Minimum

The benchmark data for Minimum with the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB shows a configuration that is heavily balanced toward the CPU, with the GPU acting as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The measured results provide a clear picture of how this pairing scales across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, revealing distinct performance characteristics for each component. This analysis interprets the measured FPS rows and component specifications to explain the underlying dynamics.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a pronounced drop as resolution increases, which is a classic indicator of GPU-bound performance at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 231.4 FPS, but this falls to 151.7 FPS at 1440p and further to 79.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 65.8% reduction in performance from 1080p Low to 4K Low, demonstrating that the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is the limiting factor as pixel throughput demands escalate.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the frame rate drops from 149.7 FPS at 1080p to 96.2 FPS at 1440p, then to 55 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result is particularly telling, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU cannot maintain smooth gameplay at this resolution without lowering quality. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with 115.5 FPS at 1080p dropping to 76 FPS at 1440p and finally to 42.8 FPS at 4K.

The relative performance gaps between resolutions widen as settings increase. At Low settings, the 1440p to 4K drop is 72.6 FPS (from 151.7 to 79.1), while at Ultra, the same resolution transition sees a 33.2 FPS drop (from 76 to 42.8). This suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s and its 128-bit bus width become increasingly strained at 4K, particularly when combined with higher quality presets that demand more memory throughput.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a formidable processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its benchmark results show exceptional multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290. The processor sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 70104 places it nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-14700K (deltaPct 0) and slightly ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115 (deltaPct 0.3).

The high frame rates at 1080p, particularly the 231.4 FPS on Low settings, suggest that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution. The processing power required to feed the GPU at these frame rates is well within the capabilities of the i7-14700KF. The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample headroom for game logic and draw calls, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates in a third-person shooter like Minimum.

At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes further, as the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The fact that 4K Low (79.1 FPS) is significantly lower than 1080p Ultra (115.5 FPS) indicates that even the most demanding CPU-side settings at 1080p cannot compensate for the pixel throughput requirements at 4K. The data suggests that the i7-14700KF has substantial performance reserves, as its Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 18713 and PassMark multi-thread score of 52425 indicate it is far from being saturated in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is the dominant factor in this configuration's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, it delivers a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, which is modest for a modern GPU. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2913 places it in the 17th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB (deltaPct 0.2) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (deltaPct 0).

The GPU's clock speeds—2310 MHz base and 2535 MHz boost—combined with its 4352 shading units and 136 texture mapping units, provide adequate raw compute for 1080p gaming. The measured 1080p results confirm this, with 183.1 FPS on Medium and 149.7 FPS on High settings. However, the 8 GB VRAM capacity appears to be a constraint at 4K, where the Ultra preset (42.8 FPS) shows a significant drop compared to High (55 FPS), suggesting that memory pressure is exacerbating the performance decline.

The GPU's 17th percentile ranking indicates it is not a high-end part, and the data reflects this in the 4K results. The 4K Medium score (64.6 FPS) is only slightly above the playable threshold, while 4K Ultra falls well below it. The GPU's FP32 performance of 22.06 TFLOPS and texture rate of 344.8 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p but prove insufficient for 4K at higher quality settings, where the pixel fill rate (121.7 GPixel/s) becomes a limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this configuration. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 149.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a significant improvement over Medium (183.1 FPS) without a substantial visual penalty. The Ultra preset at 1080p (115.5 FPS) is also viable, but the marginal gain over High is not worth the performance cost given the diminishing returns at this resolution.

For 1440p, the High preset at 96.2 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it remains above 60 FPS while offering better image quality than Medium (116.9 FPS). The Ultra preset at 1440p (76 FPS) is playable but shows a 20.2 FPS drop from High, which may not justify the additional visual fidelity. The Medium preset (116.9 FPS) is a strong alternative for those prioritizing frame rate over quality.

At 4K, the Low preset (79.1 FPS) is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience above 60 FPS. The Medium preset (64.6 FPS) is borderline playable, but the High (55 FPS) and Ultra (42.8 FPS) presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold, resulting in noticeable stutter and reduced responsiveness. For 4K gaming, the data recommends the Low preset as the default, with Medium as an option for players willing to accept occasional frame drops.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this configuration at 1080p?

A: The highest measured frame rate is 231.4 FPS at 1080p with Low settings. The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 115.5 FPS, while High and Medium produce 149.7 FPS and 183.1 FPS respectively.

*Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: The system can run 4K at Low settings (79.1 FPS) and Medium settings (64.6 FPS), but High (55 FPS) and Ultra (42.8 FPS) presets fall below the 60 FPS playability threshold, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay.

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 70104, which is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-14700K (deltaPct 0) and 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115. It trails the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X by 0.4%.

Q: What is the GPU's ranking among all graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB sits in the 17th percentile of all GPUs, with its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2913 matching the performance of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (deltaPct 0) and trailing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M by 1.5%.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM capacity affect performance at higher resolutions?

A: The data suggests yes. At 4K, the drop from High (55 FPS) to Ultra (42.8 FPS) is 12.2 FPS, which is larger than the corresponding drop at 1080p (from 149.7 to 115.5, a 34.2 FPS difference). This indicates that memory bandwidth and capacity are significant constraints at 4K.

Q: What is the recommended preset for the best overall experience?

A: At 1080p, the High preset (149.7 FPS) offers the best balance. At 1440p, High (96.2 FPS) is recommended. For 4K, the Low preset (79.1 FPS) is the only option that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, with Medium (64.6 FPS) as a viable alternative for those prioritizing visual quality.