Minimum

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB lands at rank 726 out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The combo’s percentile versus all CPUs sits at 93, indicating the processor is near the top of the field, while the GPU’s percentile versus all GPUs is only 17, showing that the graphics card is the weaker link in this pairing. That split defines the system’s behavior: strong CPU headroom, but the GPU consistently caps frame rates, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 726 out of 1733 tested combinations means it outperforms roughly 58% of all recorded pairings, but it is far from the top tier. The CPU, Intel Core i7-13700K, has an average benchmark score of 47282 and sits in the 93rd percentile versus all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i7-13700KF, which scores 47334 (a delta of -0.1% relative to the 13700K), the AMD EPYC 4364P at 47131 (delta +0.3%), the Intel Core i9-12900F at 47081 (delta +0.4%), and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 at 47527 (delta -0.5%). These deltas are all within one percent, meaning the 13700K is effectively tied with those chips in overall CPU performance; the differences are negligible for gaming.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB has a single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2913, which places it in the 17th percentile versus all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (score 2913, delta 0%), the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB (score 2907, delta +0.2%), the GT 650M (score 2893, delta +0.7%), and the GTX 860M (score 2959, delta -1.5%). The fact that the 8 GB and 16 GB versions of the RTX 4060 Ti score nearly identically in this test (delta +0.2%) suggests that VRAM capacity is not the limiting factor in this specific benchmark, but the overall low percentile indicates the GPU is not competitive with higher-tier cards in the database.

Given the CPU’s high percentile and the GPU’s low one, the combo rank reflects a system where the processor has significant untapped potential. In Minimum, the data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 234.2 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 42.9 FPS. That 5.5x scaling factor is driven almost entirely by the GPU, as the CPU’s 16 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for a 2014 third-person shooter. The rank of 726 suggests that many other combos with stronger GPUs would outperform this pairing, even if their CPUs are weaker, because the game’s frame rates are so dependent on graphics hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is built on the AD106 chip using TSMC’s 5 nm process, with 22,900 million transistors on a 188 mm² die. Its base clock is 2310 MHz, boosting to 2535 MHz, and the memory runs at 2250 MHz, which translates to 18 Gbps effective. The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. These specs are modest by modern standards, and the GPU’s low percentile (17) confirms that it ranks poorly among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of just 2913.

In Minimum, the GPU’s role is decisive. At 4K, the frame rates across settings are 51 FPS (High), 59.3 FPS (Medium), 82.2 FPS (Low), and 42.9 FPS (Ultra). The jump from Low to Medium at 4K costs 22.9 FPS, and from Medium to High another 8.3 FPS, while Ultra drops a further 16.4 FPS below High. That pattern indicates the GPU’s shader units (4352) and ROPs (48) are overwhelmed by the pixel throughput required at 3840x2160. The pixel rate is 121.7 GPixel/s, which at 4K Ultra is insufficient to maintain high frame rates. The texture rate of 344.8 GTexel/s, combined with 136 TMUs, helps at lower resolutions, but at 4K the GPU’s bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s becomes a bottleneck, especially with settings that increase texture detail.

At 1440p, the GPU performs better: 153.8 FPS on Low, 118.6 FPS on Medium, 99.7 FPS on High, and 73.2 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is roughly 2.1x, which is less severe than at 4K (1.9x from Low to Ultra), but the absolute numbers show that the GPU is still the limiting factor. At 1080p, the GPU finally shows its strength: 234.2 FPS on Low, 178.7 FPS on Medium, 148.4 FPS on High, and 113.5 FPS on Ultra. Here, the CPU’s power becomes apparent, as the frame rates are high enough that the processor’s single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1136) and multi-thread capabilities (Cinebench R23 multicore of 39000) are not holding back the GPU. However, even at 1080p Ultra, the drop from Low is 120.7 FPS, showing the GPU’s limits as settings scale.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for the best experience. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 148.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and close to the 144 Hz range. Ultra at 1080p drops to 113.5 FPS, still playable but with a 34.9 FPS penalty over High. The difference between High and Medium at 1080p is 30.3 FPS (148.4 vs 178.7), suggesting that High offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. For competitive play, Low at 1080p gives 234.2 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh monitors, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 1440p, High produces 99.7 FPS, which is smooth but not ideal for 144 Hz displays. Medium at 1440p yields 118.6 FPS, a 18.9 FPS improvement over High, and Low reaches 153.8 FPS. Ultra at 1440p is 73.2 FPS, which is playable but not recommended for fast-paced third-person shooting. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot, offering nearly 120 FPS while retaining moderate visual fidelity.

At 4K, none of the presets reach 60 FPS except Low (82.2 FPS). High at 4K is 51 FPS, Medium is 59.3 FPS, and Ultra is 42.9 FPS. For a 60 FPS target, 4K is only viable on Low settings. If the user has a 4K display, the recommendation is to play at 4K Low (82.2 FPS) or drop to 1440p Medium (118.6 FPS) for a better balance. Given that the GPU’s VRAM is 8 GB, and the game is from 2014, texture memory is unlikely to be a bottleneck, but the GPU’s raw compute power (22.06 TFLOPS FP32) is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The best overall experience, based on the measured rows, is 1080p High (148.4 FPS) or 1440p Medium (118.6 FPS), depending on the display’s native resolution.

FAQ

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested in Minimum?*

A: The combo ranks 726 out of 1733 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU is in the 93rd percentile versus all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 17th percentile versus all GPUs. The frame rate drops from 234.2 FPS at 1080p Low to 42.9 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the highest FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 234.2 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest measured average FPS is 42.9 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB compare to its 16 GB version in the database?

A: In the Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the 8 GB version scores 2913, while the 16 GB version scores 2907, a delta of +0.2% for the 8 GB card. This suggests minimal performance difference in this test.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: At 1080p, High (148.4 FPS) or Low (234.2 FPS) both exceed 144 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (153.8 FPS) breaks 144 FPS; Medium (118.6 FPS) and High (99.7 FPS) fall short.

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

A: Yes, but only on Low settings (82.2 FPS). Medium (59.3 FPS) is near 60 FPS, while High (51 FPS) and Ultra (42.9 FPS) are below the 60 FPS threshold.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a heavily GPU-limited system. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 234.2 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 153.8 FPS; and at 4K Low, it falls to 82.2 FPS. That is a 65% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario where pixel count increases by 2.25x from 1080p to 1440p and by 4x from 1080p to 4K.

At High settings, the drop is steeper: 148.4 FPS at 1080p, 99.7 FPS at 1440p (a 33% reduction), and 51 FPS at 4K (a 49% reduction from 1440p). Ultra settings show the most severe scaling: 113.5 FPS at 1080p, 73.2 FPS at 1440p (a 36% reduction), and 42.9 FPS at 4K (a 41% reduction from 1440p). The fact that the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is relatively consistent across settings (47-49%) indicates that the GPU’s fill rate and bandwidth are the primary constraints, not the CPU.

The CPU’s 3DMark max-thread score of 12412 and single-thread score of 1136 suggest it could push higher frame rates if the GPU were faster. At 1080p Low, the 234.2 FPS is likely near the CPU’s practical limit for this game, but at 4K Ultra, the 42.9 FPS is purely a GPU limitation. The scaling data shows that users with 1080p or 1440p displays will see excellent performance, while 4K users must sacrifice settings to stay above 60 FPS. The system’s CPU headroom is evident in the fact that, even at 1080p Ultra (113.5 FPS), the frame rate is still high, suggesting that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution tested. The GPU, with its 288.0 GB/s bandwidth and 128-bit bus, is the clear limiting factor for high-resolution play.