Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The dataset places this combination at rank 1210 out of 1733 tested combos, which is roughly the 70th percentile, suggesting a system that is more than capable of handling the game’s core demands but leaves headroom for improvement at higher graphical presets. The data reveals a clear story: this pairing excels at 1080p and 1440p with moderate settings, but struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K Ultra, indicating a GPU-bound bottleneck at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60+ FPS in Minimum?

A: Based on the measured data, both 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 can hit 60 FPS or above, but only at certain settings. At 1080p, all tested presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) exceed 60 FPS, with averages ranging from 84.6 to 167.3 FPS. At 1440p, Low (110 FPS), Medium (85.8 FPS), and High (69.7 FPS) all surpass 60 FPS, but Ultra drops to 53.7 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s 10-core configuration influence performance in this older title?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has 10 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. While Minimum is from 2014 and may not utilize all threads, the high single-core performance, evidenced by a 3dmark single-thread score of 1016 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3309, ensures that the game’s primary logic thread is well-served, preventing the CPU from becoming a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

Q: Is the 8 GB of VRAM on the RX 6600 XT sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: The data suggests that 8 GB is not enough for a smooth 4K experience at higher presets. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 32.1, and with High settings it is 36.2. Only by dropping to Low settings does the frame rate become playable at 61.3 FPS, indicating that VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth (256.0 GB/s) are significant constraints at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RX 6600 XT and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti in synthetic benchmarks?

A: According to the nearestRivals data, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti has an average benchmark score of 27956, which is 0.1% higher than the RX 6600 XT’s average score of 27985. This indicates near-identical performance in synthetic tests, despite the architectural differences between the RDNA 2.0 and older NVIDIA designs.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark score compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27827, while the Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27829, resulting in a deltaPct of 0. This means the two processors are effectively tied in overall synthetic performance, despite the i5 being a newer generation part.

Q: Can this combo achieve a high refresh rate experience at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data strongly supports this. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 167.3, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at High settings, the average of 109.3 FPS is well above the 144Hz threshold, making this a very capable 1080p pairing for esports or fast-paced action.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is placed at rank 1210 out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This position places it in the middle-to-upper tier of all tested systems, showing that it outperforms roughly 30% of the combinations in the database. The CPU itself is strong, holding the 84th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 71st percentile against all GPUs. This slight imbalance suggests that the GPU is the more limiting component in this pairing, a conclusion supported by the FPS scaling across resolutions.

The pairing’s overall rank is not exceptional, but it is respectable for a mid-range setup. The data implies that while this combo can handle the game, it is not optimized to be a top-tier performer. The CPU’s high percentile rank versus the GPU’s slightly lower one indicates that an upgrade to a more powerful graphics card would likely yield a more significant improvement in Minimum than a CPU upgrade would. For a game from 2014, this combination is more than adequate, but the rank shows there is considerable performance headroom available in other, more powerful combos.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the primary driver of frame rates in Minimum, especially as resolution and settings increase. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is listed at 2589 MHz, with a game clock of 2359 MHz. These specs show a capable mid-range card, but the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are limiting factors at 4K.

The data illustrates this clearly. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops below 40 for both High (36.2) and Ultra (32.1) settings. This is a stark contrast to the 1080p results, where even Ultra settings hit 84.6 FPS. The drop is not linear, suggesting that the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth and capacity. The card’s pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 331.4 GTexel/s are sufficient for lower resolutions, but they are overwhelmed by the pixel count of 4K. The 10.60 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the theoretical ceiling, and the measured results show that this ceiling is hit much sooner at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably. Low settings produce an average of 167.3 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings average 129.5 FPS, High settings 109.3 FPS, and even Ultra settings maintain a solid 84.6 FPS. All presets are playable, and the user has significant headroom to prioritize visual fidelity or frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down but remains strong for most settings. Low settings average 110 FPS, Medium 85.8 FPS, and High 69.7 FPS. However, Ultra settings dip to 53.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. This is the first indication that the GPU is beginning to struggle with the increased pixel load.

At 3840x2160, the limitations of the GPU become apparent. Low settings are the only playable option, averaging 61.3 FPS. Medium settings drop to 47.2 FPS, High to 36.2 FPS, and Ultra to a sluggish 32.1 FPS. These numbers confirm that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo without significant compromises to visual quality.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 109.3 at 1080p to 69.7 at 1440p, a 36% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the FPS drops further to 36.2, a 48% reduction from 1440p and a 67% reduction from 1080p. This steep decline is a direct consequence of the GPU’s inability to handle the increasing pixel count.

This scaling pattern indicates that the Intel Core i5-12600KF is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller FPS difference between 1440p and 4K, as the CPU workload remains relatively constant while the GPU workload increases. Instead, the significant drop in FPS at 4K clearly points to the RX 6600 XT as the primary constraint. The CPU has more than enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU simply cannot keep up with the demand for pixels at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its strong single-threaded performance, as indicated by a Passmark single-thread score of 3925, is crucial for a game like Minimum, which was released in 2014 and likely relies heavily on a single main thread.

In this context, the CPU ensures that frame rates are not artificially limited by processor speed at 1080p and 1440p. The measured FPS at these resolutions is likely near the GPU’s maximum output, meaning the CPU is feeding frames as fast as the GPU can render them. The CPU’s high percentile ranking (84th) versus the GPU’s (71st) further supports this, showing that the processor is the stronger component of the pairing. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory help maintain low latency and high throughput, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times in a fast-paced shooter.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo, the data suggests prioritizing 1080p or 1440p with medium-to-high settings. At 1920x1080, High settings offer an excellent balance, delivering 109.3 FPS while providing good visual quality. For players seeking maximum frame rates, Low settings at 167.3 FPS are the optimal choice.

At 2560x1440, High settings are the recommended maximum, with an average of 69.7 FPS. This provides a smooth experience that is close to the 60 FPS target. Medium settings (85.8 FPS) are also a strong choice, offering a slight performance boost with a minor visual compromise. Ultra settings at this resolution (53.7 FPS) should be avoided, as the frame rate dips below the playable threshold.

3840x2160 should be avoided entirely unless the user is willing to play at Low settings, where the average is 61.3 FPS. Even then, the visual quality will be significantly reduced. The data clearly shows that this pairing is not designed for 4K gaming, and attempting to run at higher presets will result in a poor experience. The optimal experience is to stick to 1080p or 1440p, where the combo can deliver a high frame rate without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.