Minimum

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Minimum shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop reveals which component is the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers 113.9 FPS, which drops to 71.3 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 41.7 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 37.4% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 63.4% reduction from 1080p to 4K. These are substantial losses that point directly at the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 228.5 FPS at 1080p to 147.8 FPS at 1440p and 79 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 65.4%, nearly identical to the Ultra preset's 63.4% drop. This consistency across presets is a strong indicator that the limiting component remains the same regardless of graphics quality. When a CPU is the bottleneck, lowering settings typically produces disproportionately larger gains at lower resolutions; the data shows that even at Low settings, 4K performance collapses to less than half of 1080p performance.

At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 114.6 FPS (228.5 vs 113.9), which is a 100.6% improvement from Ultra to Low. At 4K, that spread narrows to 37.3 FPS (79 vs 41.7), a 89.4% improvement. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions is classic GPU-bound behavior — when the GPU is saturated, reducing settings has less relative impact because the pixel throughput ceiling dominates. The data suggests that at 1440p and 4K, the RTX 3070 is the clear limiting factor, while at 1080p, the i5-12400 still provides enough headroom to let the GPU stretch its legs.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the dominant contributor to Minimum's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 1725 MHz, and it packs 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are part of the Ampere architecture's feature set, though their relevance to Minimum depends on the game's implementation of ray tracing and DLSS, which the measured FPS data does not explicitly cover.

The GPU's benchmark standing places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, scores 27985, putting the RTX 3070 0.9% ahead. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 27956, making the RTX 3070 1% faster. On the other side, the AMD FirePro S7150 scores 28409, 0.6% ahead, and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 28541, 1.1% ahead. These close margins suggest that in synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3070 is tightly clustered with these cards, but the in-game data shows where it truly excels.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is adequate for Minimum at the tested settings, as the game's release in 2014 predates the massive VRAM demands of modern titles. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed, which is sufficient for the bandwidth-heavy workloads at 4K. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo manages 41.7 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. The GPU's 220 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a power-hungry part, but the measured FPS does not directly correlate with power consumption.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 provides a solid foundation for Minimum, though its role diminishes as resolution increases. This processor has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It is built on Intel's 10 nm process with Alder Lake architecture, featuring an 18 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core. The CPU's memory support spans both DDR4 and DDR5, though the measured FPS data does not specify which memory type was used.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-12400 achieves an average score of 19850, placing it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are tightly grouped: the Intel Core i7-9700 scores 19831 (0.1% behind), the Intel Core i7-8700 scores 19894 (0.2% ahead), the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19928 (0.4% ahead), and the Intel Core i5-11600K scores 19771 (0.4% behind). This clustering indicates that the i5-12400 is a mid-range performer that trades blows with older and newer parts.

The CPU's multithreaded capabilities are demonstrated by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 and single-core score of 2249. Its 3DMark scores scale from 1692 in the 2-thread test to 5890 in the max-thread test. For Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, the game likely does not heavily utilize all 12 threads, but the strong single-core performance (PassMark single-thread score of 3456) helps maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 228.5 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not a hard bottleneck even at high frame rates. However, as resolution increases and the GPU becomes saturated, the CPU's role recedes.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 789th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 54.5th percentile of all combos, meaning it outperforms just over half of the tested configurations. This mid-pack ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components' percentiles (CPU at 77th, GPU at 72nd), but it reflects the reality that Minimum is an older title where newer hardware does not always translate to top-tier performance.

The ranking suggests that the combo is capable but not exceptional for this game. The 1733 total combos likely include a wide range of hardware, from ancient GPUs to modern flagships. Being in the 789th position means there are 944 combos that perform worse, but also 788 that perform better. The gap between this combo and the top performers likely comes from both CPU and GPU choices — a stronger GPU would push 4K frame rates higher, and a stronger CPU might improve 1080p frame rates further.

The data shows that this combo is balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers playable frame rates across all settings. At 4K, it struggles to maintain 60 FPS at any preset above Low. This ranking should be interpreted as "solid middle-of-the-pack" — not a top-tier combo for Minimum, but certainly not a weak one. The measured FPS figures provide a more granular view of where this combo excels and where it falls short.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable frame rates: Low hits 228.5 FPS, Medium reaches 177.9 FPS, High achieves 148.1 FPS, and Ultra still manages 113.9 FPS. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, Low or Medium settings provide the highest frame rates. For visual quality, High offers a strong balance at 148.1 FPS, while Ultra is also viable at 113.9 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts. Low delivers 147.8 FPS, which is excellent for smooth gameplay. Medium drops to 110.4 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. High hits 96.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 71.3 FPS. For most users, High is the sweet spot at 1440p — it provides good visual quality while maintaining nearly 100 FPS. Ultra is playable but may feel less smooth on high-refresh displays.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. Low achieves 79 FPS, Medium drops to 61.3 FPS, High is 51.5 FPS, and Ultra is 41.7 FPS. For 4K gaming, Low is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium is borderline at 61.3 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced games but may not suit fast action. High and Ultra are below 60 FPS and should be avoided unless visual fidelity takes precedence over smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 228.5 FPS, Medium produces 177.9 FPS, High produces 148.1 FPS, and Ultra produces 113.9 FPS. The jump from Ultra to High is 34.2 FPS, from High to Medium is 29.8 FPS, and from Medium to Low is 50.6 FPS. The largest gain comes from dropping Medium to Low, suggesting that Medium to Low has the most significant performance impact.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are: Low at 147.8 FPS, Medium at 110.4 FPS, High at 96.6 FPS, and Ultra at 71.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 76.5 FPS, which is a 51.8% reduction. The gap between High and Ultra is 25.3 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 13.8 FPS. The smaller gaps between Medium and High suggest diminishing returns from lowering settings at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are: Low at 79 FPS, Medium at 61.3 FPS, High at 51.5 FPS, and Ultra at 41.7 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 37.3 FPS, a 47.2% reduction. The difference between Medium and High is 9.8 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 9.8 FPS. These consistent gaps indicate that each settings tier costs roughly 10 FPS at 4K, making Low the only preset that delivers a comfortable frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 100 FPS, with Ultra at 113.9 FPS and Low at 228.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, High delivers 96.6 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. At 3840x2160, only Low (79 FPS) and Medium (61.3 FPS) are playable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831), 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894), 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19928), and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28238, which is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (27985), 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (27956), 0.6% lower than the AMD FirePro S7150 (28409), and 1.1% lower than the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (28541).

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 789th out of 1733 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the 54.5th percentile of all tested combos.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more limiting at 4K?

A: The data shows that from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, frame rates drop from 228.5 FPS to 79 FPS, a 65.4% reduction. This large drop indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU would not cause such a dramatic scaling loss.

Q: What settings should be used for 60 FPS at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings deliver 79 FPS and Medium delivers 61.3 FPS, both above 60 FPS. High settings drop to 51.5 FPS and Ultra to 41.7 FPS, so Low or Medium are the only presets that maintain 60 FPS at 4K.