Minimum

Minimum, the 2014 third-person shooter, remains a relevant benchmark title for evaluating modern hardware combinations. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 across a range of resolutions and quality settings. The data presented here is drawn from measured FPS results, providing a clear picture of how this specific CPU-GPU pairing handles the game’s demands.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination holds the rank of 2000 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all tested system configurations, indicating that it delivers solid, though not top-tier, performance in this title. The rank reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is a severe bottleneck, but also where there is headroom for higher-end hardware to achieve better frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

This ranking is contextualized by the individual component standings. The Core i7-13700K sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, showing it is a high-performing processor. Its average benchmark score of 46881 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654, 0.5% delta), and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653, 0.5% delta). This places the CPU in a highly competitive performance bracket. Conversely, the RTX 4060 is in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% delta), are very close in raw score, showing the GPU is a solid mid-range performer but not exceptional. The disparity in percentile ranking between the CPU and GPU suggests that in this combo, the GPU is more likely to be the limiting factor in demanding scenarios, a hypothesis supported by the resolution scaling data.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high core count and impressive boost clock make it a formidable processor for modern multi-threaded workloads. For a game like Minimum, which was released in 2014, the title is unlikely to fully utilize all 16 cores and 24 threads. However, the CPU’s strong single-core performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4333, is critical for maintaining high minimum frame rates and ensuring the game logic runs smoothly.

The CPU’s substantial cache hierarchy, including 30 MB of shared L3 cache, helps reduce memory latency, which can be beneficial in game environments with many objects or AI entities. The 125W TDP indicates that this is a power-hungry part, but the performance it delivers in CPU-bound scenarios is substantial. In the context of this game, the data suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint on performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 202 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. When the resolution increases to 1440p at Low settings, the frame rate drops to 130 FPSholistically, and at 4K Low it is 70 FPS. This scaling pattern, where FPS drops significantly with resolution even at Low settings, indicates a growing load being placed on the GPU as pixel count increases dropped. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game state information, and with its powerful core configuration, it is more than capable of doing so at these frame ratesholistically. The benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745, confirm that the CPU has ample headroom for this game’s processing demands.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. With 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, it delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. This specification set makes the RTX 4060 a capable 1080p and 1440p graphics card, but its 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus can be limiting factors at higher resolutions and with demanding textures.

In Minimum, the GPU’s role is paramount. The measured FPS data shows a clear dependency on GPU load. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo averages 99 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, this drops to 64 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 34 FPS. This pattern demonstrates that the RTX 4060 is the primary performance limiter. The GPU is responsible for rendering the scene, and as the resolution increases, the number of pixels to fill grows exponentially, directly reducing frame rates. The 8 GB VRAM capacity may also become a factor at 4K with high-quality textures, potentially causing texture swapping or reduced performance, though the measured data does not provide direct evidence of this. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 19545, place it in the mid-range tier. The data clearly indicates that this GPU is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and playable 1440p performance, but for 4K, users will need to rely on lower settings to maintain acceptable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of the Intel Core i7-13700K + RTX 4060 combo in Minimum?

A: This combination is ranked 2000th out of 3712 tested combos for the game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which is nearly identical to its closest rivals. It is 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and 0.3% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, while being 0.5% faster than both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Intel Xeon w3-2535.

Q: What are the key specifications of the RTX 4060 that affect its gaming performance?

A: The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth.br> Its boost clock is 2460 MHz, and it has 3072 shading units, which together contribute to its 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a high frame rate?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 202 FPS, and at 1080p with High settings, it achieves 130 FPS. This suggests 1080p is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does increasing the resolution from 1080p to 4K affect performance at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 99 at 1080p to 64 at 1440p, and further to 34 at 4K. This shows a significant performance cost, with the 4K frame rate being roughly one-third of the 1080p frame rate.

Q: Which component is more likely to be the bottleneck in this system for Minimum?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 61st percentile. Furthermore, FPS scales strongly with resolution, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and expected trend: performance degrades as resolution increases. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p, the combo is capable of very high frame rates, hitting 202 FPS on Low settings and 155 FPS on Medium. These numbers indicate that at this resolution, the CPU has enough headroom to keep the GPU fed, but the GPU is still the main driver of performance. When moving to 1440p, the frame rates drop across all settings. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 130 at 1080p to 84 at 1440p, a 35% drop. At 4K, the performance drops are even more pronounced. At High settings, the average FPS falls to 45 from the 1080p figure of 130, a 65% reduction.

This scaling pattern is crucial for understanding the system's balance. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rates to be more consistent across resolutions, especially at lower settings where the GPU load is lighter. Instead, we see a consistent and significant drop with each resolution increase. This confirms that the RTX 4060 is the limiting component. The GPU's rendering throughput, measured in terms of pixel fill rate (118.1 GPixel/s) and texture rate (236.2 GTexel/s), is being saturated as the pixel count grows. The 8 GB VRAM might also contribute to the scaling, as higher resolutions require more memory for framebuffers and textures, though the exact impact is not isolated in this data. The data clearly shows that for a smooth 4K experience, users would need to significantly lower settings or consider a more powerful GPU. The 4K Low setting yields 70 FPS, which is playable, but the 4K Ultra setting at 34 FPS is not ideal for a fast-paced third-person shooter.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the combo is exceptionally strong. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 99 FPS, which is smooth for most players. However, for competitive play or use with a high-refresh-rate monitor, the High preset at 130 FPS or the Medium preset at 155 FPS are better choices, offering a significant boost in frame rate with a likely small visual trade-off. The Low preset at 202 FPS is the maximum performance option.

At 1440p, the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 100 FPS and a minimum of 85 FPS. The High preset at 84 FPS is also playable and offers better visuals. The Ultra preset at 64 FPS is on the edge of smoothness for a shooter and may be acceptable for slower-paced segments, but the Medium or High presets are recommended for a consistently better experience. The Low preset at 130 FPS is the choice for maximum performance.

For 4K gaming, the RTX 4060 is not powerful enough for high or ultra settings. The Ultra preset at 34 FPS is not playable for a smooth experience, and the High preset at 45 FPS is also below the ideal threshold. The Medium preset at 54 FPS is borderline playable but may feel inconsistent. The only viable option for a relatively smooth experience is the Low preset, which achieves 70 FPS on average. This requires a significant sacrifice in visual fidelity. For a game like Minimum, playing at 4K with this combo will necessitate using the Low preset to get a playable frame rate. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination. The data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance envelope.

At 1920x1080, the performance is strong across the board. With the Low preset, the combo achieves an average of 202 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 155 FPS, with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 130 FPS. The Ultra preset, while the most visually demanding, still manages an average of 99 FPS. This resolution is clearly where this combo shines, offering high frame rates even on the most demanding setting.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease but remain very playable. The Low preset averages 130 FPS. The Medium preset averages 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. The High preset averages 84 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 64 FPS. These numbers show that 1440p is a very good target for this system, with the Medium and High presets offering a great balance of quality and speed.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The Low preset achieves an average of 70 FPS, which is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 45 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of only 34 FPS. The data from this resolution clearly indicates that the RTX 4060 is not designed for high-fidelity 4K gaming, as even the Medium preset struggles to maintain 60 FPS. The measured FPS at 4K shows a steep drop-off from the 1440p results, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of this configuration at higher resolutions.