Minecraft: Java Edition

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER delivers a broad performance envelope across all four preset levels. The Low preset produces an average of 298.3 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this combination at any resolution. Moving up the quality ladder, Medium yields 235.2 FPS, High drops to 186.8 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a robust 117.6 FPS. All four settings at 1080p remain far above the 60 FPS playability threshold, with even the most demanding preset leaving substantial headroom.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 187.3 FPS, Medium reaches 152.7 FPS, High sits at 120.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 76.1 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a noticeable but not drastic reduction across every preset. For instance, the Ultra preset falls from 117.6 FPS to 76.1 FPS, which is a 35% reduction in average frame rate. The High preset drops from 186.8 FPS to 120.3 FPS, a 36% decline. Low and Medium see similar proportional changes, landing at 187.3 FPS and 152.7 FPS respectively. Even at this higher resolution, every preset clears the 60 FPS mark, meaning the hardware combination has no trouble maintaining smooth gameplay at 1440p regardless of quality settings.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. The Ultra preset falls to 38.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold and represents the only unplayable configuration in the dataset. High settings average 62 FPS, barely clearing the threshold. Medium produces 77.2 FPS, and Low reaches 96.5 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K is steep: Ultra drops from 76.1 FPS to 38.7 FPS, a 49% reduction. High falls from 120.3 FPS to 62 FPS, a 48% decrease. Medium declines from 152.7 FPS to 77.2 FPS (49% lower), and Low goes from 187.3 FPS to 96.5 FPS (48% lower). This consistent ~50% penalty when moving to 4K indicates that resolution scaling is the dominant factor at this stage.

The data includes only average FPS values; no minimum or maximum frame times are recorded for any resolution or preset. The absence of min/max data means the analysis relies on average performance, which can mask occasional stutters or frame spikes. However, given the high averages across most settings, transient drops would need to be severe to make gameplay feel inconsistent.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal how the Ryzen 7 3700X and GTX 1660 SUPER divide responsibilities across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU has ample headroom with its 8 cores and 16 threads, and the data shows that lowering resolution from 1440p to 1080p yields significant FPS gains across all presets. For example, Low settings improve from 187.3 FPS at 1440p to 298.3 FPS at 1080p, a 59% increase. This large uplift indicates that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting factor at lower resolutions, as more pixel throughput becomes available when the resolution drops.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts somewhat. The FPS figures are still high, but the scaling from 1080p is not perfectly linear. The Ultra preset at 1440p (76.1 FPS) versus 1080p (117.6 FPS) shows a 35% gap, which is smaller than the 59% gap seen on Low settings. This suggests that the CPU begins to exert more influence at higher quality presets, where the additional draw calls and game logic place greater demand on the processor. The Ryzen 7 3700X, with its Zen 2 architecture and 32 MB of L3 cache, handles this load well, but the scaling pattern shows the CPU is not completely idle.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the overwhelming bottleneck. The FPS values are much lower across all presets, and the differences between settings shrink proportionally. Low at 4K (96.5 FPS) is only 2.5 times faster than Ultra at 4K (38.7 FPS), whereas at 1080p the Low-to-Ultra gap is 2.5 times (298.3 vs 117.6). The absolute numbers at 4K indicate that the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus width are taxed heavily by the pixel count. The CPU's role diminishes because the GPU cannot feed frames fast enough to expose any processor limitation.

The preset scaling within each resolution also tells a story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 181 FPS (298.3 to 117.6), a 61% reduction. At 1440p, the same preset jump costs 111 FPS (187.3 to 76.1), a 59% reduction. At 4K, the cost is 58 FPS (96.5 to 38.7), a 60% reduction. These consistent proportional drops indicate that the quality presets impose a similar relative load on the hardware, regardless of resolution. The absolute impact of higher settings is smaller at 4K because the GPU is already saturated, whereas at 1080p the extra shading work from Ultra settings has more headroom to consume.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 117.6 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the dataset, and it still delivers nearly double the playability threshold. Users can run the game at maximum visual fidelity without any concern for frame rate drops. The gap between Ultra and the next lower preset, High at 186.8 FPS, is substantial, but both are far above playable levels.

At 2560x1440, the best settings choice is also Ultra, averaging 76.1 FPS. This is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, though noticeably lower than the 1080p result. The 16.1 FPS headroom over the threshold means there is some buffer for demanding scenes, but it is not as generous as at 1080p. For users who prefer higher frame rates, dropping to High at 120.3 FPS would provide a much larger cushion, but the data confirms that Ultra remains playable at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the best settings that stay at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 62 FPS. This is a narrow 2 FPS margin above the threshold. The Medium preset at 77.2 FPS and Low at 96.5 FPS are also playable, but High is the most demanding option that still clears 60 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 38.7 FPS and is therefore not recommended for 4K gameplay. The 2 FPS buffer at High is thin, so users who prioritize stability might prefer Medium for extra headroom. The verdict data confirms this ranking, listing High as the best settings at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 with an average score of 34222, just 0.1% below the Ryzen 7 3700X. The AMD EPYC 4244P scores 34220, also 0.1% lower. The Intel Core i5-13450HX scores 34333, which is 0.2% higher than the 3700X. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 34083, 0.5% below. These four processors would behave nearly identically in Minecraft: Java Edition, since their average benchmark scores are within half a percent of each other. The Ryzen 7 3700X sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, so these rivals represent comparable mid-to-high-end performance tiers.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile with an average score of 12940 (0.4% above the GTX 1660 SUPER), the AMD Radeon RX 580 at 12928 (0.4% above), the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 at 13075 (0.7% above), and the AMD Radeon 740M at 12870 (0.9% below). The GTX 1660 SUPER's average score is 12986, placing it at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs. These rivals would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minecraft, with differences well under 1%. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and RX 580 are the most relevant comparisons for gaming use cases, while the Tesla M2090 is a compute-oriented card. The Radeon 740M is an integrated solution that happens to score similarly in synthetic benchmarks.

The practical implication is that swapping the Ryzen 7 3700X for any of its listed rivals would change Minecraft performance by less than 1%. The same applies to swapping the GTX 1660 SUPER for its nearest rivals. The measured FPS values for this combo would remain effectively unchanged with any of these alternative components.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 117.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: Can this hardware run Minecraft at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but not at Ultra settings. At 3840x2160, High settings average 62 FPS, Medium averages 77.2 FPS, and Low averages 96.5 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 38.7 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Which component limits performance more at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the primary constraint at 1080p. The FPS figures scale significantly with resolution, and the large uplift from 1440p to 1080p (59% on Low settings) indicates the GTX 1660 SUPER is the bottleneck.

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

A: This combo ranks 1538 out of 1727 tested combinations in Minecraft: Java Edition. This places it in the lower portion of the database, despite delivering playable frame rates at all resolutions except 4K Ultra.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 3700X a strong match for the GTX 1660 SUPER in this game?

A: The CPU has significant headroom at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. At 4K, the GPU is even more dominant. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is not holding back the GPU in this title.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 average 76.1 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for 1440p displays.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Minecraft: Java Edition, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1538 out of 1727 total combos. This places it in the 11th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 89% of tested hardware pairs deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The ranking reflects the GPU's modest position at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU sits higher at the 84th percentile. The GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting factor in this pairing, dragging the overall combo ranking down despite the capable processor.

The data shows that this combo is fully playable at 1080p and 1440p across all presets, and even at 4K with reduced settings. The rank of 1538 does not indicate an unplayable setup; it simply reflects that many other combinations achieve higher FPS. The 1727 combos include far more powerful GPUs, and the GTX 1660 SUPER's mid-range position explains the relatively low ranking. For a user with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this combo provides excellent performance in Minecraft, with the Ultra preset at 1440p still clearing 60 FPS by a 16 FPS margin. The only scenario where this hardware falls short is 4K Ultra, which is an extreme requirement for this game.

The combination's performance profile is consistent with its component-level benchmarks. The CPU's average benchmark score of 34260 places it near the top quartile, while the GPU's average score of 12986 places it near the median. The combo ranking of 1538 out of 1727 reflects this asymmetry: the GPU holds the pair back more than the CPU would if paired with a stronger graphics card. Users considering an upgrade path would benefit more from replacing the GTX 1660 SUPER than the Ryzen 7 3700X, as the CPU has considerable headroom for higher-end GPUs.