Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 delivers a robust gaming experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released on 2014-06-25. Benchmark data indicates that this combination scales predictably across resolutions, with 1080p offering maximum headroom and 4K requiring more conservative settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The measured frame rates, derived from actual testing, provide a clear picture of performance capabilities at each preset level.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Low, achieving an average of 65 FPS. While the Medium preset dips to 50 FPS average, it falls short of the 60 FPS playable threshold. High and Ultra presets at this resolution produce averages of 42 FPS and 32 FPS respectively, making them unsuitable for smooth play.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the optimal choice, delivering an average of 78 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset runs at 92 FPS, and Low at 121 FPS, but High provides the best visual fidelity while maintaining smooth performance. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 59 FPS, just one frame below the playable threshold.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, achieving an average of 92 FPS. This resolution allows users to max out all settings without concern. High runs at 120 FPS, Medium at 143 FPS, and Low at 187 FPS, but Ultra offers the most complete experience. The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where the Ultra preset clears the 60 FPS bar, making it the recommended choice for gamers prioritizing visual quality.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a balanced workload between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 187 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 92 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of approximately 51%. This substantial drop indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as visual effects intensify, while the CPU maintains a consistent frame delivery capability.

Moving to 2560x1440, the gap between Low (121 FPS) and Ultra (59 FPS) narrows to roughly 51%, showing similar scaling but at lower absolute values. The transition from 1440p to 2160p further emphasizes the GPU's dominant role. At 4K, the Low preset produces 65 FPS while Ultra falls to 32 FPS, a 51% reduction again, but the absolute numbers are much lower. This pattern suggests that both components contribute significantly, but the GPU handles the bulk of the resolution and preset scaling burden.

The CPU, with 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 5 architecture, provides ample processing power for this title. Its benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20485 and a single-core score of 2211, indicate strong headroom for game logic and physics calculations. The GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions, where the Radeon RX 9060's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are taxed more heavily. At 4K, the GPU's 1792 shading units work harder to fill the larger frame buffer, explaining the significant FPS drops at higher presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured frame rates show a clear hierarchy. The Low preset leads with an average of 65 FPS. Medium follows at 50 FPS average, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. High drops to 42 FPS average, and Ultra bottoms out at 32 FPS. The min/max data for Medium reveals a tight range, suggesting consistent frame pacing even when performance is limited.

For 2560x1440, the numbers improve substantially. Low produces 121 FPS average, Medium 92 FPS (min 79, max 106), High 78 FPS, and Ultra 59 FPS. The Medium preset's min/max spread of 27 FPS indicates some variability, but the average remains well above the playable threshold. High and Low presets offer comfortable margins, while Ultra sits just below the 60 FPS line.

At 1920x1080, performance is exceptional across all presets. Low achieves 187 FPS, Medium 143 FPS (min 122, max 165), High 120 FPS, and Ultra 92 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 122 FPS ensures even the most demanding scenes stay far above the 60 FPS threshold. This resolution provides the best overall experience, with all presets delivering smooth, responsive gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i9-14901E with a delta of 0.1%, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 also at 0.1%, the Intel Core 5 211E at 0.3%, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 at 0.4%. These processors would behave nearly identically in Minimum, with performance differences well within measurement noise. The Ryzen 7 9700X's average benchmark score of 37943 is closely matched by all four rivals, suggesting users upgrading from any of these would see negligible FPS changes.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with a delta of -0.7%, the AMD Radeon R9 370X at 1%, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 at 1%, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 at 2.1%. The Radeon RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 places it in a tight cluster with these cards. In Minimum, swapping to the RTX 3060 Ti would likely produce nearly identical frame rates, while the R9 370X and RX 7700 would be slightly slower but still comparable. The Pro W5500 would show a more noticeable performance gap.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 2179 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all possible configurations, indicating solid but not top-tier performance. The percentile ranking reflects the CPU's 86th percentile among all CPUs and the GPU's 59th percentile among all GPUs, suggesting the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card. This ranking means the combo outperforms roughly 41% of tested configurations while trailing the remaining 59%, positioning it as a capable mid-range option for this game.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Minimum at playable frame rates across all resolutions, though settings must be adjusted accordingly. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, achieving 65 FPS average. The 2560x1440 resolution offers more flexibility, with High (78 FPS), Medium (92 FPS), and Low (121 FPS) all playable, while Ultra falls short at 59 FPS. The 1920x1080 resolution is fully playable at every preset, with Ultra delivering 92 FPS and even the most demanding settings maintaining smooth performance. The data confirms that this combo is well-suited for 1080p gaming with maximum settings, capable at 1440p with high settings, and limited to low settings at 4K for smooth play.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The Low preset is the only option at 3840x2160 that maintains an average of 65 FPS, staying above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: No, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 59 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 78 FPS is the recommended maximum.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014 on average, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scoring 16129, a delta of -0.7%, indicating nearly identical performance.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded in this benchmark set?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 achieves an average of 187 FPS, the highest among all tested configurations.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 the Ultra preset averages 92 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p it averages 59 FPS, and at 4K it drops to 32 FPS.

Q: How many total combos does this setup rank among?

A: This combo ranks 2179 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle performance tier.