Minimum

The data for Minimum with the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti shows a system that is heavily skewed toward high refresh rate play at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K remaining viable but demanding. The measured results provide a clear picture of where the GPU becomes the primary constraint and where the processor’s strong single-threaded performance keeps frame rates elevated.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern, but with some notable nuances at the lower settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 281.2 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 179.7 FPS, a reduction of 36.1%, while 4K Low yields 97.5 FPS, which is 45.7% lower than the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates the RTX 3080 Ti is the limiting component at these settings, as the CPU is capable of feeding frames well above 200 FPS.

The scaling behavior changes when moving to higher presets. At Medium settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is from 210.6 FPS to 139.4 FPS, a 33.8% decrease. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is to 75.6 FPS, a 45.8% reduction. This pattern is consistent with the GPU working harder as pixel count increases, with the 4K Medium result falling below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the baseline for smooth play.

At Ultra settings, the resolution scaling becomes even more pronounced. The 1080p Ultra result is 133.8 FPS, which drops to 90.3 FPS at 1440p (a 32.5% decrease) and then to 47 FPS at 4K (a 47.9% decrease from 1440p). The 4K Ultra figure is the only measured result below 60 FPS, and it is also the only point where the system fails to maintain a playable frame rate. The data shows that the game’s Ultra preset imposes a significant cost at high resolutions, likely due to advanced shading or post-processing effects that scale heavily with pixel count.

The Low preset results are particularly interesting. At 1080p Low, the system produces 281.2 FPS, which is nearly double the 1440p High result of 113.3 FPS. This suggests that at Low settings and lower resolutions, the CPU’s 5.60 GHz boost clock and 20 cores provide ample headroom, and the GPU is the sole bottleneck. However, the fact that 4K Low (97.5 FPS) is still well above 60 FPS indicates that even at 4K, the RTX 3080 Ti has enough raw throughput to handle the game’s reduced geometry and lighting loads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip fabricated on an 8 nm process. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory runs across a 384-bit bus, yielding 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz, and it houses 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster operation processors. The memory clock is listed as 1188 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed.

The GPU’s role in these results is most evident when comparing the High and Ultra presets at the same resolution. At 1080p, High produces 180.7 FPS while Ultra produces 133.8 FPS, a difference of 46.9 FPS. At 1440p, the gap widens to 23 FPS (113.3 vs 90.3), and at 4K, the gap narrows to 16.1 FPS (63.1 vs 47). This pattern suggests that Ultra settings introduce effects that are computationally expensive but do not scale linearly with resolution. The 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS shows the GPU’s limits, as the combination of high pixel count and maximal settings overwhelms the 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 throughput.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,224. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 3090 at a delta of -0.5%, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 at -0.9%, and the RTX 5070 at -1.1%. These deltas are small, indicating that the RTX 3080 Ti is closely matched with these cards in general compute tasks. In Minimum, the measured results show that the GPU can handle 1440p High at 113.3 FPS, which is a strong result for a game released in 2014.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a Raptor Lake Refresh part with 20 cores and 28 threads, running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It has 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core, with an 80 KB L1 cache per core. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 44,557 and its single-core score is 6,290, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU’s role in Minimum is to ensure that frame rates are not limited by the processor at lower resolutions and settings. The 1080p Low result of 281.2 FPS is the clearest evidence of this, as the CPU is feeding the GPU with over 280 frames per second. The single-core performance is particularly relevant for a Third-Person Shooter, where game logic and physics often run on a single thread. The 6,290 Cinebench R23 single-core score suggests the CPU has substantial headroom for such tasks.

However, the CPU’s impact becomes less visible as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 47 FPS, which is far below the CPU’s capability. The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution or preset, as even the highest frame rates (281.2 FPS at 1080p Low) are well within the CPU’s theoretical limits. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-14700K (0% delta), the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (-0.4% delta), with the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 at -1.3%.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 414th out of 1,733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the top 24% of all combinations in the database, which is a solid result given the game’s age and the GPU’s mid-range positioning within the 30-series lineup. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU’s high percentile (96th) and the GPU’s lower percentile (83rd), with the GPU being the more limiting factor.

The rank of 414 suggests that while this combo is capable of high frame rates, there are many other combinations that score higher. This is likely due to the GPU’s mid-tier status compared to the RTX 3090 or newer RTX 40-series cards, which could push the combo higher in the rankings. However, for a game like Minimum, the combo’s performance is sufficient for 1440p High play at 113.3 FPS, which is a strong result for a 2014 title.

The data also shows that the CPU’s performance relative to its rivals is minimal, with deltas ranging from 0% to -1.3%. This indicates that swapping the i7-14700KF for a comparable CPU would have little effect on the combo’s rank in Minimum. Conversely, the GPU’s deltas range from -0.5% to -1.6%, suggesting that a slightly faster GPU could improve the combo’s standing, but the differences are small.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the best choice for visual quality while maintaining high frame rates. The 133.8 FPS Ultra result is well above 60 FPS and only 46.9 FPS lower than the High preset, making the visual upgrade worthwhile. For 1440p displays, the High preset at 113.3 FPS provides a smooth experience, while the Medium preset at 139.4 FPS offers a higher frame rate at a slight visual cost. The Medium preset is recommended for players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity.

At 4K, the choices are more constrained. The High preset at 63.1 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only 4K preset that delivers playable performance without major compromises. The Medium preset at 75.6 FPS is also viable, but the Ultra preset at 47 FPS is not recommended due to the sub-60 FPS average. For 4K players, the High preset strikes the best balance between visual quality and performance, as the Low preset at 97.5 FPS sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a marginal frame rate gain.

The data suggests that the Low preset is only necessary for extremely high refresh rate displays at 1080p, where the 281.2 FPS result can take advantage of a 240 Hz or higher monitor. For most players, the Medium or High presets provide a better experience in terms of visual quality and frame rate consistency.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 281.2, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

*Q: Is the combo capable of 4K 60 FPS in Minimum?*

A: Yes, at 4K High the combo produces 63.1 FPS, and at 4K Medium it produces 75.6 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting falls short at 47 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70,104, which is 0% different from the Intel Core i7-14700K and -0.4% different from the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,224.

Q: Which resolution and preset combination gives the best balance of visual quality and performance?

A: For 1440p, the High preset at 113.3 FPS provides a strong balance. For 4K, the High preset at 63.1 FPS is the best option, as it stays above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank overall in the database for this game?

A: The combo ranks 414th out of 1,733 tested combos, placing it in the top 24% of all configurations.