Minimum

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers exceptional performance in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. Benchmark data shows this combination produces frame rates far above the 60 FPS playability threshold across every tested resolution and preset, making it one of the most capable configurations in the database for this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which produces an average of 68.5 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and still maintains a comfortable margin above the playability threshold. The High preset at 4K yields 85.7 FPS, while Medium reaches 103.8 FPS and Low achieves 134.5 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the Ultra preset again qualifies as the best playable option with an average of 122.2 FPS. This represents a substantial performance buffer over the 60 FPS floor. High settings at this resolution deliver 164.8 FPS, Medium provides 196.8 FPS, and Low reaches 254.4 FPS.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset remains the top playable choice, averaging 190.4 FPS. The performance headroom here is enormous; even the most demanding settings exceed triple the minimum frame rate requirement. High settings reach 255.6 FPS, Medium hits 303.4 FPS, and Low climbs to 392.5 FPS.

Across all three resolutions, Ultra is the best settings choice that clears 60 FPS. The data indicates that this hardware combination never dips below the playability threshold at any preset, so users can select the highest visual quality without sacrificing smooth gameplay.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions reveals how the workload shifts between the Intel Core i9-14900K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. At 1080p, the system produces 392.5 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 190.4 FPS on Ultra. This 202.1 FPS spread across presets indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU plays a more significant role, as the GPU is not fully saturated with pixel work.

At 1440p, Low settings yield 254.4 FPS and Ultra drops to 122.2 FPS, a difference of 132.2 FPS. The gap between presets narrows compared to 1080p, suggesting the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. At 4K, Low produces 134.5 FPS while Ultra falls to 68.5 FPS, a spread of 66.0 FPS. This tighter range indicates that at 4K, the RTX 4090 becomes the primary bottleneck, with the CPU’s influence diminishing significantly.

Resolution scaling further clarifies the division of labor. Moving from 1080p to 1440p on Ultra settings, performance drops from 190.4 FPS to 122.2 FPS, a reduction of 35.8%. From 1440p to 4K on Ultra, frame rates fall from 122.2 FPS to 68.5 FPS, a 44.0% decrease. These scaling factors are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, where pixel throughput and memory bandwidth dominate.

The Core i9-14900K’s 24 cores and 32 threads provide ample headroom for the game’s simulation and physics workloads, while the RTX 4090’s 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth handle the rendering load. At 1080p, the CPU’s 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 6.00 GHz boost clock help sustain very high frame rates. At 4K, the GPU’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 384-bit bus become the limiting factor, as evidenced by the smaller performance delta between presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 134.5 FPS average
• Medium: 103.8 FPS average
• High: 85.7 FPS average
• Ultra: 68.5 FPS average

The 4K results show a steady progression from Low to Ultra, with each step up in quality costing approximately 16-20 FPS. The Ultra preset’s 68.5 FPS remains above the 60 FPS threshold, though it leaves less room for frame time spikes compared to lower settings.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 254.4 FPS average
• Medium: 196.8 FPS average
• High: 164.8 FPS average
• Ultra: 122.2 FPS average

At 1440p, the frame rates are more than double the threshold at every preset. The step from Low to Medium costs 57.6 FPS, while Medium to High costs 32.0 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 42.6 FPS. The diminishing returns pattern is less pronounced here, with each preset still delivering a significant visual upgrade at high frame rates.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 392.5 FPS average
• Medium: 303.4 FPS average
• High: 255.6 FPS average
• Ultra: 190.4 FPS average

The 1080p results are extraordinary, with even the Ultra preset achieving nearly three times the playability threshold. Low settings push past 392.5 FPS, indicating that the CPU and GPU combination is far from stressed at this resolution. The scaling from Low to Ultra costs 202.1 FPS, but the lowest result still provides an exceptionally smooth experience.

No minimum or maximum frame rate data is available in the measured values, so the analysis relies solely on average FPS figures.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i9-14900K’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 79,371 versus the i9-14900K’s 79,097 average, a delta of -0.3%. This means the KF variant performs essentially identically, making it a direct substitute for gaming builds. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79,574, a -0.6% difference, also indicating nearly identical performance. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80,041, which is -1.2% higher, though this is a server-class processor. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77,740, a +1.7% lower result.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, the nearest rival is the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a benchmark score of 60,326 versus the RTX 4090’s 60,347, a delta of 0%. This is a surprising match in aggregate benchmark terms, though the RTX 4090’s 24 GB of memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth differ significantly from the Arc Pro’s specifications. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60,140, a 0.3% difference, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61,896, which is -2.5% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58,657, a 2.9% lower result.

In practice, the i9-14900KF would deliver virtually identical frame rates in Minimum due to its negligible benchmark delta. The GPU alternatives, while close in aggregate scores, may not replicate the RTX 4090’s specific 4K performance characteristics given architectural differences.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 144th out of 3,712 tested combos in the database for Minimum. This places the configuration in the top 3.9% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the measured frame rates showing 68.5 FPS at 4K Ultra and 190.4 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

The rank reflects the high-end nature of both components. The CPU sits in the 95th percentile of all tested processors, while the GPU is in the 88th percentile of all tested graphics cards. The combination’s strong rank is driven primarily by the CPU’s exceptional single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 2,265.5 score in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4,697 in Passmark single-thread tests. The GPU’s performance in DirectX 11 and 12 benchmarks (326 and 150 Passmark scores respectively) also contributes, though Minimum’s age means it likely relies on less demanding rendering paths.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 4K with max settings?*

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 68.5 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers 122.2 FPS average, making it the highest quality option that stays well above 60 FPS.

Q: How much faster is this combo at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 190.4 versus 68.5 at 4K Ultra. This represents a 121.9 FPS improvement at the lower resolution.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K, as the performance gap between Low (134.5 FPS) and Ultra (68.5 FPS) narrows to 66.0 FPS, compared to 202.1 FPS at 1080p.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900KF a good alternative to the i9-14900K?

A: Yes. The i9-14900KF has an average benchmark score of 79,371 versus the i9-14900K’s 79,097, a delta of -0.3%, indicating virtually identical performance.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate this combo achieves in the tested settings?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 68.5 at 4K Ultra settings. No minimum FPS values were measured, but all average results exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Minimum with room to spare. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at every tested resolution. At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Ultra with 68.5 FPS average. At 2560x1440, Ultra delivers 122.2 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra achieves 190.4 FPS.

The combination’s 144th rank out of 3,712 tested combos places it among the top performers for this game. The data shows no scenario where frame rates fall below the 60 FPS playability threshold, even at the most demanding 4K Ultra preset. The Intel Core i9-14900K’s strong single-core performance and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090’s raw throughput ensure that Minimum runs exceptionally well across all resolution and quality combinations. Users can confidently select the highest visual settings at any resolution without compromising smooth frame rates.