Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination delivers a mid-tier experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The benchmark data shows a configuration that is heavily balanced toward CPU performance, with the graphics card acting as the primary constraint at higher resolutions and settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to determine how these components interact, where the bottlenecks lie, and which settings provide the optimal experience for this specific title.

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

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, supported by a 20 MB shared L3 cache. The processor’s benchmark scores are substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302, indicating strong performance for a game released in 2014. The processor also shows solid scaling from two threads (1995 in 3DMark) to sixteen threads (7956 in 3DMark), suggesting that even older titles that utilize fewer threads will benefit from the high single-thread performance.

In the context of Minimum, which is a third-person shooter from 2014, the CPU’s role is less about raw multi-threaded throughput and more about maintaining high minimum frame rates. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 6128 and the PassMark single-thread score of 3925 are indicative of a processor that can handle the game’s physics and AI calculations without becoming a limiting factor. The data suggests that the i5-12600KF provides ample headroom, as evidenced by the fact that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 187 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The CPU’s 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs further supports the notion that it is not the bottleneck in this pairing.

However, the CPU’s performance relative to its rivals is tight. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, has an average score that is 0.3% lower, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is also 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE is 0.3% higher. These negligible deltas indicate that the i5-12600KF is performing exactly in line with its expected tier, and any differences in game FPS are likely attributable to the GPU rather than the CPU. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 32, a scenario where the CPU is likely idle waiting for the GPU to render frames, confirming that the CPU is not the primary constraint in the most demanding settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 achieves a rank of 1677 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 57th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating a slightly above-average performance tier. The rank is not a reflection of poor performance but rather the result of the GPU’s mid-range positioning; the CPU is capable of far more, but the RX 9060 limits the overall frame output.

The GPU’s own benchmark percentile is 59, which aligns closely with the combo’s in-game rank. This correlation suggests that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining the combo’s standing. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 16014 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129, a delta of -0.7%. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is also close, with a score of 15852, a delta of 1%. This tight grouping means that the RX 9060 is performing exactly as expected for its class, and the combo rank of 1677 reflects a system that is not punching above its weight but is also not underperforming.

When considering the combo’s rank, it is important to note that the data is measured, not synthetic. The measured FPS values show a consistent pattern: the combo is capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions, but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. This indicates that while the combo ranks in the middle of the pack, its real-world performance is heavily dependent on the user’s resolution and settings preferences. The rank is a fair assessment of the hardware’s capabilities when paired together, but the CPU’s high benchmark scores suggest that upgrading the GPU would yield a significantly higher combo rank, as the CPU has headroom to support faster graphics cards.

FAQ

*Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12600KF or AMD Radeon RX 9060 the limiting factor in Minimum?*

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 187 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 32 FPS. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and single-core score of 3302 show it can handle the game’s demands, while the GPU’s 59th percentile ranking and 8 GB of VRAM become the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rival in terms of raw performance?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129) and 1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852). These deltas are minimal, indicating that the RX 9060 performs within the same tier as these cards.

Q: What is the best resolution for achieving 60 FPS or higher with this combo?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at High settings yields an average of 78 FPS, and 1920x1080 at High yields 120 FPS. To consistently stay above 60 FPS, 1440p High is the most demanding setting that achieves this, while 4K requires dropping to Low settings to reach 65 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance vary significantly from its closest competitors?

A: No. The i5-12600KF’s average benchmark score is 27799. The Intel Core i9-10900K is 0.3% lower, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is 0.3% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE is 0.3% higher. These differences are negligible, meaning the CPU performs identically to its direct rivals.

Q: How much of a performance drop is seen when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves an average of 92 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 32 FPS. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate, demonstrating the GPU’s inability to handle the pixel count at the highest settings.

Q: Is the CPU’s memory support relevant to the game’s performance?

A: The processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode. While the fact pack does not specify the exact memory configuration used in testing, the CPU’s high bandwidth capabilities are sufficient to feed the GPU, as the bottleneck is clearly on the graphics side at higher resolutions.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo shows strong performance across the board. On Low settings, it averages 187 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 143 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. High settings yield 120 FPS, and Ultra settings reduce the average to 92 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 95 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU is being pushed harder but still delivering playable frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases proportionally. Low settings average 121 FPS, which is a 66 FPS drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 92 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. High settings yield 78 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 59 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is just under the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that users seeking a consistent 60 FPS experience should consider High settings or lower. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at each setting is roughly 30-35%, which is consistent with the increase in pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become apparent. Low settings average 65 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that breaks the 60 FPS barrier. Medium settings average 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. High settings drop to 42 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 32 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is a 60 FPS reduction from the 1080p Ultra result, highlighting the GPU’s inability to handle the 4K pixel count at high graphical fidelity. The data shows a clear pattern: the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring significant compromises in settings.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is a mid-range graphics card built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 44 chip. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. Its compute capabilities include 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, delivering 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In Minimum, the GPU’s role is critical, as the measured FPS data shows that it is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for a 2014 title, but the GPU’s raw throughput is the limiting factor. The 4K results illustrate this: at 4K High, the average FPS is 42, and at 4K Ultra it drops to 32. These numbers are low for a game from 2014, indicating that the RX 9060 is not optimized for 4K gaming in this title, or that the game’s engine is particularly demanding on the GPU. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 17631 and its 59th percentile rank confirm that it is a mid-tier card, and the measured FPS aligns with this positioning.

The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has an average score of 16129, which is 0.7% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is 1% lower, and the AMD Radeon R9 370X is 1% higher. These close scores mean that the RX 9060 is performing exactly at its expected level. The GPU’s performance at 1080p High (120 FPS) and 1440p High (78 FPS) shows that it is well-suited for these resolutions, but the steep drop at 4K indicates that the card’s memory bandwidth and pixel rate (191.4 GPixel/s) are insufficient for the higher pixel count. The data suggests that the GPU is the component to upgrade if the user wants to play at 4K with higher settings.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user’s target resolution and frame rate. For users with a 1080p monitor, the High preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering an average of 120 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 92 FPS, which is still playable, but the 28 FPS drop from High may not be worth the marginal visual improvements, especially given the game’s age. The Medium preset at 143 FPS is also viable for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, but the jump from Medium to High is only 23 FPS, making High the recommended choice for most.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the clear recommendation, achieving an average of 78 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a good balance between detail and smoothness. The Medium preset at 92 FPS is also acceptable, but the visual fidelity loss may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 59 FPS is just below 60 FPS, and the data shows that the minimum FPS is not reported, but the average being below 60 suggests that users may experience occasional stutters. For a consistent 60 FPS experience at 1440p, High is the safest choice.

At 3840x2160, the options are severely limited. The Low preset averages 65 FPS, making it the only 4K setting that achieves a playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 50 FPS is borderline, and the High (42 FPS) and Ultra (32 FPS) presets are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only viable option, but the visual quality will be significantly reduced. Alternatively, users could consider playing at 1440p High for a better overall experience, as the frame rate is higher and the visual difference may be less noticeable than the stuttering at 4K Medium.

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

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear picture of the system’s bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 187 at 1080p to 121 at 1440p to 65 at 4K. This represents a 65% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 92 at 1080p to 59 at 1440p to 32 at 4K, a 65% drop as well. The consistency of this percentage drop across settings is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU’s performance is not affected by resolution changes.

The fact that the FPS drops by roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p, and then another 46% from 1440p to 4K, aligns with the increase in pixel count. The GPU must render 2.25 times more pixels at 1440p compared to 1080p, and 4 times more pixels at 4K compared to 1080p. The measured FPS drops are not perfectly linear, but they are close, suggesting that the GPU is being fully utilized at each resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain constant regardless of resolution, which is not the case.

This scaling behavior confirms that the i5-12600KF has significant headroom. The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 and PassMark single-thread score of 3925 indicate that it can handle the game’s logic at any resolution, but the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data suggests that users with this combo should target 1080p or 1440p for the best experience, as the GPU’s performance at 4K is not competitive with its peers. The resolution scaling analysis also implies that reducing settings has a similar effect to reducing resolution, but with less of a visual penalty, making settings adjustments the preferred method for improving performance.