Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers a surprisingly narrow range of performance in Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. The recorded data shows that this pairing is heavily constrained by the graphics side, with the CPU’s strong multi-threaded and single-threaded scores doing little to lift frame rates above the playable threshold at higher resolutions. Below is a resolution-by-resolution breakdown of the measured FPS, followed by a look at comparable hardware, FAQs, and the final verdict.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark suite recorded average, minimum, and maximum frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets. The playable threshold in the database is 60 FPS, and the data indicates that only lower resolution and preset combinations consistently reach it.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are uniformly below the playable mark. With the Low preset, the average FPS is 33, which is the highest recorded at this resolution. Medium settings produce an average of 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 29 FPS, showing a narrow but consistent band of performance. High settings drop the average to 21 FPS, and Ultra falls further to 16 FPS. No setting at 4K clears 60 FPS, and the data indicates that even the lowest preset leaves the system at roughly half the required frame rate.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the picture improves marginally. The Low preset achieves an average of 61 FPS, just above the 60 FPS threshold, and this is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings average 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS, placing it below the playable mark. High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra drops to 30 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 14 FPS, which suggests a steep performance cost for the next quality tier, but the data shows that only Low is viable for a smooth experience at 1440p.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system performs best. The Low preset averages 95 FPS, which is the highest recorded value across all tests. Medium settings average 72 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, keeping the experience above the playable threshold with some headroom. High settings average 61 FPS, exactly at the playable threshold, making it the most demanding preset that remains playable at 1080p. Ultra settings average 46 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS mark, indicating that the highest quality preset is not suitable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

The data shows a clear scaling pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the average FPS falls from 95 to 61, a reduction of 34 FPS. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, the average drops from 61 to 33, another reduction of 28 FPS. The same pattern holds across all presets, with the 4K results being roughly half of the 1440p results at the same settings. The minimum and maximum FPS values, where recorded, show moderate variance, with the widest spread occurring at 1080p Medium (62 to 83 FPS) and the narrowest at 4K Medium (21 to 29 FPS).

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X in the 86th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37,943. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14901E, which scores 37,911 and is only 0.1% behind, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, scoring 37,904 and also 0.1% behind, the Intel Core 5 211E, scoring 37,829 and 0.3% behind, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132, scoring 37,804 and 0.4% behind. These deltas are negligible in practical terms, meaning any of these processors would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum when paired with the same GPU. The CPU’s 8 cores, 16 threads, and 5.50 GHz boost clock are far more than this game requires, as evidenced by the fact that the GPU becomes the limiting factor in most scenarios.

On the graphics side, the Intel Arc B390 is much weaker. It sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1,482 based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scoring 1,463 and 1.3% behind, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, scoring 1,460 and 1.5% behind, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, scoring 1,446 and 2.5% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, scoring 1,443 and 2.7% behind. These are all entry-level or legacy graphics solutions, and the B390’s performance aligns closely with them. The GPU has 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, with a boost clock of 2,500 MHz and a peak FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS. However, the measured 3DMark score indicates that real-world gaming performance is modest, which is consistent with the FPS data showing sub-60 results at higher settings.

For a user considering alternatives, the nearest CPU rivals would not change the outcome, since the Ryzen 7 9700X is already far above the game’s requirements. The GPU rivals, however, would produce similar or slightly worse frame rates. The GT 520MX, for instance, is 1.3% slower on average, which would translate to roughly one fewer FPS at 1080p Low (94 FPS instead of 95). The GT 710, at 2.7% slower, would yield around 92 FPS at the same settings. None of these alternatives would enable playable performance at 1440p or 4K, as the B390 itself only manages 61 FPS at 1440p Low, and a slower GPU would drop below that threshold. The data indicates that the B390 is the primary bottleneck, and any GPU in this performance class will struggle with higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: No. The recorded data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 33 with the Low preset, and it drops to 16 FPS with Ultra. None of the recorded settings reach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: The Low preset is the only playable option at 2560x1440, with an average FPS of 61. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 47, 39, and 30 FPS respectively.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 9700X scores in the 86th percentile among CPUs, while the Intel Arc B390 scores in the 9th percentile among GPUs. The frame rates at higher resolutions drop sharply, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU limitation.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 95, recorded at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only configuration that exceeds 90 FPS, and it is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at any resolution?

A: No. The Ultra preset averages 16 FPS at 4K, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 46 FPS at 1080p. All of these values are below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The B390 has an average benchmark score of 1,482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. These differences are small, so performance in Minimum would be nearly identical across these GPUs.

The Verdict

The database verdict is clear: this PC can run Minimum at 1080p and 1440p, but only with specific presets. At 1920x1080, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with the best playable preset being High at an average of 61 FPS. This means a user can enjoy the game at 1080p with high-quality visuals while staying just above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the only playable setting is Low, which averages 61 FPS. This is technically playable, but it requires sacrificing visual quality to maintain smooth frame rates. At 3840x2160, no settings are playable, with the best average being 33 FPS at Low, which is far below the 60 FPS mark.

For a game released in 2014, these results are underwhelming. The Ryzen 7 9700X is a modern, high-end processor, but the Intel Arc B390 is a low-tier graphics solution, and the pairing shows that the GPU holds the system back. The data suggests that 1080p is the intended resolution for this combination, with 1440p being a stretch that only works at the lowest quality preset. 4K is not viable under any settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU dominates performance in Minimum, particularly at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores, 16 threads, and 5.50 GHz boost clock, is far more capable than this game requires. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20,485 and a single-core score of 2,211, place it well above any likely CPU demand from a 2014 title. The CPU’s percentile ranking of 86th among all CPUs further confirms that it is not the limiting factor.

The GPU, conversely, is severely underpowered for this task. The Intel Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482, placing it in the 9th percentile. Its nearest rivals are all legacy or entry-level GPUs, and its measured FPS reflects this. At 4K, the average FPS drops to 33 at Low settings, which is a 65% reduction from the 95 FPS at 1080p Low. This steep scaling is a hallmark of a GPU bottleneck, as the graphics processor must render four times the pixel count at 4K compared to 1080p, and the B390 lacks the raw throughput to handle that load.

The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU is less stressed, and the frame rates are higher, but the CPU still does not appear to be a constraint. The fact that the same CPU with a stronger GPU would likely produce much higher FPS is not directly measurable in this data, but the CPU’s benchmark scores suggest it has ample headroom. In contrast, the GPU’s low percentile and the FPS collapse at higher resolutions point to it as the definitive bottleneck. Users seeking better performance should focus on upgrading the graphics card, not the processor.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the recorded data, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS varies by resolution.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The highest average FPS is 33 at Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, so no settings are recommended for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 61 FPS. This is the best setting for this resolution, and it requires the lowest quality preset to stay above 60 FPS. Medium settings drop to 47 FPS, which is not playable.

At 1920x1080, the High preset is the best playable setting, averaging 61 FPS. Medium settings average 72 FPS, and Low averages 95 FPS, but High is the most demanding preset that remains playable. Ultra settings average 46 FPS, which falls below the threshold.

In summary, the recommended configurations are: 1080p High at 61 FPS, 1440p Low at 61 FPS, and no viable settings at 4K. The data shows that the system has a narrow window of playability, limited to lower resolutions and quality presets, and the GPU is the primary reason for this constraint.