Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is an exceptionally strong combination for Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The measured data shows this pairing delivers playable frame rates at every tested resolution and preset, with the most demanding settings remaining comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The RTX 5080, with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, provides ample headroom for this title, while the 12-core, 24-thread Ryzen 9 5900X ensures the CPU side does not bottleneck the experience. This analysis breaks down exactly what settings to use, where the performance bottlenecks lie, and how this combo stacks up against other tested configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data indicates that this combination can run Minimum at its maximum visual quality across all three tested resolutions. The most demanding preset, Ultra, stays above 60 FPS at every resolution, making it the recommended choice for players who prioritize image quality.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the Ultra preset achieves an average of 63 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, but it is the tightest margin in the entire dataset. For players who want a larger safety margin for demanding scenes, the High preset at this resolution delivers 82 FPS average, while Medium provides 98 FPS average. Low settings push the average to 128 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the Ultra preset is the clear best choice, delivering a 117 FPS average. This is nearly double the 4K Ultra result, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution. High settings reach 153 FPS average, Medium achieves 182 FPS average, and Low hits 238 FPS average.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset achieves a 181 FPS average, making it the best setting for high-refresh-rate monitors. High settings reach 237 FPS average, Medium produces 283 FPS average, and Low delivers a massive 369 FPS average. At this resolution, the game becomes highly responsive, and the Ultra preset is recommended for the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern in how the CPU and GPU divide responsibilities in Minimum. The performance scaling between resolutions and presets indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate differences, while the CPU provides a stable foundation.

When moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at the same preset, the average FPS drops significantly. For example, at Ultra settings, the frame rate goes from 181 FPS at 1080p to 117 FPS at 1440p to 63 FPS at 4K. This is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance; as the resolution increases, the GPU must work harder to render more pixels, which directly reduces the frame rate.

Similarly, within a single resolution, lowering the preset from Ultra to Low increases the frame rate substantially. At 4K, the jump from Ultra (63 FPS) to Low (128 FPS) represents a 103% increase in performance, which is a direct result of reducing the GPU rendering load. This scaling confirms that the RTX 5080 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and presets.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and presets where the GPU has less work to do. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 369 FPS, a figure that is likely near the engine's practical limit and demonstrates that the Ryzen 9 5900X has enough single-thread and multi-thread performance to feed the GPU effectively. The CPU's 87th percentile ranking among all tested CPUs supports this, showing it is a high-performing part relative to the broader market. The GPU also ranks in the 87th percentile, meaning both components are well above average for their respective categories.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across the three resolutions and four presets. The dataset includes average FPS for all combinations, with minimum and maximum FPS recorded only for the Medium preset at each resolution.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 63 FPS average
• High: 82 FPS average
• Medium: 98 FPS average, with minimum 83 FPS and maximum 113 FPS
• Low: 128 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 117 FPS average
• High: 153 FPS average
• Medium: 182 FPS average, with minimum 155 FPS and maximum 210 FPS
• Low: 238 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 181 FPS average
• High: 237 FPS average
• Medium: 283 FPS average, with minimum 240 FPS and maximum 325 FPS
• Low: 369 FPS average

The Medium preset data shows that frame pacing is consistent. At 4K, the minimum of 83 FPS is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the maximum of 113 FPS shows a 30 FPS spread. At 1440p, the minimum is 155 FPS with a maximum of 210 FPS, and at 1080p, the minimum is 240 FPS with a maximum of 325 FPS. These ranges indicate that the game remains fluid during demanding sequences, with no significant drops below the average.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Minimum, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 209th out of 3712 tested combos. This places it in the top 5.6% of all configurations tested for this game, a strong result that reflects the high individual performance of both components.

The ranking is influenced by the fact that Minimum is a 2014 title that is not extremely demanding by modern standards. Many lower-end GPUs can achieve playable frame rates, and the top of the ranking is likely dominated by the fastest available hardware. The 209th position indicates that while this combo is fast, there are faster configurations tested, likely using newer or more expensive components. However, the absolute performance is still very high, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra result of 63 FPS, which is a demanding scenario for any system.

Given that the combo ranks in the 87th percentile for both CPU and GPU individually, the 209th overall ranking makes sense. It is a well-balanced pairing that performs at a high level, but it is not the absolute fastest combination in the database.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide insight into what other hardware would deliver similar performance in this game. These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores, with the delta percentage indicating how close the performance is.

For the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, the closest rivals are:

• Intel Core Ultra 7 366H: 0.3% higher average score
• Intel Core Ultra 7 356H: 0.4% higher average score
• AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440: 0.4% higher average score
• Intel Core i7-14650HX: 0.5% lower average score

These deltas are very small, meaning any of these processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Minimum. The Core i7-14650HX is the only one with a lower score, but the 0.5% difference is negligible in real-world gaming.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, the closest rivals are:

• AMD Radeon 8060S: 0.6% higher average score
• AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB: 0.7% higher average score
• AMD Radeon Pro W5700X: 2.3% higher average score
• AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE: 2.2% lower average score

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is the only rival with a lower score, and the 2.2% delta is minor. The other three rivals are slightly faster, but the differences are within a range that would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minimum. A system using any of these GPU alternatives paired with any of the CPU alternatives would behave very similarly to the tested combo, with differences of a few FPS at most.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K with the highest settings?*

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average of 63 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes Ultra the best settings for 4K, though the margin is slim.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering a 117 FPS average. This provides a high-quality image with more than enough frame rate for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the performance scale from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 181 at 1080p to 117 at 1440p, and then to 63 at 4K. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU is the main performance factor.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the primary driver of performance. Evidence shows that lowering the preset from Ultra to Low at 4K increases the average FPS from 63 to 128, a 103% improvement. The CPU provides a strong foundation, but the GPU determines the frame rate at higher resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset records minimum FPS values of 83 at 4K, 155 at 1440p, and 240 at 1080p. These are all well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, indicating consistent frame delivery.

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

A: This pair ranks 209th out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the top 5.6% of all configurations. This is a strong ranking, though not the absolute highest.