Minimum

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

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor built on the Comet Lake architecture using Intel's 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. The CPU features a 12 MB shared L3 cache, with 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core. Memory support is DDR4 in dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The processor uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU itself.

For a 2014 third-person shooter like Minimum, the CPU's threading configuration is more than adequate. The game was released in an era when quad-core processors were the mainstream standard, so a 6-core/12-thread part offers substantial headroom. The i5-10400F's single-thread performance, measured at 688 in 3DMark single-thread and 1453 in Cinebench R23 single-core, indicates strong per-core capability that older game engines typically favor. In contrast, the multi-threaded scores—10297 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 12115 in Passmark multithread—show that the processor can handle background tasks and any game logic that scales beyond four threads.

The 3DMark thread-scaling results are telling: 1350 for 2 threads, 2560 for 4 threads, 3929 for 8 threads, and 4748 for 16 threads. The scaling from 4 to 8 threads is roughly 53% improvement, while moving from 8 to 16 threads yields only about 21% more performance. This pattern suggests that Minimum, like many shooters of its generation, likely saturates around 4-8 threads. The i5-10400F's 12 threads therefore provide ample compute for the game's CPU demands, making the processor unlikely to be the bottleneck in most scenarios tested here.

The CPU's position relative to its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores helps contextualize its capability. The i5-10400F averages 14168 across all benchmark tests, placing it 0.4% above the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115), 0.8% below the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277), 1.1% below the Intel Core i5-8500 (14332), and 1.2% below the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (14336). These deltas are all within a narrow band, indicating that the i5-10400F delivers competitive compute for its class, though it sits at the lower end of this immediate peer group. The processor ranks at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms nearly three-quarters of the processor landscape.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB achieves a rank of 1587 out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the 8th percentile of all system pairings. This is a low overall ranking, but the context matters substantially: the database includes every conceivable CPU-GPU pairing, many of which feature high-end processors and flagship graphics cards. The rank reflects the RTX 3050 4 GB's position as a 50th percentile GPU (its percentileVsAllGpus is 50), meaning it sits exactly at the median of all graphics cards tested.

The RTX 3050 4 GB is built on the Ampere architecture using Samsung's 8 nm process, with 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die. It has 2048 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, along with 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1545 MHz and boosts to 1740 MHz, with memory clocked at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The 4 GB GDDR6 memory operates on a 128-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's FP32 performance is 7.127 TFLOPS, with matching FP16 throughput at a 1:1 ratio.

Given that the RTX 3050 4 GB is an entry-level Ampere part with a 90 W TDP, its 50th percentile ranking is not surprising. The i5-10400F, at the 73rd CPU percentile, is comparatively stronger than the GPU is relative to its peers. This asymmetry suggests that in Minimum, the graphics card is the limiting factor in most scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The combo rank of 1587 out of 1733 reflects this pairing's overall modest standing, but the data shows that the system can still deliver playable frame rates in many configurations, as detailed in the FPS breakdown below.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 121.9 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 80.1 FPS, a 34% reduction. At 4K Low, the average is 39.7 FPS, another 50% drop from 1440p. This steep decline as resolution increases is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance—the CPU has sufficient headroom at lower resolutions, but the RTX 3050 4 GB's limited memory bandwidth and compute throughput become increasingly strained.

The High settings tell a similar story: 77.7 FPS at 1080p, 47.8 FPS at 1440p (38% lower), and 26 FPS at 4K (46% lower than 1440p). The percentage drops between consecutive resolutions are consistent across settings, suggesting that the scaling is driven primarily by pixel count rather than settings complexity. However, the absolute frame rates at 4K are telling: even at Low settings, the system only reaches 39.7 FPS, which is below the 40 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for a smooth experience. At Ultra 4K, the system falls to 21.7 FPS, which is marginal at best.

The resolution scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component is the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions at a given settings level, since the CPU workload would remain constant while the GPU workload increases. Instead, the FPS drops proportionally with pixel count, confirming that the RTX 3050 4 GB's 192.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 7.127 TFLOPS of compute are the constraining factors. The i5-10400F, with its strong single-thread score of 688 in 3DMark and 1453 in Cinebench R23, is never the limiting component in this pairing for Minimum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 121.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. Medium settings yield 93 FPS, still comfortably playable. High settings drop to 77.7 FPS, maintaining a solid margin above 60. Ultra settings fall to 56.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but still within the range of acceptable playability for many users. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 65.1 FPS, indicating that settings choices significantly impact performance.

At 2560x1440, the performance envelope narrows. Low settings produce 80.1 FPS, which is still playable. Medium settings hit exactly 60 FPS, right at the standard target. High settings drop to 47.8 FPS, which may show stutter on 60 Hz displays. Ultra settings fall to 37.2 FPS, which is below the 40 FPS minimum for smooth motion. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at each settings level represents a substantial performance cost, ranging from 31% (Medium) to 38% (High) reductions.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings produce 39.7 FPS, which is borderline. Medium settings yield 30.7 FPS, and High settings drop to 26 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 21.7 FPS, which is below the standard for cinematic 24 FPS. At 4K, even Low settings cannot sustain 40 FPS, and the gap between Low and Ultra is 18 FPS. The 4K results consistently show that the RTX 3050 4 GB's memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for Minimum at this resolution, regardless of quality settings.

The data shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p, the combo delivers playable frame rates across all settings, with Low settings providing a high refresh rate experience. At 1440p, only Low and Medium settings are acceptable. At 4K, no settings configuration achieves a comfortable 60 FPS target, and only Low settings approach playability.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in Minimum?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system averages 77.7 FPS, which provides a smooth experience with good visual quality. For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low delivers 121.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium settings hit exactly 60 FPS average, making that the highest resolution with a standard playable frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this pairing for Minimum?

A: The GPU is the limiting component. Evidence comes from the resolution scaling: FPS drops by roughly 50% moving from 1080p to 4K at each settings level, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The i5-10400F ranks at the 73rd percentile among CPUs, while the RTX 3050 4 GB sits at the 50th percentile among GPUs.

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K?

A: Technically yes, but not at satisfactory frame rates. At 4K Low, the average is 39.7 FPS; at Medium it is 30.7 FPS; at High it is 26 FPS; and at Ultra it is 21.7 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS target, and only Low settings approach the 40 FPS minimum for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark performance?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168. It is 0.4% above the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115), 0.8% below the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277), 1.1% below the Intel Core i5-8500 (14332), and 1.2% below the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (14336). This places it within a tight performance band relative to its immediate peers.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p with this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 80.1 FPS, Medium averages exactly 60 FPS, High averages 47.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 37.2 FPS. Only Low and Medium settings provide frame rates at or above the 60 FPS standard, while High may be acceptable on adaptive sync displays.

Q: Does the RTX 3050 4 GB's memory configuration affect performance in Minimum?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The steep performance drops at 4K—where even Low settings only reach 39.7 FPS—suggest that both memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for high-resolution rendering in this game. At 1080p, the memory configuration is adequate, as evidenced by the 121.9 FPS Low and 77.7 FPS High results.