Minimum

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a commanding performance profile in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter that remains surprisingly demanding at high settings. Benchmark results show this combination ranks 311th out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 8.4% of all configurations. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at 4K resolution but transitions to a more balanced workload as resolution drops, with the CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads providing ample headroom for the game’s engine.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data illustrates a classic resolution scaling curve, with performance degrading predictably as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an exceptional 354 FPS average, which drops to 228 FPS at 1440p and further to 123 FPS at 4K. This represents a 65.3% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting factor even at lower graphical presets.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At Ultra quality, the system delivers 173 FPS at 1080p, 112 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K—a 65.3% drop from 1080p to 4K, mirroring the Low setting pattern. However, the absolute frame rates tell a different story about bottleneck behavior. At 1080p Ultra, the 173 FPS result suggests the CPU is beginning to assert influence, as the gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 181 FPS. At 4K, the gap narrows to just 63 FPS between Low and Ultra, confirming the GPU is almost entirely saturated at this resolution.

The Medium preset provides the most complete data, with recorded minimum and maximum frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 271 FPS with a minimum of 230 FPS and maximum of 312 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 175 FPS with a range of 149 to 201 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS and maximum of 108 FPS. The minimum frame rates at each resolution stay within 15-18% of the average, indicating consistent frame pacing without severe stutters.

The resolution scaling analysis reveals that the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for Minimum’s demands. The GPU’s 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power becomes the limiting factor at 4K, particularly at Ultra settings where the 60 FPS average exactly matches the 60 Hz refresh rate many monitors target. At 1080p, the combination is less constrained, with even the Ultra preset achieving 173 FPS, suggesting the CPU’s 5.00 GHz boost clock and 25 MB of shared L3 cache provide adequate instruction throughput for high-refresh-rate gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings a formidable processing foundation to this pairing, with 12 cores and 20 threads built on Intel’s Alder Lake architecture. The hybrid design combines performance and efficiency cores, though the FACT PACK does not specify the exact core configuration. The processor’s 3.60 GHz base clock and 5.00 GHz boost clock deliver strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043.

Multi-threaded workloads show the CPU’s capability scaling effectively. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and 3DMark max-thread score of 9983 indicate that the 20 threads can handle heavily parallelized tasks. However, Minimum is a 2014 title, and its engine likely does not fully utilize all available threads. The PassMark multi-thread score of 34092 and Geekbench multi-core score of 14367 suggest the CPU has substantial headroom, but the game’s older codebase may primarily stress two to four cores.

The benchmark data supports this interpretation through the 3DMark thread-scaling results: 2-thread score of 2065, 4-thread score of 4011, and 8-thread score of 7211. The near-linear scaling from 2 to 4 to 8 threads indicates the CPU can deliver performance when needed, but the game’s frame rates at 1080p Low (354 FPS) versus 4K Low (123 FPS) show the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant—the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 181 FPS, suggesting the game’s draw calls and physics calculations can stress the processor’s single-thread performance.

The CPU’s 125 W TDP and 10 nm process node from Intel indicate efficient power delivery for sustained gaming sessions. The processor’s L3 cache of 25 MB shared across cores provides fast access to frequently used game data, though the older DDR4 and DDR5 memory support means memory bandwidth varies depending on the platform configuration. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 3984 and 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 rank it in the 85th percentile against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 85% of processors tested—a solid foundation for a game that may be sensitive to single-core performance.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The data shows 1440p as the sweet spot. At High settings, the system achieves 147 FPS, which comfortably exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates. At 4K High, the average drops to 79 FPS, which is playable but not optimal for competitive play. At 1080p, the system exceeds 228 FPS even on Low settings, but the CPU becomes more of a factor, as evidenced by the 181 FPS gap between Low and Ultra presets.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 311th out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the 91.6th percentile. This top-tier ranking indicates the system outperforms the vast majority of configurations tested for Minimum, with only 310 combos achieving higher frame rates.

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

A: The bottleneck shifts with resolution. At 4K, the GPU is the clear limiting factor, with Ultra settings yielding 60 FPS and Low settings reaching 123 FPS—a 2.05x difference. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more influential, as the difference between Low (354 FPS) and Ultra (173 FPS) is 181 FPS, suggesting the game’s engine cannot fully leverage the GPU’s capabilities at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, Low achieves 354 FPS versus Ultra at 173 FPS, a 181 FPS difference. At 1440p, Low reaches 228 FPS while Ultra drops to 112 FPS, a 116 FPS gap. At 4K, Low delivers 123 FPS and Ultra falls to 60 FPS, a 63 FPS difference. The shrinking gap at higher resolutions confirms the GPU becomes the dominant constraint.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is 0.1% lower than the standard RTX 4080 (54247), 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828), and 2.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698). The GPU ranks in the 86th percentile against all GPUs.

Q: Does this game benefit from the CPU’s multi-threading capabilities?

A: The data suggests limited scaling. The CPU’s 3DMark scores show scaling from 2065 (2 threads) to 4011 (4 threads) to 7211 (8 threads), but the game’s frame rates at 1080p Low (354 FPS) are likely limited by per-core performance rather than thread count. The PassMark single-thread score of 3984 indicates strong single-core performance, which is more relevant for a 2014 title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 311 out of 3712 tested configurations places this system in the top 8.4% of all combinations tested for Minimum. This ranking is particularly impressive given the game’s age—a 2014 release—and the fact that the GPU is from the GeForce 40-series with a 2024 release date. The rank suggests that the combination of the i7-12700KF’s strong single-thread performance and the RTX 4080 SUPER’s massive compute power creates a synergistic pairing.

The GPU’s individual ranking provides context: the RTX 4080 SUPER sits in the 86th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54209. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 4080 (54247, 0.1% higher), AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828, 1.1% higher), and AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698, 2.7% higher). The fact that the RX 6750 GRE scores higher in synthetic benchmarks yet the combo still achieves top-tier rankings in-game highlights the importance of driver optimization and game-specific performance.

The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (35403, 0.1% higher), Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, 0.2% higher), and Intel Core 5 213PE (35428, 0.2% higher). The i7-12700KF essentially matches these newer, more power-efficient parts in synthetic benchmarks, demonstrating that Alder Lake’s architecture remains competitive.

The 311th rank out of 3712 combos means that only 310 configurations achieve higher frame rates in Minimum. Given that the game was released in 2014 and the GPU is end-of-life (production status), this ranking reflects the RTX 4080 SUPER’s exceptional performance rather than any optimization for this specific title. The combination’s high rank reflects the raw performance of both components.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 354 FPS, which is excessive for most displays. The Medium preset at 271 FPS offers a better balance, with a minimum of 230 FPS ensuring consistent frame delivery. For players with 240 Hz monitors, the High preset at 228 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides smoother visuals without sacrificing the frame rate advantage.

At 1440p, the High preset at 147 FPS is the optimal choice for 144 Hz displays, as it delivers a 35 FPS improvement over Ultra (112 FPS) while maintaining visual quality. The Medium preset at 175 FPS is suitable for 165 Hz monitors, though the minimum of 149 FPS means occasional dips below the refresh rate. For those prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, the Ultra preset at 112 FPS remains playable but does not fully utilize high-refresh-rate displays.

At 4K, the High preset at 79 FPS provides the best experience for 60 Hz displays, as it exceeds the refresh rate by 19 FPS while delivering superior visual quality compared to Medium (94 FPS) and Low (123 FPS). The Ultra preset at 60 FPS exactly matches 60 Hz displays but leaves no headroom for frame rate fluctuations, making it a risky choice. The Medium preset at 94 FPS is recommended for 4K players who prioritize smoothness over maximum visual fidelity, as the 80 FPS minimum ensures consistent performance.

The data indicates that the Medium preset provides the most balanced experience across all resolutions, with the only recorded minimum and maximum frame rates in the dataset. At 1080p Medium, the 230 FPS minimum and 312 FPS maximum show tight frame pacing. At 1440p Medium, the 149 FPS minimum and 201 FPS maximum demonstrate similar consistency. At 4K Medium, the 80 FPS minimum and 108 FPS maximum confirm that the preset avoids severe frame drops even at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER in Minimum is as follows:

At 1920x1080 resolution, the system achieves its highest frame rates. The Low preset delivers an average of 354 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. The Medium preset averages 271 FPS, with a minimum of 230 FPS and maximum of 312 FPS. The High preset averages 228 FPS, again without min/max data. The Ultra preset achieves 173 FPS, representing the lowest performance at this resolution but still exceeding 144 Hz refresh rates.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. The Low preset averages 228 FPS, which exactly matches the 1080p High result. The Medium preset averages 175 FPS with a range of 149 to 201 FPS. The High preset drops to 147 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 112 FPS. The 116 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is smaller than the 181 FPS difference at 1080p, confirming the GPU’s growing influence.

At 3840x2160 resolution, the frame rates reflect the GPU’s limitations. The Low preset averages 123 FPS, which is still above 120 Hz but represents a significant drop from lower resolutions. The Medium preset averages 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS and maximum of 108 FPS. The High preset averages 79 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages exactly 60 FPS. The 63 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest across all resolutions, confirming the GPU as the dominant bottleneck.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across presets: Low drops from 354 to 123 FPS (65.3% reduction), Medium from 271 to 94 FPS (65.3% reduction), High from 228 to 79 FPS (65.4% reduction), and Ultra from 173 to 60 FPS (65.3% reduction). This uniform scaling pattern indicates that the game’s rendering pipeline scales predictably with pixel count, with no unexpected performance cliffs or optimization anomalies. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s 16 GB memory capacity ensures no texture swapping issues at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the consistent frame pacing at 4K Medium.