Minimum

The benchmark data for the Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 in Minimum presents a clear, resolution-dependent performance curve. At 1920x1080, this combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all presets, while 2560x1440 remains highly playable at maximum settings. The 3840x2160 resolution is where the system begins to show its limits, with only the Low preset comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS, component roles, and actionable recommendations based strictly on the recorded data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Minimum reveals a consistent scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is clearly unburdened, with the Low preset producing an average of 213 FPS. Moving up to Medium yields 167.2 FPS average, High drops to 134.5 FPS average, and the demanding Ultra preset still maintains a robust 104.6 FPS average. This represents a drop of 108.4 FPS between the Low and Ultra settings at 1080p, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom even under maximum load.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve steepens noticeably. The Low preset averages 136.9 FPS, which is a substantial 76.1 FPS reduction compared to the same preset at 1080p. Medium follows at 105.2 FPS average, High at 91.1 FPS average, and Ultra at 67 FPS average. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 69.9 FPS, showing that pixel count significantly impacts the rendering load. The Ultra preset at 1440p sits just 7 FPS above the 60 FPS playability threshold, making it viable but with less margin than lower presets.

The 3840x2160 results demonstrate where the RTX 5060's 8 GB GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus become limiting factors. The Low preset averages 71.4 FPS, which is the only setting at 4K that clears the 60 FPS bar. Medium drops to 56.3 FPS average, High falls further to 47.9 FPS average, and Ultra plummets to 33.7 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 37.7 FPS, and the step from Medium to High costs 8.4 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra costs 14.2 FPS. This non-linear degradation suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that disproportionately tax the GPU at this resolution.

Across all resolutions, the min and max FPS values are not recorded in the data, so only average frame rates are available for analysis. The absence of these metrics means the consistency of frame delivery cannot be directly assessed, but the average scores provide a reliable baseline for comparing presets and resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the Intel Core i9-14900K is not the bottleneck in Minimum at any tested resolution. The CPU's benchmark scores are exceptionally high — its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 39399.5, and its PassMark single-thread score is 4697 — placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. With 24 cores and 32 threads, the processor has far more compute headroom than a third-person shooter like Minimum requires, even at lower resolutions where frame rates are highest.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060's average frame rates scale from 213 FPS at Low to 104.6 FPS at Ultra, a 50.9% reduction. This scaling is primarily driven by the GPU's shading units and texture units handling the increased per-pixel work. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 20891 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628 indicate a mid-range part that excels at 1080p but faces challenges at higher pixel counts.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a uniform performance drop across presets, with the Low preset losing 76.1 FPS (35.7%) and Ultra losing 37.6 FPS (35.9%). This consistent percentage reduction points to the GPU being the primary constraint, as the CPU's workload does not increase proportionally with resolution. At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become even more pronounced — the Ultra preset at 33.7 FPS is less than one-third of the 1080p Ultra score, while the Low preset at 71.4 FPS is exactly one-third of the 1080p Low score. This roughly linear scaling with pixel count confirms that the RTX 5060's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 19.18 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are the determining factors.

The CPU's integrated UHD Graphics 770 is irrelevant here, as the discrete GPU handles all rendering. The i9-14900K's 125 W TDP and PCIe Gen 5 support ensure it does not starve the GPU of data, but the benchmark results show that even a far less powerful CPU would likely achieve similar FPS in this title. For Minimum, the GPU is the sole performance gate at 1440p and 4K, while at 1080p both components have significant headroom.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data provides context for how this specific CPU and GPU compare to other hardware. The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, with its closest competitor being the Intel Core i9-14900KF at 79371 (a -0.3% delta). The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574 (-0.6%), the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 (-1.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740 (+1.7%). This means the i9-14900K sits in a tight performance cluster where any of these alternatives would deliver virtually identical CPU-bound performance in Minimum. The differences are within 1.7% of each other, so swapping to any of these CPUs would not materially change the measured FPS.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, the average benchmark score is 26331, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are surprisingly close: the AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401 (-0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421 (-0.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553 (-0.8%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011 (+1.2%). The tight clustering means that all four alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum. A user with an RX 6750 XT would see roughly 1.2% lower average scores, translating to about 0.8 FPS at 1080p Ultra (104.6 FPS would become approximately 103.8 FPS). The MX550 and 860M are notably less powerful in real-world gaming, but their benchmark scores suggest they would track the RTX 5060 closely in this specific title.

The practical implication is that the i9-14900K + RTX 5060 combination has no standout performance advantage over these rivals. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking is offset by the GPU's 72nd percentile ranking, and the measured FPS reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning rather than the CPU's top-tier status. For Minimum, any of the listed rival GPUs would provide a nearly identical experience, while the CPU alternatives would be indistinguishable.

The Verdict

The verdictByResolution data provides a definitive answer on playability. At 1920x1080, all four presets — High (134.5 FPS), Low (213 FPS), Medium (167.2 FPS), and Ultra (104.6 FPS) — exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold by a wide margin. This resolution is fully playable at any setting, with the Ultra preset offering the best visual quality while still maintaining 104.6 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the system also clears the 60 FPS bar across all presets. High averages 91.1 FPS, Low 136.9 FPS, Medium 105.2 FPS, and Ultra 67 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that comes close to the threshold, with a 7 FPS margin, but it remains playable. This makes 1440p a viable option for users who want higher pixel density without sacrificing the highest preset.

The 3840x2160 resolution tells a different story. Only the Low preset achieves playable performance at 71.4 FPS average. The Medium preset falls to 56.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and both High (47.9 FPS) and Ultra (33.7 FPS) are unplayable by this standard. The data clearly indicates that 4K gaming is limited to the Low preset for this combination in Minimum, and even that setting provides only 11.4 FPS of headroom above the threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured FPS, the best settings for each resolution are determined by selecting the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the optimal choice, delivering 104.6 FPS average. This is the highest visual quality available while still being 44.6 FPS above the minimum threshold. The High preset at 134.5 FPS would be a fallback for users who prefer higher frame rates over maximum quality, but the data shows no need to compromise.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again wins, with 67 FPS average. This is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS, with a 7 FPS margin. The Medium preset at 105.2 FPS would provide a more comfortable buffer, but the Ultra preset remains playable and offers the best visual experience at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 71.4 FPS. This is the least demanding preset, but it is the sole setting that clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 56.3 FPS is 3.7 FPS below the threshold, making it technically unplayable by the defined standard. Users at 4K must accept Low settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 1811 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the 48.8th percentile of all configurations. This mid-pack ranking reflects the GPU's modest performance relative to the CPU's strength. The i9-14900K is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, but the RTX 5060's 72nd percentile GPU standing drags the combo down.

The ranking suggests that a significant portion of tested systems — 1901 combos — outperform this setup in Minimum. This is likely due to the RTX 5060's 8 GB memory capacity and 128-bit bus width, which limit its performance at higher resolutions and settings. The combo's 4K results, where only Low is playable, would contribute heavily to this mid-tier ranking. At 1080p, the combo would rank much higher, but the aggregate score across all resolutions pulls it to the middle of the pack.

For context, the combo's position at 1811 out of 3712 means it is just below the exact midpoint (1856 would be the median). This is a fair representation of a system that excels at 1080p, handles 1440p well, but struggles at 4K. Users should interpret this ranking as indicating that the combo is neither a top-tier performer nor a weak one — it sits firmly in the broad middle of the tested field.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?*

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 the Ultra preset averages 104.6 FPS, and at 2560x1440 it averages 67 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset only averages 33.7 FPS, so 4K Ultra is not playable.

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

A: The Ultra preset is the best choice at 2560x1440, delivering 67 FPS average. This is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS, with a 7 FPS margin over the threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to the RX 6750 XT in this game?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, while the RX 6750 XT scores 26011, a 1.2% difference. In Minimum, this translates to a negligible FPS difference, with the RTX 5060 being marginally faster.

Q: Is the i9-14900K the bottleneck in this system?

A: No, the CPU is not the limiting factor. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and 95th percentile ranking indicate it has far more performance than Minimum requires. The GPU's 72nd percentile ranking is the primary constraint.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 4K with Low settings?

A: The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 71.4 FPS, which is 11.4 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the only playable preset at 4K for this combination.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested systems?

A: It ranks 1811 out of 3712 combos, placing it in the 48.8th percentile. This mid-pack ranking reflects strong 1080p performance but weak 4K capabilities.