Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB places at rank 1432 out of 3712 tested combinations for Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. This position, roughly in the 38th percentile of all tested combos, indicates a system that is competent but not exceptional for this title, with performance characteristics that shift predictably across resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1432 out of 3712 places it in the upper-middle tier of all hardware pairings tested for Minimum. This positioning suggests the system is far from the top performers, but it is also clearly above the median, as the percentile shows it outperforms more than 60% of tested configurations. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is a significant bottleneck at most settings, though the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Benchmark results indicate the CPU is a strong contributor to this ranking. The Core i5-14400F sits in the 83rd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% ahead), Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% ahead), AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.2% behind), and Intel Core i7-12800H (0.5% ahead). These tiny margins show the i5-14400F is essentially performance-equivalent to those processors in synthetic benchmarks, despite being a desktop part.

The GPU, however, is a weaker link in the chain. The RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB sits in only the 19th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2913. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell SFF (0.1% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB (0.2% ahead), NVIDIA Quadro P600 (0.3% behind), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4010 (0.7% ahead). The data shows the GPU is not a high-end performer relative to the wider GPU landscape, which explains why the combo does not break into the top echelons of the ranking.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB serves as the primary rendering engine in this pairing, and its specifications directly shape the measured frame rates in Minimum. The card features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for the game's age and graphical complexity, though the 8 GB capacity can become a constraint at higher resolutions when texture detail increases.

Clock speeds are notable: the base clock runs at 2310 MHz and boosts to 2535 MHz. These are relatively high frequencies for the Ada Lovelace architecture, helping the card compensate for its narrower memory bus. The GPU also brings 4352 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units, along with 34 ray tracing cores and 136 tensor cores. The FP32 throughput of 22.06 TFLOPS indicates solid raw compute power for a mid-range card.

In Minimum, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the card delivers frame rates that are high enough to suggest the CPU is doing more work relative to the GPU. At 1440p and 4K, the frame rate drops align more closely with what the GPU's raw specifications would suggest, indicating the card is becoming the limiting component. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for all presets tested, but the data shows diminishing returns as settings move from Low to Ultra.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High provides a strong balance, delivering 97 average FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. At 1080p, frame rates are higher, but 1440p offers better visual fidelity without dropping below playable levels.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, Ultra yields 115 average FPS versus 150 for High, a 23% drop. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 74 FPS from 97 for High, a 24% reduction. At 4K, Ultra produces 40 FPS versus 52 for High, a 23% decrease. The relative penalty is consistent across resolutions.

*Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Minimum?*

A: Yes, the measured data shows no VRAM-related stutters or crashes at any setting. The game is from 2014, and 8 GB is more than adequate for its texture requirements, even at 4K Ultra where the average FPS drops to 40 for other reasons.

Q: How does this combo's CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i5-14400F scores 32279 on average benchmarks, which is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900, 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS, and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H. These are negligible differences.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest measured average is 40 FPS at 4K Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 53 FPS at 4K Medium settings, which means the game stays playable even under load.

Q: Does the game run smoothly at 4K with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 81 FPS. At Medium it drops to 62 FPS, High to 52 FPS, and Ultra to 40 FPS. For consistent 60 FPS gameplay, 4K Medium or lower is required.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Minimum show a clear hierarchy based on resolution and settings. At 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates. The Low preset delivers 234 average FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. Medium drops to 179 FPS with minimums of 152 and maximums of 206. High runs at 150 average FPS, while Ultra still manages a solid 115 average FPS. These numbers indicate the game is very playable at 1080p with any preset.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show the GPU starting to work harder. Low yields 151 average FPS, which is still excellent. Medium produces 115 FPS with a range of 98 to 133. High drops to 97 average FPS, and Ultra falls to 74 average FPS. All of these are above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 4K, the performance envelope tightens considerably. Low settings produce 81 average FPS, which is still acceptable. Medium drops to 62 average FPS with minimums of 53 and maximums of 72, which is borderline for smooth play. High falls to 52 average FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 40 average FPS. The data shows that 4K is only viable at lower presets for this combination.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck in this system. At Low settings, the progression is 234 FPS at 1080p, 151 FPS at 1440p, and 81 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 46% drop from 1440p to 4K. The steep decline indicates the GPU is under increasing load as pixel count rises.

At High settings, the numbers are 150 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 46% from 1440p to 4K, which is nearly identical to the Low preset scaling. This consistency suggests the GPU is the primary limiter across all settings, as the proportional penalty does not change with preset.

The data indicates the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 234 FPS, which is high enough to suggest the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. The 10-core, 16-thread i5-14400F with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz provides ample processing power for a 2014 title. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's 288.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB memory become more limiting, causing the frame rates to scale down more aggressively.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combo in Minimum depends on the target resolution. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it delivers 115 average FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay while providing maximum visual quality. The High preset at 150 FPS is also viable for users who prefer higher refresh rates, but the drop to Ultra is acceptable given the game's age.

At 1440p, the High preset offers the best balance. It produces 97 average FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS, and the visual quality is higher than Medium. Ultra at 74 FPS is also playable, but the 24% performance penalty compared to High may not justify the visual gain in a fast-paced third-person shooter. Medium at 115 FPS is the choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

For 4K, the Medium preset is the highest viable option, delivering 62 average FPS with minimums of 53 FPS. Low at 81 FPS is smoother but sacrifices visual fidelity. High at 52 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in less responsive gameplay. The data shows that 4K Medium is the sweet spot for this resolution, offering a playable experience without dropping to Low.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, running on a 10 nm process node. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration provides strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance for a 2014 game.

Benchmark results show the CPU is capable of handling the game's demands without becoming a bottleneck. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and single-core score of 3055 indicate robust processing power. The Geekbench multi-core score of 11268 and single-core score of 2058 further confirm this. PassMark results show a multi-thread score of 25470 and a single-thread score of 3701.

The data suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor in Minimum. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 234 FPS, which is high enough that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking against all CPUs means it outperforms most processors on the market, and its nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its average score. The i5-14400F provides more than enough headroom for this title, allowing the GPU to dictate the frame rate ceiling. The CPU's 16 threads are more than sufficient for a game from 2014, and the 4.70 GHz boost clock ensures responsive frame pacing.