Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and AMD Radeon 890M combination presents a compelling but ultimately constrained profile for running Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The data shows a system where the CPU is exceptionally strong, ranking in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the integrated GPU sits near the median for all GPUs at the 45th percentile. This imbalance defines the performance envelope across all tested resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the integrated Radeon 890M is clearly overmatched. The highest average frame rate achieved is 29 FPS at Low settings, which is less than half of the 60 FPS playable threshold. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 22 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 26 FPS. High settings yield 19 FPS on average, while Ultra settings produce only 14 FPS. None of these 4K configurations approach playability.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains below the playable threshold. Low settings deliver an average of 54 FPS, which is close to 60 FPS but still short. Medium settings average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings average 27 FPS. The data indicates that even at this lower resolution, the GPU cannot sustain a consistent 60 FPS experience at any preset.

At 1920x1080, the combination finally finds playable territory. Low settings produce an average of 84 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings achieve an average of 64 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS; the minimum dips below 60, but the average clears it. High settings average 54 FPS, just under the threshold, and Ultra settings average 41 FPS. The measured data shows that only Low and Medium presets at 1080p are viable for a smooth experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX with a delta of 0.1% above, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D with a delta of 0.6% below. The AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX are also within 0.4% of the Ryzen 9 8945HX's score. For the GPU, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 is nearly identical, with a delta of -0.1%, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 is -0.7% below. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 and GTX 850M are also close, at -0.9% and -1.0% respectively. These comparisons suggest that swapping to any of these near-equivalent components would yield similar in-game frame rates, meaning the performance ceiling at 1080p Medium is a hardware trait of this class of integrated graphics.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The highest average FPS is 29 at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and Ultra settings drop to 14 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p that stays at or above 60 FPS?

A: Medium settings at 1920x1080 provide the best playable experience, with an average of 64 FPS. Low settings are also playable, averaging 84 FPS, but Medium is the highest quality preset that clears the threshold on average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the framerate limits?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 45th percentile. The GPU's performance relative to its peers is much lower, and the framerates scale strongly with resolution, which is typical of GPU-bound workloads.

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

A: This combination ranks 3491 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the bottom 6% of systems tested. This low ranking reflects the integrated GPU's struggle with the game's demands at higher resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 35, the maximum is 48, and the average is 41 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Does the game run smoothly at any resolution above 1080p?

A: No. The verdict data shows no playable settings at either 2560x1440 or 3840x2160. The highest average FPS at 1440p is 54 at Low settings, which is still below the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at 1920x1080 with Low or Medium settings, as both presets achieve an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS. The best playable preset is Medium, which reaches an average of 64 FPS. However, the system is not viable at higher resolutions. At 2560x1440, no settings clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Low settings being the fastest at 54 FPS. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse, with Low settings at 29 FPS and Ultra at 14 FPS. The data clearly shows that 1080p is the only resolution where this combination delivers a playable experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and AMD Radeon 890M combination ranks 3491 out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum. This places it in the bottom 6% of all systems tested for this game. The ranking is remarkably low given the CPU's high percentile, which suggests that the integrated GPU's performance is the dominant factor in this game's benchmark. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking does not translate into a high combo rank because the game's performance is heavily constrained by the GPU's 45th percentile standing.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, there is no best setting because no preset achieves the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest average is 29 FPS at Low settings. At 2560x1440, the same situation applies; Low settings provide the highest average at 54 FPS, but it still falls short of 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Medium, which averages 64 FPS. While Low averages 84 FPS and is also playable, Medium is the most demanding preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The data shows that dropping from Medium to Low at 1080p increases the average by 20 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is significant.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is far more powerful than the GPU, which is an integrated part with only 1024 shading units. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck, as the average FPS at Low settings is only 29, and increasing to Ultra drops it to 14. This 15 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K shows that the GPU's shading and fill-rate limits are fully exposed. At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds, with Low at 54 FPS and Ultra at 27 FPS, a 27 FPS swing that again points to the GPU's pixel and texture processing capabilities being the limiting factor.

At 1920x1080, the balance shifts slightly. The CPU is likely able to feed the GPU more efficiently at this resolution, as evidenced by the jump from 41 FPS at Ultra to 84 FPS at Low. The 43 FPS difference between the lowest and highest settings at 1080p is the largest of any resolution, indicating that the GPU's workload is more variable here. However, the fact that High settings at 1080p (54 FPS) perform worse than Low settings at 1440p (54 FPS) suggests that the GPU is still the primary constraint, as the resolution change matters more than the preset change. The CPU's role appears to be supportive, ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data, but it is not the component that dictates the framerate ceiling in Minimum.