Minimum

# Minimum Performance Analysis: Intel Core i7-14700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

This combination pairs a 20-core, 28-thread Intel Core i7-14700KF with an 8 GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, producing a measured performance profile in Minimum that places the combo at rank 2142 out of 3712 tested configurations. The data reveals a system balanced toward CPU capability, with the GPU becoming the primary constraint as resolution climbs. Across three resolutions and four settings presets, the measured average frame rates range from 32 FPS at 4K Ultra to 188 FPS at 1080p Low, demonstrating a wide operational envelope that depends heavily on how the workload is distributed between the processor and graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K follows a predictable pattern of GPU-bound scaling, though the magnitude of the drops varies by settings preset. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 188 at 1920x1080 to 121 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 67 FPS, then further to 65 at 3840x2160, representing a cumulative decline of 123 FPS from the 1080p baseline. This 65% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings indicates that even at minimal graphical load, the RTX 2070 SUPER cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K, with the pixel count increase outpacing the GPU's rendering throughput.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend with slightly compressed margins: 144 FPS at 1080p, 93 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. The 4K result of 50 FPS includes a minimum of 42 FPS and maximum of 57 FPS, demonstrating noticeable frame pacing variance at this resolution. At High settings, the scaling is more moderate in absolute terms but proportionally similar: 121 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset produces the steepest relative decline, starting at 92 FPS in 1080p, dropping to 59 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 32 FPS in 4K.

The resolution scaling pattern strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across all settings above Low. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth become increasingly taxed as resolution rises, with the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS falling below the generally accepted playability threshold. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal, as the i7-14700KF's high core count and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 188 FPS, which likely approaches the CPU's frame generation ceiling for this title, but even this scenario does not reveal a CPU bottleneck severe enough to prevent high frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF brings substantial processing resources to this combination, with 20 cores, 28 threads, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its benchmark results reinforce this capability: the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44167 and single-core score of 6235 place it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70163. The nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F at 69996 (0.2% slower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX at 69875 (0.4% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 69515 (0.9% slower), while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 70879, which is 1% higher.

In the context of Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, the CPU's role is primarily to maintain consistent frame delivery rather than to maximize raw throughput. The game's age means it likely does not utilize all 20 cores effectively, but the i7-14700KF's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by the Geekbench single-core score of 2578, ensures that even poorly optimized game threads receive sufficient processing power. The L3 cache of 33 MB shared across cores provides ample memory bandwidth for game data, and the dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support offers flexibility for system builders.

The measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 188 FPS, which is a high value that would require substantial CPU throughput to maintain. However, the fact that the frame rate drops to 121 FPS at 1440p Low and 65 FPS at 4K Low, despite the same CPU workload, confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor rather than the processor. The CPU's 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 platform positioning indicate a desktop part designed for sustained performance, and the benchmark data supports this, with the PassMark multithread score of 52425 and single-thread score of 4480 both representing strong results.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the component that determines the upper bound of performance in this combination, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the GPU's boost clock of 1770 MHz and base clock of 1605 MHz drive its 2560 shading units. The 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are present but largely irrelevant for a 2014 title like Minimum, which almost certainly does not use ray tracing or DLSS. The GPU's synthetic benchmarks show a PassMark G3D score of 18169 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1651, placing it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs.

The nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (1.2% higher), the Intel Arc B570 at 20556 (1.3% higher), and the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (1.5% higher). These small percentage differences suggest that the RTX 2070 SUPER performs competitively with its peers, but the measured FPS data in Minimum reveals that this GPU cannot handle 4K Ultra settings, producing only 32 FPS. The 4K High result of 42 FPS and 4K Medium result of 50 FPS (with a minimum of 42 FPS) indicate that even medium-quality settings at 4K are marginal.

The GPU's 215 W TDP and dual-slot design require a 550 W suggested PSU, and the card uses 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors. The 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die at 12 nm process node represent the Turing architecture, which provides DirectX 12 Ultimate support. In Minimum, the GPU's VRAM capacity of 8 GB is likely sufficient for the game's textures at all settings, but the raw rendering throughput becomes the constraint at 4K. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a roughly 65% reduction at Low settings, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where pixel count quadruples but frame rate does not proportionally collapse due to the game's efficiency.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Minimum?*

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at Medium settings provides a strong balance, delivering 93 average FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS. This is a substantial improvement over 4K Medium's 50 FPS average while maintaining visual quality above Low settings.

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

A: Yes, but with significant limitations. At 4K Low, the system achieves 65 FPS, while 4K Medium drops to 50 FPS, 4K High to 42 FPS, and 4K Ultra to 32 FPS. Only the Low preset at 4K provides a consistently smooth experience above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-14700KF's average benchmark score of 70163 places it 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, 0.4% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and 0.9% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% higher with a score of 70879.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER a bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes, at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops from 188 FPS at 1080p Low to 65 FPS at 4K Low, a 65% reduction that occurs despite the CPU's strong performance. This indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, particularly at 4K where even Medium settings produce only 50 FPS.

Q: What settings should be used for 1080p gaming?

A: At 1920x1080, all settings presets are playable. High settings deliver 121 FPS, Medium delivers 144 FPS (with minimum 122 FPS and maximum 165 FPS), and Ultra delivers 92 FPS. Low settings achieve 188 FPS for maximum frame rates.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 2142 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the distribution. This rank reflects the GPU's age and its limitations at higher resolutions, despite the CPU's strong synthetic benchmark performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER achieves a rank of 2142 out of 3712 tested combinations in Minimum. This places the system in the 42nd percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 58% of tested combos perform better in this game. The rank is somewhat surprising given the CPU's high percentile (94th among all CPUs), but it is explained by the GPU's more modest standing (65th percentile among all GPUs) and the game's apparent sensitivity to GPU performance at higher resolutions.

The ranking suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER holds the system back relative to what the CPU could support. The i7-14700KF's synthetic benchmark scores are comparable to CPUs that typically pair with much more powerful GPUs, and the 1% difference between the i7-14700KF and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K in CPU benchmarks does not translate to meaningful FPS differences in Minimum because the GPU is the limiting factor. The data indicates that a stronger GPU paired with this CPU would likely produce a significantly higher rank, while the current configuration is constrained by the graphics card's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth when rendering at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the Medium preset at 144 FPS average (with a 122 FPS minimum) provides an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, offering a significant improvement over the 92 FPS of Ultra while maintaining smooth gameplay. The High preset at 121 FPS is also viable, but Medium provides 23 additional FPS with presumably only minor visual compromises. For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low at 188 FPS is the clear choice, though the visual downgrade may not be worth the extra 44 FPS over Medium.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 93 FPS average (79 FPS minimum, 106 FPS maximum), which is the sweet spot for this resolution. High settings at 78 FPS are playable but approach the threshold where frame drops become noticeable, while Ultra at 59 FPS is marginal. Low settings at 121 FPS provide a high-refresh experience but sacrifice visual fidelity. For 4K, the Low preset at 65 FPS is the only consistently smooth option, as Medium at 50 FPS, High at 42 FPS, and Ultra at 32 FPS all fall below the 60 FPS target. The 4K Medium result includes a minimum of 42 FPS, which would cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced third-person shooter gameplay.

The overall recommendation is to use Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p, and Low settings at 4K. The Medium preset provides the best combination of visual quality and frame rate stability, with the 1440p Medium result of 93 FPS representing the most balanced configuration across all measured data points.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 188 FPS average
• Medium: 144 FPS average, 122 FPS minimum, 165 FPS maximum
• High: 121 FPS average
• Ultra: 92 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 121 FPS average
• Medium: 93 FPS average, 79 FPS minimum, 106 FPS maximum
• High: 78 FPS average
• Ultra: 59 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 65 FPS average
• Medium: 50 FPS average, 42 FPS minimum, 57 FPS maximum
• High: 42 FPS average
• Ultra: 32 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: Low settings provide the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, indicating that the measurement methodology captured frame variance for this setting. At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 96 FPS (188 to 92), while at 1440p the spread narrows to 62 FPS (121 to 59), and at 4K it narrows further to 33 FPS (65 to 32). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU becomes increasingly saturated as pixel count grows, reducing the impact of settings changes on absolute frame rates.