Minecraft: Java Edition

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 is a well-known combination from the late 2010s, and its performance in Minecraft: Java Edition is surprisingly strong. The recorded data shows that this combo handles the game with ease at most common resolutions, though 4K Ultra remains a challenge. The combination ranks at 1630 out of 1727 tested combos in the database, placing it in the lower portion of the overall ranking. That rank may sound discouraging, but it is important to note that the ranking includes every possible CPU and GPU pairing tested, many of which are far more powerful. What matters more is how this specific duo behaves in Minecraft: Java Edition, and the measurements paint a clearer picture than the raw rank suggests.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1630 out of 1727 places this pairing in the bottom 6% of all tested combinations. On the surface, that seems like a poor result. However, the rank reflects performance across the entire spectrum of hardware, including modern flagship CPUs and top-tier graphics cards. For a setup built around a 2018 processor and a 2017 graphics card, the rank is not surprising. The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 sits at the 75th percentile when compared against all CPUs in the database, meaning it outperforms three-quarters of all processors listed. The AMD Radeon RX 570 sits at the 74th percentile against all GPUs. Both components are solidly mid-range, and their combined performance in this title is limited mostly by the GPU at higher resolutions and by the CPU at lower settings where frame rates climb very high.

The rank becomes more meaningful when viewed through the lens of the actual frame rates. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 190.4 FPS on Low settings, 151.3 FPS on Medium, 117.8 FPS on High, and 77.2 FPS on Ultra. These are excellent numbers for a game like Minecraft: Java Edition, which relies heavily on single-threaded CPU performance. The Ryzen 5 2600 has a single-thread score of 2239 in Passmark, which is modest by today's standards, but the game is not demanding enough to expose that weakness at this resolution. The rank of 1630 is dragged down by comparisons to much newer hardware, but the actual gameplay experience is smooth and responsive. The data indicates that the combo is far more capable in practice than its rank implies, especially for a game that is not graphically intense.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the CPU and GPU becomes clear when examining the scaling of frame rates across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 190.4 FPS. The GPU is not the limiting factor here; the game at such low graphical settings is almost entirely CPU-bound. The Ryzen 5 2600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is able to push well past 150 FPS, but the frame rate ceiling is still dictated by the processor's ability to feed the game's simulation logic. Moving from Low to Medium at 1080p drops the frame rate from 190.4 FPS to 151.3 FPS, a reduction of about 21%. That drop is the result of increased GPU workload, but the CPU is still keeping up with the demand. At High settings, the frame rate falls to 117.8 FPS, and at Ultra it drops to 77.2 FPS. The increasingly large drops between settings show that the GPU begins to take on more responsibility as the visual load increases, but even at Ultra, the frame rate remains well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. Low settings yield 117.2 FPS, which is still a very high frame rate, but it is a 38% drop from the 1080p Low result. The GPU is now working harder to fill more pixels, and the CPU has less headroom to push frame rates higher. Medium settings at 1440p produce 93.1 FPS, High produces 72.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 45.9 FPS. The pattern shows that the RX 570 is the primary bottleneck at 1440p, especially at High and Ultra presets where the frame rate falls below or near the playable threshold. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. Low settings produce 62.4 FPS, just barely above the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium drops to 46.9 FPS, High to 41.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 24.2 FPS. The CPU is no longer the limiting component at 4K; the RX 570's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at that pixel count. The data shows a clear shift: at 1080p, the CPU matters most; at 1440p, both components matter; at 4K, the GPU is the sole bottleneck.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database lists several CPUs and GPUs whose average benchmark scores are nearly identical to the ones in this combo. The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 21484. The nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, which scores 21440, a difference of only 0.2%. That means someone using an Ultra 5 228V would see almost identical CPU-bound performance in Minecraft: Java Edition. The Intel Core i9-11900H scores 21367, which is 0.5% lower, while the Intel Xeon D-1746TER scores 21635, which is 0.7% higher. The AMD EPYC 9454 scores 21223, which is 1.2% higher. All four rivals are within a 2% band of the Ryzen 5 2600, so any of them would deliver effectively the same frame rates in scenarios where the CPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 2600, despite being older, is still competitive with these more modern processors in average benchmark terms.

On the GPU side, the RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 28766. The closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, which scores 28874, a difference of 0.4%. That is surprising, given that the RX 6800M is a much newer mobile GPU, but the average score is what matters for comparison. The AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 28580, which is 0.7% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 470 scores 28996, which is 0.8% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 scores 28421, which is 1.2% lower. All four GPUs are within a 2% band of the RX 570. In practice, swapping the RX 570 for any of these would produce nearly identical results in Minecraft: Java Edition. The RX 470 is particularly interesting because it shares the same Polaris architecture and has nearly identical specifications, so gamers looking for a direct equivalent could consider that card. The RX 6800M being so close in score is also notable, as it suggests that the RX 570's performance is still competitive in this specific workload despite its age.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Minecraft: Java Edition, and it does so comfortably at most settings and resolutions. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the best being Ultra at an average of 77.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, High, Medium, and Low are all playable, with High being the best at 72.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low is playable, with an average of 62.4 FPS. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the data shows that the combo clears that bar at every resolution with at least one preset. For gamers with a 1080p monitor, this is an excellent experience. For those with a 1440p monitor, the High preset delivers a smooth experience with no need to compromise on visual quality. For 4K, the Low preset is the only option that stays above 60 FPS, and even then, it is only 2.4 FPS above the threshold. The overall verdict is positive: this is a capable machine for Minecraft: Java Edition, with the caveat that 4K users must stick to Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates are recorded for three resolutions and four settings each. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 190.4 FPS. Medium delivers 151.3 FPS. High delivers 117.8 FPS. Ultra delivers 77.2 FPS. Every preset at 1080p stays well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the lowest result, Ultra at 77.2 FPS, leaves a comfortable margin. The scaling from Low to Ultra is steep, with Ultra producing 59% fewer frames than Low, but the absolute numbers remain high.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 117.2 FPS. Medium delivers 93.1 FPS. High delivers 72.7 FPS. Ultra delivers 45.9 FPS. The 1440p results show a more pronounced drop at the Ultra tier, where the frame rate falls below the 60 FPS threshold. High remains playable at 72.7 FPS, which is 12.7 FPS above the threshold. The data indicates that 1440p High is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 62.4 FPS. Medium delivers 46.9 FPS. High delivers 41.2 FPS. Ultra delivers 24.2 FPS. The 4K results are the weakest of the three resolutions. Only Low crosses the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so by just 2.4 FPS. Medium is 13.1 FPS below the threshold, High is 18.8 FPS below, and Ultra is 35.8 FPS below. The RX 570's 4 GB memory capacity and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are limiting factors at this resolution. No min or max frame rates are recorded in the database, so the analysis relies on average values, but the averages are consistent across all settings and resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 77.2 FPS. This is the best possible setting for this resolution. The combo has enough headroom at 1080p to run the game at maximum visual quality without dropping below the playable threshold. Gamers with a 1080p display should set the game to Ultra and enjoy the full experience.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 72.7 FPS. Ultra falls to 45.9 FPS, which is below the threshold, so it is not recommended. High is the best choice for 1440p, providing 12.7 FPS of headroom above the playable threshold. The visual difference between High and Ultra is likely minor in Minecraft, so the performance gain from choosing High is worthwhile.

At 3840x2160, the only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 62.4 FPS. This is the best setting for 4K. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, so they are not recommended for a smooth experience. The 2.4 FPS margin above the threshold is thin, so users with a 4K monitor may want to lower the render distance or other settings to ensure stable performance. The data shows that the combo is capable of 4K, but only with substantial graphical compromises.

FAQ

Q: Can the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and AMD Radeon RX 570 run Minecraft: Java Edition at 60 FPS?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, all four presets exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 77.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, High averages 72.7 FPS, Medium averages 93.1 FPS, and Low averages 117.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low exceeds 60 FPS, averaging 62.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is the best setting at 1920x1080, delivering an average of 77.2 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset is the best setting at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 72.7 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 45.9 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 4K gaming?

A: The Low preset is the only setting at 3840x2160 that stays at or above 60 FPS, with an average of 62.4 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the threshold.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 2600 compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 21484. The Intel Core Ultra 5 228V scores 21440, which is 0.2% lower. The Intel Core i9-11900H scores 21367, which is 0.5% lower. The Intel Xeon D-1746TER scores 21635, which is 0.7% higher. The AMD EPYC 9454 scores 21223, which is 1.2% higher.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 28766. The AMD Radeon RX 6800M scores 28874, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 28580, which is 0.7% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 470 scores 28996, which is 0.8% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 scores 28421, which is 1.2% lower.