Minimum

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 presents a stark contrast in capability. The CPU is a modern 20-core, 28-thread powerhouse built on Raptor Lake, while the GPU is an older Turing-based card from a previous generation. Benchmark results for Minimum show a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card, with the CPU having significant headroom left on the table. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data, focusing on how each component contributes to the final frame rates.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a high-end desktop processor with a 20-core, 28-thread configuration. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, which allows it to handle demanding workloads. Its architecture is Raptor Lake, built on a 10 nm process, and it features a substantial 33 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications make it a top-tier performer in synthetic benchmarks, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 70163 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which has an average score of 69996, a negligible difference of 0.2%.

In the context of Minimum, however, the CPU's raw power is largely untapped. The game is a Third-Person Shooter from 2014, and the measured frame rates at all resolutions and settings suggest that the graphics card, not the processor, is the primary bottleneck. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 155 FPS. While this is a high frame rate, it is not indicative of the CPU's maximum potential, as the i7-14700KF's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and single-core score of 6235 demonstrate its immense processing capability. The data indicates that the CPU is capable of far more, but the frame rate ceiling is being set by the GPU's output. The processor's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2578, would be more relevant in CPU-bound scenarios, but the data for this game shows that the limiting factor is elsewhere. The CPU's role here is to provide a stable platform with massive headroom, ensuring that it never becomes the cause of frame drops or stutters. This is a common situation where a newer, powerful CPU is paired with an older GPU, resulting in performance that reflects the GPU's generation rather than the CPU's capabilities.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 119 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 137 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163, which is 0.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X's score of 69515.

*Q: What is the best performance this combo can deliver in Minimum?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 155, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 falls into the 58th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score.

Q: Does the GPU have a significant performance lead over its closest rival, the AMD Radeon 680M?

A: The performance difference is minimal. The RTX 2060's average benchmark score is 15290, which is only 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon 680M's score of 15270.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 100 on Low settings to 49 on Ultra settings, a reduction of more than half.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. As resolution increases, the workload on the graphics card grows, and the frame rates drop correspondingly. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 100 FPS. Moving to 1440p with the same settings reduces the average to 64 FPS, a 36% decrease. At 4K (3840x2160) with High settings, the average plummets to 35 FPS. This pattern of significant frame rate drops with increasing resolution is a classic indicator that the GPU is the limiting factor.

The trend is consistent across all settings. With Low settings, the frame rate goes from 155 FPS at 1080p, to 100 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 54 FPS at 4K. The CPU's performance, on the other hand, is not resolution-dependent in this scenario. A CPU bottleneck would manifest as a consistent frame rate regardless of resolution, as the processor's work would be the limiting factor. Since we see a clear and substantial drop in FPS as resolution climbs, it is evident that the RTX 2060's rendering capabilities are being maxed out. The 4K results, particularly the 26 FPS average on Ultra settings, show that this combination is not suitable for high-fidelity 4K gaming in Minimum. The data suggests that for a smoother 4K experience, even on Low settings (54 FPS), the GPU would need to be upgraded, as the CPU is more than capable of handling the task.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2929 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the bottom 21% of all tested configurations. This low ranking is a direct result of the GPU's performance relative to the CPU. While the i7-14700KF is a top-tier CPU, the RTX 2060 is an older, mid-range graphics card that significantly holds back the overall system.

The ranking indicates that most other hardware combinations tested for this game deliver higher average frame rates. This is not a reflection of a poorly functioning system, but rather a signal of the performance gap between the two components. The CPU's high average benchmark score (70163) and its 94th percentile ranking are effectively neutralized by the GPU's lower standing (58th percentile). The data shows that the combo's in-game rank is more closely tied to the GPU's tier than the CPU's. For a user with this specific pairing, the results suggest that the system is balanced for older or less demanding titles, but for Minimum, it falls behind a majority of other tested setups. The performance ceiling is firmly set by the RTX 2060, and the i7-14700KF's potential is left largely unrealized in this specific benchmark.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the defining component of this system's gaming performance. It is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, featuring 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz. The card has 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. It supports modern APIs like DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4. Its average benchmark score is 15290, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's performance in Minimum directly correlates with its benchmark scores. Its score is nearly identical to that of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (0% delta), which is a much older card, indicating that the RTX 2060 is not a high performer by modern standards. The 6 GB VRAM is a key limitation at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the game likely requires more video memory than is available, leading to the very low 26 FPS average. The GPU's 160 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are standard for its class, but they don't change the fact that its raw compute power (6.451 TFLOPS FP32) is insufficient for demanding 4K scenarios. The measured FPS data shows a clear ceiling: the card can deliver high frame rates at 1080p (155 FPS on Low) but struggles as the resolution increases. The data indicates that the RTX 2060 is the primary bottleneck in this pairing, limiting the system to 1080p and 1440p gaming with adjusted settings for a playable experience.

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

The following data is directly from the measured FPS results for Minimum with this CPU/GPU combo.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average FPS 155.
• Medium: Average FPS 119, with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 137.
• High: Average FPS 100.
• Ultra: Average FPS 76.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average FPS 100.
• Medium: Average FPS 77, with a minimum of 65 and a maximum of 88.
• High: Average FPS 64.
• Ultra: Average FPS 49.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average FPS 54.
• Medium: Average FPS 41, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47.
• High: Average FPS 35.
• Ultra: Average FPS 26.

The data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern. At 1080p, the system is capable of delivering high frame rates across all settings, with even Ultra settings producing a playable 76 FPS. This is the resolution where this combo performs best. At 1440p, performance drops significantly. While Low settings maintain a smooth 100 FPS, High and Ultra settings drop to 64 FPS and 49 FPS, respectively. For a competitive shooter, the 49 FPS on Ultra might be less desirable, but it is still playable. At 4K, the card is overburdened. Even on Low settings, the average FPS is only 54, and on High and Ultra, it drops to 35 and 26 FPS, respectively. These frame rates are not ideal for a smooth gaming experience and indicate that the RTX 2060 is not suited for 4K gaming in this title. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings also show that there is some frame pacing variance, with the 4K Medium setting dipping to 35 FPS. Overall, the measured breakdown suggests that 1080p is the optimal target for this combo, with 1440p being viable for lower settings.