Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti delivers a decisive performance profile in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The data indicates this combination is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for high-refresh-rate 1080p play. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 55.8 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive scenarios, whereas dropping to 1080p Low unlocks a massive 337.5 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS rows show a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the rate of decline is telling. At 1080p High, the combo produces 219 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, it drops to 139.8 FPS, a 36% reduction. Pushing to 4K High yields 76.9 FPS, a further 45% drop from 1440p. This steep scaling curve indicates that the RTX 5070 Ti is the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises; the workload becomes increasingly rasterization-bound.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 337.5 FPS at 1080p to 219.9 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 115.8 FPS at 4K (a 47% drop from 1440p). This consistency suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the 1080p to 1440p delta would be smaller, as the GPU would still have headroom. The data shows the GPU is working progressively harder at each higher resolution.

The gap between the Low and Ultra presets widens with resolution, which is expected. At 1080p, the difference between Low (337.5 FPS) and Ultra (167.5 FPS) is 170 FPS. At 4K, that spread compresses to 60 FPS (115.8 FPS vs 55.8 FPS). This compression confirms that at 4K, even the Low preset is demanding enough to saturate the GPU, leaving less room for settings-based performance differentiation. The GPU is the clear bottleneck at 4K, while at 1080p, it still has enough power to accommodate massive frame rate swings based on quality settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark results show strong multi-threaded capability, scoring 29,241 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 34,404 in Passmark multithread. Single-thread performance is equally solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,128. This combination of high core count and strong per-core speed is ideal for a game like Minimum, which, given its 2014 release date, is unlikely to utilize all 20 threads efficiently.

The measured FPS data supports the idea that the CPU is not a constraint. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 337.5 FPS. This is a workload where a weaker CPU would typically struggle to feed frames to the GPU. The fact that the i7-12700K sustains this level indicates it has significant headroom. The CPU's 3DMark scores reinforce this: it scores 9,979 with max threads and 1,043 in single-thread. Even at these high frame rates, the CPU is likely not breaking a sweat.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700K’s average benchmark score of 35,684 is within 0.8% of the Intel Core i7-13800H (35,416) and 0.6% of the Intel Core i7-13700T (35,468). It is 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (35,802) and 0.7% behind the Intel Core i5-14500HX (35,940). These negligible deltas mean that in Minimum, swapping to any of these CPUs would likely produce nearly identical frame rates, as the GPU is doing the heavy lifting at higher resolutions. The CPU's role is to provide a stable platform for the GPU to operate at its full potential, which it does admirably across all tested settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimizing the experience. For players targeting the highest possible frame rates, especially for competitive play on a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the clear winner. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 337.5 FPS, and at 1440p Low it manages 219.9 FPS. These figures are far beyond what most high-refresh-rate monitors can display, making this preset ideal for minimizing input lag and maximizing responsiveness.

For a balanced approach, the Medium preset offers a significant visual upgrade over Low with a modest performance cost. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 258.8 FPS, and at 1440p Medium it stays at 170.7 FPS. This is still exceptionally smooth and provides a better visual experience than Low. The High preset is a reasonable middle ground for 1440p gaming, yielding 139.8 FPS, which is excellent for a high-refresh-rate 1440p panel.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding and should only be considered for 4K gaming. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 55.8 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. At 1080p Ultra, the 167.5 FPS is still high, but the visual fidelity gains over High may be marginal in a game from 2014. Given the data, the recommended path is to use the High preset for 1440p gameplay, and to drop to Medium or Low if targeting 4K at higher frame rates. For 1080p, the Medium or High presets provide an excellent balance, as the Low preset's extreme frame rates offer diminishing returns for most users.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific combination at rank 165 out of 1,733 tested combos for Minimum. This puts it in the top 10% of all configurations, indicating a high-performing setup. The percentile rankings for the individual components support this: the CPU is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. A combination of two top-decile parts naturally results in a top-decile system.

This rank is a strong indicator of the system's capability to run Minimum at high settings and resolutions. The 4K High result of 76.9 FPS shows that this combo is not just a 1080p machine; it can handle 4K gaming with a reduced but still acceptable quality preset. The rank of 165 suggests that many other systems are faster, but the vast majority of the 1,733 tested combos (1,568 of them) are slower. For perspective, this combo sits in the 90.5th percentile of tested systems. Data shows that the GPU's average benchmark score of 52,086 is virtually identical (0% delta) to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, meaning this combo's performance is comparable to a previous-generation flagship GPU pairing in this title.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, it can. The measured data shows an average of 55.8 FPS at 4K Ultra and 76.9 FPS at 4K High. For a smoother 4K experience, the Medium preset yields 89.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming?

A: The Low preset achieves 337.5 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 258.8 FPS. Either is more than sufficient for a 240Hz monitor, but Low provides the maximum possible frame rate.

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

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at resolutions above 1080p. The FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, indicating the GPU is at full load. The CPU, with its high single-thread score of 4,128 in Cinebench R23, has enough headroom to support the high frame rates seen at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 in terms of GPU benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti's average benchmark score is 52,086, which is exactly 0% different from the RTX 4080's score of 52,085. This indicates near-identical raw performance between the two GPUs.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with the High preset?

A: The measured average FPS for 2560x1440 with High settings is 139.8 FPS. This is a very smooth experience for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K a strong performer compared to its direct rivals?

A: Yes. Its average benchmark score of 35,684 is within 0.8% of its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i7-13800H and Intel Core i7-13700T. The performance deltas are negligible, meaning it is a highly competitive CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact measured average FPS values from the FACT PACK for the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination in Minimum.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

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

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 55.8 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 76.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 89.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 115.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 104.8 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 139.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 170.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 219.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 167.5 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 219.0 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 258.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 337.5 |

The data shows a consistent trend: performance scales directly with resolution and inversely with settings quality. The 1080p Low result of 337.5 FPS is the highest recorded, while the 4K Ultra result of 55.8 FPS is the lowest. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 170 FPS, which narrows to 60 FPS at 4K, highlighting the GPU's increasing workload at higher resolutions. This breakdown provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities across all tested configurations.