Minimum

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers exceptional performance in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released on 2014-06-25. The measured data, derived from actual hardware testing, shows this combination far exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and preset tested. The benchmark results indicate a system with massive headroom, capable of running the game at maximum settings even at 4K resolution with average frame rates well above the target.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces staggering frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 430 FPS, which is the highest recorded number in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 329 FPS, with a minimum of 280 FPS and a maximum of 379 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 276 FPS, while the demanding Ultra preset still maintains an impressive 210 FPS average. These numbers indicate the CPU and GPU are barely taxed at this resolution, with the game engine likely becoming the limiting factor at such extreme frame rates.

Scaling up to 2560x1440, the performance remains overwhelmingly strong. The Low preset averages 277 FPS, followed by Medium at 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 FPS and maximum of 244 FPS. High settings produce an average of 178 FPS, while Ultra drops to 136 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is roughly 141 FPS, showing that while settings do impact performance, even the most demanding configuration stays far above the playability threshold.

At 3840x2160, the 4K results demonstrate the true capability of this hardware. The Low preset averages 149 FPS, which is still more than double the 60 FPS target. Medium settings yield an average of 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and maximum of 131 FPS, meaning even the worst-case frame drops stay comfortably above playable. High settings average 96 FPS, and Ultra—the most demanding preset—still achieves an average of 73 FPS. This final number is particularly notable because it shows the system can handle maximum visual fidelity at 4K with frame rates that remain smooth, albeit with less headroom than lower resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals an interesting dynamic between the Intel Core i9-1490K and the RTX 5090 D across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 220 FPS (430 vs 210), suggesting the GPU is not the bottleneck—even at Ultra, the graphics card has spare capacity. The CPU's strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by its PassMark single-thread score of 4697 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5, likely enables these high frame rates by feeding the GPU efficiently without becoming a limiting factor.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the scaling pattern shifts. The difference between Low and Ultra grows to 141 FPS (277 vs 136), a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p but still substantial. The average FPS at Medium drops from 329 at 1080p to 212 at 1440p, a reduction of approximately 36%, which aligns with the increased pixel count. This suggests the GPU begins to play a more significant role, but the CPU still keeps pace without creating a bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The Ultra preset averages 73 FPS, compared to 210 FPS at 1080p—a 65% reduction that reflects the fourfold increase in pixel count. The RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth provide ample resources for 4K textures and effects. The CPU's role diminishes here, as the 24-core, 32-thread processor with its 36 MB of shared L3 cache has more than enough processing power to handle game logic and draw calls, leaving the GPU as the clear performance limiter at this resolution.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with Ultra settings?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 73 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by 13 frames. The minimum FPS at this setting is not recorded, but the average indicates consistent performance.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 produces the highest average at 430 FPS. This is the only configuration tested that exceeds 400 FPS, demonstrating the extreme headroom available at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the Medium preset perform at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system averages 212 FPS, with a minimum of 180 FPS and maximum of 244 FPS. Even the minimum stays more than triple the 60 FPS target, ensuring smooth gameplay without drops.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is not the primary constraint at 1920x1080. The 430 FPS Low result and 210 FPS Ultra result both indicate the RTX 5090 D has significant remaining capacity, while the i9-14900K's high single-thread scores (PassMark 4697, Cinebench R23 2262.5) support its ability to drive these frame rates.

Q: Is there any resolution or setting where the system falls below 60 FPS?

A: No. Every tested configuration—from 1080p Low at 430 FPS to 4K Ultra at 73 FPS—exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The lowest recorded minimum FPS is 97 at 4K Medium, still far above playable.

Q: How much performance is lost going from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The Ultra preset drops from 210 FPS at 1920x1080 to 73 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 137 FPS or approximately 65%. This scaling is consistent with the increased pixel workload on the GPU.

The Verdict

This PC can unequivocally run Minimum at every resolution and preset tested. At 1920x1080, the playable settings include High (276 FPS), Low (430 FPS), Medium (329 FPS), and Ultra (210 FPS), with Ultra being the best settings at an average of 210 FPS. The 2560x1440 resolution supports all four presets as well, with Ultra providing 136 FPS. Even at the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, all settings—High (96 FPS), Low (149 FPS), Medium (114 FPS), and Ultra (73 FPS)—clear the 60 FPS threshold. The verdict for all three resolutions is the same: fully playable with maximum settings. The 4K Ultra result of 73 FPS leaves only 13 frames of headroom above the target, but it remains stable enough for a smooth experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the Intel Core i9-14900K, the nearest rivals in benchmark performance are the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 79371 on average, just 0.3% lower than the i9-14900K's 79097. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus performs 0.6% lower at 79574, while the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041, 1.2% below. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 actually scores higher at 77740, representing a 1.7% difference in the other direction. Any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical gaming performance in Minimum, as the game's frame rates at 1080p and 1440p suggest the i9-14900K is not a bottleneck.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT at 76904 (1.1% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78940 (1.6% higher), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB at 79396 (2.1% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 79605 (2.4% higher). These alternatives would produce similar frame rates in Minimum, though the Tesla P100 cards are data-center products without display outputs, making them impractical for gaming despite comparable compute scores.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 5th out of 3712 tested hardware combinations in Minimum. This top-tier placement reflects the exceptional performance measured across all resolutions and settings. The percentile data reinforces this position: the CPU ranks in the 95th percentile against all processors, while the GPU sits in the 92nd percentile against all graphics cards. The combination's rank suggests that only four other hardware pairings in the database produce higher frame rates in this game, a remarkable achievement given the already extreme performance levels demonstrated.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, which delivers an average of 73 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that stays above 60 FPS while offering maximum visual quality, making it the optimal choice for users prioritizing graphics fidelity. At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best settings, producing 136 FPS—more than double the playable threshold, so users can max out all options without concern. At 1920x1080, Ultra achieves 210 FPS, providing the highest visual quality with immense performance headroom. In all three cases, the Ultra preset is the most demanding configuration that remains at or above 60 FPS, and the data indicates no preset at any resolution falls below this threshold.