Minimum

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a playable but inconsistent experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The data shows a clear trend: this combination is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU’s substantial core and thread count ensures frame rates remain high only when the graphical load is reduced. The measured results indicate a system that can handle high-refresh 1080p gaming but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck in all but the most demanding CPU scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a classic GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p High settings, the system averages 120 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 78 FPS, a 35% reduction, and at 4K High the average falls to 42 FPS, a 65% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed beyond its comfortable range as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system hits 187 FPS, which is excellent. At 1440p Low, it still manages 121 FPS, but at 4K Low, the average plummets to 65 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K at Low settings causes a 46% performance loss, whereas the jump from 1080p to 1440p at Low only costs 35%. This indicates that the RX 9060’s memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are insufficient for 4K, even when the game’s visual complexity is minimized.

Ultra settings paint an even bleaker picture for high-resolution play. The 4K Ultra average is just 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay in a shooter. The 1440p Ultra average of 59 FPS is barely acceptable, while 1080p Ultra at 92 FPS is the only Ultra preset that provides a smooth experience. The data suggests that the limiting component at 4K is unequivocally the GPU; the CPU’s role is negligible here, as the frame rates are entirely dependent on the graphics card’s ability to render the frame.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the decisive factor in this game’s performance ceiling. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the card’s 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is a clear constraint at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data supports this: the 4K Medium preset shows a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS, with an average of 50 FPS. This narrow range suggests the GPU is consistently hitting its memory limit, preventing any significant frame rate spikes.

Clock speeds are also relevant. The GPU has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. The large gap between base and boost indicates the card can scale its performance when thermals and power allow, but this doesn’t translate into 4K capability. The card’s 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs are insufficient for the pixel fill rate demands of 2160p, as evidenced by the 32 FPS Ultra result.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in context. Its Passmark G3D score of 17631 puts it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129, a 0.7% difference. This means the RX 9060 is slightly faster than that card in synthetic tests, yet it still cannot handle 4K in Minimum. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 is a low number, indicating that modern API workloads are not its strength, which may explain why the game’s Ultra settings, which likely use more advanced features, cause such a steep drop.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is not the bottleneck in this configuration, but its specifications provide the headroom needed for high-FPS 1080p gaming. With 20 cores and 28 threads, the CPU offers massive parallel processing capability. The measured 1080p Low average of 187 FPS shows the CPU can feed frames quickly to the GPU, but it is not the limiting factor; the GPU is still the one doing the heavy lifting.

The CPU’s boost clock of 5.60 GHz is the key metric for this game’s single-threaded performance. Minimum, being a 2014 title, likely relies heavily on a few primary threads. The CPU’s strong single-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235, ensures that the game’s logic and draw calls are processed without delay. This is why the system can achieve 187 FPS at 1080p Low; the CPU has ample power to handle the game’s simulation while the GPU renders at a lower resolution.

The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR4/DDR5 memory support contribute to its ability to keep data flowing. However, the data shows that lowering the resolution from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings only costs 66 FPS (from 187 to 121), while lowering from 1440p to 4K costs 56 FPS (from 121 to 65). This indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution; the GPU’s rendering workload is the primary constraint. The CPU’s percentile rank of 94 vs all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 70163 (with nearest rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F at 69996 and the Ryzen 9 7950X at 69515) confirm it is a top-tier part that leaves little performance on the table.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends entirely on the target resolution. For 1080p users, the High preset is the best balance, delivering 120 FPS average. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 143 FPS, but the jump to High only costs 23 FPS and provides a better visual experience. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 92 FPS, is also viable, but High offers a higher frame rate with likely minimal visual difference.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. The average of 92 FPS (with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 106) is smooth and responsive. The High preset at 78 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced moments but may feel less fluid in action sequences. The Ultra preset at 59 FPS is borderline; it is playable but not ideal for a third-person shooter where quick camera movements are common. The Low preset at 121 FPS is the highest frame rate, but it sacrifices visual fidelity for speed.

For 4K, the data suggests the system is not well-suited for this game. The Medium preset’s 50 FPS average is the only passable option, but the 42 FPS minimum is concerning. The Low preset at 65 FPS is the most playable, but it still doesn’t reach the 60 FPS target consistently enough for a smooth experience. The High and Ultra presets, at 42 and 32 FPS respectively, are not recommended for serious gameplay. The best advice is to stick to 1440p or 1080p with this hardware for a reliable experience.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K smoothly?*

A: No. The data shows the 4K High preset averages 42 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. Even the 4K Low preset only reaches 65 FPS, which is not consistently smooth for a shooter.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo?

A: The data indicates 1080p is the sweet spot. At 1080p High, the system averages 120 FPS, and at 1440p Medium, it averages 92 FPS. For a high-refresh experience, 1080p is recommended.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions. The FPS drops significantly when resolution increases, while the CPU’s strong single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235) and high core count (20 cores) prevent it from being a limiting factor.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its closest rival?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 16014, which is 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti’s score of 16129. In practice, the RX 9060 is slightly faster in synthetic tests, but this does not translate to 4K capability in this game.

Q: What settings should I use for a competitive advantage?

A: For maximum frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 187 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 1080p (143 FPS) is a better balance if you want some visual improvements without sacrificing too much speed.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 120 at 1080p High to 78 at 1440p High, a 35% reduction. This is a significant loss and indicates that the GPU’s bandwidth is a limiting factor as pixel count increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

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

| 3840x2160 | High | 42 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 65 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 50 | 42 | 57 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 32 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 78 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 121 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 92 | 79 | 106 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 59 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 120 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 187 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 143 | 122 | 165 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 92 | - | - |

The data reveals a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with Low being the fastest at 187 FPS and Ultra being the slowest at 92 FPS. At 1440p, the Low preset (121 FPS) and Medium preset (92 FPS) are the only options that exceed the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS on average, with the Low preset (65 FPS) being the only one that comes close, but its margin is thin. The Medium presets at each resolution show the most stable frame times, with the minimums being 42 FPS at 4K, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 122 FPS at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU handles this setting level with the most consistency.