Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers exceptional performance in Minimum, a third-person shooter released on 2014-06-25. The measured FPS data shows this combination is capable of running the game at maximum settings across all tested resolutions, with the lowest average frame rate recorded at 66.6 FPS in 4K Ultra. This puts the hardware comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold in every configuration tested, making it a top-tier choice for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces extremely high frame rates that will fully utilize high-refresh-rate monitors. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 396.9, which is nearly four times the playable threshold. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 301.6 FPS, while High settings yield 256.3 FPS. Even at the most demanding Ultra preset, the average remains at 195 FPS, indicating that the CPU and GPU are rarely stressed at this resolution. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a reduction of approximately 201.9 FPS, or roughly 51%, which is substantial but still leaves performance far above what the game requires.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high, though the impact of increased pixel count becomes visible. Low settings produce an average of 256.9 FPS, which is still more than four times the playable threshold. Medium settings average 194.9 FPS, High settings average 162.3 FPS, and Ultra settings average 126.5 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings reduces the average from 195 FPS to 126.5 FPS, a decrease of 68.5 FPS or 35%. This demonstrates that the RTX 4090 has sufficient headroom to handle the additional pixel workload without falling below playable levels.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains strong but shows the most significant scaling penalties. Low settings average 136.6 FPS, Medium settings average 103.9 FPS, High settings average 87.4 FPS, and Ultra settings average 66.6 FPS. The difference between 1440p Ultra and 4K Ultra is 59.9 FPS, representing a 47% reduction. This is the only resolution where the average frame rate at Ultra dips below 100 FPS, though it still clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 6.6 FPS margin. The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step up halves the average FPS at Ultra settings, but the hardware maintains playability throughout.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary performance driver in Minimum, particularly at higher resolutions. The scaling between 1080p and 1440p shows a 35% reduction in Ultra FPS (from 195 to 126.5), which aligns with the 2.25x increase in pixel count. Between 1440p and 4K, the Ultra FPS drops another 47% (from 126.5 to 66.6), matching the 2.25x pixel increase again. This consistent scaling suggests the RTX 4090 is the limiting factor at these resolutions, as the frame rate drops proportionally with pixel count.

At 1080p, the CPU's role becomes more apparent, though it is not a bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 9600X has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz and scores 17528.5 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2183.5 in single-core. These scores indicate strong single-threaded performance, which is relevant for a 2014 shooter that may not utilize many cores. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration with 32 MB of L3 cache provides ample processing power for the game's logic and physics, but the extreme frame rates at 1080p (up to 396.9 FPS) suggest the CPU is keeping pace without throttling the GPU.

The preset scaling provides additional insight into component roles. At 4K, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS from 136.6 to 66.6, a 51% drop. This large delta indicates that the GPU is heavily tasked with rendering effects and geometry at high resolutions. At 1080p, the same preset change reduces the average from 396.9 to 195, also a 51% drop, showing that the CPU can feed the GPU consistently regardless of preset complexity. The GPU percentile of 88 versus the CPU percentile of 81 reinforces that the RTX 4090 is the more dominant component in this pairing for gaming workloads.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 195 FPS. This is 135 FPS above the playable threshold, providing an enormous safety margin even during intense gameplay sequences. The High preset at 256.3 FPS and Medium at 301.6 FPS offer diminishing returns for visual quality, as Ultra already exceeds the requirements by a wide margin.

At 2560x1440, Ultra remains the best setting, with an average of 126.5 FPS. This is 66.5 FPS above the playable threshold, ensuring smooth performance on 144Hz monitors. The drop from 1080p Ultra is significant, but the frame rate is still more than double the 60 FPS target. High settings at 162.3 FPS or Medium at 194.9 FPS could be used for even higher refresh rates, but Ultra provides the best visual fidelity without compromising playability.

At 3840x2160, Ultra is still the best setting, with an average of 66.6 FPS. This is 6.6 FPS above the playable threshold, leaving a narrow but sufficient margin. The High preset at 87.4 FPS offers more headroom for demanding scenes, but the data shows Ultra stays above 60 FPS on average. For users who prioritize frame-rate stability over maximum visual quality, High would be a safer choice, but Ultra is technically playable at 4K.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can run Minimum at every resolution and preset combination tested. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160. The best settings per resolution are Ultra at all three, with average FPS of 195 at 1080p, 126.5 at 1440p, and 66.6 at 4K.

The only borderline case is 4K Ultra, where the 66.6 FPS average is just above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This means that while the average performance is acceptable, users may experience occasional drops below 60 FPS in particularly demanding scenes, as the measured data only provides average values without minimum or maximum frame rates. For a 2014 game with modern hardware, this is an excellent result, but the 4K Ultra setting has the least headroom of all tested configurations.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 66.6, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 126.5 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays well above 60 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 195 at 1920x1080 to 66.6 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 128.4 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary driver, with frame rates scaling proportionally to pixel count (35% drop from 1080p to 1440p, 47% drop from 1440p to 4K at Ultra).

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the benchmarks?

A: The highest average is 396.9 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does this combination support 240Hz gaming at 1080p?

A: Yes, at 1080p the average FPS exceeds 240 on Low (396.9), Medium (301.6), and High (256.3) settings, though Ultra falls short at 195.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 114 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 3.1% of all configurations. This high ranking reflects the hardware's ability to maintain playable frame rates at maximum settings in 4K, which is a demanding scenario for most systems. The CPU's 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicate that this pairing is well-matched, with neither component significantly dragging down overall performance.

The rank of 114 suggests there are 113 other combinations that perform better, likely featuring even more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher benchmark scores. However, given that the RTX 4090 has a passmark G3D score of 38194 and the Ryzen 5 9600X has a passmark multithread score of 30027, the performance ceiling for this game is nearly reached. The combination's average benchmark score of 60347 (GPU) and 29713 (CPU) places it in the upper echelon of tested hardware.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE has an average score of 29656, which is 0.2% lower than the Ryzen 5 9600X. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H scores 29868, 0.5% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT scores 29879, 0.6% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS scores 29955, 0.8% higher. All four alternatives are within 1% of the Ryzen 5 9600X's performance, meaning users with these CPUs would see nearly identical frame rates in Minimum. These processors range from desktop models like the Ryzen 7 5800XT to mobile parts like the Ryzen 7 7840H, but all deliver similar computational capabilities for this game.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc Pro A60 has an average score of 60326, essentially identical to the RTX 4090's 60347 (0% delta). The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, 0.3% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, 2.5% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657, 2.9% lower. These rivals are all within 3% of the RTX 4090's performance, indicating that systems with these GPUs would produce comparable frame rates in Minimum. The Intel Arc Pro A60 is the closest match, with a delta of 0%, making it the most direct alternative for users seeking similar gaming performance.