Minimum

# Minimum: Intel Core i7-14700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

This 2014 third-person shooter, tested with the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, delivers remarkably high frame rates across all settings and resolutions, with the data showing a clear shift from CPU-bound performance at 1080p to GPU-bound behavior at 4K. The combo sits at rank 961 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the top quarter of all systems tested in this game, a strong showing for a pairing of a 20-core, 28-thread processor with a 12 GB GDDR6X graphics card.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K brings substantial compute resources to Minimum, featuring 20 cores and 28 threads with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This Raptor Lake-R architecture chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, offers 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The processor's benchmark results illustrate its capability: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160, alongside a Geekbench multi-core score of 20767 and single-core score of 2569.

What does this mean for Minimum? The game's release date of 2014 suggests it was designed for far less powerful hardware, so the i7-14700K's compute headroom is substantial. The PassMark single-thread score of 4472 and multi-thread score of 52392 indicate the CPU can handle both lightly-threaded game logic and any background tasks without bottlenecking. The processor's percentile rank of 94 among all CPUs places it in elite territory, though its nearest rivals show interesting proximity: the AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69288 (just 0.1% higher), while the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515 (0.2% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX trails by 0.7% with a score of 69875.

The data suggests that at 1080p resolution, where frame rates reach 277 FPS on Low settings, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes the critical factor. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz is likely what enables such high frame rates, as Minimum's game logic and physics calculations typically run on one or few threads. The processor's integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but irrelevant here, as the discrete GPU handles all rendering. With DDR4 and DDR5 memory support and a dual-channel memory bus, the i7-14700K provides ample memory bandwidth for feeding a high-end GPU.

FAQ

Q: How does the i7-14700K compare to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X?

A: The Ryzen 9 7950X has an average benchmark score of 69515, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-14700K's average score of 69355. This difference is negligible in real-world gaming, and the i7-14700K's boost clock of 5.60 GHz gives it a slight edge in single-threaded scenarios common in games like Minimum.

Q: What is the RTX 3080 Ti's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti sits at the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41187. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, scores 40870 (0.8% lower), while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 scores 40377 (2% lower), showing the 3080 Ti remains competitive against newer hardware.

Q: What frame rates can this combo achieve at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 115 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This represents a significant drop from 1080p High (178 FPS) but remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating the system handles 1440p High with ease.

Q: Does the i7-14700K bottleneck the RTX 3080 Ti in Minimum?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 277 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at very high frame rates. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 47 FPS, indicating the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, not the CPU.

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

A: The combo ranks 961st out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the top 26% of all systems. This is a strong result, especially considering the game's age and the hardware's capabilities.

Q: What memory technology does the RTX 3080 Ti use and how much does it have?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti uses 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is well-suited for Minimum's texture-heavy scenes, even at 4K resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression across resolutions reveals interesting bottlenecks. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 277 FPS, but this drops to 179 FPS at 1440p Low and 96 FPS at 4K Low. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 35% reduction, while 1440p to 4K shows a 46% reduction. This pattern suggests the GPU is becoming increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

At High settings, the 1080p average of 178 FPS drops to 115 FPS at 1440p (35% reduction) and then to 62 FPS at 4K (46% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that resolution scaling is fairly uniform, with the GPU's rasterization throughput being the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

Ultra settings tell a similar story: 136 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that 4K Ultra is asking more than this GPU can deliver in Minimum. The 4K Medium result (74 FPS) and 4K High (62 FPS) are playable, but the step to Ultra clearly pushes beyond the RTX 3080 Ti's comfort zone.

The data implies that at 1080p, the i7-14700K's 5.60 GHz boost clock keeps the system CPU-bound, allowing the GPU to work at its maximum potential. As resolution increases, the RTX 3080 Ti's 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 532.8 GTexel/s texture rate become the determining factors. The 4K results particularly highlight this shift, where the GPU's 12 GB memory capacity and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but raw compute limits frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

Positioned at rank 961 out of 3712 tested combos, this pairing places in the top 26% of all systems tested in Minimum. This is a noteworthy result for a GPU that was released in 2021 and is now marked as end-of-life, paired with a CPU released in 2023. The rank suggests that while the hardware is capable, there are 960 combinations that deliver higher frame rates in this specific game.

The RTX 3080 Ti's position among rivals provides context: it scores 26896 in PassMark G3D, with the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 slightly behind at 40870 average benchmark score (0.8% lower) and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB ahead at 41707 (1.2% higher). The GeForce RTX 5070, a newer card, scores 40377 (2% lower), which is surprising given its newer architecture but likely reflects different driver optimizations or test methodologies.

The i7-14700K's 94th percentile CPU ranking and the RTX 3080 Ti's 83rd percentile GPU ranking combine to produce a system that is well above average but not top-tier. The 961st rank suggests that in Minimum, which is not particularly demanding by modern standards, the GPU's age shows at higher settings. The combo's performance in this game is likely more representative of its capabilities than in newer, more demanding titles.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce 277 FPS average, Medium shows 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 and maximum of 244, High reaches 178 FPS, and Ultra drops to 136 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is well within the system's comfort zone, with even the most demanding preset maintaining over 130 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the expected reduction. Low settings average 179 FPS, Medium hits 137 FPS (minimum 116, maximum 157), High averages 115 FPS, and Ultra drops to 87 FPS. The 1440p results suggest that this resolution with High or Ultra settings provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the system's limits become apparent. Low settings average 96 FPS, Medium reaches 74 FPS (minimum 63, maximum 85), High drops to 62 FPS, and Ultra falls to 47 FPS. The Medium settings at 4K show a minimum of 63 FPS, which keeps gameplay above 60 FPS, but High and Ultra presets dip below this threshold. The gap between Medium and High at 4K (74 vs 62 FPS) is 12 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra (62 vs 47 FPS) is 15 FPS, showing that Ultra's additional effects come at a significant cost.

The frame time consistency appears reasonable based on the available data, with the Medium settings showing minimums that are 85-88% of averages across all resolutions. This suggests no major stuttering or frame pacing issues, even when the system is under heavy load at 4K Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K displays, the data clearly points to Medium settings as the optimal choice. The 74 FPS average with a 63 FPS minimum keeps gameplay smooth, while High settings (62 FPS) risk dipping below 60 FPS and Ultra (47 FPS) falls well below the playable threshold. Medium at 4K offers the best visual-to-performance tradeoff for this combo.

At 1440p, High settings (115 FPS) provide an excellent experience, allowing owners of 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors to take full advantage of their displays. Ultra (87 FPS) is also viable, though the 28 FPS drop from High might not justify the visual improvements. For competitive play, Low settings (179 FPS) maximize frame rates for the smoothest possible experience.

At 1080p, the choice depends on the monitor's refresh rate. For 144 Hz displays, Ultra (136 FPS) is the sweet spot, providing high visual quality while staying above the refresh rate. For 240 Hz monitors, High (178 FPS) or Medium (212 FPS) settings are better suited, with Low (277 FPS) reserved for maximum competitive advantage. The Medium settings offer a compelling middle ground with 212 FPS and a 180 FPS minimum.

The data suggests that this combo is well-matched for Minimum at all resolutions up to 1440p, with 4K requiring a settings reduction to Medium for consistent 60+ FPS gameplay. The 47 FPS at 4K Ultra represents the only configuration where the system struggles, indicating that the RTX 3080 Ti's 34.10 TFLOPS compute is the limiting factor at this extreme setting.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, built on the GA102 chip with Ampere architecture and Samsung's 8 nm process, provides the graphical muscle for this combo. With 10240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, the card offers 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 532.8 GTexel/s texture rate. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Minimum's 2014-era textures and geometry.

The GPU's clock behavior shows a base of 1365 MHz and boost of 1665 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are present but likely underutilized in this game, as Minimum predates widespread ray tracing adoption. The card's PassMark G3D score of 26896 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 provide context for its overall capabilities, though these synthetic benchmarks may not perfectly reflect gaming performance.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly important as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the CPU is clearly the bottleneck, as evidenced by 277 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU's limitations are exposed with 47 FPS. The scaling between these extremes shows the RTX 3080 Ti's capabilities: it can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease, but 4K Ultra is beyond its 34.10 TFLOPS compute budget for this game.

The 12 GB memory capacity proves sufficient even at 4K Ultra, as frame rates remain limited by compute rather than memory bandwidth. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41187, places it in the upper tier of graphics cards, though its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (41707, 1.2% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870, 0.8% lower), showing competitive performance despite architectural differences.