Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination delivers a highly capable 1080p gaming experience in Minimum, with performance scaling predictably as resolution increases. This pairing of a 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake processor with a 7nm RDNA 2.0 graphics card offers a balanced foundation for this 2014 third-person shooter, though the data reveals clear bottlenecks at higher resolutions. Benchmark results show the combo ranks in the 65th percentile of all tested configurations, placing it solidly in the mid-to-upper tier for this title.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F operates with 6 cores and 12 threads, a configuration well-suited to the threading demands of a modern third-person shooter. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide the single-thread responsiveness that Minimum’s game logic and physics simulations require. The processor’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency in complex scenes. Benchmark data shows this CPU achieves a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and a multi-thread score of 5912, indicating strong per-core performance that translates to consistent frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios.

In the context of this game, the 12400F’s performance is more than adequate to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The processor’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and single-core score of 1680 demonstrate its capability to handle both the game’s main thread and background tasks simultaneously. At 1080p with Low settings, the measured average of 177 FPS suggests the CPU is not the primary limiting factor, as the GPU can produce frames well in excess of typical display refresh rates. However, at higher resolutions where GPU load increases, the CPU’s role diminishes relatively, allowing the graphics card to become the dominant constraint.

The processor’s nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (deltaPct 0), Intel Core 3 201E (deltaPct -0.1), and Intel Core i5-1335U (deltaPct 0.3). These negligible percentage differences indicate that the 12400F’s compute performance is nearly identical to these alternatives, making it a reliable mid-range choice. With a 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, it sits comfortably above the median, ensuring that it will not bottleneck the RX 6650 XT in most gaming scenarios, particularly those targeting 60 FPS or higher.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 23 chip, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. This memory configuration provides a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s, which is sufficient for the texture and geometry loads present in Minimum at 1080p and 1440p. The GPU’s boost clock of 2635 MHz and game clock of 2410 MHz allow it to maintain high throughput, with a pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s. These specifications directly influence the measured frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions where fill-rate demands increase.

At 1080p, the GPU demonstrates its strength, producing an average of 177 FPS at Low settings and 135 FPS at Medium. The jump to High settings yields 114 FPS, while Ultra still maintains a playable 87 FPS. The GPU’s 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are well-utilized in this title, as evidenced by the relatively small performance drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p, which represents a 51% reduction in frame rate. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is not exceeded at these settings, as the game’s release date of 2014 suggests texture sizes that fit comfortably within this allocation.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its position in the mid-range segment. It achieves a PassMark G3D score of 17166 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1859, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m (deltaPct -0.6) and AMD FirePro D300 (deltaPct 0.7), which show that the 6650 XT performs at a level comparable to older professional-grade cards. For gaming, this translates to smooth 60+ FPS experiences at 1080p High settings, with the capability to push into higher refresh rate territory at lower quality presets.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT achieves a rank of 2422 out of 3712 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the upper 35% of all systems evaluated. This ranking reflects the balanced nature of the pairing, where neither component severely limits the other across the tested resolution and settings matrix. The percentile ranking of 65th for the GPU and 73rd for the CPU indicates that this combo sits above the median performance envelope, though it does not reach the top tier reserved for high-end enthusiast builds.

The measured FPS data confirms this mid-to-upper tier positioning. At 1080p, the combo delivers frame rates that range from 87 FPS at Ultra to 177 FPS at Low, which are respectable numbers for a system in this rank range. The jump to 1440p shows a predictable decline, with averages between 56 FPS at Ultra and 114 FPS at Low, while 4K performance drops to between 30 FPS at Ultra and 61 FPS at Low. These results suggest that the combo is optimized for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being viable at medium-to-high settings, and 4K requiring significant compromises.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing outperforms systems that might pair a weaker GPU with a similar CPU, as evidenced by the substantial frame rate differences across resolutions. The consistency of the performance scaling—where each resolution step down from 4K to 1080p yields roughly a 1.9x improvement in frame rate—indicates that the combo is well-matched, with neither component creating a pronounced bottleneck. This is a characteristic of a thoughtfully balanced mid-range system that can handle esports titles and older AAA games with ease.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 177 FPS, while Medium achieves 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and maximum of 156 FPS. High settings yield 114 FPS, and Ultra maintains a solid 87 FPS. These numbers indicate that the system can easily drive a 144Hz monitor at Low or Medium settings, and remains above 60 FPS even at the highest quality preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales down proportionally. Low settings average 114 FPS, which is a 36% reduction from 1080p. Medium settings deliver 87 FPS (min 74, max 100), High reaches 73 FPS, and Ultra drops to 56 FPS. The 1440p results show that the combo remains playable across all settings, with Ultra still maintaining a frame rate that is acceptable for most gamers, though not ideal for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings produce 47 FPS (min 40, max 54), High drops to 39 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30 FPS. These 4K numbers indicate that the RX 6650 XT’s 8 GB VRAM and 280.3 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for maintaining high frame rates at this resolution, particularly at higher quality settings where texture and shader complexity increase memory pressure.

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

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a consistent pattern across all settings, with frame rates dropping by approximately 65-66% when moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. For example, at Low settings, the average drops from 177 FPS to 61 FPS, a reduction of 116 FPS. At High settings, the drop is from 114 FPS to 39 FPS, a reduction of 75 FPS. This scaling factor of roughly 2.9x between 1080p and 4K is close to the theoretical pixel count difference of 4x, indicating that the GPU is the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions.

The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution tested. The 12400F’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 909, ensures that even at 1080p Low settings where the GPU is producing 177 FPS, the processor can keep up with frame generation. This is further supported by the fact that the performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is nearly identical across all settings, suggesting that the GPU’s fill-rate and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors rather than CPU throughput.

The scaling pattern also highlights the GPU’s VRAM limitations at 4K. The 8 GB memory capacity is likely insufficient for Ultra settings at 3840x2160, as evidenced by the 30 FPS average, which is significantly lower than the 47 FPS at Medium. This suggests that beyond raw compute power, memory capacity and bandwidth play a crucial role in determining whether the system can maintain playable frame rates at extreme resolutions. For users prioritizing 4K gaming, this combo would require either reduced settings or a GPU upgrade.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Minimum?*

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, where the combo delivers between 87 FPS (Ultra) and 177 FPS (Low). At 2560x1440, performance remains playable with averages from 56 FPS (Ultra) to 114 FPS (Low), while 3840x2160 only maintains above 60 FPS at Low settings.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: Yes, the measured average at 2560x1440 High settings is 73 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. This suggests that the combo is well-suited for 1440p gaming at high quality presets.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, placing it within 0.3% of its nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047, deltaPct 0), Intel Core 3 201E (19056, deltaPct -0.1), and Intel Core i5-1335U (18982, deltaPct 0.3). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile compared to all other GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19765. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m (19885, deltaPct -0.6) and AMD FirePro D300 (19637, deltaPct 0.7).

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, the combo only achieves an average above 60 FPS at Low settings (61 FPS). Medium settings produce 47 FPS, High yields 39 FPS, and Ultra drops to 30 FPS. For a smooth 4K experience, users would need to either lower settings significantly or consider a more powerful GPU.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2422 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the upper 35% of all systems evaluated for this game. This indicates a mid-to-upper tier performance level suitable for most gaming scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers an excellent experience, delivering an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS. This configuration provides a substantial improvement over High settings (73 FPS) while maintaining frame rates well above the 60 FPS target. The 1440p Medium setting represents the sweet spot for this combo, as it leverages the GPU’s capabilities without pushing it to its limits.

At 1920x1080, High settings (114 FPS) provide an ideal experience for gamers with 144Hz monitors, as the frame rate remains high while visual fidelity is near-maximum. For competitive play where frame rate is paramount, Low settings (177 FPS) offer the maximum responsiveness, though this comes at the cost of visual detail. Ultra settings at 1080p (87 FPS) remain playable but do not offer a significant visual upgrade over High, making High the more practical choice.

For users with 4K displays, the Low preset (61 FPS) is the only viable option for smooth gameplay. Medium settings (47 FPS) are borderline playable, but the 40 FPS minimum may result in noticeable stuttering during intense action sequences. The Ultra preset at 4K (30 FPS) is not recommended for this combo, as the frame rate falls below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. Users prioritizing 4K should consider either reducing resolution to 1440p or upgrading the GPU to achieve higher quality settings.