Minimum

Opening Paragraph

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a mid-range experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The data shows this combination ranks 1474th out of 1733 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of the database. The measured frame rates reveal a configuration that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p with reduced settings. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU contributions, answers common questions, and provides a full FPS breakdown across resolutions and settings.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Core 12th Gen series, built on Intel's Alder Lake architecture using a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and it has an 18 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU's 3DMark scores are informative: 910 in single-thread, 3012 in 4-thread, and 5890 in max-thread tests. In Cinebench R23, it scores 2249 single-core and 15935 multi-core, which are strong numbers for a mid-range desktop part.

Benchmark results indicate this CPU is not the bottleneck in Minimum. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 141 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 67.1 FPS. This 73.9 FPS swing is far larger than what CPU core scaling would produce, suggesting the workload shifts to the GPU as settings increase. The processor's 3DMark 8-thread score of 4745 shows solid multi-threaded capability, which helps maintain minimum frame stability in a Third-Person Shooter with dynamic environments. However, the CPU's percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs means it is comfortably above average, but not elite.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400 is nearly identical in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-9700 scores 19831, just 0.1% lower, while the Intel Core i7-8700 scores 19894, 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX is 0.4% higher, and the Intel Core i5-11600K is 0.4% lower. These minuscule deltas indicate that in synthetic workloads, this CPU is interchangeable with several older and newer parts. For Minimum, the 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient; the game's 2014 release data suggests it was designed for fewer threads, so the i5-12400's headroom is rarely stressed.

The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, along with a dual-channel bus, provides flexibility but does not directly influence the measured FPS, as the game's engine is not memory-bandwidth sensitive at these settings. The integrated UHD Graphics 730 is irrelevant when a discrete GPU is present. Overall, the CPU role is to feed the GPU efficiently; data shows it does so without limiting frame rates, even at 1440p, where the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture card from the GeForce 10-series, fabricated on a 16 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost of 1683 MHz, and memory runs at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective). With 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, it achieves a pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s. Its FP32 throughput is 6.463 TFLOPS.

In Minimum, the GTX 1070's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1080p, it delivers 141 FPS on Low, 109 FPS on Medium, 87.7 FPS on High, and 67.1 FPS on Ultra. This shows a steep drop of 73.9 FPS from Low to Ultra, indicating the GPU is heavily taxed by higher settings. At 1440p, the numbers are 87.8 FPS (Low), 68.1 FPS (Medium), 55.6 FPS (High), and 45.5 FPS (Ultra). The 4K results are much lower: 46.6 FPS (Low), 34.6 FPS (Medium), 30.9 FPS (High), and 21.4 FPS (Ultra). These figures demonstrate that 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient, as the game's 2014 assets do not exceed it even at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's percentile rank of 51 among all GPUs places it exactly at the median, and its average benchmark score of 12331 is modest. Its nearest rivals are all within 1.7% of its score: the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 is 0.7% higher, the GTX 880M is 1.3% lower, the GTX 1650 SUPER is 1.4% lower, and the Tesla K20Xm is 1.7% lower. This indicates the GTX 1070 sits in a tight competitive cluster, but for Minimum, its 256-bit memory bus and 6.463 TFLOPS are the defining factors.

The GPU's DirectX 12 (12_1) support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility mean it can run modern APIs, but for a 2014 title, DirectX 11 is likely the primary path. The PassMark DirectX 11 score of 100 versus DirectX 12 score of 48 suggests the card is stronger in legacy APIs, which aligns with Minimum's release era. The GPU's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical, but no thermal or power data was measured in this benchmark, so those are not factors in the FPS results.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The data shows 1920x1080 with Low settings yields the highest average FPS at 141, while 1080p Ultra drops to 67.1 FPS. For a balance of quality and speed, 1440p High at 55.6 FPS is playable, but 4K Ultra at 21.4 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 141 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 21.4 FPS. The CPU's scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multi-core 15935) are strong enough to avoid limiting the GPU at lower resolutions.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1474th out of 1733 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 15% of all pairings. This rank reflects the GTX 1070's median position (51st percentile) and the CPU's above-average position (77th percentile), with the GPU dragging the overall result down.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 46.6 FPS. Medium drops to 34.6 FPS, High to 30.9 FPS, and Ultra to 21.4 FPS. For 4K, Low settings are the only viable option, and even then, frame rates are marginal.

Q: How much FPS difference is there between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The delta is 73.9 FPS, from 141 FPS on Low to 67.1 FPS on Ultra. This is a 52.4% reduction in frame rate, showing how heavily the GTX 1070 is impacted by higher graphical settings.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, the data shows no VRAM-related issues. At 4K Ultra, the game runs at 21.4 FPS, which is a performance limit, not a memory capacity limit. The 256.3 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for this 2014 title.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination holds a rank of 1474 out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 15th percentile of all configurations, meaning 85% of tested combos perform better. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU, which sits at the 51st percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is at the 77th percentile. The disparity between these two percentiles explains why the combo's overall rank is lower than the CPU's individual standing.

When analyzing the CPU's nearest rivals, the i5-12400 is virtually tied with the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% higher), i7-8700 (0.2% lower), and i5-11600K (0.4% higher). This suggests that swapping the CPU for any of these would yield nearly identical results in Minimum. The GPU's nearest rivals are also tightly clustered: the Quadro K4200 is 0.7% higher, while the GTX 880M, GTX 1650 SUPER, and Tesla K20Xm are 1.3-1.7% lower. This indicates the GTX 1070 is a median performer, and any of these close rivals would produce similar FPS numbers.

The rank of 1474 suggests this combo is not optimized for Minimum's heavier settings. At 4K Ultra, the 21.4 FPS result is below playable thresholds, and even at 1440p Ultra, the 45.5 FPS average is borderline. The combo's best performance is at 1080p Low (141 FPS) and Medium (109 FPS), where it exceeds 100 FPS. This suggests that for a 2014 Third-Person Shooter, the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor, and the CPU's strength is underutilized at higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings levels, with average FPS recorded for each combination. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 141 FPS, Medium 109 FPS, High 87.7 FPS, and Ultra 67.1 FPS. This shows a clear linear decline as settings increase, with a 73.9 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The 1080p data is the only resolution where all settings exceed 60 FPS, making it the sweet spot for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops significantly: Low 87.8 FPS, Medium 68.1 FPS, High 55.6 FPS, and Ultra 45.5 FPS. The Low setting remains above 60 FPS, but Medium dips below, and Ultra falls to just 45.5 FPS. This represents a 42.3 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, with the GPU struggling to maintain high frame rates at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance is marginal across all settings: Low 46.6 FPS, Medium 34.6 FPS, High 30.9 FPS, and Ultra 21.4 FPS. None of these averages reach 60 FPS, and only Low approaches playability at 46.6 FPS. The Ultra setting at 21.4 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows a 25.2 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K, which is a smaller absolute delta than at lower resolutions, but percentage-wise, Ultra is 54.1% slower than Low.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: the GTX 1070 loses more absolute FPS from setting changes at 1080p (73.9 FPS) than at 1440p (42.3 FPS) or 4K (25.2 FPS). This is because at higher resolutions, the GPU is already near its limit, so reducing settings has a smaller impact on absolute frame rates. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p viable only on Low or Medium settings, and 4K reserved for Low settings at best.