Minimum

Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter, proves to be remarkably scalable with the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the sheer power of the RTX 5070 Ti ensures that even the most demanding settings remain playable at 4K, while lower resolutions expose a clear CPU bottleneck at the extreme end of the performance spectrum.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and clearly indicates where the bottleneck lies for this combo. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 339.4 FPS, but this falls to 216.7 FPS at 1440p and further to 117.6 FPS at 4K. This steep decline, a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K, is typical of a scenario where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases, while the CPU’s maximum frame output is far higher than what the GPU can sustain at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. For High settings, the frame rate drops from 218.2 FPS at 1080p to 143.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 76 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows a similar trend, falling from 168 FPS at 1080p to 108.2 FPS at 1440p and 55.6 FPS at 4K. The data indicates that the RTX 5070 Ti is the dominant factor in determining performance at 1440p and 4K, as the workload on the GPU increases dramatically with resolution, effectively masking the CPU's capabilities.

At 1080p, the gap between settings is more compressed, suggesting the CPU is starting to hold the system back. For instance, the difference between Medium (259.5 FPS) and High (218.2 FPS) at 1080p is only 41.3 FPS, whereas at 4K, the same settings gap is a much larger 16.2 FPS (92.2 vs 76). This indicates that the i5-12400F can feed frames fast enough to reach very high rates at 1080p, but the GPU's rendering speed is the limiting factor for the higher settings, even at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti holds a very strong position. The data places this combo at rank 162 out of 1733 tested combinations for Minimum, placing it in the top 10% of all systems. This high ranking is a direct result of the RTX 5070 Ti's immense graphical horsepower, which allows it to dominate a game that is not particularly demanding by modern standards.

The GPU's overall benchmark score of 52086 places it at the 87th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, with a deltaPct of 0. This means the RTX 5070 Ti performs essentially identically to an RTX 4080 in general compute benchmarks. This raw power is the primary driver of the combo's high rank in Minimum, as the game's engine is heavily reliant on GPU throughput for its rendering. The CPU, while not a top-tier part, still performs at the 77th percentile of all CPUs, providing ample support to avoid being a significant drag on the system's overall ranking in this title.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting a 60 FPS experience at 4K, the data shows that the Ultra preset is the only one that fails to meet this threshold, averaging just 55.6 FPS. The High preset is the optimal choice for 4K, delivering an average of 76 FPS, which provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and ensures smooth gameplay. The Medium preset offers a further boost to 92.2 FPS, but the visual fidelity trade-off from High is often not worth the extra performance headroom when the High preset already achieves a solid frame rate.

At 1440p, the High preset is the clear winner, producing 143.1 FPS, which is well above the 120 FPS mark for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset also performs admirably at this resolution with 108.2 FPS, making it a viable option for those who prioritize maximum visual quality and have a 100Hz+ display. For competitive players seeking the highest possible frame rates at 1080p, the Low preset's 339.4 FPS is the top choice, but the Medium preset at 259.5 FPS offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance for most users, still easily exceeding the refresh rate of common 240Hz monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame rate data for this combo is as follows:

• 1920x1080: Low averages 339.4 FPS, Medium 259.5 FPS, High 218.2 FPS, and Ultra 168 FPS.
• 2560x1440: Low averages 216.7 FPS, Medium 167.1 FPS, High 143.1 FPS, and Ultra 108.2 FPS.
• 3840x2160: Low averages 117.6 FPS, Medium 92.2 FPS, High 76 FPS, and Ultra 55.6 FPS.

These numbers reveal a few key points. First, the system is exceptionally fast, capable of exceeding 300 FPS at 1080p on Low settings. Second, the performance scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent, with a clear and expected drop in frame rate as graphical fidelity increases. The difference between Low and Ultra is most pronounced at 1080p, with a 171.4 FPS difference, while at 4K, the same comparison yields a 62 FPS difference, further reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the undisputed star of this configuration for Minimum. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a massive 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for a 2014 title, even at 4K. The GPU's high core count of 8960 shading units and boost clock of 2452 MHz allow it to process the game's geometry and effects with immense speed.

The benchmark results show the RTX 5070 Ti performing at the 87th percentile of all GPUs, with its average benchmark score of 52086 nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080. This parity is reflected in the game's performance, where the GPU is clearly the main driver of the high frame rates, particularly at 1440p and 4K. The data suggests that the RTX 5070 Ti is so powerful for this game that it will rarely be the limiting factor until the resolution and settings are pushed to their absolute maximum.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides a solid foundation for the RTX 5070 Ti, though it is the secondary component in this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it offers a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which is adequate for feeding the GPU with data in Minimum. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332, place it at the 77th percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a capable mid-range processor.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates are exceptionally high. The fact that the 1080p Low setting hits 339.4 FPS while the 1440p Low setting is 216.7 FPS shows the CPU can push frames much faster than the GPU can render at higher resolutions. However, the 1080p Ultra score of 168 FPS, which is lower than the 1440p Low score, indicates that the CPU is not the sole bottleneck even at 1080p; the increased GPU load from the Ultra settings still has a significant impact. The i5-12400F is a strong partner, ensuring that the system doesn't leave performance on the table at more moderate settings, but it is clearly the GPU that dictates the experience in this title.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 55.6 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target. For a smoother 4K experience, the High preset is recommended, as it averages 76 FPS.

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

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 143.1 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset is also viable at 108.2 FPS if maximum visual quality is preferred.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: This configuration ranks 162nd out of 1733 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the top 10% of all systems tested.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is still a significant factor. While the Low preset hits 339.4 FPS, the Ultra preset drops to 168 FPS, showing that the increased graphical load from the GPU has a major impact even at 1080p.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 5070 Ti and its closest rival?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti's average benchmark score is 52086, which is essentially identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080's score of 52085, showing a deltaPct of 0.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this system?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 339.4 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.