Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a robust experience in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The benchmark data shows a configuration that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures high frame rates at 1080p. The measured results indicate a system capable of exceeding 60 FPS at 4K on high settings, but with significant scaling headroom that varies by preset. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, component roles, and performance ranking for this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, revealing the expected shift in bottleneck as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 277 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average drops to 179 FPS, a reduction of 98 FPS (approximately 35%). At 4K with Low settings, the average falls further to 96 FPS, which is 181 FPS lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at these settings, as the workload scales directly with resolution.

The scaling pattern is similar across other quality presets. For High settings, the average FPS goes from 178 at 1080p to 115 at 1440p, and finally to 62 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 53 FPS, which is a larger absolute decrease than the 63 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p, but the relative percentage is similar. This consistent decline across all presets suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti's rendering throughput is the deciding factor. The data from the Medium preset shows a similar trend: 212 FPS at 1080p, 137 FPS at 1440p, and 74 FPS at 4K.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset, which sees the largest relative drop. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 47, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. At 1440p Ultra, it rises to 87 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it reaches 136 FPS. The difference between 1440p and 4K Ultra is 40 FPS, indicating that the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical settings places an extreme load on the GPU. The scaling behavior confirms that this is a GPU-bound scenario; the CPU’s performance headroom at lower resolutions is not the limiting factor, as the frame rate scales almost inversely with the number of pixels rendered.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant force in this configuration, and its specifications align with the observed scaling. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. This substantial memory bandwidth is crucial for feeding the GPU's 10240 shading units at high resolutions and texture loads. The card's boost clock is rated at 1665 MHz, and its FP32 performance is 34.10 TFLOPS, which explains its ability to push high frame rates in a 2014 title.

The benchmark results for the GPU show it is a high-performing part. It holds an 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score is 41187. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, which has a score of 40870 (a delta of 0.8%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, with a score of 40377 (a delta of 2%). This places the RTX 3080 Ti in a competitive position, slightly outperforming these alternatives in the average benchmark.

In Minimum, the GPU's role is most evident in the 4K results. The drop from 96 FPS at Low to 47 FPS at Ultra at 3840x2160 shows the impact of increased shading, texture detail, and post-processing effects. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is likely sufficient for this title, as the data does not indicate a memory capacity bottleneck. The frame time variance, shown in the Medium preset data with min and max FPS, also points to GPU-side processing. At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 63, while the maximum is 85, a 22 FPS spread. At 1080p Medium, the spread is 64 FPS (180 to 244), which suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU can feed frames fast enough to cause larger fluctuations, but at 4K, the GPU's consistent frame production narrows the variance.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 961st out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places the configuration in the top 26% of all tested pairings. While not a top-tier result, it is a strong showing given the game's age and the high performance of both components.

The ranking indicates that there are 960 other combinations that achieve higher average FPS in this specific game. This is likely due to the presence of newer, more powerful GPUs and CPUs that can push frame rates even higher, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU becomes more relevant. The 961st rank out of 3712 combos is a solid result, but it shows that the i7-12700K and RTX 3080 Ti are not the absolute best pairing for Minimum. The data suggests that while this combo is capable of very high frame rates, other configurations with newer hardware can achieve even higher numbers, particularly at 1080p where the CPU's single-thread performance is tested.

The percentile ranking for the CPU is 84th, and for the GPU it is 83rd, which are both high. However, when combined, they do not reach the top tiers of the combo ranking. This discrepancy suggests that the game may be more sensitive to specific hardware features or that the combination of these two components, while individually strong, does not synergize perfectly for this title. The rank of 961 out of 3712 is a data-driven assessment that reflects the measured performance of the entire system, not just the sum of its parts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings average 277 FPS, Medium settings average 212 FPS (with a minimum of 180 and a maximum of 244), High settings average 178 FPS, and Ultra settings average 136 FPS. This shows a clear linear progression where each increase in quality level results in a significant FPS cost.

At 2560x1440, the averages are lower but still impressive. Low settings deliver 179 FPS, Medium settings deliver 137 FPS (with a minimum of 116 and a maximum of 157), High settings deliver 115 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 87 FPS. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with the Ultra preset seeing a 49 FPS reduction, which is a 36% decrease.

At 3840x2160, the performance is more constrained. Low settings average 96 FPS, Medium settings average 74 FPS (with a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 85), High settings average 62 FPS, and Ultra settings average 47 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less viable for a smooth experience. The data shows that the system can handle 4K High at 62 FPS, which is just playable, but 4K Ultra at 47 FPS will result in noticeable stuttering and input lag.

The min and max FPS data for the Medium preset across all resolutions provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p, the range is 64 FPS, indicating high variance. At 1440p, the range is 41 FPS, and at 4K, the range is 22 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions reinforces the idea that the GPU becomes the bottleneck, producing a more consistent frame rate, whereas at lower resolutions, CPU and memory latency can cause larger frame time spikes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K plays a supporting role in Minimum, but its strength is necessary to achieve the high frame rates seen at 1080p. The CPU has 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its architecture is Alder Lake, built on a 10 nm process. The single-thread performance is critical for this game, as evidenced by its benchmark scores. In Cinebench R23, it scores 1850.5 points in single-core and 19784 points in multi-core. Its Geekbench scores are 2308 for single-core and 15790 for multi-core.

The CPU's percentile ranking is 84th among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score is 35287. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-13600T, which has a score of 35305 and a delta of -0.1%, and the Intel Core i7-12700KF, which has a score of 35365 and a delta of -0.2%. This shows that the i7-12700K is virtually identical in performance to its direct competitors, with differences of less than half a percent.

In the game data, the CPU's role is inferred from the FPS scaling. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 277 FPS, which is a high number that requires a strong CPU to process the game logic and render commands. The i7-12700K's boost clock of 5.00 GHz and high single-thread scores enable this level of performance. However, the data does not show a CPU bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS consistently scales down with resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain similar across resolutions. Instead, the FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, confirming the GPU is the primary constraint in this setup.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 62 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-12700K compare to the Intel Core i5-13600T in average benchmark score?

A: The i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, while the Intel Core i5-13600T has a score of 35305, representing a delta of -0.1%.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 116 FPS.

*Q: What is the combo rank for this hardware in Minimum?*

A: This combo ranks 961st out of 3712 tested combinations.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 3080 Ti?

A: The memory bandwidth is 912.4 GB/s, using 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the average FPS fall below 60?

A: The average FPS falls below 60 only at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where it averages 47 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For a 4K display, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers an average of 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 4K provides a more comfortable margin with an average of 74 FPS and a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring smoother gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided, as the 47 FPS average will result in a less responsive experience.

For 1440p, the High preset at 115 FPS is a solid choice for high-refresh-rate monitors, as it balances visual quality with performance. The Ultra preset at 87 FPS is also viable and offers the best visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate above 60. The Medium preset at 137 FPS is ideal for competitive play, providing a high frame rate with minimal visual compromises. The Low preset at 179 FPS is unnecessary for most users, but it is available for those seeking the absolute maximum frame rate.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 136 FPS is the best choice for a high-refresh-rate display, as it provides excellent visual quality without sacrificing playability. The High preset at 178 FPS is also excellent, and the Medium preset at 212 FPS is suitable for esports-style play. The Low preset at 277 FPS is overkill for any current monitor, but it demonstrates the CPU's capability. In summary, the High preset at 4K and the Ultra preset at 1440p and 1080p provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for this hardware combination.