Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 delivers a playable but dated experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample processing headroom, while the GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM and 256-bit memory bus become the primary constraint as resolution scales. This combo ranks 1608th out of 1733 tested configurations, placing it in the lower 7% of all systems, meaning it is far from optimal for modern high-refresh displays but can handle 1080p with adjustments.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process, featuring 12 cores and 20 threads. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz can boost up to 5.00 GHz, and it carries 25 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a single-thread score of 1043 in 3DMark and 4091 in Cinebench R23 single-core, indicating strong per-core performance that handles game logic and physics without bottlenecking older titles. Multi-threaded scores are equally robust — 9983 in 3DMark max threads and 28979 in Cinebench R23 multi-core — so Minimum’s workload, which rarely uses more than a few threads, will not stress this processor.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core i5-14400 (delta 0.1%) and the Intel Core i9-12900HX (delta 0.2%), with the i7-12700KF scoring 35355 on average. This places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market. For Minimum, the measured FPS at 1080p Low is 92.7, and at 4K Low it drops to 29.3 — a pattern that suggests the CPU is never the limiting factor, since even at the lowest settings the frame rate scales directly with resolution. The processor’s 125 W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory give it flexibility, but the game’s modest demands mean its 20 threads are largely idle; the bottleneck clearly lies elsewhere.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 uses the Polaris 20 chip on a 14 nm process, with 2304 shading units and 32 ROPs. Its base clock is 1257 MHz with a boost up to 1340 MHz, and memory runs at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, yielding 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 8 GB of GDDR5 VRAM is sufficient for Minimum at all tested settings, but the GPU’s raw compute — 6.175 TFLOPS FP32 — limits performance. In PassMark G3D, it scores 8813, which puts it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 13559 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (delta 0%) and GTX 950 (delta 0.1%).

The GPU’s age shows clearly in the measured FPS. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 47 FPS, which is playable but not smooth, while 1440p Ultra drops to 29.8 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 13.9 FPS — effectively a slideshow. The RX 580’s 8 GB VRAM never becomes a constraint at these settings, since the game’s textures are modest by modern standards, but the GPU’s fill rate and shader throughput are insufficient for higher resolutions. The card’s 185 W TDP and PCIe 3.0 x16 interface are adequate for its age, but the data indicates that any resolution above 1080p will require significant setting reductions to maintain playable frame rates.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot. The data shows 70 FPS at 1080p Medium, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while High drops to 57.2 FPS and Ultra to 47 FPS. Low at 1080p hits 92.7 FPS, but the visual downgrade is likely unnecessary when Medium provides a 70 FPS average with better graphics. If you prioritize frame rate over visuals, Low at 1440p delivers 60.6 FPS, but the jump from 1080p Medium to 1440p Low is a lateral move in performance with a resolution increase — a reasonable trade for sharper images.

At 1440p, Medium yields 48.2 FPS, which is borderline for fast-paced third-person shooting, while High drops to 35.5 FPS. For 4K, no preset offers a playable experience: even Low averages 29.3 FPS, and Medium falls to 22.8 FPS. The recommendation is clear: stick to 1080p with Medium settings for a stable experience, or drop to Low if you need headroom for competitive play. Ultra is never worth it — it only delivers 47 FPS at 1080p and 13.9 FPS at 4K, showing diminishing returns for the GPU’s limited resources.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This configuration ranks 1608th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the bottom 7% of all systems. That ranking reflects the RX 580’s age rather than the CPU’s capability — the i7-12700KF is a top-tier processor, but the GPU holds the combo back. In percentile terms, the CPU sits at 89th, while the GPU sits at 53rd, and the combo’s overall rank mirrors the GPU’s mediocrity. The delta between the RX 580’s nearest rivals is minimal (0% to 1.1%), so swapping to a GTX 570 or GTX 950 would produce nearly identical results, reinforcing that the GPU is the bottleneck.

The rank also implies that over 90% of tested systems deliver higher average FPS in this game. This is not a reflection of Minimum’s demands — a 2014 title — but rather the baseline of modern hardware. The i7-12700KF’s 89th percentile standing ensures that future GPU upgrades would dramatically improve the combo’s position, but as configured, the system is entry-level for this benchmark. The measured FPS confirms this: 1080p Ultra at 47 FPS is below the 60 FPS target that most gamers consider acceptable, and the ranking suggests this is typical for this GPU class.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 92.7 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 60.6 FPS; and at 4K Low, it falls to 29.3 FPS. That is a 68% reduction from 1080p to 4K on Low settings. On Medium, the drop is from 70 FPS at 1080p to 48.2 FPS at 1440p and 22.8 FPS at 4K — a 67% reduction. High settings show 57.2 FPS at 1080p, 35.5 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K, a 62% drop. Ultra is the steepest: 47 FPS at 1080p, 29.8 FPS at 1440p, and 13.9 FPS at 4K, a 70% reduction.

The near-linear scaling with pixel count (1080p to 4K is a 4x increase in pixels, and FPS drops to roughly one-third to one-quarter) indicates the GPU is the sole limiting component. If the CPU were a bottleneck, the FPS would remain flat across resolutions, but the data shows consistent degradation. The RX 580’s 256.0 GB/s bandwidth and 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for 4K, even at Low settings. The i7-12700KF’s high single-thread performance (1043 in 3DMark single-thread) ensures that the game’s frame pacing is never CPU-limited; every FPS drop aligns with the GPU’s rendering load.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 60 FPS at 1080p?*

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, where the measured average is 92.7 FPS. Medium settings drop to 70 FPS, which still exceeds 60 FPS, but High falls to 57.2 FPS and Ultra to 47 FPS, so the 60 FPS target requires Low or Medium presets.

Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM enough for this game?

A: Yes. The RX 580’s 8 GB GDDR5 memory is never a bottleneck in Minimum, as even at 4K Ultra, the game does not exceed this capacity. The limiting factor is the GPU’s compute performance, not its memory allocation.

Q: How does this combo compare to similar systems?

A: The RX 580’s average benchmark score of 13559 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564) and GTX 950 (13549), with deltas of 0% and 0.1% respectively. The CPU, however, is far stronger, ranking in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1080p is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the average is 70 FPS, while 1440p Medium drops to 48.2 FPS and 4K Medium falls to 22.8 FPS, making higher resolutions impractical.

Q: Will upgrading the GPU improve performance in this game?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates a GPU bottleneck. The CPU’s high single-thread score (1043 in 3DMark single-thread) and 89th percentile standing mean that a faster GPU would directly translate to higher FPS, especially at 1440p and 4K.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using?

A: No. Ultra at 1080p only delivers 47 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 13.9 FPS. The performance cost is severe relative to Medium, which offers 70 FPS at 1080p — a 49% improvement for a minor visual downgrade.