the GPU is the sole determinant of frame rates, and the preset chosen matters more than any CPU upgrade could fix.