Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a highly playable experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014. The data shows this combination is capable of high frame rates, but the choice of settings and resolution significantly impacts the smoothness of the final output. The benchmark results reveal a system that can easily handle high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, while still offering a solid 4K experience if visual fidelity is prioritized over maximum FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the Medium preset provides the most balanced experience across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium yields an average of 165 FPS, which is only 50 FPS fewer than the Low preset’s 215 FPS but a substantial 60 FPS more than the High preset’s 138 FPS. This wide gap indicates that the step from Low to Medium is efficient, while the jump to High incurs a steeper performance cost for the visual gain.

At higher resolutions, the Medium preset continues to be the most sensible choice. At 2560x1440, it achieves 106 FPS, keeping gameplay well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth motion. The High preset drops to 89 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. For 4K, the Medium preset’s 57 FPS average is the only option that keeps the game comfortably playable, as the High preset falls to 48 FPS and Ultra drops to a choppy 37 FPS.

Interestingly, the Ultra preset is uniformly poor for this combination. At 1080p, it manages 105 FPS, but this is a significant drop from the 165 FPS of Medium. At 1440p, it falls to 68 FPS, and at 4K, it becomes nearly unplayable at 37 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra does not appear justified when the Medium preset offers a much higher frame rate, suggesting the visual difference is not worth the substantial FPS loss.

For users with high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, the Low preset’s 215 FPS is the clear winner for competitive play. However, for the vast majority of players, the Medium preset offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance across all resolutions, providing a smooth and responsive experience without requiring a significant reduction in graphical fidelity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the primary driver of performance in this title, as indicated by the significant frame rate variations across different settings. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory is likely sufficient for Minimum, as even the demanding 4K Ultra preset, which would be the most likely to exceed memory limits, is still able to render frames, albeit at a low 37 FPS average.

The GPU’s clock speeds are a key factor in its performance. With a base clock of 2280 MHz and a boost clock of 2497 MHz, the card demonstrates a capable level of processing power. The data shows that the GPU is being heavily utilized, as the frame rate changes dramatically with each settings adjustment. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 110 FPS, a clear sign that the GPU is the bottleneck when the graphical load is increased.

The RTX 5060’s 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth is also a relevant factor. At 4K resolution, the demand for texture data and memory bandwidth increases. The fact that the 4K Medium preset still achieves a 57 FPS average suggests that the memory subsystem is adequately provisioned for this game’s requirements. The GPU’s 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance provides the raw computational power needed to handle the game’s effects and geometry, and the results show it is more than capable of handling this 2014 title.

The GPU’s performance is not just about raw power; it also shows a predictable scaling pattern. The data reveals that the RTX 5060 is the limiting factor in this combination, as the Intel Core i5-12400 is likely not the constraint at lower resolutions. The substantial FPS drops when moving from Medium to High and Ultra at every resolution confirm that the GPU’s processing resources are being taxed more heavily as the visual settings increase.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the Medium preset results in a performance decrease from 165 FPS to 106 FPS, a 35.8% reduction. The scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 is similarly steep, with the Medium preset dropping from 106 FPS to 57 FPS, a 46.2% reduction.

This pattern is consistent across all settings. For the High preset, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is from 138 FPS to 89 FPS, and then to 48 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the game is heavily reliant on the GPU’s pixel processing capabilities. The 4K resolution quadruples the number of pixels compared to 1080p, and the data shows that this combination cannot maintain high frame rates at that resolution with higher quality settings.

The scaling behavior strongly implies that the limiting component is the GPU, as the CPU’s workload remains relatively constant across resolutions. The Intel Core i5-12400, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is more than capable of feeding the GPU with draw calls at all tested resolutions. The consistent and proportional FPS drops with each resolution increase are a textbook indication of GPU saturation, where the graphics card is working at its maximum capacity to render the increased pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination holds a rank of 1651 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the 55.5th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it performs better than a majority of configurations in this game. This is a respectable position, showing that this is a well-balanced pairing for this title.

The rank of 1651 suggests that while this combo is not at the top of the charts, it is far from the bottom. The data implies that there are many systems with more powerful GPUs or CPUs that can achieve higher frame rates, but this combination still offers a strong performance level for a mainstream setup. The fact that it sits above the median point suggests that the RTX 5060 and i5-12400 work well together for Minimum.

This ranking is supported by the measured FPS data, which shows the combination can easily exceed 100 FPS at 1080p on Medium settings. The rank is a holistic measure of the combo’s performance across all settings and resolutions, and the data indicates it is a solid mid-to-upper tier performer. The performance is good enough to recommend for smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, with the 4K experience being more of a secondary consideration.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting but crucial role in this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it provides ample processing power to handle the game’s logic and feed the GPU with data. Its boost clock of 4.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded performance is high, which is often important for game engines. The benchmark results show that this CPU is not the bottleneck in Minimum, as the frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU settings.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are substantial, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and Geekbench multi-core score of 8564. These scores indicate that the i5-12400 has enough headroom to handle the game’s background tasks and any other applications running concurrently. The data suggests that this processor will not hold back the RTX 5060, even at lower resolutions where the CPU load is proportionally higher.

The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals also confirms its adequacy. Its average benchmark score of 18683 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7643, which has an average score of 18697, a delta of only -0.1%. It even slightly outperforms the Intel Core i3-14100F, which has a score of 18519, putting the i5-12400 0.9% ahead. This level of performance is more than sufficient for a game like Minimum, ensuring that the CPU will consistently deliver frames to the GPU without creating a bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the performance at each resolution and settings combination. The frame rates are as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 215 FPS average
• Medium: 165 FPS average (140 min, 190 max)
• High: 138 FPS average
• Ultra: 105 FPS average

At 1080p, the combination excels, delivering high frame rates even on the Ultra preset. The 215 FPS on Low makes it ideal for esports-style play, while the 138 FPS on High is excellent for most gaming monitors.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 139 FPS average
• Medium: 106 FPS average (90 min, 122 max)
• High: 89 FPS average
• Ultra: 68 FPS average

1440p performance is still very strong. The Medium preset’s 106 FPS average is smooth, and even the High preset’s 89 FPS is above the 60 FPS standard. The Ultra preset, at 68 FPS, is the first sign of strain, but it remains playable.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 75 FPS average
• Medium: 57 FPS average (49 min, 66 max)
• High: 48 FPS average
• Ultra: 37 FPS average

4K performance is the most demanding. The Low preset can maintain a fluid 75 FPS, but the Medium preset’s 57 FPS is the best balance. The High preset dips below 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset is not recommended for a smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the best balance, with an average of 106 FPS. The High preset is also viable at 89 FPS, but Medium provides a higher frame rate for a smoother experience.

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

A: Yes, but with limitations. The Low preset achieves a playable 75 FPS, and the Medium preset reaches 57 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are less ideal, with 48 FPS and 37 FPS averages, respectively.

Q: How much of a performance gain is there from using Low settings at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 yields an average of 215 FPS, which is 50 FPS higher than the Medium preset’s 165 FPS and 110 FPS higher than the Ultra preset’s 105 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rates drop significantly as settings and resolution increase, while the Intel Core i5-12400’s performance is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5060.

*Q: How does this combination rank among all tested systems for Minimum?*

A: It ranks 1651 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the 55.5th percentile. This indicates it performs better than a majority of systems tested for this game.

Q: What is the average frame rate difference between the Ultra and Medium presets at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 105 FPS is 60 FPS slower than the Medium preset at 165 FPS. This represents a significant performance cost for the highest visual settings.