Minimum

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K?

A: Yes, partially. At 3840x2160, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 achieves playable frame rates (above the 60 FPS threshold) on Low, Medium, and High settings. High settings deliver an average of 64.8 FPS, which is the best playable preset at this resolution. Ultra settings fall short at 48.4 FPS average, below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: At 2560x1440, all four tested presets are playable. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 94 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the playability threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Minimum?

A: The combination ranks 804th out of 3,712 tested combos in the database for this game. This places it in the upper portion of tested configurations, roughly in the 78th percentile of all combos tested.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at lower resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all presets, ranging from 145.3 FPS on Ultra to 285.4 FPS on Low. The GPU is clearly the dominant factor, as even the most demanding preset produces frame rates far above the playability threshold, suggesting the CPU is not limiting performance at this resolution.

Q: What are the closest CPU alternatives to the Ryzen 7 3700X?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (0.1% higher score), AMD EPYC 4244P (0.1% higher), Intel Core i5-13450HX (0.2% lower), and Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (0.5% higher). These processors have nearly identical average scores, within a 0.7% total spread.

Q: What are the closest GPU alternatives to the RTX 5070?

A: The nearest rivals by average benchmark score are the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% higher), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% higher), AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (1.2% lower), and NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (2% higher). All of these GPUs fall within a 3.2% total performance band.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data for Minimum shows that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 plays the dominant role in determining frame rates across all resolutions and presets. This is a third-person shooter from 2014, and the benchmark results indicate that even the most demanding settings at lower resolutions produce frame rates far exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 1920x1080, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, but the results are so high that neither component presents a practical constraint. The average frame rates range from 145.3 FPS on Ultra to 285.4 FPS on Low. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution shows a reduction of approximately 49% in average FPS, which is a substantial drop but still leaves the system far above the playability threshold at every preset. The CPU, an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 2 processor with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at these frame rates, as evidenced by the consistently high averages.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's load increases, but the system remains comfortably playable at all presets. The average FPS ranges from 94 FPS on Ultra to 192.1 FPS on Low. The scaling pattern is similar to 1080p, with Ultra delivering about 51% of the Low preset's average FPS. The CPU continues to provide sufficient throughput, as none of the scores approach the 60 FPS threshold. The 1440p results show that the RTX 5070 has considerable performance headroom at this resolution, with the Ultra preset still delivering 94 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, which is expected given the increased pixel count. The average FPS ranges from 48.4 FPS on Ultra to 106.9 FPS on Low. This resolution is the only one where a preset (Ultra) falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a reduction of roughly 55%, which is the steepest drop across all resolutions. This indicates that the GPU's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint at 4K, while the CPU's role remains secondary. The Ryzen 7 3700X's performance in the database, with a passmark multithread score of 22,458 and a passmark single-thread score of 2,656, suggests it can keep up with the GPU's demands even at 4K, since the frame rate drop is consistent with GPU-bound scaling.

The data shows that the CPU's importance grows slightly as resolution decreases, but even at 1080p, the frame rates are so high that CPU limitations would only appear if the GPU were pushing significantly more frames. The 285.4 FPS average on Low at 1080p indicates that the CPU can sustain very high frame rates without becoming a constraint. Across all resolutions, the GPU is the component that determines whether the system hits the 60 FPS threshold, particularly at 4K Ultra where it falls short.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 804th out of 3,712 tested combos for Minimum. This places the configuration in the top 22% of all tested systems in the database. The rank reflects a balanced pairing: the CPU scores in the 84th percentile among all tested CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 82nd percentile among all tested GPUs.

The combo's ranking is consistent with its component-level performance. The CPU has an average benchmark score of 34,260, with nearest rivals like the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 scoring 34,222 (0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i5-13450HX scoring 34,333 (0.2% lower). The GPU has an average benchmark score of 40,377, with the AMD Radeon Pro 580 scoring 40,318 (0.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scoring 40,870 (1.2% lower). Both components perform near the top of their respective peer groups, which translates to a strong overall ranking for this game.

The rank of 804 out of 3,712 means that approximately 2,908 other tested combos perform worse in Minimum. This is a favorable position, especially considering that the game is a 2014 title with relatively modest hardware demands. The combination's ability to play at 4K High and 1440p Ultra with frame rates above 60 FPS is a strong indicator of its overall capability. The ranking also reflects the fact that this is a measured configuration, not an estimated one, which adds confidence to the results.

The percentile position of the CPU (84th) and GPU (82nd) are closely aligned, suggesting that neither component is significantly over- or under-powered relative to the other. This balance contributes to the combo's solid rank. Systems that pair a much stronger CPU with a weaker GPU, or vice versa, often rank lower for specific games due to bottlenecks. The data for Minimum shows no such imbalance, as the frame rates scale predictably with preset changes across all resolutions.

The Verdict

This system can run Minimum at all three tested resolutions, with the exception of 4K Ultra. The verdict by resolution is clear:

At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low, Medium, and High. The best playable setting is High, which delivers an average of 64.8 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold, but only by a small margin of 4.8 FPS. Ultra at 4K is not playable, as it averages 48.4 FPS.

At 2560x1440, all four settings are playable: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The best playable setting is Ultra, with an average of 94 FPS. This provides 34 FPS of headroom above the threshold, indicating a comfortable experience at maximum settings.

At 1920x1080, all four settings are playable. The best playable setting is Ultra, with an average of 145.3 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold, making the system more than capable for high-refresh-rate gaming at this resolution.

For players targeting 60 FPS, the system delivers that experience at 4K High, 1440p Ultra, and 1080p Ultra. If the goal is maximum fidelity, 1440p Ultra is the sweet spot, as it combines high visual quality with a 94 FPS average. At 4K, players will need to choose between High settings at 64.8 FPS or Medium at 82.4 FPS, depending on their preference for visual quality versus frame rate headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides exact average FPS values for each resolution and preset combination. Note that minimum and maximum frame rates were not recorded; only average FPS is available.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 106.9 FPS average
• Medium: 82.4 FPS average
• High: 64.8 FPS average
• Ultra: 48.4 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 192.1 FPS average
• Medium: 145.9 FPS average
• High: 127.2 FPS average
• Ultra: 94 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 285.4 FPS average
• Medium: 233.1 FPS average
• High: 191.4 FPS average
• Ultra: 145.3 FPS average

The data shows a consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 140.1 FPS (from 285.4 down to 145.3). At 1440p, the same spread is 98.1 FPS (from 192.1 down to 94). At 4K, the spread narrows to 58.5 FPS (from 106.9 down to 48.4). This narrowing at higher resolutions is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the pixel fill rate becomes the limiting factor. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that drops below the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so by a margin of 11.6 FPS.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset shows the expected impact of increased resolution. For example, High settings drop from 191.4 FPS at 1080p to 127.2 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 33.5%. From 1440p to 4K, High settings drop from 127.2 FPS to 64.8 FPS, a reduction of 49.1%. This steeper drop at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above 60 is as follows:

3840x2160: High settings, with an average of 64.8 FPS. This is the highest visual quality preset that remains playable at 4K. Medium settings offer 82.4 FPS and Low offers 106.9 FPS, but High provides the best balance of fidelity and performance. Ultra is not playable at this resolution, averaging 48.4 FPS.

2560x1440: Ultra settings, with an average of 94 FPS. This is the maximum preset available, and it still delivers 34 FPS of headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. Players can run the game at full visual quality at 1440p without concern. The next step down, High, averages 127.2 FPS, but Ultra is the best choice since it remains well above the threshold.

1920x1080: Ultra settings, with an average of 145.3 FPS. This is the maximum preset, and it delivers nearly 2.5 times the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p, the system has exceptional performance headroom, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset at 1080p provides the highest visual fidelity with frame rates that far exceed playability requirements.

These recommendations are based solely on the measured average FPS values. If a player prefers higher frame rates over maximum visual quality, they can select lower presets to achieve even higher averages, such as 285.4 FPS at 1080p Low.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals in the database, several CPUs and GPUs would behave similarly to the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 in this system.

CPU alternatives: The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 34,260. Its nearest rivals are extremely close in performance:

• AMD Ryzen AI 7 350: average score 34,222, which is 0.1% higher than the 3700X
• AMD EPYC 4244P: average score 34,220, which is 0.1% higher
• Intel Core i5-13450HX: average score 34,333, which is 0.2% lower
• Intel Core Ultra 7 165H: average score 34,083, which is 0.5% higher

The total spread among these five CPUs is just 0.7%, meaning any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum when paired with the same GPU. The Intel Core i5-13450HX is the closest match in absolute terms, with a score just 0.2% below the 3700X.

GPU alternatives: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40,377. Its nearest rivals are:

• AMD Radeon Pro 580: average score 40,318, which is 0.1% higher
• AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100: average score 40,063, which is 0.8% higher
• AMD Radeon Pro 5300: average score 40,870, which is 1.2% lower
• NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile: average score 39,568, which is 2% higher

The total spread among these five GPUs is 3.2%. In practice, the AMD Radeon Pro 580 is the closest match, with a score only 0.1% below the RTX 5070. The RTX A500 Mobile is the farthest of the four, at 2% above, but this would still result in very similar gameplay performance in Minimum.

When considering alternative combos, pairing any of the listed CPUs with any of the listed GPUs would yield results within a few percent of the measured configuration. For example, a system with the Intel Core i5-13450HX and AMD Radeon Pro 580 would have a combined average score very close to the Ryzen 7 3700X and RTX 5070 combination. The database's measured frame rates for this specific combo can be used as a reliable estimate for any of these near-identical alternatives.