Minimum

FAQ

Q: What is the highest graphics preset that keeps frame rates above 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 61 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium runs at 71.8 FPS, while Ultra drops to 44.4 FPS, making High the most demanding playable setting at this resolution.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 compare to its nearest CPU rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17035 on average. It sits 0.2% above the Intel Core i7-1260P (17007) and the AMD EPYC 7742 (16998), and 0.2% below the Intel Core i5-11400 (17067) and AMD EPYC 7573X (17070). Performance is effectively identical across this group.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 places in the 68th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 23172, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407.

Q: Which preset at 1440p delivers the highest average frame rate?

A: The Low preset at 2560x1440 delivers 172.9 FPS. However, the Ultra preset still holds 82.9 FPS, so the most demanding setting remains fully playable at this resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for performance differences between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The data shows that scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution produces a consistent frame rate drop. At 1080p, the drop is from 266.1 FPS (Low) to 133.8 FPS (Ultra), which is a halving of performance. This pattern is consistent with GPU-bound rendering, where higher preset complexity increases load on the graphics card rather than the processor.

Q: Does the RTX 3080 have any near-identical GPU alternatives in the database?

A: The nearest GPU rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, 0.3% higher), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23250, 0.3% higher), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, 0.4% higher), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (23276, 0.4% higher). All are within a fraction of a percent of the RTX 3080's average score.

CPU and GPU Roles

Examining the measured frame rates across resolutions and presets reveals how the workload shifts between the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. At 1920x1080, the CPU has more headroom to feed frames, and the GPU becomes the primary constraint as preset complexity rises. The Low preset at 1080p reaches 266.1 FPS, while Medium drops to 203.6 FPS and High to 169.3 FPS. This is a steady decline as the GPU takes on additional shading, lighting, and texture work. The Ultra preset still manages 133.8 FPS, which indicates the GPU is handling the increased load without the CPU becoming a bottleneck.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with a lower ceiling. Low runs at 172.9 FPS, Medium at 130.2 FPS, High at 108.1 FPS, and Ultra at 82.9 FPS. The relative drop from Low to Ultra is similar to 1080p, suggesting the GPU remains the dominant factor. The CPU's role is less visible here because the frame rates are still well above the 60 FPS threshold even at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload becomes far more demanding. The Low preset averages 94.9 FPS, Medium drops to 71.8 FPS, and High sits at 61 FPS. Ultra falls to 44.4 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a much steeper decline in percentage terms than at lower resolutions. This is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the pixel count and preset effects compound. The Ryzen 5 3600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides enough instruction throughput to keep up with the RTX 3080 at these settings, but the GPU is clearly the limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

The data indicates that the CPU matters most at lower resolutions and higher frame rates. At 1080p Low, the system produces 266.1 FPS, which is a demanding scenario for the processor to issue draw calls and game logic updates. However, the Ryzen 5 3600's single-thread and multi-thread scores (Cinebench R23 single-core 2124, multi-core 15045) suggest it has ample capacity for this title. As resolution increases, the GPU takes over as the dominant constraint. The gap between Low and Ultra widens at 4K, reinforcing that the RTX 3080's rendering pipeline is the primary determinant of frame rate at higher pixel counts.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 133.8 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, so players can enable maximum effects without concern.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also clears the threshold, averaging 82.9 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and remains comfortably playable, with 22.9 FPS of margin above the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The High preset is the most demanding option that stays above 60 FPS, averaging exactly 61 FPS. The Medium preset runs at 71.8 FPS and Low at 94.9 FPS, but High is the highest quality that still clears the threshold. Ultra falls to 44.4 FPS, which is not playable at 4K.

The Verdict

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 can run Minimum with strong performance across most settings. At 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 133.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets also clear the threshold, with Ultra at 82.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low (94.9 FPS), Medium (71.8 FPS), and High (61 FPS). The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 44.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. For 4K gaming, the recommended ceiling is High settings. For 1440p and below, Ultra settings are fully playable. Overall, this system is well suited to run Minimum at high refresh rates on 1080p and 1440p displays, and at high quality on 4K displays.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have near-identical performance neighbors in the database. For the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, the nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-1260P, Intel Core i5-11400, AMD EPYC 7573X, and AMD EPYC 7742. The Ryzen 5 3600's average benchmark score of 17035 is within 0.2% of all four of these processors. The Intel Core i5-11400 is the most relevant desktop comparison, as it is a mainstream 6-core part that would behave similarly in gaming workloads. The i7-1260P is a mobile processor, while the EPYC parts are server chips, but their average scores indicate similar computational throughput.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, the nearest GPU rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and AMD Radeon R9 M290X. The RTX 3080's average score of 23172 is within 0.4% of all four. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M is the closest modern gaming comparison, though it is a mobile GPU. The P106-100 is a mining-oriented card, and the Radeon Pro Vega 16 and R9 M290X are older or workstation-oriented parts. In practice, a system built with any of these GPU alternatives would produce similar frame rates in Minimum, assuming the rest of the system remains the same.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1080 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. That places it in the top 29% of all CPU and GPU pairings in the database for this game. The rank reflects the balance between the two components: the CPU is a mid-range 3000-series part, while the GPU is a high-end Ampere card. The combination produces strong frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, and playable performance at 4K up to High settings. The ranking indicates that this pairing is well matched for Minimum, with neither component dramatically limiting the other at most settings. The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration that fails to reach the 60 FPS threshold, which is consistent with the GPU's 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080

• Low: 266.1 FPS average
• Medium: 203.6 FPS average
• High: 169.3 FPS average
• Ultra: 133.8 FPS average

2560x1440

• Low: 172.9 FPS average
• Medium: 130.2 FPS average
• High: 108.1 FPS average
• Ultra: 82.9 FPS average

3840x2160

• Low: 94.9 FPS average
• Medium: 71.8 FPS average
• High: 61 FPS average
• Ultra: 44.4 FPS average

Minimum and maximum frame rates were not recorded for any of these configurations. The average frame rates are sufficient to determine playability against the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in preset reduces the average frame rate, and each step up in resolution does the same. The most demanding configuration tested, 4K Ultra, is the only one that falls below the playable threshold.