Minimum

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a robust, high-refresh-rate experience at 1080p and 1440p in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014. The measured frame rates show a clear hierarchy across settings, with the system capable of exceeding 200 FPS at the lowest preset. The data reveals a configuration that scales predictably with resolution, though the GPU becomes a significant constraint at 4K Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of performance scaling across four presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 214 FPS (Low), 164 FPS (Medium), 137 FPS (High), and 105 FPS (Ultra). The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, representing a 51% reduction in average FPS. For competitive play or maximum fluidity, the Low preset at 1080p offers the highest headroom, with an average of 214 FPS. However, the Medium preset provides a better balance for most users, delivering 164 FPS average while likely offering improved visual fidelity over Low; the measured minimum of 139 FPS at this setting still ensures a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues with averages of 138 FPS (Low), 106 FPS (Medium), 89 FPS (High), and 68 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset here is particularly compelling, as the 106 FPS average with a 90 FPS minimum remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for fluid gameplay. The High preset at 1440p also holds up well, maintaining an 89 FPS average. Stepping up to 3840x2160 reveals the system's limits: averages drop to 74 FPS (Low), 57 FPS (Medium), 48 FPS (High), and 36 FPS (Ultra). At this resolution, the Low preset is the only option that consistently stays above 60 FPS, while Medium dips to a 48 FPS minimum. Given the data, the best experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1440p: it offers a 106 FPS average with a 90 FPS minimum, balancing performance with settings that are neither minimal nor overly demanding. For 4K users, the Low preset is the pragmatic choice, as the 74 FPS average is the only measured configuration that avoids sub-60 FPS territory.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and it features a substantial 33 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70163. In Cinebench R23, it scores 44167 multi-core and 6235 single-core, while Geekbench shows 21462 multi-core and 2578 single-core. These numbers indicate a very high-tier processor that is unlikely to be the primary bottleneck in Minimum, a game from 2014 that predates the CPU's release by nearly a decade.

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on deltaPct values, include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (deltaPct 0.2), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (deltaPct 0.4), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (deltaPct 0.9), and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (deltaPct -1). These scores show the i7-14700KF is essentially on par with the Ryzen 7 9700F (0.2% ahead) and Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.4% ahead), while being 0.9% ahead of the Ryzen 9 7950X and 1% behind the Core Ultra 7 265K. The measured FPS data supports the notion that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 214 FPS average, and even at 1440p Low it hits 138 FPS. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by the 6235 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is more relevant for older game engines, which often rely on fewer cores. The 20 cores and 28 threads provide immense multi-threaded headroom, but Minimum's engine is unlikely to leverage all of them. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz, combined with the per-core L2 cache of 2 MB, ensures that the CPU can handle the game's instructions without becoming a bottleneck at the tested settings. The data shows that as resolution increases and FPS drops, the CPU's role diminishes further, confirming it is the GPU that takes on the heavier load at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. The GPU's clocks are a base of 1900 MHz, a boost of 2459 MHz, and a game clock of 2041 MHz. It has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The GPU's benchmark scores show a percentile of 58 among all GPUs, with an average score of 15852. In Passmark G3D, it scores 20974, and in Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 106028. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, has an average score of 15862, a deltaPct of -0.1, meaning the RX 7700 is essentially tied with it. Other rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (deltaPct -1), the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (deltaPct 1.1), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (deltaPct -1.7).

The GPU's role in Minimum becomes increasingly critical as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom, allowing the CPU to push frame rates to 214 FPS on Low. However, the scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p (214 to 105 FPS) shows the GPU's workload growing significantly. At 1440p, the GPU is clearly the primary driver of performance, with the average FPS dropping from 138 (Low) to 68 (Ultra). The most telling evidence is at 4K, where the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck. The 16 GB VRAM and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's textures, but the raw compute power, measured at 25.18 TFLOPS FP32, is strained by the 3840x2160 resolution. The drop from 74 FPS average at 4K Low to 36 FPS at 4K Ultra (a 51% reduction) indicates that the GPU's shading units and ROPs are overwhelmed by the combination of resolution and higher settings. The pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the fill rate demands are near the GPU's limits. The boost clock of 2459 MHz helps, but the data suggests that for 4K Ultra, the RX 7700 is not sufficient to maintain playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1298 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 44th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly 56% of the combos in the database. This rank is somewhat surprising given the CPU's high percentile (94th) and the GPU's mid-range percentile (58th). The rank suggests that the GPU holds back the overall result, as the CPU is capable of much higher performance. The deltaPct values for the CPU's rivals are all within a 2% range, indicating the CPU is at the top of its class. The GPU, however, is closely matched with older or less powerful cards like the R9 370X and Pro W5500, which are from different eras.

The combo's rank of 1298 out of 2939 indicates that while it is above average, it is not a top-tier performer for this specific game. This is likely due to the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combo's performance is excellent, with an average of 137 FPS at High settings, which would compete well with higher-ranked combos. However, at 4K Ultra, the 36 FPS average is a weak point, dragging down its overall standing. The data shows that the CPU is a top-tier component (94th percentile), but the GPU's 58th percentile ranking means it is a mid-pack performer. The combo's rank is thus a reflection of the GPU's relative weakness compared to the CPU's strength. For a game like Minimum, which is older and less demanding on the CPU, the GPU is the determining factor in the combo's rank. The system is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its rank would improve significantly if paired with a higher-tier GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 137 at 1080p to 89 at 1440p (a 35% decrease) and then to 48 at 4K (a 46% decrease from 1440p, or a 65% decrease from 1080p). This scaling pattern is indicative of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is constant across resolutions, but the GPU's workload increases exponentially with pixel count. The 4K resolution has four times the pixels of 1080p, and the data reflects this: at Low settings, the FPS drops from 214 at 1080p to 74 at 4K, a 65% reduction, which is close to the theoretical pixel count difference.

The limiting component is clearly the GPU. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push frame rates above 200 FPS, but the GPU's fill rate and shading capabilities start to bottleneck at 1440p and become severely strained at 4K. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is particularly telling: 74 FPS average on Low versus 36 FPS on Ultra. This shows that the GPU is not only resolution-limited but also settings-limited. The 16 GB VRAM is not the issue, as the game's textures are unlikely to exceed that capacity. Instead, the compute units (2560 shading units) and the ROPs (96) are the limiting factors. The pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s is insufficient for 4K Ultra, where the demand is significantly higher. The data suggests that to maintain 60 FPS at 4K, the user must resort to Low settings, while at 1440p, Medium or High settings are feasible. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep, and the GPU is the sole reason for the performance drop, confirming that the i7-14700KF is not a limiting factor in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers an average of 106 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS, which is the best balance of performance and settings in the measured data. High is also viable at 89 FPS average, but Medium provides a higher safety margin above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K at 60 FPS?

A: No. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS (74 FPS). The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, and High and Ultra average 48 and 36 FPS respectively, all below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at 1080p High and above, as the FPS drops from 137 at High to 105 at Ultra. The CPU is not limiting, as evidenced by the 214 FPS average at Low settings, which indicates the CPU can push well beyond the GPU's capabilities.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RX 7700's average benchmark score is 15852, which is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon R9 370X's 15862, a deltaPct of -0.1. It is 1% behind the Radeon RX 9060 and 1.1% ahead of the Radeon Pro W5500, but 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.

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

A: The combo ranks 1298 out of 2939 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the upper half of tested systems, but not in the top tier due to the GPU's mid-range performance.

Q: Does the CPU's high core count affect the game's performance?

A: No. The i7-14700KF has 20 cores and 28 threads, but Minimum is an older game from 2014 that is unlikely to utilize more than a few cores. The CPU's high single-thread performance (6235 in Cinebench R23) is more relevant, but the data shows the GPU is the limiting factor in most settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7700 is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 214 FPS. The Medium preset averages 164 FPS, with a minimum of 139 FPS and a maximum of 188 FPS. The High preset averages 137 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 105 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 138 FPS. The Medium preset averages 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS. The High preset averages 89 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 68 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 74 FPS. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS. The High preset averages 48 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 36 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: at each resolution, the Low preset is the fastest, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra. The minimum and maximum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset, showing a 49 FPS spread at 1080p (139 to 188), a 31 FPS spread at 1440p (90 to 121), and a 17 FPS spread at 4K (48 to 65). The tighter spread at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is working at a more consistent, but higher, utilization level. The averages across settings at each resolution show that the jump from Low to Medium is significant (50 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, 17 FPS at 4K), while the jump from High to Ultra is smaller (32 FPS at 1080p, 21 FPS at 1440p, 12 FPS at 4K). This suggests that the Ultra preset offers diminishing returns relative to the performance cost, particularly at lower resolutions. The 4K data is the most constrained, with all presets except Low falling below 60 FPS average, making it the least playable resolution for this configuration.