Minimum

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake-S desktop processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Built on Intel's 10 nm process, this CPU carries a 25 MB shared L3 cache alongside 1.25 MB per-core L2 and 80 KB per-core L1 caches. Its benchmark profile shows strong multi-threaded capability: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784, a Geekbench multi-core score of 15790, and a 3DMark max-threads score of 9979. Single-thread performance is equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043.

For Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter, the CPU's role is primarily about sustaining high frame rates without bottlenecking the GPU. The game is not new, but the data shows the i7-12700K delivers headroom across all measured settings. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 240 FPS average, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. That figure suggests the CPU can feed the GPU well past typical display refresh rates, even at lower graphical loads where the processing burden shifts more heavily onto the processor.

The i7-12700K sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428 (0.4% higher). These delta percentages are negligible in real-world gaming terms, meaning the i7-12700K is effectively performance-equivalent to its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks. For Minimum specifically, the CPU's 20 threads and 5.00 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient; the game's measured frame rates at 1080p show no sign of CPU-induced stutter or frame pacing issues, as evidenced by minimum FPS values like 156 at 1080p Medium.

The processor's memory support spans both DDR4 and DDR5, though the memory bus is dual-channel. Its integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but irrelevant for this discrete GPU setup. With a launch MSRP of $409, the i7-12700K represents a high-end desktop part from the 12th Gen Core series, and its position in the 84th percentile confirms it sits well above the median CPU in the database.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is an Ampere-architecture GPU built on Samsung's 8 nm process, featuring 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with memory clocked at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The card carries 8 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 256-bit bus, yielding 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its compute resources include 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, 96 raster output units, 48 ray tracing cores, and 192 tensor cores.

The GPU's raw performance metrics are substantial: FP32 throughput of 21.75 TFLOPS, a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s, and a texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3070 Ti scores 23356 in PassMark G3D, 139541 in Geekbench Vulkan, and 119718 in Geekbench OpenCL. It sits at the 75th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945. Its nearest rivals show tight competition: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile scores 29928 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095 (0.5% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433 (1.6% higher).

For Minimum, the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB VRAM is the key constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 41 FPS average, while 4K High yields 54 FPS and 4K Medium reaches 64 FPS. The VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's age, but the measured frame rates indicate the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution climbs. The card's memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s helps at 1440p, where the combo maintains 100 FPS on High and 76 FPS on Ultra, but 4K Ultra's 41 FPS average shows the GPU struggling to maintain fluid motion at maximum settings. The 290 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU are worth noting for system integration, though the card's end-of-life production status means it's no longer in active manufacturing.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 1328th out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the 64th percentile of all configurations in the database. This mid-pack ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components' strong percentiles (84th for CPU, 75th for GPU), but it reflects the fact that Minimum is an older title that doesn't fully stress modern high-end hardware.

The combo's ranking suggests that many other pairings—likely those with newer GPUs or higher-end CPUs—achieve better frame rates in this specific game. However, the measured data shows this combination is far from weak: at 1080p Low, it hits 240 FPS, which is the maximum recorded in the dataset. At 1440p Low, it maintains 155 FPS, and even at 4K Low it reaches 84 FPS. These figures place the combo well above playable thresholds for competitive gaming.

Relative to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 3070 Ti's performance in Minimum is consistent with its synthetic benchmark standing. The card's 0.5% delta against the RTX 2080 Ti, for instance, translates to nearly identical frame rates in practice. The CPU's rivals show similar parity, with the i5-13600T and i7-12700KF producing essentially the same gaming performance. The 1328th rank is therefore a function of the combo's position relative to all 3712 tested configurations, not a reflection of any deficiency in this pairing.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 240 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 184 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 155 FPS at both 1080p High and 1440p Low.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its nearest GPU rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 5070 Mobile (29928) and 0.5% higher than the RTX 2080 Ti (29783). The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, which is 0.5% higher, and the RX 6700 scores 30433, which is 1.6% higher.

*Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in Minimum?*

A: The combo ranks 1328th out of 3712 total combos, placing it in the upper 36% of all tested configurations for this game.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become the bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 41 FPS average, while at 4K Low it reaches 84 FPS. The CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread scores suggest it can handle the game's logic at any resolution, but the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB VRAM and compute throughput cap performance at higher pixel counts.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 156. At 1440p Medium, the minimum FPS is 101. At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 54. These minimums show the frame pacing remains stable even when average FPS drops.

Q: How does the i7-12700K's single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance?

A: The i7-12700K scores 1850.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 19784 in multi-core, a ratio of roughly 10.7:1. In Geekbench, single-core is 2308 while multi-core is 15790, a ratio of about 6.8:1. The 3DMark scores show 1043 single-thread and 9979 max-threads, a ratio of about 9.6:1.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the combo delivers 240 FPS at 1080p, 155 FPS at 1440p, and 84 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35.4% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45.8% drop from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the values are 155 FPS (1080p), 100 FPS (1440p), and 54 FPS (4K)—drops of 35.5% and 46.0% respectively. Medium settings follow the same trend: 184 FPS at 1080p falls to 119 FPS at 1440p (35.3% drop) and then to 64 FPS at 4K (46.2% drop). Ultra settings show the steepest degradation: 118 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p (35.6% drop), and 41 FPS at 4K (46.1% drop).

The consistent percentage drops across all settings—roughly one-third from 1080p to 1440p and then nearly half from 1440p to 4K—indicate that the GPU is the primary scaling bottleneck. The CPU's performance remains constant regardless of resolution, so the frame rate differences are almost entirely attributable to the RTX 3070 Ti's rendering workload. The pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, yet the FPS drops by roughly 65-70% across settings, which is less than the 75% reduction a purely pixel-bound scenario would predict. This suggests some degree of CPU involvement at lower resolutions, but the GPU clearly dominates the scaling curve.

At 1080p Low, the 240 FPS ceiling may reflect a CPU or engine limit rather than GPU capability, as the RTX 3070 Ti is capable of far higher frame rates in older titles. The gap between 1080p Low (240 FPS) and 1080p Medium (184 FPS) is 56 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 29 FPS, and High to Ultra is 37 FPS—showing that graphical settings have a nonlinear impact on performance.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the data shows that Low settings produce the best raw performance at 240 FPS average. However, Medium settings still deliver 184 FPS with a minimum of 156, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors and provides better visual quality. High settings at 155 FPS are also viable for high-refresh displays, while Ultra at 118 FPS remains playable but offers diminishing returns given the frame rate drop.

At 1440p, Low settings hit 155 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium drops to 119 FPS with a 101 FPS minimum, still smooth for most users. High at 100 FPS is the recommended balance for visual fidelity and performance, as Ultra's 76 FPS average might feel less fluid on 144Hz displays. The 1440p Medium minimum of 101 FPS means no perceptible stutter in most scenarios.

At 4K, the picture changes significantly. Low settings produce 84 FPS, which is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably. Medium drops to 64 FPS with a 54 FPS minimum—borderline for smooth play. High at 54 FPS and Ultra at 41 FPS are below the 60 FPS standard, making them less desirable for a fluid experience. For 4K users, Low or Medium settings are the practical choices, with Low offering nearly 1.3x the frame rate of Medium. The RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB VRAM appears sufficient even at 4K Ultra in this older title, as the game's texture requirements are modest, but the GPU's compute throughput is what limits performance at higher presets.

Across all resolutions, Medium settings offer the best balance of visual quality and frame rate stability, as evidenced by the recorded minimum FPS values (156 at 1080p, 101 at 1440p, 54 at 4K). For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low settings at 1080p or 1440p deliver the highest headroom. Ultra settings should be reserved for 1080p displays where 118 FPS remains playable, or for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate consistency.