Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that scales predictably across resolutions, but the data for the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B370 reveals a configuration that is firmly GPU-limited at every setting. The measured frame rates show a steep drop as resolution increases, with the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrowing at 4K, indicating that the Arc B370's integrated-class performance is the primary bottleneck rather than the 14-core CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS degradation from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all quality presets. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 85 FPS at 1920x1080 to 55 FPS at 2560x1440, then down to 30 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 35% loss from 1080p to 1440p and another 45% loss from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is similar at Medium settings, where averages drop from 65 FPS at 1080p to 42 FPS at 1440p and 23 FPS at 4K. High settings show 55 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K.

The Ultra preset is the most punishing, starting at 42 FPS at 1080p, falling to 27 FPS at 1440p, and collapsing to 15 FPS at 4K. The scaling factor from 1080p to 4K is roughly 2.8x for Low (85 to 30), 2.8x for Medium (65 to 23), 2.9x for High (55 to 19), and 2.8x for Ultra (42 to 15). This near-uniform multiplier across settings strongly suggests the limiting component is the GPU's raw throughput, not the CPU or memory subsystem.

What is notable is that the percentage gap between Low and Ultra remains relatively constant at each resolution. At 1080p, Low is 102% faster than Ultra (85 vs 42). At 1440p, the gap is 104% (55 vs 27). At 4K, it narrows slightly to 100% (30 vs 15). This consistency implies the Arc B370's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the hard ceiling, and raising resolution simply scales the workload linearly without introducing a CPU-side stall. The i5-14600K, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is never the constraint here.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 30 on Low settings, which is borderline. Ultra at 4K averages only 15 FPS, and Medium averages 23 FPS with minimums as low as 19. These results indicate that 4K is not a viable resolution for this configuration, even for a 2014 title.

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay with this hardware?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets exceed 40 FPS on average. At 1080p, Low averages 85 FPS, Medium averages 65 FPS, High averages 55 FPS, and even Ultra averages 42 FPS. Dropping to 2560x1440 pushes Ultra below 30 FPS, so 1080p is clearly the intended operating point.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in raw benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% faster), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% faster), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% faster), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% slower). The Arc B370 is effectively in the same performance tier as these legacy parts.

Q: Does the i5-14600K's CPU performance hold up in this game?

A: Yes, but it is irrelevant to the outcome. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and single-core score of 2064 place it at the 90th percentile of all CPUs. However, the measured FPS numbers show no sign of CPU limitation, as frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution and settings changes. The GPU is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 85 FPS while Ultra averages 42 FPS, a difference of 43 FPS or roughly 102%. Medium sits at 65 FPS and High at 55 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 20 FPS, Medium to High costs 10 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 13 FPS.

Q: Is the Arc B370's shared memory a limiting factor?

A: The GPU uses System Shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, which is typical for an integrated-class part. Given that the GPU's 3DMark score is only 1184 and its nearest rivals are from 2010-2012, the memory architecture is consistent with its low overall performance tier. The data does not isolate memory as a separate bottleneck beyond the GPU's overall capability.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive component in this configuration. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it at just the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all legacy parts from over a decade ago. The GPU's specifications reinforce this picture: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, translating to 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

The Arc B370 is built on Intel's 3 nm process with the Xe3-LPG architecture, but its 25 W TDP and IGP slot width make clear it is designed for integrated use, not discrete gaming. The measured FPS data reflects this: even at 1080p Low, the average of 85 FPS is respectable for a 2014 title, but it is far from the triple-digit numbers a modern discrete GPU would produce. The fact that the GPU's percentile is 5 means it outperforms only a tiny fraction of the GPU population, which explains why 4K Ultra yields just 15 FPS.

The memory configuration is System Shared, meaning the GPU borrows from system RAM with bandwidth that is system-dependent. This is a common setup for integrated graphics and contributes to the overall performance ceiling. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is not a concern, but raw throughput is simply too low for high-resolution gaming. The 10 ray tracing cores are present but irrelevant at these frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings range is playable. Low averages 85 FPS, Medium averages 65 FPS with a minimum of 56 and maximum of 75, High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The data shows a smooth progression where each settings tier costs a predictable amount of performance. The gap between Low and Medium is 20 FPS, between Medium and High is 10 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 13 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly. Low averages 55 FPS, Medium averages 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 and maximum of 48, High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. At this resolution, only Low and Medium stay above 40 FPS on average, while High and Ultra fall below the 30 FPS threshold that many players consider a minimum for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes marginal across the board. Low averages 30 FPS, Medium averages 23 FPS with a minimum of 19 and maximum of 26, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches a comfortable 30 FPS average, and the minimums confirm that frame pacing suffers. The Medium preset's 19 FPS minimum means the experience will have noticeable hitches.

The measured data includes only one preset with min/max values (Medium at each resolution), but those values show a consistent pattern. At 1080p Medium, the spread is 56 to 75 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it narrows to 36 to 48 FPS. At 4K Medium, it tightens further to 19 to 26 FPS. This compression of the frame time distribution at higher resolutions is typical of a GPU that is fully saturated.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the data supports a clear recommendation. Low at 85 FPS is the smoothest option, but Medium at 65 FPS offers a substantial visual upgrade for only a 20 FPS penalty. High at 55 FPS is still playable and provides the best balance for players who prioritize image quality over raw frame rate. Ultra at 42 FPS is acceptable for a 2014 title, but the 13 FPS drop from High to Ultra is harder to justify than the 10 FPS drop from Medium to High.

At 2560x1440, the choices become more constrained. Low at 55 FPS is the only preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 50 FPS. Medium at 42 FPS is usable, but the 36 FPS minimum indicates occasional dips. High at 35 FPS and Ultra at 27 FPS are both below the 30 FPS average threshold for Ultra, making them poor choices for consistent gameplay.

For 3840x2160, no setting is truly recommendable. Low at 30 FPS is the only option that hits the 30 FPS average mark, and even that will feel inconsistent. Medium at 23 FPS, High at 19 FPS, and Ultra at 15 FPS are all below playable thresholds. Players who must use 4K should accept Low settings and expect a stuttery experience.

The practical takeaway is that this configuration's sweet spot is 1080p Medium or High. Medium offers 65 FPS with a documented range of 56 to 75 FPS, which is smooth for the game's era. High at 55 FPS is also viable and provides better visual fidelity. The i5-14600K has ample headroom, so the choice of preset should be dictated entirely by the Arc B370's limits.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on Raptor Lake architecture on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and it carries 24 MB of shared L3 cache plus 2 MB L2 per core. The CPU's benchmark results are strong: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 24491, single-core scores 2064, and Geekbench multi-core scores 16673 with single-core at 2491. It sits at the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618.

The nearest CPU rivals in average benchmark score are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, 0.2% faster), AMD EPYC 4345P (48470, 0.3% slower), Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (48287, 0.7% slower), and Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48995, 0.8% faster). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the i5-14600K is competitively positioned among modern desktop and server parts.

In the context of Minimum, however, the CPU's role is minimal. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the 85 FPS average is well within the CPU's capability, and the consistent scaling with resolution and settings points entirely to the GPU. The i5-14600K's 14 cores and 20 threads are far more than a 2014 third-person shooter requires, and the 125 W TDP with ECC memory support and DDR4/DDR5 compatibility make it a versatile platform.

The CPU's PassMark scores further illustrate its strength: multi-threaded performance at 38682, single-thread at 4270, physics at 2473, and integer math at 125737. The floating point math score of 92794 and data compression of 482020 show a well-rounded processor. None of these figures translate into higher FPS in Minimum because the Arc B370 cannot feed the CPU enough frames to saturate it. The data suggests that even a much weaker CPU would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game at these settings.