Minimum

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks near the very bottom of the database for Minimum, placing 1690th out of 1733 tested combos. This is a bottom-3% result, indicating that this pairing is far from optimal for this title, even though the game is from 2014. The data shows a system that can produce playable frame rates only under strict settings and resolution constraints, and the bottleneck is overwhelmingly on the graphics side.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination sits at rank 1690 out of 1733 tested combos, placing it in the 2.5th percentile of all systems measured for Minimum. The ranking reflects a severe performance limitation that is unusual for a CPU as capable as the Core i5-12600KF. The processor itself is not the limiting factor here; its benchmark scores place it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27827. The GPU, however, tells a different story—it sits in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 8713. The mismatch between these two components is stark: a top-tier CPU from a 2021 release paired with an entry-level GPU from 2019.

Compared to the CPU's nearest rivals, the i5-12600KF is essentially tied with the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct 0), the Intel Core i5-12600K (deltaPct -0.1), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (deltaPct -0.2). It is only 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700H. This means the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class. The GPU, meanwhile, is within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, AMD Radeon 550X, NVIDIA Quadro P2200, and AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100. None of these rivals are known for high-end gaming performance, which confirms that the GTX 1650 is the anchor dragging this combo to the bottom of the rankings.

The practical takeaway from the combo rank is that this system is not designed for Minimum at high fidelity. It will run, but expectations must be managed. The data suggests that this pairing is more suited to older or less demanding titles, or to esports games at low settings, rather than a third-person shooter that pushes graphical effects.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the primary constraint in this combo. It features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1485 MHz, boosting to 1665 MHz, and it has 896 shading units. The memory runs at 2001 MHz (8 Gbps effective). These specifications place it firmly in the entry-level segment of the 2019 market, and the benchmark results reflect that: its Passmark G3D score is 7880, and its DirectX 12 score is a low 35.

The 4 GB VRAM is a critical limitation for Minimum. At 3840x2160, the game's memory demands likely exceed what the card can efficiently handle, which explains why the average FPS drops to 18.2 at High settings and 15.9 at Ultra. Even at 2560x1440, the Ultra preset only achieves 24.7 FPS. The card's 43rd percentile GPU ranking, alongside its nearest rivals (all within 0.5% of each other), indicates that it is operating at the expected level for its hardware—it is simply not enough for this game at higher resolutions.

The GPU's compute performance is also weak, with a Passmark GPU compute score of 3048. This suggests that any physics or particle effects in Minimum will struggle. The card's DirectX 9 score of 124 is relatively higher, which hints that the game, despite being a 2014 title, may be utilizing newer API features that the GTX 1650 handles poorly. The 12 nm process node and 75 W TDP mean it is a low-power card, but that efficiency does not translate to gaming headroom.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system achieves consistently playable frame rates. At Low settings, it hits 79.5 FPS average, and at Medium it reaches 63 FPS. At 2560x1440, even Low settings drop to 49.4 FPS, which is borderline.

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at Ultra settings?*

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080, where it averages 37.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 24.7 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls to 15.9 FPS, both of which are below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF is effectively tied with the Intel Core i9-10900K (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-12600K (-0.1%), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (-0.2%). It is only 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700H. This shows the CPU is performing at the top of its expected range.

Q: Is the GPU holding back the CPU?

A: Yes. The CPU ranks in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 43rd percentile. The measured FPS scales heavily with resolution and settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU is capable of far more than this GPU can deliver.

Q: What is the GPU's closest competitor?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, AMD Radeon 550X, NVIDIA Quadro P2200, and AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100. None of these are gaming powerhouses, confirming the GPU's entry-level status.

Q: What is the expected performance at 2560x1440?

A: The average FPS ranges from 24.7 at Ultra to 49.4 at Low. The Medium preset delivers 38.8 FPS and High delivers 33.7 FPS. This resolution is only viable at Low or Medium settings for a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a clear recommendation: use the Low preset at 1920x1080 for the best balance of performance and visual quality. This yields an average of 79.5 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. It is more than 40% faster than the Medium preset at the same resolution, which delivers 63 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 16.5 FPS, a significant drop that is not worth the modest visual improvement on a GPU this limited.

If you prefer Medium settings, 1920x1080 remains the only resolution where it is acceptable, with 63 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium drops to 38.8 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced third-person shooter. High settings at 2560x1440 are borderline at 33.7 FPS, and Ultra is not recommended at any resolution above 1080p. For 3840x2160, the data shows that even Low settings only reach 27.6 FPS, making this resolution unusable for actual gameplay.

The optimal configuration is Low at 1080p, with Medium as a fallback if you can tolerate slightly lower frame rates. Avoid Ultra entirely unless you are taking screenshots, as the 37.8 FPS average at 1080p is the only Ultra result above 30 FPS, and it still feels sluggish.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression: Low averages 79.5 FPS, Medium averages 63 FPS, High averages 54.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 37.8 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, with Low and Medium both providing smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low averages 49.4 FPS, Medium averages 38.8 FPS, High averages 33.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 24.7 FPS. Only Low is consistently playable here; Medium and High are borderline, and Ultra should be avoided.

At 3840x2160, the system is overwhelmed. Low averages 27.6 FPS, Medium averages 21.8 FPS, High averages 18.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 15.9 FPS. None of these results are playable for a third-person shooter, confirming that 4K is out of reach for this GPU.

The scaling across resolutions is steep: dropping from 1080p Low (79.5 FPS) to 1440p Low (49.4 FPS) is a 38% reduction, and further to 2160p Low (27.6 FPS) is a 65% reduction from the baseline. This indicates that the GTX 1650 has a hard limit on pixel throughput, and the only way to maintain frame rate is to lower the internal resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It has 20 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are strong: Cinebench R23 multicore is 23444, single-core is 3309, and Passmark multithread is 27575. The processor ranks in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27827.

In this combo, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (79.5) is far below what this CPU could push, indicating that the GPU is saturated. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which it matches exactly (deltaPct 0), and the Intel Core i5-12600K, which is only 0.1% faster. This shows that the i5-12600KF is performing at the top of its class.

Even at 4K, where the GPU is severely stressed, the CPU is unlikely to be the bottleneck. The 3dmark single-thread score of 1016 and Cinebench R15 single-core of 333 suggest strong per-core performance, which is sufficient for a 2014 game's engine. The Passmark physics score of 1539 further indicates that the CPU can handle game physics without issue. The only caveat is that the CPU's 125 W TDP and Socket 1700 requirement mean it needs a capable cooler and a compatible motherboard, but that is a system-building consideration, not a performance one. In short, the CPU is overqualified for this GPU, and upgrading the GPU would yield substantial performance gains in Minimum.