Minimum

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a dominant performance in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. Benchmark data shows this combination clears the 60 FPS threshold at nearly every preset across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, with only the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 falling short. The CPU, ranking in the 95th percentile among all tested processors, and the GPU, in the 82nd percentile, form a pairing that is heavily skewed toward high refresh rates, making the system an excellent candidate for maxing out the game's visuals at standard gaming resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding setting that maintains an average FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold, achieving 69.8 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 53.7 FPS, which falls below the playable mark.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data indicates that all four tested presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at 2560x1440. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 93.6 FPS, comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, which is 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900KF’s score of 79371. This indicates nearly identical performance between the two processors.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's performance closer to the AMD Radeon Pro 580 or the AMD Radeon Pro 5300?

A: The RTX 5070's average benchmark score is 40377. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (score 40318) and 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (score 40870). This places its performance closer to that of the Radeon Pro 580.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with the Low preset?

A: The benchmark results show an average of 300.3 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combination.

Q: Which component is a larger factor in performance at 4K, based on the scaling?

A: The performance scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a significant drop in FPS across all presets, indicating the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. For example, the High preset drops from 125.4 FPS at 1440p to 69.8 FPS at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for Minimum reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the combination of the i9-14900K and RTX 5070 produces exceptionally high frame rates, ranging from 145.4 FPS on Ultra to 300.3 FPS on Low. These figures suggest that at 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-core performance, evidenced by its 2262.5 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is sufficient to feed the GPU, allowing it to operate near its full potential. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 154.9 FPS difference, indicating that the GPU is handling the increased graphical load without the CPU becoming a major constraint.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a more pronounced impact from the GPU's workload. The average FPS at 1440p ranges from 193 on Low to 93.6 on Ultra. The relative performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets, with the High preset falling from 193.9 FPS to 125.4 FPS, a 35% decrease. This indicates that while the CPU is still providing ample data, the GPU is beginning to work harder to render the additional pixels, making its role more significant.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role becomes dominant. The frame rates at 4K are substantially lower than at lower resolutions, with the High preset delivering 69.8 FPS and the Ultra preset dropping to 53.7 FPS. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K is 48 FPS, a larger absolute gap than at 1440p, but the overall performance is capped by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads are more than adequate for the game's logic, but the RTX 5070's 80 ROPs and 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K with the most demanding settings. The data shows that while the CPU is critical for high refresh rates at 1080p, the GPU is the deciding factor for achieving 60 FPS at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data, the Intel Core i9-14900K has a near-identical performance profile to several other CPUs. The Intel Core i9-14900KF is the closest match, with an average score only 0.3% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is also very close, trailing by 0.6%. The AMD EPYC 7413 is 1.2% behind, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% ahead. For gaming purposes, any of these processors would deliver a nearly indistinguishable experience, as the differences in their average benchmark scores are minimal.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070's nearest rivals are a mix of professional and mobile workstation cards. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 has an average score that is 0.1% higher, making it the closest match. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 is 0.8% higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 is 1.2% lower. The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile is 2% lower. While these cards may target different market segments, the benchmark scores suggest they would offer similar raw compute performance in a game like Minimum, although driver optimizations and power characteristics could cause real-world deviations.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Minimum with high confidence. The verdictByResolution data confirms that the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at all tested settings for 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 resolutions. At 1080p, every preset—Low (300.3 FPS), Medium (232.1 FPS), High (193.9 FPS), and Ultra (145.4 FPS)—is not only playable but also provides a high-refresh-rate experience. At 1440p, the same is true, with even the Ultra preset averaging 93.6 FPS.

At 4K, the system remains capable, but with a caveat. The Low (101.7 FPS), Medium (80.6 FPS), and High (69.8 FPS) presets all maintain an average above 60 FPS, making them playable. However, the Ultra preset falls short of the playability threshold, with an average of 53.7 FPS. Users seeking to play at 4K will need to select the High preset or lower to ensure a smooth experience. Overall, the data indicates that this combination is a powerful performer, offering a wide range of options for high-fidelity gaming at standard resolutions and only requiring a minor settings adjustment at 4K for a locked 60 FPS experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Minimum, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 704th out of 3712 total combos. This places it in the top 19% of all systems tested, which is a strong showing given the game's age. The high rank is largely attributable to the CPU's exceptional performance, as it sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU's solid performance, which is in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. The rank of 704 indicates that while this system is very capable, there are still a substantial number of combinations that deliver higher frame rates, likely involving more powerful graphics cards. However, for the target resolutions and refresh rates of most gamers, this combo offers performance that is far above the median.

Best Settings per Resolution

For optimal performance, the goal is to select the most demanding preset that still maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the best setting is High, which achieves an average of 69.8 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over the Medium preset while still comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the best setting is Ultra, delivering an average of 93.6 FPS. This allows users to enable the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, as the system has ample headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the best setting is also Ultra, which produces an average of 145.4 FPS. This high frame rate is ideal for fast-paced gameplay and ensures that the game runs flawlessly at maximum settings.