Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT pairing delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The data shows this combination is positioned in the lower-middle tier of tested configurations, ranking 1276 out of 1733 combos. This is a system built on a foundation of capable but aging components, and the benchmark results reflect a hardware duo that can handle the game at high refresh rates only when settings are dialed back.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and its 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently used data close at hand. The CPU sits in the 77th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 19221, placing it in a competitive tier alongside the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 (a 0.1% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS, which scores 19364 (a -0.7% delta).

For a title like Minimum, which is a decade old, the CPU's single-threaded performance is more than adequate. The 3dmark single-thread score of 909 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332 indicate that the processor can feed frames to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck at most settings. However, the processor's role becomes more complex at lower resolutions and higher frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 171.2 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is still keeping pace, but the performance scaling from Medium to Low (128.3 to 171.2 FPS) shows that the processor is not the limiting factor; the GPU is still doing the heavy lifting even at these high frame rates.

The 12 threads of the i5-12400F are unlikely to be fully stressed by this older game engine, but the processor's strong per-core performance ensures that frame times remain consistent. The data indicates that the CPU is a reliable partner, never appearing to hold back the GPU in a way that would cause severe frame rate drops. In this context, the i5-12400F acts as a stable platform, providing enough compute power to ensure that the graphics card is the primary determinant of visual fidelity and frame rate.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy across the four presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the High preset delivers an average of 108 FPS, which is a very playable experience for a third-person shooter. The Medium preset offers 128.3 FPS, a significant jump that still maintains high visual quality. The Ultra preset, while visually demanding, drops to 85.2 FPS, which is still smooth but offers diminishing returns for the performance cost. The Low preset pushes the system to 171.2 FPS, but this comes at a considerable visual sacrifice.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1080p is the clear recommendation. It provides a 18.8% performance uplift over High (128.3 vs 108 FPS) while maintaining most of the game's visual charm. At 1440p, the Medium preset again stands out with 86.1 FPS, which is excellent for that resolution. The High preset at 1440p delivers 67.9 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast-paced action. At 4K, the situation changes dramatically. The Medium preset only manages 44.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 4K is even more demanding, dropping to 39.4 FPS.

Therefore, the data suggests that for this combo, the optimal experience is achieved by using the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p. These settings provide frame rates well above 60 FPS, ensuring a responsive and fluid experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it incurs a significant performance penalty for marginal visual gains—at 1440p it drops to 53.9 FPS and at 4K it falls to a stuttery 26.6 FPS.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The performance scaling across resolutions is telling. At the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 128.3 at 1080p to 86.1 at 1440p, a reduction of 32.9%. Moving to 4K, the frame rate plummets to 44.5, which is a 65.3% drop from the 1080p figure. This dramatic scaling pattern indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth become strained as pixel count increases, highlighting the graphics card's limitations.

The same trend is visible with the High preset. It delivers 108 FPS at 1080p, but this falls to 67.9 FPS at 1440p and a mere 39.4 FPS at 4K. The performance halving from 1080p to 4K (108 to 39.4 FPS) is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The RX 5700 XT, with its 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, simply does not have the raw compute power to maintain high frame rates at 4K in this title. The CPU, by contrast, shows no signs of bottlenecking, as the frame rate scales inversely with resolution in a predictable manner.

The data suggests that the i5-12400F has ample headroom to support the RX 5700 XT. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller difference between 1080p and 1440p results, as the GPU would be waiting on the processor. Instead, the steady decline in FPS with increasing resolution points directly to the GPU as the bottleneck. This combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where the GPU can still stretch its legs, but it simply runs out of steam when pushed to 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 1276 out of 1733 combos. This places it in the 26th percentile of all tested systems, which is a modest position. The GPU itself sits in the 68th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 24731, putting it in a similar tier to the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (24763, a -0.1% delta) and the Intel Arc A350M (24647, a 0.3% delta).

The ranking suggests that while this combo is competent for 1080p gaming, it falls behind many other pairings in the database. The CPU's strong performance (77th percentile) is somewhat wasted when paired with a GPU that is only in the 68th percentile. This is a mismatch that becomes apparent at higher resolutions. The 1276th rank indicates that there are 455 other combos that perform better, likely featuring more powerful graphics cards or a more balanced CPU-GPU pairing. The data shows this is a mid-range system that will struggle to keep up with more modern configurations, especially in graphically demanding scenarios.

The performance gap to the top tier is significant. This combo is not designed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming or for pushing maximum settings in modern titles. Instead, it is a workhorse setup that excels at 1080p and can handle 1440p with some settings adjustments. The ranking reflects this reality, placing it firmly in the "capable but not exceptional" category of tested hardware.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Minimum?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 171.2 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves an average of 60 FPS. At Medium settings it drops to 44.5 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 26.6 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-12400F compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K?

A: The two processors are virtually identical in performance, with the i5-12400F scoring 19221 compared to the i7-8700K's 19210, a negligible delta of 0.1%.

Q: What is the best preset to use for a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset delivers an average of 86.1 FPS at 2560x1440, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p also works, with 67.9 FPS.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The frame rate drops by 65.3% from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings, a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo's overall ranking compare to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1276 out of 1733 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all configurations in the database.