Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination delivers exceptional performance in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. Benchmark results show this pairing is capable of high refresh-rate gaming even at 4K, with the data indicating a strong balance between the 14-core CPU and the 16 GB GPU. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all resolutions and settings reveal that this combo is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures no bottleneck at lower settings.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, which are critical for a game like Minimum that relies on consistent frame pacing. The processor’s benchmark scores place it in the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166. In synthetic tests, its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 and multi-core score of 32881 indicate robust performance, but the game’s results suggest that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor.

The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 327.8 FPS, a figure that heavily relies on the CPU's ability to feed the GPU quickly. The i5-14600K’s single-thread capability, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2803 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4270, provides ample headroom. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14600K trails the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X by only 0.2% in average score (49062 vs. 49166), while it is 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367). This marginal difference in raw CPU power does not translate into measurable FPS variations in Minimum, as the game’s engine appears to favor high clock speeds over core count.

At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 58.5, which is a clear sign that the CPU is not the bottleneck; instead, the graphics card is struggling to maintain frame rates. The processor’s L3 cache of 24 MB (shared) and support for DDR4/DDR5 memory ensure that data feeding is not a constraint. Given that the CPU’s avgBenchmarkScore of 49166 is within 1% of its rivals, the benchmark results indicate that the i5-14600K provides more than enough computational power for this title, allowing the GPU to be the primary determinant of performance.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2610 MHz and base clock of 2340 MHz are key to its performance, as is its FP32 compute power of 44.10 TFLOPS. The GPU sits in the 86th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48704. In Passmark tests, it scores 31811 in G3D and 18372 in GPU compute, which are strong indicators of its rasterization capabilities.

The GPU’s memory capacity is particularly relevant for Minimum at high resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages 58.5 FPS, while at 4K High it reaches 71.1 FPS, showing that the 16 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s demands, but the rendering load is heavy. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, has an average score of 49071, which is 0.7% higher, while the RTX A2000 is 1.6% lower at 47915. These small deltas in synthetic scores do not reflect the real-world advantage the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has in gaming, as the measured FPS demonstrates.

The data reveals that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions above 1080p. For instance, at 1440p Ultra, the FPS drops to 102.6 from 161.5 at 1080p Ultra, a reduction of approximately 36%, which aligns with the increased pixel count. The GPU’s 44.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is pushed to its limits at 4K, where even at Medium settings the average FPS is 88.5. The 16 GB VRAM ensures no texture swapping issues, but the raw compute power dictates the frame rates, making the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER the primary driver of the combo’s results.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K, which identifies the GPU as the bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 327.8 at 1080p to 211.5 at 1440p, a decrease of 35.5%, and then to 113.9 at 4K, a further drop of 46.1% from 1440p. This scaling is consistent with GPU-bound performance, as the CPU’s capability remains constant while the rendering load increases.

At Ultra settings, the trend is similar but more pronounced. The FPS falls from 161.5 at 1080p to 102.6 at 1440p (a 36.5% drop) and then to 58.5 at 4K (a 43% drop from 1440p). The relative consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the game’s engine scales predictably with resolution, and the limiting factor is the GPU’s fill rate and compute throughput. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, which is not the case here.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the combo is still partially CPU-bound, as evidenced by the massive 327.8 FPS at Low settings, which exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting component, with the FPS dropping to 58.5 at Ultra, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This resolution scaling analysis confirms that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the performance ceiling, while the i5-14600K provides ample headroom for future GPU upgrades without becoming a bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the benchmark database, this combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 198th out of 1733 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the top 11.4% of all configurations, which is a strong result given the game’s age and the high number of possible hardware pairings. The rank reflects the combo’s ability to deliver high frame rates, particularly at 1440p and below, where it achieves over 100 FPS even at Ultra settings.

The combo’s rank is driven by the GPU’s performance, as the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s avgBenchmarkScore of 48704 is significantly higher than the CPU’s 49166, but the latter is not the limiting factor. The data shows that the combo outperforms many configurations with higher-end CPUs but weaker GPUs, confirming that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the key differentiator. The 198th rank out of 1733 combos reflects the balance of this pairing, as it delivers playable frame rates at 4K (58.5 FPS at Ultra) while excelling at lower resolutions.

Compared to the GPU’s nearest rivals, this combo’s performance is consistent with expectations. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is 0.7% behind the NVIDIA CMP 50HX in average score, but the latter is a compute-focused card not suited for gaming. The 2% delta with the Intel Arc A550M (49737) shows that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is competitive, but its real-world advantage in Minimum is evident in the measured FPS, which is why this combo ranks highly. The benchmark results indicate that users with this pairing can expect a top-tier experience, with the combo rank serving as a reliable indicator of its overall capability.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Minimum?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 327.8 at 1920x1080 with Low settings, indicating the CPU’s strong performance at lower resolutions.

*Q: Is the combo capable of 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 71.1, and at Medium it is 88.5, though Ultra drops to 58.5.

Q: How does the i5-14600K compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 49166, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062) and 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367).

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration and bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 198th out of 1733 tested combos, placing it in the top 11.4% of all configurations.

Q: At what resolution does the combo achieve over 200 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 327.8, and at 2560x1440 with Low settings, it is 211.5.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the benchmark data suggests using High settings at 1440p. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 137.6 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors. This provides a smooth experience without the significant FPS penalty of Ultra settings, which drop to 102.6 FPS at the same resolution.

At 4K, High settings are the recommended choice, as they deliver 71.1 FPS, which is playable and visually rich. Medium settings at 4K yield 88.5 FPS, but the jump to High only costs 17.4 FPS, making it a worthwhile trade-off for better fidelity. Ultra settings at 4K should be avoided, as the 58.5 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. For competitive play at 1080p, Low settings provide the highest frame rates at 327.8 FPS, but Medium settings at 250.9 FPS offer a better visual experience without sacrificing much performance.

The data indicates that High is the sweet spot for this combo across all resolutions, as it provides the best performance-per-visual-quality ratio. At 1080p High, the 209.4 FPS average is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate display, while at 1440p High, the 137.6 FPS is ideal for 144 Hz monitors. Users prioritizing maximum frame rates should opt for Low or Medium settings, but the measured results show that High is the recommended preset for the best overall experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates, with Low settings achieving an average of 327.8 FPS. Medium settings follow at 250.9 FPS, High at 209.4 FPS, and Ultra at 161.5 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 50.7% performance drop, indicating that the GPU is fully utilized at higher settings.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS decreases across all settings. Low settings yield 211.5 FPS, Medium 159.6 FPS, High 137.6 FPS, and Ultra 102.6 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with Low losing 35.5% of its performance, while Ultra loses 36.5%, confirming GPU-bound behavior.

At 3840x2160, the performance is heavily constrained by the GPU. Low settings achieve 113.9 FPS, Medium 88.5 FPS, High 71.1 FPS, and Ultra 58.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 55.4 FPS, which is a 48.6% reduction, showing that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the limiting factor at 4K. These exact numbers highlight the combo’s strengths at lower resolutions and its limitations at 4K Ultra, where it barely misses the 60 FPS mark.