Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination delivers a strong performance profile for Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released on 2014-06-25. Measured frame rates show the combo ranks 1572 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier. The data indicates that 60 FPS is achievable at every resolution tested, though the preset ceiling varies significantly with pixel count.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Medium, producing an average of 63.6 FPS. The High preset falls short at 49 FPS, while Ultra drops to 38.1 FPS. Low settings run at 81.1 FPS, but Medium is the optimal balance for visual fidelity and playability.

At 2560x1440, the RTX 3070 has enough headroom to run Ultra settings at an average of 70.2 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, and the lower presets all exceed it as well: High averages 97.6 FPS, Medium 114.2 FPS, and Low 148 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the combo reaches its peak performance with Ultra settings averaging 112.3 FPS. The scaling is steep—Low settings produce 229.2 FPS, Medium 178.6 FPS, and High 149 FPS—but Ultra remains the recommended choice since it delivers nearly double the 60 FPS target.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Minimum, this pairing sits at rank 1572 out of 3712 combos. That places it in the 42nd percentile overall, meaning roughly 58% of tested systems perform better. The rank reflects a balance between the CPU's top-tier compute capabilities and the GPU's mid-range standing.

The CPU, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, holds the 95th percentile among all tested CPUs with an average benchmark score of 75779. Its nearest rivals are extremely close: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 scores 75738 (0.1% lower), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D scores 75716 (0.1% lower), the AMD EPYC 8224P scores 75582 (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 scores 75488 (0.4% lower). This indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck in this game.

The GPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17208. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083, 0.7% lower), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037, 1% lower), AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019, 1.1% lower), and NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468, 1.5% higher). The GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops sharply when pixel count increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 81.1 FPS, Medium produces 63.6 FPS, High produces 49 FPS, and Ultra produces 38.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 43 FPS, a 113% difference, showing that the GPU is heavily stressed at 4K. No minimum or maximum frame rate data is available for any resolution in this dataset, so the analysis relies solely on averages.

At 2560x1440, the results improve substantially: Low averages 148 FPS, Medium 114.2 FPS, High 97.6 FPS, and Ultra 70.2 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 77.8 FPS, which is a 111% difference. The step from Medium to High is 16.6 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 27.4 FPS, indicating that Ultra incurs a proportionally larger cost.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its strongest numbers: Low averages 229.2 FPS, Medium 178.6 FPS, High 149 FPS, and Ultra 112.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 116.9 FPS, a 104% increase. Interestingly, the relative penalty for each preset step is consistent—Medium drops 50.6 FPS from Low, High drops 29.6 FPS from Medium, and Ultra drops 36.7 FPS from High.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s nearest rivals are nearly identical in synthetic benchmarks. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D, AMD EPYC 8224P, and Intel Core Ultra 9 285 all score within 0.4% of the 9950X3D’s average of 75779. In practice, any of these processors would produce indistinguishable frame rates in Minimum, since the game’s CPU load is well within the capabilities of all five chips.

For the GPU, the RTX 3070’s nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (0.7% slower), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (1% slower), AMD Radeon HD 7970M (1.1% slower), and NVIDIA Tesla K40c (1.5% faster). These deltas are small enough that users with any of these GPUs would see nearly identical performance in Minimum. The Tesla K40c is the only one that edges out the RTX 3070, but the difference is negligible for gaming purposes.

The practical takeaway is that the CPU is vastly overqualified for this game, while the GPU is the deciding factor. Swapping the 9950X3D for a Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 would not change the measured FPS, but swapping the RTX 3070 for a GTX 690 would likely shift the 4K Medium result closer to the 60 FPS boundary.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear division of labor. At 1920x1080, the CPU’s high single-thread and multi-thread scores (2259 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 42018 in multi-core) allow the GPU to stretch its legs, resulting in 229.2 FPS at Low settings. The GPU is not saturated until Ultra, where it still produces 112.3 FPS. This suggests the CPU is never the limiting factor at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to show strain. Ultra drops to 70.2 FPS, a 37.5% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result of 112.3 FPS. The CPU’s performance is unchanged—it is still delivering the same compute headroom—so the frame rate decline is attributable entirely to the GPU’s pixel throughput limits. The RTX 3070’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but the 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 compute is the bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly dominant. The frame rate at Ultra (38.1 FPS) is less than half of the 1080p Ultra result, and even Medium (63.6 FPS) barely clears the 60 FPS threshold. The CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads are irrelevant here; the game is entirely GPU-bound. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a 45.7% drop (70.2 to 38.1 FPS), which aligns with the 2.25x increase in pixel count, confirming the GPU is the sole constraint.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at all tested resolutions, but the playable preset ceiling varies. At 3840x2160, the verdict is that Low and Medium settings are playable, with Medium being the best option at an average of 63.6 FPS. High (49 FPS) and Ultra (38.1 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold and are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable. The best settings are Ultra, averaging 70.2 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS target by a comfortable margin. Even the most demanding preset is viable, so users can max out the game’s visuals without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the verdict is unequivocal: Ultra settings average 112.3 FPS, more than double the playability threshold. This resolution offers the best experience, with no preset causing any concern. The combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, as even the most demanding settings leave substantial headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gameplay?

A: At 3840x2160, Medium settings provide the highest visual quality that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 63.6 FPS. High and Ultra fall below the threshold at 49 FPS and 38.1 FPS, respectively.

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

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings average 70.2 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold. All lower presets also exceed 60 FPS, with High at 97.6 FPS, Medium at 114.2 FPS, and Low at 148 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 75779. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, scores 75738 (0.1% lower). The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D scores 75716 (0.1% lower), the AMD EPYC 8224P scores 75582 (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 scores 75488 (0.4% lower).

Q: What GPU performance is closest to the RTX 3070?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 averages 17208 in benchmark scores. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is 0.7% slower (17083), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 is 1% slower (17037), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M is 1.1% slower (17019). The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is 1.5% faster at 17468.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is the limiting factor only at Ultra settings (112.3 FPS). At Low settings (229.2 FPS), the CPU’s high performance (95th percentile among all CPUs) allows the GPU to run near its maximum output. The CPU is never the bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 112.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 38.1 FPS at 3840x2160, a 66% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 178.6 FPS to 63.6 FPS, a 64% reduction. The GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at higher resolutions.