Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers a robust experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but offers exceptional headroom at 1080p. The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache. This configuration supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel bus, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

The processor’s benchmark scores place it in the 88th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and single-core score of 3093 show a balanced capability for both threaded and single-threaded workloads. In the Geekbench suite, it scores 11209 multi-core and 2333 single-core. The PassMark multithread score is 25783, while the single-thread score is 3723, with a physics score of 1594. The data from these synthetic tests suggests a processor that will not bottleneck the GPU in most gaming scenarios, particularly in a title from 2014. In the context of its nearest rivals, the i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508, placing it virtually identical to the Intel Core i7-12800H, which scores 32513, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, which scores 32446. The delta percentage against these rivals is a mere 0.2%, indicating that performance is on par with these parts despite being a desktop chip with a different core configuration. The i5-14400F is slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H, both of which have an average score of 32584 and 32586, respectively, with a delta of -0.2%.

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

The i5-14400F’s core and clock configuration plays a significant role in the measured frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU has more influence. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 267.9 FPS. This high frame rate, which far exceeds standard display refresh rates, indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with a massive number of draw calls and game logic updates. The boost clock of 4.70 GHz is crucial for this scenario, as Minimum likely relies on single-threaded performance for its core game logic. The strong single-core Cinebench R23 score of 3093 supports this, showing the CPU can handle the primary game thread efficiently.

As the resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes relative to the GPU. However, the data still shows a consistent performance scaling that suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor even at 1440p. At 1440p Low, the average FPS is 172.3, a significant drop from the 1080p Low result. This drop is not due to CPU limitations but rather the increased pixel throughput required from the GPU. The processor’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache is also a relevant factor. It allows for faster access to frequently used data, which can benefit frame pacing and minimum frame rates in a fast-paced shooter. The combination of 10 cores and 16 threads ensures that background tasks and any multi-threaded game systems do not interfere with the main rendering pipeline. While the core count is high for a game from 2014, it provides a vast amount of headroom, ensuring the game never experiences a CPU-side stall. The processor’s performance in the PassMark integer math test, scoring 81964, is high, which is indicative of strong general-purpose compute that can handle game physics and AI calculations.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the dominant component in this pairing, with its performance becoming the primary determinant of frame rates as resolution and settings increase. The GPU is built on the Ampere architecture with an 8 nm process and uses the GA102 chip, which contains 28,300 million transistors. It features 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. The RTX 3080 has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz. Memory is a crucial aspect, with 10 GB of GDDR6X running on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This substantial memory bandwidth is critical for high-resolution textures and is a key reason why the GPU can maintain playable frame rates at 4K.

The GPU’s raw compute power is substantial, with an FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s. These specifications translate directly into the measured FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 47.7, which is below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience. This shows that even a powerful GPU like the RTX 3080 is challenged by the highest settings at 4K in Minimum. However, at 1080p Ultra, the GPU achieves an average of 130 FPS, demonstrating its ability to handle the game’s most demanding visuals at lower resolutions. The GPU’s performance is further evidenced by its PassMark G3D score of 25086, which places it in the 80th percentile of all GPUs. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 4407, and in Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 167014. These benchmarks confirm that the 3080 is a high-end part, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro Duo with an average score of 35860, a delta of -0.2%, and the AMD Radeon 880M with a score of 35646, a delta of 0.4%. The RTX 3080 also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile, which scores 35435, a delta of 1%.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions provides a clear picture of system scaling and bottleneck identification. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 168.9 at 1080p to 109.5 at 1440p, and finally to 60 at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. The consistent decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the workload scales directly with pixel count. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. With Low settings, the FPS drops from 267.9 at 1080p to 172.3 at 1440p, a 36% decrease, and then to 92.5 at 4K, a 46% decrease. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 130 at 1080p to 81.3 at 1440p (37% decrease) and then to 47.7 at 4K (41% decrease). The relative consistency of these percentage drops across settings is a hallmark of a GPU-bound system. The CPU is delivering frames fast enough that the GPU’s rendering time is the only variable changing. The 4K results, particularly at Ultra, show the limits of the RTX 3080. The 47.7 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a significant drop from the 60 FPS at 4K High, showing that the jump from High to Ultra has a notable performance cost. This data suggests that for a fixed 60 FPS target at 4K, the High preset is the maximum playable setting, while at 1440p, all presets are playable, with Ultra still averaging over 80 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the comprehensive benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 555th out of 1733 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the top 32% of all systems tested. This ranking is a strong indicator of overall performance, but it is essential to interpret it in the context of the game’s age and the hardware’s relative power. The rank of 555 suggests that while this combo is capable of high frame rates, there are many other systems with more powerful CPUs and GPUs that achieve higher average frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions.

The ranking reflects the balance of the system. The RTX 3080 is a high-end GPU, but the i5-14400F, while strong, is a mid-range processor in the broader landscape. For a game as old as Minimum, the GPU is likely the sole determinant of high-refresh-rate performance at 1080p. The fact that the combo is in the 555th position out of 1733 suggests that the 1080p frame rates, while high, are not record-breaking when compared to systems with top-tier GPUs like the RTX 4090. The data indicates that the combo is more competitive at higher resolutions where the GPU’s capabilities are more fully utilized. At 4K, the system’s performance is likely closer to the median of the tested combos, as the resolution normalizes the playing field and reduces the impact of the CPU. The rank is a holistic number, but the resolution-specific data provides a more nuanced view of where this combo excels.

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

Given the measured data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a 1080p display with a 144 Hz or 240 Hz refresh rate, the Ultra preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 130 FPS, which is high enough to take advantage of fast refresh rates and provides the best visual fidelity. The High preset also offers excellent performance at 168.9 FPS, but the visual upgrade to Ultra is generally worth the frame rate trade-off if the display supports it. For 1440p users, the Ultra preset is still a viable option, with an average of 81.3 FPS. This is ideal for a 144 Hz monitor, providing a smooth and responsive experience. The High preset at 1440p, with 109.5 FPS, is also excellent and could be preferred for those who want to ensure frame rates stay well above 100 FPS.

The 4K resolution presents a more critical choice. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as the average of 47.7 FPS falls below the standard 60 FPS target and would result in a less fluid experience. The High preset is the optimal choice for 4K, as it achieves an average of 60 FPS, which is the baseline for console-quality smoothness. This setting balances visual quality with performance, ensuring the game remains playable without major compromises. The Medium preset at 4K offers a higher average of 69.9 FPS, which could be used to provide a safety margin for demanding scenes, but it does so at a noticeable visual cost. For those with a G-Sync or FreeSync display, the High preset at 4K is the sweet spot, as it sits right at the 60 FPS mark. In summary, the data suggests that the Ultra preset is the best experience for 1080p and 1440p, while the High preset is the recommended choice for 4K to maintain a consistent 60 FPS.