Minecraft

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread Rocket Lake desktop processor with a 2.60 GHz base clock and a 4.40 GHz boost clock. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) position it as a mid-range part from the 11th Gen Core series, built on Intel's 14 nm process. In the broader CPU landscape, this chip sits at the 71st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17177.

Benchmark results show that this CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are its stronger suit. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14340 multi-core and 2024 single-core; in Geekbench, it posts 7737 multi-core and 1777 single-core. The 3DMark results reinforce this pattern: 5652 at max threads versus 868 single-thread. This matters for Minecraft because the game's world generation, chunk loading, and entity updates can leverage multiple threads, while the render thread still benefits from decent single-core performance.

The nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are instructive. The AMD EPYC 7H12 scores 17120 (0.3% behind), while the Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239 (0.4% ahead). These deltas are negligible, indicating that the i5-11400F's compute throughput is competitive with a top-end server chip and a newer mobile part. However, the measured FPS data in Minecraft suggests that at higher resolutions, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor — the frame rate drops are more closely tied to GPU workload.

At 1080p Low, the system hits 300 FPS average, which is the ceiling in the measured data. At 1080p Ultra, it drops to 118 FPS. The CPU's 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GTX 1660 SUPER at 1080p, but the gap between Low and Ultra settings (300 vs 118 FPS) indicates that the game's rendering load, not CPU throughput, dominates the frame time. The CPU's 71st percentile standing among all CPUs means it is comfortably above average, but not a top-tier part; in Minecraft's sandbox world, this translates to smooth gameplay without CPU-induced stutters in the tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy across settings presets. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 300 FPS average — the highest figure recorded in any configuration. Medium drops to 238 FPS, High to 189 FPS, and Ultra to 118 FPS. The pattern is consistent at 1440p: Low yields 189 FPS, Medium 150 FPS, High 119 FPS, and Ultra 74 FPS. At 4K, the spread narrows in absolute terms: Low hits 99 FPS, Medium 78 FPS, High 62 FPS, and Ultra 39 FPS.

For players targeting 60 FPS as a baseline, every preset at 1080p and 1440p exceeds that threshold, including Ultra. At 4K, Ultra is the only preset that falls below 60 FPS (39 FPS), while Low (99 FPS), Medium (78 FPS), and High (62 FPS) all maintain playable frame rates. The data suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot for visual quality balanced against performance: at 1080p it delivers 189 FPS, at 1440p 119 FPS, and at 4K 62 FPS — all above 60 FPS.

The Medium preset offers the only measured min/max data, with 1080p ranging from 202 to 273 FPS and 1440p from 127 to 172 FPS. This consistency indicates that Medium provides stable frame pacing, which is valuable in a sandbox game where sudden chunk loads can cause hitches. Ultra, while visually demanding, still manages 118 FPS at 1080p and 74 FPS at 1440p, making it viable for high-refresh-rate monitors at those resolutions. The verdict: High is the recommended preset for a balanced experience, with Medium as a fallback for tighter frame time consistency based on the min/max data.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a distinct scaling pattern as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 189 at 1080p to 119 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 62 at 4K (a 67% reduction from 1080p). At Low settings, the drop is from 300 at 1080p to 189 at 1440p (37% reduction) and then to 99 at 4K (67% reduction). This consistent proportional decline across settings is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance.

The fact that 1080p Low achieves 300 FPS while 4K Low achieves 99 FPS — a 3x resolution increase in pixel count — points to the GTX 1660 SUPER as the primary limiter. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect similar FPS across resolutions at the same settings, since the CPU workload (game logic, entity updates) scales with world complexity, not pixel count. The data shows the opposite: FPS scales inversely with resolution, confirming that the GPU's rendering throughput is the constraining factor.

At 4K Ultra, the system drops to 39 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. This is a 67% drop from 1080p Ultra's 118 FPS, matching the same proportional decline seen in other presets. The consistent 37% and 67% drops across all settings suggest that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth (336.0 GB/s) are the limiting resources. The CPU's 12 threads and 4.40 GHz boost clock are sufficient to maintain high frame rates even at 4K Low (99 FPS), indicating that the i5-11400F does not bottleneck the GTX 1660 SUPER in this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this CPU-GPU combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 300, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the ceiling in the data, with no min/max values recorded for that configuration.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Minecraft?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K, the Low preset delivers 99 FPS average, Medium 78 FPS, High 62 FPS, and Ultra 39 FPS. All presets except Ultra maintain at least 60 FPS, so 4K is playable with adjusted settings.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 12986. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 12940 (0.4% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 580 scores 12928 (0.4% lower), and the AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870 (0.9% lower). The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 scores 13075 (0.7% higher).

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low delivers 189 FPS average while Ultra delivers 74 FPS average. This represents a 61% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra, with Medium at 150 FPS and High at 119 FPS in between.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system for Minecraft?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The proportional FPS drops from 1080p to 4K (37% at 1440p, 67% at 4K across all settings) are consistent with GPU-bound performance, while the CPU's strong multi-threaded scores (14340 in Cinebench R23) suggest it can keep up with the GPU's demands.

Q: Does the Medium preset offer stable frame rates?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded min/max values. At 1080p, it ranges from 202 to 273 FPS (average 238). At 1440p, it ranges from 127 to 172 FPS (average 150). At 4K, the average is 78 FPS with no min/max recorded, indicating reasonable consistency.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with the TU116 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 12 nm process. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units, with a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. Its 125 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a mid-range card, and it sits at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 12986.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark results show a mixed profile. In Passmark, it scores 12699 in G3D, 104 in DirectX 11, and 50 in DirectX 12. The Geekbench scores are higher: 52490 in OpenCL and 57102 in Vulkan. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1278. These numbers place it in the middle of the GPU pack, with nearest rivals including the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, 0.4% lower), RX 580 (12928, 0.4% lower), and Radeon 740M (12870, 0.9% lower) — all within a 1% margin.

In Minecraft, the GPU's 6 GB VRAM is ample for the game's textures and chunk data, even at 4K. The 336.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports the high frame rates seen at 1080p (up to 300 FPS at Low). The GPU's 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 157.1 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient to handle the game's block-based rendering, but the resolution scaling data shows that pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor at 4K Ultra (39 FPS). The GTX 1660 SUPER's 53rd percentile standing means it is average among all GPUs, which aligns with the measured performance: strong at 1080p, adequate at 1440p, and playable at 4K only with reduced settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 300 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Medium: 238 FPS average, 202 min, 273 max
• High: 189 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: 118 FPS average, no min/max recorded

At 1080p, the system achieves its highest frame rates. The Low preset hits 300 FPS, which is the maximum recorded in the entire dataset. Medium maintains a tight range (202-273 FPS), suggesting stable performance. High and Ultra drop to 189 and 118 FPS respectively, but all presets far exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 189 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Medium: 150 FPS average, 127 min, 172 max
• High: 119 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: 74 FPS average, no min/max recorded

At 1440p, the frame rates remain strong. Low delivers 189 FPS, which matches the 1080p High result. Medium shows a 127-172 FPS range, and Ultra still maintains 74 FPS — above 60 FPS. The proportional drops from 1080p are consistent at roughly 37% for each preset.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 99 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Medium: 78 FPS average, 67 min, 90 max
• High: 62 FPS average, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: 39 FPS average, no min/max recorded

At 4K, the system begins to show its limits. Low and Medium stay above 60 FPS (99 and 78 respectively), and High just barely makes the cut at 62 FPS. Ultra falls to 39 FPS, below the standard 60 FPS target. The Medium range (67-90 FPS) indicates playable performance with some variation.

The overall combo rank for this CPU-GPU pair in Minecraft is 3085 out of 3710 combinations, placing it in the lower-mid range of tested systems. This ranking, combined with the measured data, paints a clear picture: the i5-11400F + GTX 1660 SUPER is a capable 1080p and 1440p gaming setup that can handle 4K with settings adjustments, making it a balanced mid-range pairing for this sandbox title.