Minimum

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark data for Minimum with the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT reveals a steep resolution scaling curve that clearly identifies the GPU as the dominant performance limiter at higher settings. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at Ultra settings produces a dramatic 66.5% drop in average frame rate, falling from 138 FPS to 46.2 FPS. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, where the rendering workload increases exponentially with pixel count.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 278 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 96.7 FPS — a 65.2% reduction. Notably, the gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is relatively modest (278 to 181 FPS, a 34.9% drop), while the jump from 1440p to 4K is much more punishing (181 to 96.7 FPS, a 46.6% drop). This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU's pixel throughput capabilities are being saturated as resolution increases, while the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

At Medium settings, the same pattern holds: 211.3 FPS at 1080p, 138.4 FPS at 1440p, and 73.2 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 34.5%, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 47.1%. The High preset shows 179 FPS at 1080p, 113.9 FPS at 1440p, and 63.5 FPS at 4K — drops of 36.4% and 44.2% respectively. Across all settings, the resolution scaling is consistent: the GPU is the limiting component once pixel count rises, with the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads proving more than sufficient even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 270 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the workhorse in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. With 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample memory resources for Minimum's requirements at any resolution. The GPU's boost clock of 2970 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz provide the raw compute throughput needed for the high frame rates observed at 1080p.

The GPU's architectural strengths are evident in the benchmark results. The 4096 shading units and 128 ROPs enable a pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s, which explains why the card can push 278 FPS at 1080p Low without breaking a sweat. The 48.66 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is more than adequate for a 2014-era third-person shooter, even at modern resolutions and settings. The card's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it comfortably above average, though its nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon Pro 575, NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, AMD Radeon Pro 575X, and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 — all score within 0.6% of the RX 9070 XT in synthetic benchmarks, suggesting the card's real-world gaming performance is where it differentiates itself.

The memory configuration deserves particular attention. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is never stressed by Minimum, but the 644.6 GB/s bandwidth becomes increasingly important as resolution rises. At 4K Ultra, the 46.2 FPS result indicates that the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are working in concert to maintain playable frame rates, though the steep drop from 1080p suggests the card's architecture is pushed hard at 4K with maximum settings. The 304 W TDP and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensure the card can sustain its boost clocks during extended gaming sessions.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Minimum?*

A: The highest recorded average is 278 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings, demonstrating exceptional headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra the combo averages 46.2 FPS, which is exactly one-third of the 138 FPS achieved at 1080p Ultra — a 66.5% reduction in frame rate from the resolution increase alone.

Q: Is the Radeon RX 9070 XT or the Core i7-12700K the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the 278 FPS result suggests the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU has sufficient headroom to render frames but the processor's single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 1043) caps the frame delivery rate.

Q: What settings preset offers the most balanced experience at 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 deliver 138.4 FPS, which is 63.7% higher than High settings (113.9 FPS) and 63.6% higher than Ultra (84.6 FPS), while still maintaining a smooth experience.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Minimum?*

A: It ranks 458th out of 1,733 tested combos, placing it in the top 26.4% of all configurations tested for this game.

*Q: Does the GPU's 16 GB VRAM ever become a bottleneck in Minimum?*

A: No, the 16 GB GDDR6 memory is far more than Minimum requires; even at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate of 46.2 FPS is limited by compute throughput rather than memory capacity.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT achieves a combo rank of 458 out of 1,733 tested configurations in Minimum, placing it in the 73.6th percentile of all tested combos. This is a strong showing, though not a top-tier result, which is expected given the game's age and the hardware's capabilities. The combo's ranking suggests that while the individual components are powerful, the game itself may not fully utilize the modern architecture of either the CPU or GPU.

The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all processors (avg benchmark score of 35,684) and the GPU's 82nd percentile ranking (avg benchmark score of 39,647) both contribute to the combo's overall position. However, the game's 2014 release date means it likely does not leverage the full feature set of either component. The CPU's nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-14500HX, and Intel Core i7-13800H — all score within 0.8% of the i7-12700K in synthetic benchmarks, indicating that processor choice has minimal impact on this combo's ranking. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.6% in average score, suggesting that the RX 9070 XT's position in the ranking is more about the game's optimization than raw hardware differences.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K provides a formidable foundation for this gaming configuration. Its 12 cores and 20 threads, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz, deliver exceptional multi-threaded performance that is largely underutilized by Minimum. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29,241 and single-core score of 4,128 demonstrate its capability, but the game's engine appears to be primarily single-threaded, as evidenced by the 3dmark single-thread score of 1,043 and 2-thread score of 2,065.

The 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide ample fast memory for game logic and physics calculations. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all processors places it well above average, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (0.3% lower score) and Intel Core i7-13700T (0.6% higher score). In Minimum, the CPU's role becomes apparent at 1080p Low where the combo reaches 278 FPS — likely approaching the engine's frame rate ceiling rather than the hardware's limitation. The 5.00 GHz boost clock is particularly valuable for maintaining high frame rates in scenes with heavy draw calls, though the game's age means it cannot fully exploit the Alder Lake architecture's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce 278 FPS, Medium drops to 211.3 FPS, High reduces to 179 FPS, and Ultra settles at 138 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 50.4% reduction in performance, which is substantial but keeps all settings comfortably above 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected resolution penalty. Low settings achieve 181 FPS, Medium drops to 138.4 FPS, High reaches 113.9 FPS, and Ultra manages 84.6 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread is 53.3%, slightly wider than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to feel the increased pixel load.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens noticeably. Low settings yield 96.7 FPS, Medium falls to 73.2 FPS, High produces 63.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 46.2 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra reduction is 52.2%, and importantly, Ultra settings drop below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable on displays with standard refresh rates. The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step-up costs roughly 35-45% performance at any given settings preset, with the GPU becoming the clear bottleneck at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, any settings preset will deliver an excellent experience. Even Ultra at 138 FPS is well above the 120 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while Low at 278 FPS is ideal for competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium at 211.3 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for most users.

At 1440p, the recommendation becomes more nuanced. Ultra at 84.6 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced third-person shooter action. High at 113.9 FPS provides a smoother experience, while Medium at 138.4 FPS is the sweet spot — maintaining high frame rates while still offering decent visual fidelity. Low at 181 FPS is available for players who prioritize maximum responsiveness.

At 4K, the choices are more constrained. Ultra at 46.2 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel sluggish. High at 63.5 FPS is acceptable but not ideal. Medium at 73.2 FPS offers a better experience, while Low at 96.7 FPS provides the smoothest 4K experience. For most players, Medium at 4K represents the best balance of visual quality and performance, while High is a reasonable alternative if visual fidelity takes priority over frame rate smoothness.