Minecraft

Minecraft, a sandbox title from 2011, presents an interesting challenge for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B570 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is exceptionally powerful at lower resolutions, yet hits a clear performance ceiling at 4K with the most demanding presets. This analysis breaks down the exact frame rates, the balance of CPU and GPU workload, and what the results mean for playing this block-building classic.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data shows the best possible settings that maintain a minimum of 60 FPS (the playable threshold) at each resolution. At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, delivering an average of 69 FPS. While the Medium preset is also playable at 87 FPS, High is the better choice as it offers a higher visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS bar. The Ultra preset, with an average of 43 FPS, falls well below the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance headroom is much greater. The most demanding preset that remains playable is Ultra, which achieves an average of 82 FPS. This is a significant jump from 4K, allowing for the highest visual settings without any concerns about frame rate. The High preset at 132 FPS and Medium at 166 FPS are also excellent options, but Ultra is the clear winner for those who want maximum graphical fidelity.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system is clearly CPU-bound and has a massive amount of performance to spare. The most demanding preset, Ultra, runs at an average of 131 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold, making the game exceptionally smooth at high refresh rates. The lower presets, such as High at 209 FPS and Low at 332 FPS, are far more than any standard monitor can display, indicating the game is not graphically demanding at this resolution for this hardware.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results clearly illustrate how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU as resolution changes. At 1080p, the game is primarily CPU-limited, as evidenced by the massive frame rates that scale dramatically with settings. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with 16 cores and 32 threads, has ample headroom. The Arc B570 is not the bottleneck here, as even the Ultra preset at 131 FPS is well within the capabilities of the GPU. The 1080p results are more a test of the CPU's single and multi-threaded performance.

As the resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU begins to play a more substantial role, but the CPU still has significant influence. The frame rate at Ultra drops from 131 FPS at 1080p to 82 FPS, a 37% decrease, which indicates a growing GPU load. However, the fact that the Ultra preset can still maintain 82 FPS suggests the CPU is still keeping up, providing enough data for the GPU to render. The scaling between Medium and High here (166 to 132 FPS) is less steep than at 1080p, pointing towards a more balanced workload.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The drop from 82 FPS at 1440p Ultra to 43 FPS at 4K Ultra is a 48% reduction, showing that the Arc B570 is struggling with the sheer number of pixels. The difference between Medium and High (87 vs 69 FPS) is smaller than at lower resolutions, and the Ultra preset's performance collapses, indicating that the GPU's computational and memory resources are exhausted. This data shows that while the CPU is capable for this game, the GPU's performance is the deciding factor at high resolutions and presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data provides a detailed look at the average frame rates for every tested setting and resolution combination. Where available, the minimum and maximum frame rates are also included.

• 1920x1080:
• Low: 332 FPS average.
• Medium: 263 FPS average, with a minimum of 224 FPS and a maximum of 303 FPS.
• High: 209 FPS average.
• Ultra: 131 FPS average.

• 2560x1440:
• Low: 210 FPS average.
• Medium: 166 FPS average, with a minimum of 141 FPS and a maximum of 191 FPS.
• High: 132 FPS average.
• Ultra: 82 FPS average.

• 3840x2160:
• Low: 110 FPS average.
• Medium: 87 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS.
• High: 69 FPS average.
• Ultra: 43 FPS average.

The data shows a consistent pattern: performance scales inversely with resolution and graphical settings. The Medium preset is the only one that provides minimum and maximum frame rates, indicating a stable frame time. The lack of these metrics for other presets suggests that the frame pacing is more variable, though this is not necessarily an issue given the high average frame rates at lower resolutions.

The Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B570 combination is entirely capable of running Minecraft. According to the `verdictByResolution` data, the system can play the game at the highest settings at both 1080p and 1440p, with average FPS of 131 and 82, respectively. The system also comfortably clears the 60 FPS threshold at 4K with the High preset, averaging 69 FPS.

However, the system cannot handle the Ultra preset at 4K, as it only achieves 43 FPS. If you want to play at 4K, you will need to use High or lower settings for a smooth experience. At 1440p and 1080p, the Ultra preset is not only playable, but it is the best option. The data indicates this is a strong pairing for this title, especially for high refresh rate monitors at 1440p.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Minecraft at 4K with the highest settings?

A: No, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 only achieves an average of 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which averages 69 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings to get a high frame rate?

A: For the highest possible frame rate, the 1920x1080 Low preset delivers an average of 332 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and speed, 2560x1440 at Ultra provides a smooth 82 FPS average.

Q: At 1440p, is the Ultra preset playable?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 82 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. It is the best setting for that resolution.

Q: How does the game perform at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The 1920x1080 Medium preset runs at an average of 263 FPS, with a minimum of 224 FPS and a maximum of 303 FPS. This is an extremely high and stable frame rate.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset a better choice than 4K High?

A: No. The 4K Ultra preset averages 43 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, while the High preset averages 69 FPS. So, High is the best playable choice at 4K.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS measured for this game?

A: The lowest average FPS is 43, which is observed at the 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra preset.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of components ranks 2955th out of 3710 tested combos in Minecraft. This is a below-average ranking, placing it in the 20th percentile of all systems tested for this game. The ranking seems low relative to the high frame rates. This suggests that many other hardware combinations can achieve higher frame rates in this title, likely due to it being a CPU-bound game at lower resolutions and the Arc B570's performance at 1080p. While the frame rates are playable, the combo is not at the top of the performance hierarchy for Minecraft, where high-end GPUs and CPUs can push frame rates even higher.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark data for the CPU and GPU provides a list of similar-performing alternatives that could be used in this system.

Processor: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 75779 and ranks in the 95th percentile. The nearest rivals, all with a negligible performance difference (a delta of 0.1% to 0.4%), are:

• AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755: An average score of 75738, which is 0.1% slower.
• AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D: An average score of 75716, which is 0.1% slower.
• AMD EPYC 8224P: An average score of 75582, which is 0.3% slower.
• Intel Core Ultra 9 285: An average score of 75488, which is 0.4% slower.

Graphics Card Alternatives: The Intel Arc B570 has a percentile rank of 65% and an average score of 20556. Its closest rivals are:

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile: An average score of 20534, which is 0.1% slower.
• Intel Arc A750: An average score of 20582, which is 0.1% faster.
• NVIDIA Quadro M4000M: An average score of 20480, which is 0.4% slower.
• AMD Radeon R9 M390X: An average score of 20662, which is 0.5% faster.

These alternatives would result in a near-identical user experience. The data suggests that a system with a Ryzen 7 PRO 9750X or an Intel Core Ultra 9 285 would perform nearly the same as the 9950X3D. Similarly, swapping the Arc B570 with an RTX 3070 Mobile or Intel Arc A750 would yield a negligible performance difference.