Minimum

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the top-performing combination for Minimum, securing the #1 spot out of 2,939 tested combos. This ranking is not a marginal win; the data indicates a dominant position that holds across all resolutions and settings. The system demonstrates exceptional capability, though the scaling patterns reveal a nuanced balance between the CPU and GPU depending on the workload.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the pattern is not linear across all settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 430 FPS at 1920x1080 to 149 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 281 FPS (65.3%). This steep decline indicates that at lower settings, the GPU is being tasked with significantly more work at higher resolutions, moving away from a CPU-bound state. The RTX 5090 D’s raw compute, with its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is being stretched by the pixel throughput required at 4K.

The scaling is more moderate at higher settings. Moving from 1080p to 4K on Ultra settings sees the average FPS drop from 210 to 73, a 137 FPS (65.2%) decrease. This similar percentage drop suggests that at Ultra settings, the workload becomes more consistently GPU-bound across all resolutions. The GPU's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are likely sufficient to handle the increased data demands, but the rendering pipeline itself is the limiting factor. The frame rate at 4K Ultra (73 FPS) is the lowest recorded for this combo, highlighting the demanding nature of the highest quality preset at maximum resolution.

The data suggests that the sweet spot for 4K gaming is the High preset, which delivers 96 FPS. This is a significant 31.5% improvement over Ultra (73 FPS) while still providing a high level of visual fidelity. The jump from Medium (114 FPS) to High (96 FPS) is a 15.8% performance cost, which is a reasonable trade-off for the visual upgrade. The system is clearly capable of exceeding 60 FPS at 4K, but the Ultra preset pushes the GPU to its limits, resulting in a frame rate that may not be ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. Its specifications are extraordinary, featuring a 5 nm process node, 92,200 million transistors, and a die size of 750 mm². The GPU operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. These clocks, combined with the massive 21,760 shading units, allow for incredible rasterization and compute performance. The 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs work in tandem to deliver the high pixel and texture rates of 423.6 GPixel/s and 1,636.8 GTexel/s, respectively.

The GPU's memory subsystem is equally impressive, with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This is crucial for high-resolution gaming, as it prevents memory bandwidth from becoming a bottleneck. While the game Minimum is from 2014 and may not require such a large frame buffer, the sheer bandwidth ensures that data can be fed to the GPU cores without delay, contributing to the high frame rates observed. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its power, with a Passmark G3D score of 44,065 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326.

Comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals in the database, it holds a slight edge over the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, with an average benchmark score of 77,712 versus 78,940, a delta of -1.6%. This is a narrow margin, but the RTX 5090 D's performance in Minimum suggests that its architecture is particularly well-suited for this game's engine. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its elite status. In this specific title, the GPU's immense power is the primary reason for the top combo rank, as it is able to brute-force its way through the game's rendering demands at any resolution.

CPU Role

While the GPU provides the raw power, the Intel Core i5-14600KF ensures that the system never becomes CPU-limited, especially at lower resolutions. This processor features 14 cores (likely a combination of performance and efficiency cores) and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This high boost clock is critical for gaming, as it allows for rapid single-threaded execution. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache is also beneficial for keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores.

The CPU's benchmark results are consistent with its strong gaming performance. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32,544 and a single-core score of 4,594. The Passmark single-thread score of 4,273 is particularly relevant for gaming, where single-threaded performance often dictates the maximum achievable frame rate. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 430 FPS, a figure that is likely near the ceiling of what the game engine can produce. This suggests that the i5-14600KF is more than capable of feeding the RTX 5090 D enough data to keep it fully occupied.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 49,394 places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, has an average score of 49,228, a mere 0.3% difference. This indicates that the i5-14600KF is a top-tier processor, and its performance is not a limiting factor in this pairing. The 125W TDP is a modest power draw for the performance on offer. The data indicates that the CPU's role is to facilitate the GPU's dominance, and it does so without becoming a bottleneck, even at the high frame rates seen at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K (3840x2160), the High preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers a smooth 96 FPS average, which is ideal for a high-refresh-rate 4K monitor. The Ultra preset, at 73 FPS, is still playable but represents a significant performance penalty (24%) for what may be a marginal visual improvement. The Medium preset offers 114 FPS, but the jump to High is a more balanced choice for visual fidelity and performance.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the system is capable of very high frame rates. The High preset delivers an excellent 178 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz or 165Hz monitors. The Medium preset, at 212 FPS, is even better suited for 240Hz displays, and the Low preset at 277 FPS will push the limits of the fastest gaming monitors. The Ultra preset at 136 FPS is also viable, but it sacrifices some performance headroom. For most users with 1440p high-refresh displays, High or Ultra will provide the best experience, while competitive players might prefer Medium or Low for maximum frame rates.

At 1080p (1920x1080), the system is overwhelmingly powerful. Even the Ultra preset produces 210 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most standard 1080p monitors. The Low preset at 430 FPS and Medium at 329 FPS are extraordinarily high and will likely be limited by the monitor's refresh rate rather than the hardware. In this scenario, it is best to enable the Ultra preset to maximize visual quality, as the performance cost is irrelevant at this resolution. The data shows that the combo is so powerful at 1080p that users should simply select the highest quality settings available.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks #1 out of 2,939 tested combos for Minimum. This is a perfect score, indicating that no other hardware configuration in the database can match its performance in this game. This top ranking is reflected in the measured FPS, which are exceptionally high at every resolution and settings level. The combo's dominance is absolute, with no other pairing coming close to its performance.

This top rank is not surprising given the components involved. The RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and the i5-14600KF sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Combining two such high-performing parts results in a system that is more than the sum of its parts for this specific workload. The data suggests that this is the definitive setup for achieving the highest possible frame rates in Minimum. While other combos may offer better value, none offer better raw performance, making this the benchmark king for this title.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, are laptop parts and are not in the same performance tier. This further cements the RTX 5090 D's position as the ultimate desktop GPU. The CPU's rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, is a close match in synthetic benchmarks, but in this game, the i5-14600KF's architecture and clock speeds provide the edge needed to achieve the top combo ranking. The data is clear: this is the fastest configuration tested for Minimum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measured for the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination in Minimum.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| 3840x2160 | High | 96 | - | - |

| | Low | 149 | - | - |

| | Medium | 114 | 97 | 131 |

| | Ultra | 73 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 178 | - | - |

| | Low | 277 | - | - |

| | Medium | 212 | 180 | 244 |

| | Ultra | 136 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 276 | - | - |

| | Low | 430 | - | - |

| | Medium | 329 | 280 | 379 |

| | Ultra | 210 | - | - |

The only rows with min and max FPS data are the Medium settings, which show a consistent frame pacing across all resolutions. At 4K Medium, the frame times range from 97 to 131 FPS, a 34 FPS variance. At 1440p Medium, the variance is 64 FPS (180-244), and at 1080p Medium, it is 99 FPS (280-379). This increasing variance at lower resolutions indicates that the CPU is becoming more involved in frame generation, leading to less predictable frame times, though the average FPS remains exceptionally high. The absence of min/max data for other settings suggests that the frame rate is more stable, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU is the clear bottleneck.