Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers overwhelming performance in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. Across every resolution and preset combination tested, this combo clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by a substantial margin, with even the most demanding settings at 4K maintaining a comfortable average. The data indicates a system that is not merely capable, but one that has effectively brute-forced its way to maximum frame rates, leaving headroom for high-refresh-rate displays or future titles.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows a clear hierarchy of performance scaling with resolution and graphical presets. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally fast. The Low preset produces an average of 393.4 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure across all tests. Moving to Medium yields 300.3 FPS, High drops slightly to 256.8 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a massive 191.3 FPS average. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the game is entirely bound by the CPU and the engine's frame rate limits, as the GPU is far from being the bottleneck.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains extraordinarily high, though the scaling between presets shows a slightly wider gap due to increased pixel count. The Low preset averages 251.4 FPS, which is a 36% reduction from the 1080p Low score. Medium follows at 196.6 FPS, High at 161.6 FPS, and Ultra at 122.2 FPS. The progression is smooth, with each preset tier costing roughly 30-40 FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4090's rendering workload becomes more significant, but the results are still impressive. The Low preset maintains an average of 133.9 FPS, dipping to 102.3 FPS on Medium. The High preset averages 89.7 FPS, while the most punishing Ultra preset still holds an average of 66 FPS. This 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that approaches the playable threshold, yet it still exceeds it by 6 FPS, confirming that the hardware is sufficient for maximum settings at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall benchmark database for Minimum, this specific CPU-GPU combination holds a rank of 146 out of 3712 tested combos. This places it in the top 4% of all systems tested for this game, a dominant position that reflects the high-end nature of both components. The percentile ranking reinforces this, with the CPU sitting in the 86th percentile against all CPUs and the GPU in the 88th percentile against all GPUs. This indicates that while neither component is the absolute top performer in its respective category, their combination is exceptionally well-balanced and effective for this particular title.

The rank confirms the synergy between the Ryzen 7 9700X's strong single-threaded performance and the RTX 4090's raw rasterization power. While it is not the number one combo, the delta between this setup and the very top configurations is likely negligible in real-world gameplay, as the frame rates are already so high that the differences would only be visible on a 360Hz monitor in the most CPU-bound scenes. For the vast majority of players, this rank translates to a flawless experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a fascinating dynamic between the CPU and GPU in Minimum. At 1920x1080, the CPU is the primary driver of performance. The evidence is the relatively small FPS drop when moving from Low to Ultra presets (393.4 to 191.3 FPS). The GPU is not being fully utilized at this resolution, as the game's engine and the CPU's processing of game logic and draw calls become the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its Zen 5 architecture, excels here, providing the high single-thread throughput that older game engines often require.

As the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the load begins to shift towards the GPU. The FPS drop from Low to Ultra is more pronounced (251.4 to 122.2 FPS), indicating that the GPU is now starting to work harder to fill the additional pixels. However, the CPU is still providing enough headroom to keep the frame rates high. The shift becomes even clearer at 3840x2160, where the GPU's role is dominant. The FPS scaling from Low to Ultra (133.9 to 66 FPS) shows that the RTX 4090 is now the definitive bottleneck, as the rendering load at 4K is substantial even for a flagship GPU.

The difference in average FPS between 1080p and 4K at the Ultra preset (191.3 vs 66 FPS) is a clear indicator of this transition. At lower resolutions, the CPU's performance ceiling is the limiting factor; at higher resolutions, the GPU's pixel-pushing capability takes over. For this game, the Ryzen 7 9700X is more than sufficient to feed the RTX 4090 at any resolution, meaning the GPU is always the component that dictates the final frame rate at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the benchmark database, the Ryzen 7 9700X's closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core i9-14901E (0.1% faster), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (0.1% faster), the Intel Core 5 211E (0.3% faster), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (0.4% faster). These processors deliver nearly identical average benchmark scores, meaning a system built with any of them would exhibit very similar frame rates in Minimum, particularly in CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p. The performance deltas are so small that they are effectively negligible for gaming purposes.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4090's closest rivals are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% slower), the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (2.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (2.9% slower). While these cards are listed as nearest rivals based on aggregate benchmark scores, it is crucial to note that they are professional workstation cards. Their gaming performance in Minimum would be similar in terms of average FPS, but the RTX 4090's specific architecture and driver optimizations for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan give it an edge in modern titles. For this older game, the differences would be minor, and any of these alternatives would provide a very similar experience.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average FPS of 66 at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict explicitly lists Ultra as a playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 393.4, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This is the peak performance for this specific configuration.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at high refresh rates?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU (Ryzen 7 9700X) is the limiting factor, as shown by the smaller FPS gap between presets. At 3840x2160, the GPU (RTX 4090) becomes the primary bottleneck, evidenced by the larger performance drop when increasing graphical settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested systems?

A: It ranks 146th out of 3712 tested combinations for Minimum. This places it in the top 4% of all systems in the database for this game.

Q: Are there similar GPUs that would perform comparably?

A: The AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% slower, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% faster according to benchmark scores. These would yield very similar frame rates in Minimum.

Q: What is the worst-case performance scenario for this system?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 66 at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset. Even in this most demanding scenario, the system remains above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: this system can run Minimum flawlessly at any resolution and any preset. The verdict by resolution confirms that all settings are playable across the board. At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra with an average FPS of 191.3, which is more than triple the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is again the best choice, delivering 122.2 FPS. Even at the most demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the Ultra preset remains playable with an average of 66 FPS.

The system's performance is characterized by massive headroom. At 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are high enough to take full advantage of 144Hz or 240Hz monitors, providing an exceptionally smooth experience. At 4K, the system still offers a solid 60+ FPS experience on the highest settings, which is an excellent result for a game from 2014. There is no configuration in the test matrix where this combo fails to deliver a playable experience. This is a definitive "yes" for running Minimum at maximum quality.