Minimum

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake Refresh architecture, running on a 10 nm Intel process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications place the chip in the 96th percentile among all CPUs in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 70074.

In the context of Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014, the CPU's role is largely about maintaining high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 297.9 FPS average. This is a very high frame rate, indicating that the i7-14700K's single-thread performance is sufficient to feed the GPU effectively. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287 and multi-core score of 44534 suggest strong performance in both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads, which matters for a game that may use multiple threads for physics, AI, and game logic.

Comparing the i7-14700K to its nearest rivals, the data shows a near tie with the Core i7-14700KF (deltaPct of 0), a 0.3% advantage over the AMD EPYC 9115, a 0.5% deficit to the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, and a 1.4% deficit to the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270. These small deltas mean that any performance differences in Minimum are unlikely to stem from CPU choice among these high-end parts. The i7-14700K is clearly a top-tier desktop processor for gaming, with its high boost clock of 5.60 GHz being particularly relevant for a game that can leverage high single-core speeds.

The processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and includes integrated UHD Graphics 770. However, the measured FPS data uses the discrete GPU, so the integrated graphics are not relevant here. The CPU's PCIe Gen 5 support with 16 CPU lanes ensures the GPU has a high-bandwidth connection. For a 2014 title like Minimum, the i7-14700K is vastly overqualified, and the benchmark results confirm that it does not act as a limiting factor at any resolution or settings level tested.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm TSMC process, with the GB205 chip containing 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. It features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). It includes 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, 80 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores. The RTX 5070 sits in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41687.

In Minimum, the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences between settings presets. The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1080p, the GPU delivers 297.9 FPS on Low, 227.4 FPS on Medium, 191.5 FPS on High, and 145.2 FPS on Ultra. This progression of roughly 50 FPS drops between each settings tier indicates that the game's graphics options have a substantial impact on GPU workload. The 12 GB of VRAM is ample for a 2014 title, which would not require high memory capacities even at 4K Ultra.

The RTX 5070's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (deltaPct 0.2%), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 (deltaPct -0.5%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (deltaPct 0.6%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 580X (deltaPct -0.7%). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the RTX 5070 is statistically tied with these GPUs in overall benchmark scores. However, the RTX 5070's modern architecture with 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance gives it strong raw compute power. The GPU's 250 W TDP and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface are consistent with a high-performance card, and its DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with modern rendering features, though Minimum from 2014 likely uses older APIs.

The data indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 50.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold often considered necessary for smooth gameplay. This suggests that the RTX 5070, while powerful, is constrained by the demands of 4K Ultra in this particular title.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear hierarchy of performance across resolutions and settings. At Low settings, the combo delivers 297.9 FPS at 1080p, 192.3 FPS at 1440p, and 105.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35.4% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 45.0% drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, though the absolute drops vary.

At Medium settings, the FPS goes from 227.4 at 1080p to 147.0 at 1440p to 80.3 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35.4%, and from 1440p to 4K is 45.4%. At High settings, the numbers are 191.5, 121.7, and 66.6 FPS respectively, with drops of 36.4% and 45.3%. At Ultra settings, the FPS is 145.2 at 1080p, 93.1 at 1440p, and 50.9 at 4K, showing drops of 35.9% and 45.3%.

The uniformity of these drop percentages — consistently around 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 45% from 1440p to 4K — indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across all settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see the FPS plateau at higher resolutions as the GPU workload increases but the CPU workload stays constant. Instead, the proportional FPS drops match the increase in pixel count, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios.

At 1080p Low, the 297.9 FPS result is close to what the GPU can output with minimal graphical load. The fact that it does not exceed 300 FPS suggests that either the GPU or CPU is hitting a ceiling, but given the i7-14700K's top-tier performance, it is likely the GPU's rendering throughput at that setting. The 4K Ultra result of 50.9 FPS is the weakest performance in the dataset, showing that this resolution/settings combination demands more than the RTX 5070 can deliver at a smooth frame rate.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. For a game like Minimum, which is a fast-paced Third-Person Shooter, maintaining a high frame rate is critical for responsiveness.

At 1080p, all four settings presets deliver playable frame rates. Low gives 297.9 FPS, Medium gives 227.4 FPS, High gives 191.5 FPS, and Ultra gives 145.2 FPS. Even the lowest performance at Ultra is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The data suggests that High settings at 1080p, with 191.5 FPS, provides an excellent experience with substantially better visuals than Low while still leaving a large margin for frame time spikes. Ultra at 145.2 FPS is also viable, but the 24% FPS reduction from High to Ultra may not be worth the marginal visual improvement for a competitive shooter.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. Low delivers 192.3 FPS, Medium delivers 147.0 FPS, High delivers 121.7 FPS, and Ultra delivers 93.1 FPS. High at 121.7 FPS is still very smooth, but Medium at 147.0 FPS offers a better safety margin. For players with 144Hz monitors, Medium is the sweet spot, as it stays above 144 FPS. Ultra at 93.1 FPS is acceptable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. Low delivers 105.7 FPS, Medium delivers 80.3 FPS, High delivers 66.6 FPS, and Ultra delivers 50.9 FPS. Only Low and Medium break the 60 FPS barrier. For a smooth 4K experience, Medium at 80.3 FPS is the recommended preset, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while offering better visuals than Low. High at 66.6 FPS is playable but close to the threshold, and Ultra at 50.9 FPS is not recommended for competitive play.

The overall best settings recommendation depends on the target resolution. For 1080p and 1440p, High provides an excellent balance. For 4K, Medium is the optimal choice based on the measured data.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 387th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This places the combo in the top 22.3% of all tested configurations. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, aggregated into a single score.

Being in the 387th position out of 1733 is a strong result, but it is not at the very top. This suggests that there are 386 other combinations that perform better in this game. Given that the i7-14700K is in the 96th percentile among CPUs and the RTX 5070 is in the 83rd percentile among GPUs, the combo's rank is somewhat lower than the CPU's percentile but higher than the GPU's. This indicates that the GPU is the more limiting factor in determining the overall ranking, consistent with the resolution scaling analysis.

The combo's rank of 387 means it outperforms 1346 other tested combos, which is a substantial majority. However, the presence of 386 better-performing combos suggests that higher-tier GPUs exist that can push FPS higher in this title. The data implies that the RTX 5070, while capable, is not the absolute fastest GPU for Minimum. The rank also reflects that the game is older and may not stress the CPU heavily, so the i7-14700K's high percentile does not translate into a top ranking on its own.

The deltaPct values for the CPU and GPU rivals are all within 1.4%, meaning that swapping the CPU for a similar-tier part would have minimal impact on the combo's rank. Swapping the GPU for a higher-tier model would likely improve the rank, but that is beyond the scope of this analysis.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Minimum?*

A: The highest average FPS is 297.9, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: At which resolution and settings does this combo drop below 60 FPS?

A: The combo drops below 60 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where it averages 50.9 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 70074, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70104 (deltaPct of 0).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs in the database.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as FPS drops proportionally with resolution increases across all settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios.

*Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Minimum?*

A: The combo ranks 387th out of 1733 tested combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table presents the exact measured average FPS values for every resolution and settings combination tested.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 297.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 227.4 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 191.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 145.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 192.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 147.0 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 121.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 93.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 105.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 80.3 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 66.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 50.9 |

At 1920x1080, the performance ranges from 297.9 FPS on Low to 145.2 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 70.5 FPS, from Medium to High is 35.9 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 46.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the range is from 192.3 FPS on Low to 93.1 FPS on Ultra, with drops of 45.3, 25.3, and 28.6 FPS between successive settings. At 3840x2160, the range is from 105.7 FPS on Low to 50.9 FPS on Ultra, with drops of 25.4, 13.7, and 15.7 FPS between settings.

The data shows that the absolute FPS loss from increasing settings is larger at lower resolutions, but the percentage loss is relatively consistent. For example, the drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 51.2% (from 297.9 to 145.2), while at 4K it is 51.8% (from 105.7 to 50.9). This consistency reinforces that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all tested configurations.