Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter, with the GPU clearly dominating the performance curve. The data shows a combination that is heavily limited by the Radeon RX 7900 XT at higher resolutions, while the processor provides ample headroom for extreme frame rates at 1080p. This pairing ranks in the top 20% of tested combos, at 345th out of 1733, indicating a strong, balanced setup for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable and steep decline in performance as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 190.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 122.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 35.8%. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average falls to 70.1 FPS, which is a 63.2% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the limiting component; its workload increases substantially with each pixel count, while the CPU's role diminishes.

The scaling is even more pronounced when looking at the Ultra preset. The average frame rate plummets from 147.1 FPS at 1080p to 95.9 FPS at 1440p, and then to 53 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half the 1080p Ultra figure, demonstrating the immense pressure placed on the GPU's rendering capabilities. Benchmark results indicate that for users targeting 4K, the preset choice is critical, as the difference between Low and Ultra represents a performance gap of 50.1 FPS at that resolution.

At 1080p, the scaling pattern shifts. The jump from High (190.7 FPS) to Low (301.5 FPS) is a massive 58.1% increase, suggesting that at lower resolutions, the CPU is capable of feeding frames far faster than the GPU can render them at higher settings. The fact that the Low preset at 1080p exceeds 300 FPS highlights the i5-12400's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 910, while the GPU remains the bottleneck at higher settings. In contrast, at 4K, the difference between Low (103.1 FPS) and High (70.1 FPS) is a much smaller 47.1%, reinforcing that the GPU's pixel throughput is the dominant constraint at this resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. Its benchmark data shows a percentileVsAllGpus of 82, placing it well above the majority of graphics cards. The GPU's architecture, RDNA 3.0, is built on a 5 nm process and features a boost clock of 2394 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz. The memory subsystem is substantial, with 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This large memory allocation and high bandwidth are likely key factors in maintaining playable frame rates at 3840x2160, where the Ultra preset still manages an average of 53 FPS.

The GPU's compute capabilities are significant, with 5376 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 192 render output units. The texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s are directly relevant to Minimum's rendering workload. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the card is working hard to achieve 53 FPS, but at 1440p, it has ample headroom to deliver 95.9 FPS under the same settings. The GPU's passmark_g3d score of 29009 confirms its high standing, and its nearest rival in the benchmark database, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, has a deltaPct of 0, indicating near-identical average scores.

The GPU's clock speeds play a clear role in the scaling. The difference between the base clock of 1387 MHz and the boost clock of 2394 MHz shows a wide dynamic range, allowing the card to scale its performance based on thermal and power headroom. This is evident in the 1080p Low result of 301.5 FPS, where the GPU is likely running at its maximum boost for extended periods, unconstrained by other bottlenecks. The data suggests that for this game, the GPU's raw throughput is the primary factor in determining frame rates at standard monitor resolutions, while its large memory pool ensures no capacity-related stuttering at any tested setting.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting but critical role, ensuring that the GPU is never starved of data. With 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, this processor provides sufficient processing power for Minimum's game logic and draw calls. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 77 indicates it outperforms most processors on the market, and its avgBenchmarkScore of 19850 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-9700, which has a deltaPct of 0.1.

The processor's single-thread performance is particularly strong, as shown by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and passmark_single_thread score of 3456. This is crucial for a third-person shooter, where frame pacing and input responsiveness are heavily dependent on single-core speed. The data supports this, as the 1080p Low preset achieves 301.5 FPS, a figure that would be unattainable without a capable CPU to process the game's simulation loop. The i5-12400's cache hierarchy, with 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3, provides low-latency access to frequently used data.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, while less critical for this title, are still robust. Its cinebench_r23_multicore score of 15935 demonstrates strong overall throughput, ensuring that background tasks or future game updates with higher thread utilization will not bottleneck the system. The 12 threads allow for efficient scheduling, but the benchmark results indicate that in Minimum, the performance ceiling is set by the GPU. This is most evident when examining the 4K results, where the CPU's workload does not meaningfully change from 1080p, yet the frame rate drops by over 60%, confirming the GPU as the sole limiting factor at high resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 301.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Is this combination capable of smooth 4K gameplay?

A: Yes, at 4K the combo delivers an average of 70.1 FPS on High settings, though the Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700's score of 19831.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 190.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 95.9 FPS, a difference of 94.5 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU have enough memory for this game?

A: The GPU features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is far more than sufficient for Minimum, a game from 2014.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs in the benchmark database.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are: Low at 301.5 FPS, Medium at 233 FPS, High at 190.7 FPS, and Ultra at 147.1 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 51.1% reduction in performance, showing the significant cost of maximum graphical fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low at 190.4 FPS, Medium at 150 FPS, High at 122.4 FPS, and Ultra at 95.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 94.5 FPS, a 49.6% drop. This resolution offers the best balance for high refresh rate monitors, as even the Ultra preset exceeds 90 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low at 103.1 FPS, Medium at 79.5 FPS, High at 70.1 FPS, and Ultra at 53 FPS. The performance cost of the Ultra preset is steep, with a 50.1 FPS difference compared to Low. The data shows that 4K gaming is viable, but users must be selective with settings to maintain a consistent 60 FPS or higher.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings preset depends entirely on the target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p 144Hz monitor, the High preset at 190.7 FPS provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, easily exceeding the refresh rate. The Medium preset at 233 FPS is also a strong choice for those prioritizing higher frame rates, while Ultra at 147.1 FPS still clears the 144Hz bar.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 95.9 FPS is the clear recommendation for users with a 100Hz or 120Hz display, as it delivers the highest visual fidelity while remaining playable. For users with a 144Hz monitor, the High preset at 122.4 FPS is preferable, as it provides a meaningful frame rate increase of 26.5 FPS over Ultra. The Low preset at 190.4 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where frame rate is paramount.

For 4K gaming, the High preset at 70.1 FPS is the best choice for a smooth experience on a 60Hz display, offering a 17.1 FPS advantage over Ultra. The Medium preset at 79.5 FPS is also viable for users who prefer higher frame rates over visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided unless a VRR display is in use. The Low preset at 103.1 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as the visual compromise is substantial for a modest performance gain over High.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT holds a comboRankInGame of 345 out of 1733 tested combinations. This places the pairing in the top 19.9% of all tested configurations, a strong result that underscores its capability in Minimum. The ranking suggests that this setup outperforms the vast majority of systems in the database, which includes a wide range of older and less powerful hardware.

The GPU's high percentileVsAllGpus of 82 is the primary driver of this strong ranking, as the Radeon RX 7900 XT's performance is near the top of the database. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 77 also contributes positively, ensuring that the system does not have a weak link that would drag down overall performance. The data indicates that this combo is particularly well-suited for high-resolution gaming, as its 4K results are significantly better than average.

The fact that the combo ranks 345th suggests that there are 344 other combinations that perform better in this game, likely featuring higher-end GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 or dual-GPU setups. However, for the price-to-performance envelope, this pairing offers a compelling package, delivering over 300 FPS at 1080p Low and 70 FPS at 4K High. The ranking validates that the i5-12400 does not bottleneck the RX 7900 XT in this title, as the system achieves performance levels consistent with the GPU's standalone capabilities.