Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter, and the data for the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D shows a combination that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The benchmark results reveal a system capable of extreme frame rates at lower resolutions, while 4K Ultra becomes the first scenario to challenge the hardware meaningfully. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data to interpret where the performance ceiling lies and how each component contributes to the overall experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 396 FPS at 1920x1080 to 149 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 62%. This dramatic scaling is typical for a game where the workload is heavily pixel-bound, and it clearly shows the RTX 5090 D’s raw throughput being taxed by the 4K resolution even when visual effects are minimized.

The Medium preset tells a similar story, with average FPS dropping from 329 at 1080p to 212 at 1440p, and then further down to 114 at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is about 36%, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is about 46%, showing that the cost of each additional pixel increases as resolution climbs. For High settings, the progression is 276 FPS at 1080p, 178 FPS at 1440p, and 96 FPS at 4K, with the largest relative drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. This pattern suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are stretched thin at 4K, whereas the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

Ultra settings amplify this trend, with average FPS plummeting from 210 at 1080p to 136 at 1440p and then to 73 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration where the average frame rate dips below 100, and the gap between 1440p and 4K is a massive 46% reduction. This indicates that at Ultra quality, the combination of higher resolution and demanding effects creates a bottleneck almost entirely within the GPU. The scaling data points to a system that can deliver over 200 FPS at 1080p on any preset, but at 4K, only the Low preset manages to exceed 140 FPS, making resolution the dominant factor in performance variability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the workhorse in this pairing, and its specifications align with the measured results. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for handling the large texture loads and high pixel counts at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock is rated at 2407 MHz, and its 21,760 shading units are tasked with processing the game’s geometry and effects. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the GPU is so powerful that it pushes 396 FPS, suggesting that the CPU may be nearing its limit in that specific scenario.

At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 73 is a clear sign that the GPU is fully saturated. The RTX 5090 D’s 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate are impressive on paper, but the measured results show that even this hardware struggles to maintain high frame rates at the most demanding settings. The GPU’s 176 ROPs contribute to the pixel fill rate of 423.6 GPixel/s, yet the 4K Ultra result indicates that raw pixel throughput is not the sole bottleneck; the complexity of the Ultra preset’s shaders and post-processing effects also plays a significant role.

The benchmark scores for the RTX 5090 D reinforce its position as a top-tier card, with a Passmark G3D score of 44,065 and a percentile ranking of 92 among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT with a 1.1% delta and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at -1.6%, but these comparisons are based on average benchmark scores, not in-game performance. In Minimum, the GPU’s role is clear: it dominates at lower resolutions, delivering over 270 FPS at 1080p High, but its capabilities are tested at 4K, where the frame rate drops to 73 FPS at Ultra, showing that the game’s visual demands can still overwhelm even a flagship graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 37th out of 3,712 tested combos in Minimum. This top 1% placement indicates that the pairing is exceptionally well-suited for this game, outperforming the vast majority of other hardware configurations. The rank is a composite measure that considers both the CPU and GPU’s ability to deliver frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, and the data shows that this combo excels particularly in the 1080p and 1440p ranges.

Given that the RTX 5090 D is the newer and more powerful component, it likely drives this high ranking, while the i5-14400F provides sufficient support to avoid becoming a major bottleneck. The combo’s position at 37 out of 3,712 suggests that only 36 other combinations of CPUs and GPUs can deliver better overall performance in this title. This is a strong result, especially considering that the GPU is paired with a mid-range processor rather than a flagship CPU, indicating that Minimum is not heavily CPU-dependent at most settings.

The ranking also reflects the consistency of the measured data across all 12 FPS data points. While the 4K Ultra result of 73 FPS is lower than some might expect from such a high-end GPU, the combo’s exceptional performance at 1080p and 1440p, where it exceeds 136 FPS on every preset, is enough to secure a top-tier position. The rank of 37 out of 3,712 means that this pairing is in the 99th percentile of all tested combinations, a clear statement of its capability in this specific game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results are uniformly high across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 396 FPS, which is the highest recorded score in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 329 FPS with a minimum of 280 FPS and a maximum of 379 FPS, showing that even the minimum frame rate is well above any display’s refresh rate. High settings average 276 FPS, while Ultra settings still manage a robust 210 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 186 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU has enormous headroom at this resolution, and the CPU is capable of feeding it frames without issue.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally playable. Low settings average 277 FPS, Medium averages 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 FPS and a maximum of 244 FPS, High averages 178 FPS, and Ultra averages 136 FPS. The drop from 1080p is noticeable but not dramatic, with the largest relative decrease occurring at Ultra, where the frame rate falls by 35% from 210 FPS to 136 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this combo, as it maintains over 130 FPS even on the highest preset.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a more significant challenge. Low settings average 149 FPS, which is still very playable, but Medium averages 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS, indicating that the frame rate can dip close to 100 FPS under load. High settings average 96 FPS, and Ultra averages 73 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 4K is substantial, with the Ultra preset losing nearly half its frame rate. The 4K results indicate that the GPU’s capabilities are the limiting factor, as the CPU has already demonstrated it can push over 200 FPS at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Minimum?

A: The highest average FPS is 396, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra compared to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 73, while at 1080p Ultra it is 210, representing a 65% reduction in performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 180, with an average of 212 FPS and a maximum of 244 FPS.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among all tested combinations in this game?

A: Yes, the combo ranks 37th out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it in the top 1% of all configurations.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded across all resolution and settings combinations?

A: The lowest average FPS is 73, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo achieve its highest minimum FPS?

A: The highest minimum FPS is 280, recorded at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory position it as a capable mid-range CPU, and the benchmark results show that it is not a significant bottleneck in Minimum. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21,645 and single-core score of 3,055 indicate strong performance, but in this game, the data suggests that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates.

The evidence for this lies in the resolution scaling: at 1080p Low, the frame rate reaches 396 FPS, which is close to the limit of what any CPU can feed to a GPU, but at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 73 FPS, which is far below the CPU’s capability. This indicates that the CPU has ample headroom to handle the game’s physics and AI at higher resolutions, while the GPU’s rendering workload becomes the limiting factor. The CPU’s 65W TDP and 10 nm process node make it an efficient choice, but its performance is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5090 D in most scenarios.

The CPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and the Intel Core i9-11900, both within 0.2% of its average score. In Minimum, the CPU’s role is to ensure that the GPU is not starved of data, and the measured FPS numbers indicate that this is achieved. The 4K results, where the average FPS drops below 100, are a clear sign that the GPU’s rendering capabilities, not the CPU’s processing power, are the limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. For 1080p displays, any settings preset will deliver an exceptional experience, with even Ultra settings averaging 210 FPS. The Medium preset offers a balanced choice, with an average of 329 FPS and a minimum of 280 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. For players with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, the Low preset at 396 FPS provides the maximum possible frame rate, though the visual quality reduction may not be worth the extra 67 FPS over Medium.

At 1440p, the data suggests that High settings provide a strong balance, averaging 178 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors. The Ultra preset at 136 FPS is also viable, but the 42 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the added visual fidelity for competitive play. The Medium preset at 212 FPS is the best choice for players seeking the highest frame rates without sacrificing too much visual quality, as it maintains a minimum of 180 FPS.

For 4K, the recommendations change significantly. The Low preset at 149 FPS is the only option that guarantees frame rates above 144 Hz, making it the choice for competitive play on high-refresh-rate 4K monitors. The Medium preset at 114 FPS is still playable, with a minimum of 97 FPS, and offers a better visual experience than Low. The High preset at 96 FPS is borderline for 60 Hz displays but may struggle on 120 Hz panels, while the Ultra preset at 73 FPS is only suitable for cinematic, single-player experiences where frame rate is less critical. The data indicates that for the best overall experience at 4K, the Medium preset strikes the right balance between visual quality and performance, as it delivers an average of 114 FPS with a minimum that stays above 90 FPS.