Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Minimum. The data reveals a system where the GPU is the clear limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom at 1080p. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves strong frame rates, but scaling to 4K exposes the graphics card's limitations, making resolution selection the single most important factor for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 131.8 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings reduces that to 82.9 FPS, a substantial 37% decline. Pushing further to 3840x2160 at Low yields only 45.7 FPS, which is a 65% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary constraint; the workload at 4K quadruples the pixel count, and the GPU’s 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high throughput.

The trend holds across all settings presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 85.9 at 1080p to 55.3 at 1440p, and finally to 29.3 at 2160p. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, shows the sharpest decline: 61.8 FPS at 1080p falls to 41.4 at 1440p and then plummets to 20.5 at 4K. The data suggests that the CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the limiting factor here; the i5-12400F’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions. The evidence points to the GPU being saturated by the increasing pixel load, with the frame rate dropping nearly linearly as resolution increases.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve consistently high frame rates. The Low preset reaches 131.8 FPS, while even the demanding Ultra preset maintains 61.8 FPS, which is above the standard 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The data shows that 3840x2160 is only marginally playable. At Low settings, the average FPS is 45.7, but this falls to 29.3 at High and 20.5 at Ultra. These results indicate that the GPU is not powerful enough for a smooth 4K experience, even with reduced settings.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 14286. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, scores 14314, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the GTX 1660 SUPER is essentially tied with it. It also performs within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, which scores 14389.

*Q: What is the role of the CPU in this setup for Minimum?*

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F provides a strong foundation. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and single-core score of 2332 indicate robust processing power. Given the FPS drops observed when increasing resolution, the CPU is not the limiting component; the GPU is.

Q: Which settings preset offers the most balanced experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 101.3 FPS. This is a significant step up from the High preset's 85.9 FPS while still offering better visual fidelity than Low. For a balance of frame rate and quality, Medium is the recommended choice.

Q: How does the i5-12400F rank against other CPUs?

A: The CPU has a percentile rank of 77 among all tested CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 19221, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 with a delta of 0.1%. This puts it in a competitive position for gaming workloads.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Minimum, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1539 out of 1733 combinations. This places it in the lower 11% of all tested systems, which is a direct consequence of the GPU’s modest performance ceiling. While the CPU is capable, the graphics card holds the combo back from achieving higher overall scores.

This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. The combo’s performance is adequate for 1080p gaming but falls behind in higher-resolution scenarios. The GPU’s percentile rank of 55 among all GPUs, combined with its average benchmark score of 14286, shows it is a mid-range part. In contrast, the CPU’s percentile rank of 77 and average score of 19221 demonstrate it is a more capable component. The disparity between the two parts explains why the combo ranks so low; the system is unbalanced, with the GPU acting as a bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear hierarchy across settings. With Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 131.8 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. Medium settings reduce this to 101.3 FPS, still excellent for competitive play. High settings yield 85.9 FPS, which is playable but with diminishing returns. The Ultra preset drops to 61.8 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target but shows the strain on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates become more moderate. Low settings produce 82.9 FPS, which is still good. Medium settings drop to 62.3 FPS, and High settings fall to 55.3 FPS. The Ultra preset is the weakest here, averaging only 41.4 FPS, which begins to feel sluggish for a third-person shooter.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles. Low settings yield 45.7 FPS, which is borderline playable. Medium settings drop to 37.0 FPS, and High settings fall to 29.3 FPS. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable, with an average of just 20.5 FPS. These numbers confirm that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive factor in this combo’s performance. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus width result in a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is adequate for 1080p but insufficient for the pixel throughput demanded at 4K. The GPU’s base clock of 1530 MHz and boost clock of 1785 MHz allow it to reach a peak FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS. This raw compute power translates to the frame rates seen in the measured data.

The GPU’s memory capacity becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 20.5, indicating that the 6 GB frame buffer is likely being saturated. The GPU’s synthetic benchmark scores reinforce this view; its Passmark G3D score of 12699 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1278 are modest. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT with a delta of -0.7%, show that it is a mid-tier part that cannot sustain high frame rates under extreme load.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides the computational backbone for this system. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it offers strong multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and Geekbench multicore score of 9138. Its single-thread performance is equally important for gaming, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2221. These scores indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck in Minimum.

The CPU’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz and 18 MB of shared L3 cache ensure that it can keep up with the GPU’s demands at lower resolutions. The data supports this: at 1080p, the combo achieves 131.8 FPS at Low settings, which is a high frame rate that requires consistent CPU processing. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19221 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 with a delta of 0.1%. This shows that the i5-12400F is a capable processor that will not hold back most gaming configurations, but its performance is underutilized here due to the GPU’s limitations.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution for this combo. Within that resolution, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience, averaging 101.3 FPS. This provides a significant margin above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay while maintaining better visual fidelity than the Low preset. The High preset, at 85.9 FPS, is also viable, but the performance gain from Medium to High is not worth the 15 FPS loss.

If a player prioritizes maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 131.8 FPS, which is ideal for fast-paced action. However, the visual quality will be noticeably reduced. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 61.8 FPS, is only recommended for players with 60 Hz monitors who want the best visuals, as the frame rate is right at the edge of playability.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset at 82.9 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience. Medium and High settings are playable but may cause noticeable dips during intense scenes. At 3840x2160, none of the settings are recommended for a competitive experience; even Low settings only reach 45.7 FPS. Players should avoid 4K entirely with this hardware and stick to 1080p for the best results.