Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER produces a predictable bottleneck profile in Minimum: the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution and settings level. The measured data shows a steep performance curve as resolution climbs, with the gap between Low and Ultra presets widening significantly at 4K. This combo ranks 1528th out of 1733 tested combinations in this title, placing it in the lower percentile of systems. The following analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the measured frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 132.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 47.1 FPS at 3840x2160 — a reduction of 85.3 FPS, or roughly 64% of the 1080p performance. At Ultra settings, the decline is even more dramatic in relative terms: 63 FPS at 1080p collapses to 22.7 FPS at 4K, a 64% loss that leaves the game barely playable.

The scaling pattern between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling. At High settings, 2560x1440 delivers 56.4 FPS, but 3840x2160 drops to 27.1 FPS — almost exactly half. Medium settings show the same halving trend: 64.4 FPS at 1440p falls to 34.2 FPS at 4K. This linear relationship indicates the GPU is saturating its memory bandwidth and shader throughput well before the CPU becomes a constraint. The GTX 1660 SUPER's 336.0 GB/s bandwidth and 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 performance are simply insufficient for 4K rendering in this title.

At 1080p, the picture is healthier. Low settings hit 132.4 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions. However, the 14-core, 20-thread i5-14600KF with a 5.30 GHz boost clock is unlikely to be the bottleneck here; the data shows the GPU still dominates the performance ceiling. The transition from 1080p Low to 1080p Ultra costs 69.4 FPS (132.4 to 63), a 52% drop that highlights how much the graphics card struggles with higher-quality rendering even at the most common resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination sits at rank 1528 out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems evaluated. The percentile positioning is poor, but context matters: the GTX 1660 SUPER is an end-of-life product from the GeForce 10-series generation, while the i5-14600KF is a current desktop part. The mismatch is stark — the CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 55th percentile against all GPUs.

The measured frame rates align with this ranking. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 63 FPS, which is playable but not exceptional. The 4K Ultra result of 22.7 FPS is firmly in slideshow territory. The data suggests this system was likely assembled with a future GPU upgrade in mind, as the processor's headroom is substantial relative to the graphics card's output.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals shows the i5-14600KF is competitive on paper, but that does not translate to gaming performance with this GPU. The CPU's average benchmark score of 49367 is 0.4% above the Intel Core i5-14600K (49166) and 0.6% above the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062), yet the frame rates in Minimum are entirely GPU-bound. The GPU's average score of 14286 is 0.2% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14314) and 0.5% below the AMD Radeon Vega 11 (14352), which explains why the gaming results cluster near the bottom of the combo rankings.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER's specifications directly explain its performance ceiling in Minimum. The 6 GB GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p but strained at higher resolutions. The base clock of 1530 MHz and boost clock of 1785 MHz are modest by modern standards, and the 1408 shading units must process every pixel in the scene.

At 4K, the GPU's 48 ROPs and 85.68 GPixel/s pixel rate become the limiting factor. The data shows 4K High at 27.1 FPS and 4K Ultra at 22.7 FPS — both below the 30 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for playable frame rates. The memory subsystem, while offering 336.0 GB/s, cannot keep up with the texture and geometry demands of 4K rendering.

The GPU's DirectX 12 support (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility mean the hardware is not feature-limited, but raw throughput is the issue. The 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 compute is roughly half of what a modern mid-range card offers, and the 157.1 GTexel/s texture rate further constrains high-detail scenes. The 14 Gbps effective memory speed is competitive for the era, but the 6 GB capacity becomes a concern at Ultra settings where texture detail scales aggressively.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, Medium settings deliver 102.1 FPS, which is a 24% improvement over High (82.4 FPS) and only a 22.9 FPS drop from Low (132.4 FPS). Medium offers the best balance of visual quality and performance at this resolution, keeping frame rates well above 100 FPS for smooth gameplay.

For 1440p, the recommendation shifts to Low settings. The 85.4 FPS at Low is the only preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS; Medium drops to 64.4 FPS, which is borderline for competitive play, and High falls to 56.4 FPS. At 4K, no preset is truly playable — Low at 47.1 FPS is the best result, but even that will feel stuttery in fast-paced third-person shooter action.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p, it produces 63 FPS, which is only 61.7% of Medium's output. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 41.7 FPS, and at 4K, it bottoms out at 22.7 FPS. The visual uplift from Medium to Ultra does not justify the performance penalty given the GPU's limitations.

FAQ

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

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the measured data shows consistently playable frame rates across multiple presets. At 1080p, even Ultra settings hit 63 FPS, whereas 1440p Ultra falls to 41.7 FPS and 4K Ultra drops to 22.7 FPS.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1528th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the bottom 12% of all evaluated configurations. The low rank stems from the GPU, which sits in the 55th percentile of all GPUs while the CPU is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component at all settings and resolutions. The GTX 1660 SUPER's 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot keep up with the i5-14600KF's processing capability, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops when increasing resolution or settings.

Q: What settings should I use for 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Low settings at 2560x1440 produce 85.4 FPS, which is the only 1440p preset that exceeds 60 FPS in the measured data. Medium settings at 1440p yield 64.4 FPS, which is close but may dip in demanding scenes.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: No preset at 3840x2160 achieves 30 FPS in the measured results. The best 4K result is Low settings at 47.1 FPS, but that is still below the 60 FPS target most players prefer. Ultra at 4K produces just 22.7 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 14286 is 0.2% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14314) and 0.7% below the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (14389). This places it in the mid-range of the tested GPU pool, consistent with its 55th percentile ranking.