Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti represents a stark contrast in component generations, combining a high-end 2021 processor with an entry-level 2016 graphics card. In the 2014 third-person shooter Minimum, this pairing yields results that are entirely bound by the GPU, with the data showing that no settings combination at any resolution breaks past the 68 FPS average mark. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance data for this specific configuration.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 67.6 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: Performance at 3840x2160 is severely limited. The highest average FPS at this resolution is 21.1 at Low settings, while Ultra settings drop to 13.1 FPS.

Q: Is there a playable settings preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 42.3 FPS, while Medium drops to 34 FPS. High settings yield 28.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 21.4 FPS.

Q: What is the performance delta between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the difference between Low (67.6 FPS) and Ultra (30.7 FPS) settings is 36.9 FPS, representing a substantial 54.6% drop in average frame rate.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355, which is effectively identical to the Intel Core i5-14400 (35336, delta 0.1%) and slightly lower than the Intel Core i7-13800H (35416, delta -0.2%).

Q: Where does this specific combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1702 out of 1733 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the bottom percentile of all systems evaluated for Minimum.

GPU Role

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration. With 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 112.1 GB/s of bandwidth, the card operates with a base clock of 1291 MHz and a boost clock of 1392 MHz. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's raw compute capacity — 2.138 TFLOPS FP32 and 66.82 GTexel/s texture rate — is insufficient for demanding loads at higher resolutions.

The measured FPS data clearly illustrates this limitation. At 3840x2160, all settings presets result in average frame rates below 22 FPS, with Ultra at 13.1 FPS and High at 16.6 FPS. Even at 2560x1440, the card cannot maintain a smooth experience, peaking at 42.3 FPS on Low and dropping to 21.4 FPS on Ultra. The GPU's performance percentile of 30 against all GPUs confirms its entry-level positioning, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce 940M (avg score 5297, delta 0.4%) and AMD Radeon R7 240 (avg score 5280, delta 0.7%), both of which are similarly limited in their capabilities.

The card's DirectX 12 benchmark score of 26 and DirectX 11 score of 45 in Passmark indicate weak API utilization, which is consistent with the low average FPS observed across the board. The GPU's 75 W TDP and lack of power connectors suggest it was designed for basic 1080p gaming, and the data from this game supports that assessment. At 1920x1080, the card manages a passable 41.5 FPS on High and 49.7 FPS on Medium, but the jump to 2560x1440 immediately exposes its memory bandwidth and shading unit constraints.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF provides an overwhelming amount of processing headroom that goes largely unused in this GPU-bound scenario. With 12 cores and 20 threads across its Alder Lake architecture, the CPU features a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its impressive synthetic scores — including a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 28979 and a Geekbench multicore score of 13596 — demonstrate that the processor is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The CPU's 89th percentile ranking against all CPUs places it far above the GPU's 30th percentile, creating a massive imbalance. The processor's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core i5-14400 (delta 0.1%) and Intel Core i9-12900HX (delta 0.2%), all of which cluster around the same 35300-35400 avg score range. This indicates that the i7-12700KF's processing capability is more than sufficient for a 2014 title like Minimum, which likely relies on only a few threads for its gameplay logic.

The data suggests that the CPU's single-thread performance — evidenced by a Passmark single-thread score of 3984 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 — is more than adequate for the game's demands. The measured frame rates show no signs of CPU-related stutter or bottlenecking; instead, the performance scales directly with resolution and settings, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support provide ample bandwidth for feeding the GPU, but the GPU simply cannot translate that data into higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti ranks 1702 out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the bottom 1.8% of all configurations. This ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU's weak performance, as the CPU's capabilities are essentially wasted in this pairing.

The rank of 1702 indicates that only 31 other tested combinations perform worse, which is a stark assessment of the GTX 1050 Ti's limitations. The data shows that this GPU is among the weakest in the benchmark database — its average benchmark score of 5316 places it in the 30th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all older or lower-tier mobile or entry-level desktop parts. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 6340 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 305 confirm that it lacks the geometry and pixel processing power required for modern game engines at higher resolutions.

While the CPU's 89th percentile ranking would typically suggest a high-performing system, the combo's overall rank of 1702 demonstrates that the GPU is the sole determinant of performance in this game. The massive delta between the CPU's strong synthetic scores and the GPU's weak ones creates a system that is fundamentally unbalanced for gaming. In practical terms, this ranking means that virtually any other GPU paired with this CPU would yield better results, and any other CPU paired with this GPU would perform similarly.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in Minimum depends heavily on the target resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the best playable experience with an average of 67.6 FPS, which is smooth enough for a third-person shooter. The Medium preset at 49.7 FPS remains acceptable, but the High preset at 41.5 FPS and Ultra at 30.7 FPS introduce noticeable frame pacing issues. For players prioritizing frame rate consistency, Low at 1080p is the clear recommendation.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more challenging. Low settings yield 42.3 FPS, which is borderline playable, while Medium drops to 34 FPS and High to 28.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 21.4 FPS is not recommended for any serious gameplay. The data indicates that 1440p is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is below the ideal threshold for a fast-paced shooter.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings presets provide a playable experience. The highest average FPS is 21.1 at Low settings, which is below the minimum threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium at 18 FPS, High at 16.6 FPS, and Ultra at 13.1 FPS are all unplayable. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable option for this combination.

The best overall experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which offers the highest frame rate of 67.6 FPS while still maintaining a playable visual quality. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 17.9 FPS (49.7 vs 67.6), which is a significant trade-off for marginal visual improvements. Given the GPU's limited capabilities, prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity is the only way to achieve a consistently smooth experience in Minimum.