Minimum

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is a study in contrast: a top-tier 16-core processor from the Raptor Lake generation driving a mid-range, end-of-life graphics card from the Turing era. In the 2014 third-person shooter Minimum, this combination produces a wide spectrum of performance, revealing a system that is almost entirely constrained by its graphics subsystem. The benchmark data, derived from measured FPS rows, provides a clear picture of how resolution and settings dictate the experience, where the CPU’s substantial headroom remains largely untapped. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, the GPU’s specific role, the combo’s standing among 1,733 tested configurations, and the exact frame rates measured across three resolutions and four quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a dramatic and predictable collapse in frame rates, confirming that the GTX 1660 Ti is the definitive limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 131.4 FPS, which is more than capable of saturating a standard 60 Hz display. Stepping up to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 86.6 FPS, a reduction of approximately 34%. The jump to 4K at Low settings yields 44.2 FPS, representing a further 49% decline from the 1440p figure. This steep curve is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel-pushing capability as the render target grows.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the higher quality presets. At High settings, the system manages 87.2 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 55.6 FPS at 1440p (a 36% drop) and then to 28.6 FPS at 4K (a 49% drop from 1440p). The Ultra preset tells a similar story but from a lower starting point: 65.5 FPS at 1080p, 39.4 FPS at 1440p, and a borderline unplayable 24.6 FPS at 4K. The data indicates that the CPU is never the bottleneck in these scenarios; even at the lowest resolution and settings, where CPU overhead would typically manifest, the 131.4 FPS figure is well below what the i7-13700K is capable of delivering in synthetic tests. The processor’s 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and multi-thread score of 12412 suggest it can handle far more demanding workloads, but the GPU’s 1500 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost clocks simply cannot keep pace with the increasing pixel counts.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 Ti is a 6 GB GDDR6 card with a 192-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications directly influence the measured results, particularly at higher resolutions where memory capacity and bandwidth become critical. The card’s 55th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier, and its average benchmark score of 13925 is just 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX 570X and 0.8% above both the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile and GeForce GTX 680. This positioning explains why the 4K Ultra preset drops to 24.6 FPS; the card is simply overwhelmed by the combination of high pixel count and intensive shading work.

The GPU’s memory allocation of 6 GB is sufficient for Minimum at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at those resolutions. However, the 4K data suggests the card is struggling not just with raw throughput but also with the increased memory pressure that comes from higher resolution textures and buffers. The card’s pixel rate of 84.96 GPixel/s and texture rate of 169.9 GTexel/s are modest figures that translate directly into the observed performance ceiling. In synthetic DirectX benchmarks, the card scores 103 in passmark_directx_11 and 51 in passmark_directx_12, indicating it has adequate but not exceptional API support. The FP32 performance of 5.437 TFLOPS is the theoretical peak, yet the measured FPS shows that real-world performance is heavily dependent on the specific workload characteristics of this third-person shooter.

How This Combo Ranks

Among 1,733 tested CPU-GPU combinations, this pairing ranks 1521st, placing it in the bottom 12% of configurations. This low rank is surprising given the strength of the CPU, but it makes sense when considering that the GTX 1660 Ti is the primary determinant of gaming performance. The i7-13700K itself ranks in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, scores 47334 (a -0.1% delta), while the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 47131 (a 0.3% delta). These rivals are all within 0.5% of each other, indicating that the CPU is performing exactly as expected for a high-end desktop processor.

The GPU, however, tells a different story. Ranking in the 55th percentile with an average score of 13925, the GTX 1660 Ti is a firmly mid-range part. Its nearest rivals—the RX 570X (13871, 0.4% delta), Tesla K10 (14029, -0.7% delta), RTX A2000 Mobile (13821, 0.8% delta), and GTX 680 (13812, 0.8% delta)—all have scores within 1% of each other. This clustering indicates that the GPU is not an outlier but rather a typical representative of its performance class. The combo rank of 1521 out of 1733 suggests that most other tested configurations either have a more balanced CPU-GPU pairing or a stronger GPU. The data shows that the i7-13700K is vastly overqualified for this GPU in gaming workloads, as the CPU’s 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 16 cores provide far more processing power than the GTX 1660 Ti can utilize in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers a range of averages that span from 65.5 FPS at Ultra to 131.4 FPS at Low. The Medium preset produces 101 FPS, while High achieves 87.2 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is the native resolution for this combo, where even the demanding Ultra settings remain playable. The 65.5 FPS at Ultra is above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience, though the 131.4 FPS at Low shows that the CPU is not holding back the GPU at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly across all presets. Low settings yield 86.6 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays, but Medium falls to 62.9 FPS and High to 55.6 FPS. Ultra at 1440p produces only 39.4 FPS, which is below the ideal playability threshold and suggests that users should avoid this preset at this resolution. The 4K results are uniformly poor: Low achieves 44.2 FPS, Medium 32.7 FPS, High 28.6 FPS, and Ultra 24.6 FPS. None of these 4K figures reach the 60 FPS mark, and only Low settings approach a playable 45 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable option for this GPU in Minimum, regardless of settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience balances frame rate and visual quality. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 87.2 FPS is the best recommendation for most users, as it offers a substantial improvement over Medium (101 FPS) in visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS standard. For those with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 131.4 FPS is the only option that approaches the 144 Hz territory, but the visual trade-off is significant. Ultra at 1080p provides 65.5 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced third-person shooting.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 62.9 FPS is the most balanced choice, offering a playable frame rate while maintaining moderate visual quality. High at 55.6 FPS is playable but may feel slightly less smooth, while Low at 86.6 FPS is the best for competitive play but sacrifices too much visual detail. Ultra at 39.4 FPS is not recommended. For 3840x2160, the only acceptable option is Low settings at 44.2 FPS, but this is still below the ideal 60 FPS threshold, so users with 4K displays should consider lowering their resolution or upgrading the GPU.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the most suitable resolution, with all presets achieving at least 65.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium presets exceed 60 FPS, while 3840x2160 fails to reach 45 FPS at any setting.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 13925, which is 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13871) and 0.8% above both the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13821) and GeForce GTX 680 (13812). It is 0.7% below the NVIDIA Tesla K10 (14029).

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K the limiting factor in this combination?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs with an average score of 47282, and its nearest rival (i7-13700KF) is only 0.1% different. The GPU’s 55th percentile ranking and the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions indicate the GTX 1660 Ti is the bottleneck.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 87.2 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS standard and represents a good balance between visual quality and performance.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: The data shows that 4K performance is poor, with the best result being 44.2 FPS at Low settings. Ultra settings produce only 24.6 FPS. None of the 4K presets reach 60 FPS, making 4K unsuitable for this game with this GPU.

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

A: The combination ranks 1521st out of 1733 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 12% of configurations. This low rank is due to the GPU’s mid-range performance, despite the CPU’s high-end capabilities.