Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a compelling performance profile in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's six cores and twelve threads provide a solid foundation for high frame rates at 1080p. This combination ranks 209th out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 6% of all configurations tested for this game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 237 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops this to 153 FPS, a reduction of approximately 35%. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 82 FPS, which is about 46% lower than the 1440p result and 65% lower than the 1080p figure. This steep decline with each resolution step strongly indicates that the RTX 5080 is the primary limiting component at higher pixel counts.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 369 FPS. This drops to 238 FPS at 1440p and then to 128 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 35%, and from 1440p to 4K it is about 46%. This consistent pattern across settings suggests that the frame rate is scaling almost entirely with the number of pixels being rendered, a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload.

Interestingly, the Ultra preset shows a different relative decline. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 181 FPS. At 1440p, this falls to 117 FPS (a 35% drop), and at 4K it reaches 63 FPS (a 46% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets—High, Low, Medium, and Ultra—is remarkable. It implies that the game's rendering pipeline is efficiently utilizing the GPU's resources, and the RTX 5080's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory is sufficient even at 4K, as the frame rate does not collapse due to memory capacity limits.

The fact that the 4K High result (82 FPS) is only slightly above the 4K Medium result (98 FPS) but well below the 4K Low result (128 FPS) further confirms GPU dominance. The RTX 5080's boost clock of 2617 MHz and its 960.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are clearly being taxed heavily at 4K, where even Low settings yield just over 120 FPS. For players targeting 4K, the data suggests that High settings provide a playable experience, while Ultra pushes the system to its limits at 63 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In the context of Minimum, a game released in 2014, this CPU is more than adequate for the title's demands. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, where the GPU load is reduced, the system still achieves 369 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck even at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

However, the CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks provides context for its gaming capabilities. In Cinebench R23, the i5-12400 scores 15989 in multi-core and 2257 in single-core. Its PassMark single-thread score is 3456, and it sits at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs. These figures suggest a well-balanced processor that can handle both multi-threaded workloads and the single-threaded tasks often found in game logic. The 3DMark scores, including 910 in single-thread and 5890 in max-threads, reinforce this assessment.

The nearest rivals to this CPU in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 7643 (delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-1355U (delta -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (delta -0.7%). These rivals are within a narrow performance band, with the Intel Core i3-14100F being 0.9% faster. This indicates that the i5-12400 is positioned in a highly competitive segment, where small differences in synthetic scores do not translate into noticeable differences in Minimum's frame rates, given the GPU-bound nature of the game at higher resolutions.

The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache, combined with its dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, provide sufficient bandwidth for the game's data needs. The fact that the 1080p Low result (369 FPS) is more than double the 4K Ultra result (63 FPS) highlights how much the GPU workload dominates. The CPU's role becomes more apparent only at 1080p with Low settings, where the frame rate ceiling is high enough that CPU limitations could start to emerge, but the measured 369 FPS suggests it is still not a bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver excellent performance. The Low preset achieves 369 FPS, Medium hits 283 FPS, High reaches 237 FPS, and Ultra still manages 181 FPS. For 1080p gamers with a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the High preset offers a strong balance, providing a 237 FPS average that exceeds most high-refresh-rate displays. Ultra at 181 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing visual fidelity, as it remains above 144 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the choices become more strategic. The High preset delivers 153 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. Medium provides 182 FPS, offering a buffer for those with 165Hz or 180Hz displays. Low achieves 238 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play on a 240Hz panel, though it sacrifices visual quality. Ultra at 117 FPS is still playable but falls below the 120 FPS mark that many gamers consider the minimum for smooth motion on high-refresh displays. For most 1440p users, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot, balancing visual quality with a frame rate that comfortably exceeds 144 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals a more constrained environment. The Low preset achieves 128 FPS, which is playable but requires significant visual compromises. Medium reaches 98 FPS, with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS, providing a more visually pleasing experience while staying above 60 FPS. High yields 82 FPS, which is acceptable for 60Hz displays but may feel less smooth on higher refresh rate monitors. Ultra drops to 63 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. For 4K gaming, the Medium or High presets seem most appropriate, with Medium offering a safer margin above 60 FPS at 98 FPS average, while High pushes closer to the edge at 82 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 209th out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the top 5.6% of all configurations, which is an impressive showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the system's ability to deliver high frame rates, particularly at 1080p and 1440p, where it excels.

The RTX 5080's performance relative to its rivals further contextualizes this rank. Its average benchmark score of 56083 places it above the AMD Radeon 8060S (delta 0.6%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (delta 0.7%), but below the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (delta -2.2%). This indicates that the GPU is a top-tier performer, and its 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its high standing. The CPU, at the 72nd percentile, is not as dominant, but it does not hold the system back in this game, as evidenced by the high frame rates.

The combo rank of 209 suggests that many other combinations with more powerful CPUs achieve slightly higher frame rates, but the difference is likely marginal given the GPU-bound nature of Minimum at higher resolutions. For example, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 369 FPS, which is likely near the upper limit of what the game engine can produce. The rank also indicates that there are 3503 other combos that perform worse, making this a strong configuration for this specific title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Minimum?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 369, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 63 FPS, with no minimum or maximum values recorded.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p. For example, at High settings, the frame rate drops from 237 FPS at 1080p to 153 FPS at 1440p, a 35% reduction that aligns with the increase in pixel count.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for Medium settings at different resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 240. At 2560x1440 Medium, it is 155. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 83 FPS.

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

A: This combo ranks 209th out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 6% of all configurations tested for Minimum.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: Yes, at 4K High settings, the average FPS is 82, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, though the minimum FPS is not recorded in the data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across all presets and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 369 FPS, Medium achieves 283 FPS (minimum 240, maximum 325), High reaches 237 FPS, and Ultra produces 181 FPS. These figures show that even at the lowest resolution, the system scales well with settings, with Ultra being about 51% slower than Low.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 238 FPS, Medium produces 182 FPS (minimum 155, maximum 210), High attains 153 FPS, and Ultra reaches 117 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets, with Low falling by 35%, Medium by 36%, High by 35%, and Ultra by 35%. This uniformity suggests the game's performance is directly tied to pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 128 FPS, Medium hits 98 FPS (minimum 83, maximum 113), High reaches 82 FPS, and Ultra drops to 63 FPS. The 4K results show a more significant performance penalty, with Ultra being 51% slower than Low, similar to the 1080p percentage difference. The Medium preset's minimum of 83 FPS indicates that even with occasional dips, the frame rate remains above 60 FPS, making it a viable choice for 4K.

The data also shows that the RTX 5080's 16 GB of VRAM is not a limiting factor at any resolution or settings level, as the frame rates scale smoothly without any sudden drops that would indicate memory capacity issues. The highest average FPS across all configurations is 369 at 1080p Low, while the lowest is 63 at 4K Ultra, demonstrating a wide performance range of over 5.8x between the most and least demanding scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this combo, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed. With a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, the GPU is capable of sustained high performance. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Minimum's 2014-era textures and effects.

The GPU's 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs contribute to its raw compute power. Its FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s are high-end figures that enable the system to push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS at 1080p. The RTX 5080's benchmark scores, including a PassMark G3D score of 36565 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 255450, place it at the 87th percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon 8060S (delta 0.6%), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (delta 0.7%), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (delta 2.3%). The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is 2.2% slower. These rivals are all within a few percentage points of the RTX 5080, but in Minimum, the RTX 5080's performance advantage is clear, as it delivers 82 FPS at 4K High, while a slightly weaker GPU would likely struggle to maintain that frame rate.

The GPU's role as the primary bottleneck is evident from the resolution scaling analysis. The consistent percentage drops in frame rate as resolution increases indicate that the GPU's rendering capabilities are being fully utilized. The RTX 5080's 360 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a power-hungry component, but its performance in this game justifies the power draw. For players seeking the highest possible frame rates in Minimum, the RTX 5080 is an excellent choice, particularly when paired with a capable CPU like the i5-12400, which does not constrain its performance.