Minimum

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti combination delivers a highly playable experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The data, measured directly, shows this pairing handles the game with ease, particularly at mainstream resolutions. The CPU provides substantial headroom, while the GPU becomes the primary scaling factor as resolution and settings increase, a typical dynamic for a title of this era.

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

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, running on a 10 nm process node. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz, boosting up to 4.60 GHz. This configuration is far more powerful than what Minimum requires, given its 2014 release date. The CPU’s benchmark scores confirm its strength; its avgBenchmarkScore of 25236 places it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it handles multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads with significant authority.

The processor’s performance metrics show a robust scaling from two to sixteen threads. For instance, the 3dmark_16_threads score is 7314, while the 3dmark_max_threads score is 7307, showing that the full 16-thread workload is efficiently utilized. Single-thread performance, often critical for older game engines, is also strong, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 960 and a cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 3004. These results suggest the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing.

In the context of Minimum, this CPU power translates to ensuring the game logic, physics, and draw calls are processed without introducing frame time stutter. The L3 cache is 20 MB shared, which provides ample space for the game’s assets to be accessed quickly. The measured FPS data supports this; at 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, reaching 190.9 FPS on Low settings, which is a clear indicator that the CPU is delivering frames far faster than the GPU can render them.

Compared to its direct rivals, the i5-13400F is positioned in a tight performance cluster. It sits 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H in average benchmark score, and 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9474F. It is 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D. This data indicates that while the processor is powerful, it is not an outlier; its performance is consistent with other high-end chips of its generation. For Minimum, the practical effect is that the CPU will not be the limiting factor in any of the measured configurations, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of performance scaling across the tested settings.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a Pascal-architecture GPU built on a 16 nm process, featuring 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for Minimum, even at the highest resolutions. The GPU’s base clock is 1481 MHz with a boost clock of 1582 MHz. Its compute capabilities are substantial, with 3584 shading units and an FP32 throughput of 11.34 TFLOPS. The GPU’s avgBenchmarkScore is 19402, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs.

The GTX 1080 Ti’s performance in Minimum is the primary driver of the measured frame rates. The data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern tied to resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the GPU is heavily utilized, but performance is excellent. The avgFps ranges from 190.9 on Low to 91.5 on Ultra. This scaling suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck at this resolution, with lower settings allowing it to push more frames. The deltaPct to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780, is 0%, indicating the GTX 1080 Ti is in a performance dead heat with that card in synthetic benchmarks, though the 1080 Ti's higher memory capacity (11 GB vs. the 780's typical 3 GB) provides better headroom for high-resolution textures.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop proportionally. The avgFps is 125.3 on Low and 59.1 on Ultra. The GPU’s rendering load increases significantly, but the 11 GB VRAM buffer ensures no memory-related stuttering. At 3840x2160, the GPU is under maximum stress. The avgFps falls to 66.3 on Low and 43 on High, with Ultra dipping to 34.6. This demonstrates the GPU’s raw power; it can still provide playable frame rates at 4K, but the settings must be adjusted to maintain smoothness. The GPU's performance in older DirectX APIs is relevant; its passmark_directx_11 score is 151, which is robust for a title from 2014 that likely uses DX11.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. At High settings, the combo achieves 79.3 FPS, which is well above the smooth threshold, while 1920x1080 on Ultra reaches 91.5 FPS, showing the game is also highly playable at 1080p.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25236, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-13620H (25201) and 0.5% higher than the AMD EPYC 9474F (25103). It is 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365).

Q: Is the GPU’s performance a limiting factor at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 1080p. The frame rates vary significantly with settings, from 190.9 FPS on Low to 91.5 FPS on Ultra. This variation shows the GPU’s rendering load is the main variable, with the CPU having ample headroom.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 3840x2160, the combo delivers 34.6 FPS on Ultra, which is borderline, but on Low settings it achieves 66.3 FPS, which is smooth. High settings yield 43 FPS, which is playable for a slower-paced shooter.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to the NVIDIA TITAN Xp?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 19402, which is 1.1% lower than the NVIDIA TITAN Xp’s score of 19184. This indicates the TITAN Xp is slightly faster in synthetic tests, but the 1080 Ti remains a very close competitor.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: For Minimum, this combination ranks 1039 out of 1733 tested combos. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, indicating it is a capable configuration for this title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how this combo scales. For the best experience, the goal is to maintain a frame rate at or above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the High settings preset is the optimal choice, delivering 121.9 FPS. This provides a significant visual improvement over Medium’s 147.4 FPS while still offering a frame rate that far exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors. The Ultra preset, at 91.5 FPS, is also viable, but the performance gain from High to Ultra does not justify the 25% reduction in frame rate for most users.

At 2560x1440, the High preset again proves to be the best balance, achieving 79.3 FPS. This offers a sharper image than 1080p while remaining comfortably above 60 FPS. The Medium preset is a safe fallback at 93.8 FPS if a user prefers maximum fluidity over visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 59.1 FPS is right at the threshold; it is playable, but any demanding scene could cause noticeable dips.

At 3840x2160, the priority shifts to maintaining playability. The Low preset, at 66.3 FPS, is the only setting that achieves a smooth 60+ FPS experience. The High preset at 43 FPS is acceptable for a game like Minimum, but it is not ideal for fast-paced combat. The Ultra preset at 34.6 FPS is not recommended for a consistent experience. Therefore, the data suggests that for 4K, users should select Low settings to ensure the most consistent and responsive gameplay, or accept the visual trade-offs of High for a more cinematic but less fluid experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti combination holds a rank of 1039 out of 1733 tested configurations in Minimum. This places it in the top 60% of all systems tested, a solid position for a pairing of a modern mid-range CPU with a previous-generation high-end GPU. The ranking reflects the balanced nature of the hardware; neither component severely bottlenecks the other, and the overall system performance is sufficient to deliver high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The GPU’s performance is the more significant factor in this ranking. With an average benchmark score of 19402, it is a capable card, but its 61st percentile standing shows it is not a top-tier performer by modern standards. The CPU, conversely, is in the 82nd percentile, meaning the system has significant untapped potential. In Minimum, this CPU headroom means the GPU is always the limiting factor, which is the expected and optimal configuration for a graphics-intensive task.

The rank of 1039 suggests that while this combo is far from the fastest, it is also not a low-end configuration. The measured FPS data confirms this. The ability to achieve over 120 FPS at 1080p High and over 79 FPS at 1440p High demonstrates that this system is well-equipped for the game. The rank is a holistic view of the system’s capability, and the data suggests that for a game released in 2014, this combo offers a level of performance that will satisfy most players, especially those with 1080p or 1440p monitors.