Minimum

This PC configuration, pairing the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, delivers a clear verdict for Minimum: it is a high-refresh-rate machine at 1080p and 1440p, but it hits a wall at 4K Ultra. The data shows that while the combination is powerful, the demands of 4K resolution with maximum settings exceed what this hardware can deliver at a smooth 60 FPS. The benchmark results indicate that the most demanding preset at 3840x2160 falls short, but every other resolution and preset combination clears the playable threshold with significant headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Minimum reveals a consistent scaling pattern across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high across the board. The Low preset achieves an average of 270 FPS, which is a massive margin over the 60 FPS threshold. Moving up to Medium, the average FPS is 201.4, still more than three times the playable requirement. The High preset maintains an average of 172.1 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra preset produces an average of 134.1 FPS. At this resolution, the frame rates are so high that the bottleneck is likely the display's refresh rate rather than the hardware itself.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust but begins to show the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset averages 169.9 FPS, which is a substantial but logical drop from the 1080p result. The Medium preset delivers 130.9 FPS, while High averages 109.8 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still maintains an average of 82.7 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. This resolution offers a sweet spot, as even the highest settings remain highly playable and fluid.

The situation changes dramatically at 3840x2160. The Low preset averages 93.5 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset drops to an average of 70.1 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS line but with less headroom. The High preset averages 59.5 FPS, which is just below the playable threshold, indicating a borderline experience. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of only 43.2 FPS, which is a significant drop and clearly not smooth enough for a consistent 60 FPS experience. This data shows a steep performance cliff at 4K, particularly between the Medium and High presets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the roles of the CPU and GPU shift depending on the resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high, often exceeding 200 FPS. The data suggests that at this resolution, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is not fully taxed, as the performance scaling from Low to Ultra (270 down to 134.1 FPS) is proportionally large. This indicates that the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, is likely the primary limiter, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames as fast as the CPU can feed them. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3dmark_single_thread score of 951, supports this, but the high frame rates push the processor's limits.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts. The frame rates are lower overall, but the scaling between presets remains significant. The CPU is still a factor, but the GPU is becoming more involved. The drop from Low to Ultra (169.9 to 82.7 FPS) shows that the GPU is handling a larger portion of the workload as resolution increases. The data indicates that this resolution is a balanced point where both components are contributing significantly to the final frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 becomes the definitive bottleneck. The performance drops are steep, especially from Medium to High (70.1 to 59.5 FPS), which is a clear sign of GPU memory and compute limitations. The CPU's role is diminished here, as the GPU cannot produce frames fast enough to be limited by the processor. The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and the 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated by the 4K resolution and high preset details. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the frame rates are governed by the graphics card's raw throughput.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data provides a clear recommendation for the best settings at each resolution, defined as the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice. The benchmark shows an average of 134.1 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. This means users can enable every graphical feature without any concern for playability, delivering the highest visual fidelity with a large performance buffer.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is also the best option, with an average of 82.7 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth and visually rich experience. The 82.7 FPS average gives enough headroom to ensure that most scenes will remain fluid, even if there are minor dips in demanding moments.

At 3840x2160, the situation is different. The best playable preset is Medium, which achieves an average of 70.1 FPS. The High preset falls below the threshold at 59.5 FPS, making it unsuitable for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The Low preset is also playable at 93.5 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual quality while still maintaining a safe margin above 60 FPS. Choosing Medium at 4K is the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data, the performance of this combination is closely matched by a few other hardware configurations.

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, which has an average score of 24964, a negligible 0.2% difference. This means that in CPU-bound scenarios, such as at 1080p with lower presets, the Ryzen 5 7500F would perform nearly identically. The Intel Core i7-11850H also sits very close, with a score of 24935 and a 0.3% delta, indicating similar CPU performance. The Intel Core i7-13620H is also a near-match at 24911 with a 0.4% delta. On the other side, the AMD EPYC 9474F scores slightly higher at 25103, a -0.4% delta, meaning the Ryzen 5 8400F is actually slightly ahead of this server chip in the aggregate benchmark.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA P106-100, which scores 23249, a -0.3% delta. This suggests that in GPU-bound scenarios, such as at 4K resolution, these two graphics cards would produce very similar frame rates. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 also matches closely with a score of 23250 and a -0.3% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M is another close alternative, scoring 23273 with a -0.4% delta, indicating it would perform almost identically in this game. The data shows that users with these alternative GPUs would see a nearly identical experience in Minimum, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU is the limiting factor.

The Verdict

The verdict is clear based on the benchmark data. This PC can run Minimum exceptionally well at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, with every preset, including Ultra, clearing the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 134.1 FPS, and at 1440p, it delivers 82.7 FPS. Both are excellent results for a smooth and responsive experience.

At 3840x2160, the system is still capable, but with limitations. The Low and Medium presets are playable, with averages of 93.5 and 70.1 FPS respectively. However, the High preset at 59.5 FPS and the Ultra preset at 43.2 FPS are not suitable for a consistent 60 FPS experience. To maintain a smooth frame rate at 4K, users must stick to Medium settings or lower. The data shows that this PC is a strong 1440p machine and a capable but not maxed-out 4K machine for Minimum.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 4K with Ultra settings?*

A: No. The benchmark results show an average of 43.2 FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which falls well below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 82.7 FPS, making it the best playable option at that resolution.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low preset compared to the 4K Ultra preset?

A: The 1080p Low preset averages 270 FPS, which is significantly higher than the 43.2 FPS average at 4K Ultra, a difference of more than six times.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 3840x2160, as the frame rates drop steeply with higher presets, showing the graphics card is the limiting factor.

Q: Are there other GPUs that would perform similarly to the RTX 3080 in this game?

A: Yes, the nearestRivals data shows the NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, and AMD Radeon RX 6600M all have average scores within 0.4% of the RTX 3080, suggesting similar frame rates.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 70.1 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and is the best visual quality while maintaining playability.