Minimum

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Minimum across the three tested resolutions reveal a classic GPU-bound scaling curve, though the shape changes dramatically depending on the quality preset. At 1080p with Low settings, the combination of an Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 produces 376.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 241.5 FPS, a 35.8% reduction, and at 4K the average falls to 128.7 FPS, which is 65.8% below the 1080p figure. This steep decline is the signature of a system pushing raw pixel throughput, with the RTX 5080's engine doing the heavy lifting.

The scaling pattern shifts noticeably when the preset is raised to High. At 1080p High, the system delivers 240.8 FPS. At 1440p High, that number drops to 155.1 FPS, and at 4K High it settles at 81.3 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 66.2%, nearly identical to the Low preset's 65.8% decline. This consistency suggests that even at lower quality settings, the GPU remains the primary constraint; the CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads are not the limiting factor here, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding 4K Ultra result of 65 FPS is still far above what would indicate a CPU bottleneck.

The Ultra preset tells the most interesting story for resolution scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the system hits 184.1 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 121.1 FPS, a 34.2% drop. At 4K Ultra, the average is 65 FPS, which is 64.7% below the 1080p figure. The near-constant percentage loss across all four presets—hovering around 65-66% from 1080p to 4K—is a strong indicator that the RTX 5080's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 256-bit bus are being utilized consistently, with no sudden capacity or bandwidth cliff appearing as resolution climbs. The data shows a well-behaved, predictable scaling model where each resolution step imposes a similar relative cost regardless of the visual complexity being rendered.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the undisputed performance driver in this pairing, and its specifications align with the measured results. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node from TSMC. Its 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs provide the raw compute necessary to sustain the high frame rates observed. The 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die give a transistor density of 120.6M per mm², which explains the GPU's ability to maintain such high throughput in a 360 W thermal envelope.

Memory configuration plays a critical role in the 4K results. The 16 GB frame buffer of GDDR7 memory runs at an effective 30 Gbps, delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth across a 256-bit bus. This is sufficient for the Ultra preset at 4K, where the average FPS of 65 represents a 20.1% drop from the High preset's 81.3 FPS at the same resolution. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K (16.3 FPS) is larger than the gap between Medium and High (20.4 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional visual features place a disproportionate load on the GPU's pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 56.28 TFLOPS, with FP16 running at the same 1:1 ratio, provides ample compute headroom for the game's shader complexity.

In the broader benchmark context, the RTX 5080 achieves an average benchmark score of 59188, placing it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A570M, scores 58239, a delta of 1.6% in favor of the RTX 5080. The Intel Arc Pro A60 sits 1.9% higher at 60326, while the Intel Arc A580 trails by 2.5% at 57756. These margins are tight, but the RTX 5080's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8637 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 257942 demonstrate strengths that translate directly to the measured FPS in Minimum. The GPU's dual-slot design, 304 mm length, and single 16-pin power connector with a 750 W suggested PSU are physical characteristics that support sustained performance in this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K serves as the supporting actor in this configuration, and the benchmark data suggests it is never the limiting component. The processor features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its Raptor Lake-R architecture on a 10 nm process from Intel includes a 24 MB shared L3 cache, along with 80 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 per core. The 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a flexible desktop part, but in Minimum, its role is to feed the RTX 5080 without becoming a bottleneck.

Evidence of CPU headroom is visible in the frame rate deltas between presets. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 376.2 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 184.1 FPS. If the CPU were the constraint, the Low preset would show a ceiling that persists across higher resolutions. Instead, the 1080p Low result is 95.9% higher than the 4K Low result, proving that the GPU is the scaling factor. The CPU's multi-threaded performance, as measured by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32881 and a Geekbench multicore score of 15846, provides ample processing power for the game's physics and AI workloads, which are modest for a 2014 third-person shooter.

The CPU's single-thread performance is equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2803. This matters for Minimum because older game engines often rely heavily on a single primary thread. The Passmark single-thread score of 4270 confirms this strength. In the nearest rivals comparison, the i5-14600K's average benchmark score of 49166 places it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X at 49062, and 1% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H at 48698. It trails the Intel Core i5-14600KF by 0.4% at 49367 and the AMD EPYC 4345P by 0.9% at 49595. These margins are negligible, reinforcing that the CPU is not the differentiator in this game's performance profile.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience across different display resolutions. At 1080p, every preset delivers excellent playability. The Low preset's 376.2 FPS is far beyond what any display can show, while the Ultra preset's 184.1 FPS still leaves substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 290.4 FPS and High at 240.8 FPS both sit comfortably above the 144 Hz threshold, so users with 1080p panels should select Ultra to maximize visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts toward High as the sweet spot. The High preset's 155.1 FPS clears the 144 Hz mark with room to spare, while Ultra drops to 121.1 FPS—still playable but below the threshold for maximum refresh on many monitors. Medium at 187.8 FPS and Low at 241.5 FPS are viable for competitive play, but the visual compromise is unnecessary given the GPU's capability. The data indicates that High at 1440p offers the best balance of fidelity and performance, with a 28.1% improvement over Ultra's frame rate.

For 4K, the choice becomes more nuanced. The High preset at 81.3 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it provides a smooth experience on 60 Hz displays and approaches the 90 FPS threshold for some VRR panels. Ultra at 65 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced play but shows a 20.1% performance penalty over High. Medium at 101.7 FPS is the best option for users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, while Low at 128.7 FPS is reserved for maximum responsiveness. The 4K Ultra result of 65 FPS, while lower, still demonstrates that the RTX 5080 can handle the game's highest settings at 4K, making High the default recommendation with Ultra as a viable option for those who prefer image quality over raw speed.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Minimum with this hardware?*

A: At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 184.1 FPS, making it the clear choice. At 1440p, High at 155.1 FPS balances quality and speed. At 4K, High at 81.3 FPS is recommended, with Medium at 101.7 FPS as a faster alternative.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: The drop is consistent across presets. At Low settings, 1080p yields 376.2 FPS and 4K yields 128.7 FPS, a 65.8% reduction. At Ultra, 1080p yields 184.1 FPS and 4K yields 65 FPS, a 64.7% reduction.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint. The frame rate drops proportionally with resolution increases, and the CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads with a 5.30 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom, as evidenced by the 376.2 FPS 1080p Low result.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080 scores 59188 on average, placing it 1.6% above the Intel Arc A570M at 58239 and 2.5% above the Intel Arc A580 at 57756. It trails the Intel Arc Pro A60 by 1.9% at 60326.

Q: What settings should I use for competitive play at 1440p?

A: For maximum frame rates, Low at 241.5 FPS is the fastest option. However, Medium at 187.8 FPS provides a substantial visual upgrade while still exceeding 144 Hz, making it the recommended competitive preset.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with all settings maxed?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 65 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 81.3 FPS provides additional headroom for those who prefer a higher frame rate over maximum visual fidelity.