Minecraft

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 is a combination that lands near the bottom of the database for Minecraft, ranking 3485 out of 3710 tested combos. This places it in the 6th percentile overall, meaning the data shows that roughly 94% of tested system pairings deliver higher frame rates in this title. The pairing is not without merit, however; the benchmark results indicate that this combo is capable of delivering a playable experience, but only when settings and resolution are managed carefully. The bottleneck is clearly identifiable through the frame rate scaling, with the GPU being the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions and the CPU showing its age in a game that can be surprisingly demanding on a single core.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 3485 out of 3710 is a decisive signal that this is a low-tier configuration for Minecraft. In practical terms, the data shows that this system is outpaced by the vast majority of alternatives, making it a poor choice for a high-refresh-rate monitor or for gaming at 4K with maximum detail. The rank reflects the overall balance of the hardware; while the CPU is a 6-core, 12-thread part capable of solid multi-threaded work, its single-thread performance is a weak point for Minecraft’s engine. The GPU, while competent for its era, is also a limiting factor, as evidenced by its own benchmark percentile of 74, which is higher than the combo’s overall rank suggests. This discrepancy indicates that the combination of the two parts does not yield a sum greater than its parts; rather, they tend to hold each other back depending on the workload.

Looking at the individual component performance, the CPU’s percentile of 71 versus the GPU’s 74 shows that the graphics card is marginally stronger relative to its peers. However, the system’s in-game rank is far lower than either component’s individual percentile, suggesting that the pairing creates a significant inefficiency. For context, the CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE and the Intel Core 7 150U, with score deltas of 0.1% and 0.6% respectively, indicating the 4600G is performing right in line with those parts. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M and the AMD Radeon RX 470, with deltas of -0.4% and -0.8%, showing the RX 570 is also a middle-of-the-pack performer in its own right. The low combo rank is therefore not a reflection of a single defective component, but rather a verdict on the synergy between a mid-range 2020 CPU and a 2017 mid-range GPU in the context of a game that is heavily dependent on draw calls and single-threaded logic.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the workhorse for rendering in this combo, and its specifications explain the frame rate ceilings observed in the measured data. The GPU features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Minecraft’s texture loads but becomes a constraint at higher resolutions with higher detail settings. The base clock of 1168 MHz and boost clock of 1244 MHz are modest by modern standards, and the 2048 shading units are tasked with all the pixel and vertex processing. The GPU’s architecture is GCN 4.0 on a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, and it supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, meaning it is fully compatible with Minecraft’s rendering paths, though its compute capabilities are limited.

The data shows that the GPU’s performance in synthetic benchmarks is respectable, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 880 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 42752. However, in Minecraft, the GPU’s role becomes more about sustained throughput rather than peak compute. The 4 GB VRAM is a critical threshold; at 1080p with Low settings, the GPU is not stressed, allowing the CPU to push frame rates to 187 FPS. As the resolution increases to 4K, the fill rate requirements balloon, and the RX 570’s 32 ROPs and 39.81 GPixel/s pixel rate become the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the card is overwhelmed, dropping to 24 FPS, which is a clear indication that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading power are insufficient for that workload. The GPU’s role is therefore to provide a baseline of performance that is acceptable at 1080p, but it is the primary reason the combo cannot maintain high frame rates at 1440p and beyond, especially with the more demanding presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo is found at 1080p with Medium settings, which delivers an average of 148 FPS with a minimum of 126 FPS and a maximum of 171 FPS. This preset offers a strong balance between visual fidelity and smoothness, keeping the frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold and providing a comfortable buffer for dips in complex scenes. The data shows that Low settings at 1080p push the average to 187 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but the visual downgrade is significant. High settings at 1080p drop the average to 118 FPS, which is still playable, but the minimum frame rate is not recorded, making it a riskier choice for those sensitive to stutter. Ultra settings at 1080p are not recommended, as the average falls to 74 FPS, which, while technically above 60, does not leave enough headroom for demanding moments.

At 1440p, the data suggests that Medium is the highest acceptable preset, yielding an average of 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS. High settings at this resolution average 74 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience, and Ultra drops to 46 FPS, which is not playable for most users. At 4K, the recommendation is to use Low settings, which provides an average of 62 FPS; Medium at 4K averages 49 FPS, and High averages 39 FPS, both of which are below the ideal playable threshold. The best experience per the measured rows is therefore unequivocally 1080p Medium, as it provides the highest average frame rate while maintaining a recorded minimum above 120 FPS. This configuration leverages the CPU’s capabilities without overwhelming the GPU, resulting in a stable and responsive gaming session. For users who prioritize frame rate above all else, 1080p Low is the alternative, but the jump from 148 to 187 FPS comes at the cost of reduced draw distance and detail, which may not be worth it in a game like Minecraft.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear hierarchy of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 187 FPS, Medium produces 148 FPS with a minimum of 126 FPS and a maximum of 171 FPS, High produces 118 FPS, and Ultra produces 74 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 113 FPS, which is a substantial range that highlights the GPU’s sensitivity to settings at this resolution. The CPU is able to feed the GPU effectively at 1080p, as evidenced by the high Low-setting result, but the GPU’s limitations become apparent as the preset increases. The 1080p Medium result, with its recorded minimum and maximum, shows a stable frame time distribution, making it the most reliable choice for consistent performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly: Low settings yield 118 FPS, Medium yields 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS, High yields 74 FPS, and Ultra yields 46 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p represents a 36% increase in pixel count, and the data shows a corresponding drop in performance across all settings. The Medium preset at 1440p still maintains an average above 90 FPS, but the minimum of 80 FPS indicates that there are moments where the system struggles to keep up. At 4K (3840x2160), the results are as follows: Low settings achieve an average of 62 FPS, Medium achieves 49 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS, High achieves 39 FPS, and Ultra achieves 24 FPS. At this resolution, only the Low preset is playable, and the Medium preset’s minimum of 42 FPS suggests that even it will suffer from noticeable stuttering in busy areas. The Ultra preset at 4K is effectively a slideshow, with the GPU unable to render the scene at a playable rate.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is a textbook example of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 187 FPS, which drops to 118 FPS at 1440p Low, a 37% decrease, and then to 62 FPS at 4K Low, a 47% decrease from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions; the RX 570’s rendering capabilities are what cap the frame rate. The 1080p Low result of 187 FPS shows that the Ryzen 5 4600G is capable of delivering very high frame rates, but the GPU cannot maintain that pace as the pixel count increases. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is a 67% reduction in average FPS, which is consistent with the 4x increase in pixel count, suggesting the GPU is running at near its maximum throughput.

However, the scaling becomes even more pronounced at higher settings. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 118 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 1440p (a 37% drop) and then to 39 FPS at 4K (a 47% drop from 1440p). This indicates that as the settings increase, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading units are saturated more quickly, leading to a steeper performance cliff. The data strongly suggests that the RX 570 is the limiting component in this combo for Minecraft. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU would be unable to feed the GPU faster regardless of resolution. Instead, the frame rate drops proportionally with the pixel count, which is a clear sign of a GPU limit. The CPU’s single-thread score of 1919 in Cinebench R23 is respectable, but it is not the primary constraint here; the GPU’s 4 GB of VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are what prevent higher frame rates at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60+ FPS average?

A: The data shows that the combo achieves a 60+ FPS average at 1080p on all settings, at 1440p on Low and Medium, and at 4K only on Low. For the best experience with a high refresh rate, 1080p is the only resolution that consistently delivers frame rates above 100 FPS on Medium and above settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in Minecraft with this setup?

A: The measured FPS scaling indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K (e.g., from 187 to 62 FPS on Low), which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU is capable of delivering 187 FPS at 1080p Low, but the GPU cannot sustain that performance at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the RX 570's 4GB VRAM affect performance at 4K?

A: The 4 GB VRAM is a limiting factor at 4K. The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 24, and at 4K High it is 39 FPS. The 224.0 GB/s bandwidth and 4 GB capacity are insufficient for the texture loads and rendering demands at this resolution, leading to the poor performance observed.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The benchmark data shows an average of 94 FPS at 1440p Medium, with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS. This is a playable experience, but the minimum frame rate indicates that there will be occasional dips, which may be noticeable in fast-moving scenes.

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to its individual component rankings?

A: The combo ranks 3485 out of 3710, which is very low. The CPU has a percentile of 71 and the GPU has a percentile of 74, meaning both are mid-pack performers individually. The low combo rank suggests that the pairing is inefficient for Minecraft, resulting in a system that performs worse than the sum of its parts.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 4600G's integrated graphics a factor in this combo?

A: No, the integrated Radeon Vega 7 graphics are not used when the discrete RX 570 is installed. The measured FPS data reflects the performance of the dedicated GPU, and the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads handle the game’s logic, but the single-thread performance is not the main limiting factor in this configuration.