Minecraft

Minecraft’s blocky world is deceptively demanding, and the measured results for this AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER pairing reveal a system that shifts character dramatically depending on resolution and quality preset. The data shows a combo that can chase high refresh rates at 1080p, yet struggles to maintain smooth motion at 4K Ultra. This analysis breaks down the numbers, the roles of each component, and what the frame rate measurements imply for real-world play.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the measured average FPS is 245. This is the second-lowest of the 1080p presets, trailing the 308 FPS average at Medium and the 389 FPS average at Low, but it still clears the 153 FPS average seen at Ultra.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in Minecraft?

A: The combo ranks 793rd out of 1176 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of the database. This percentile position suggests that while the system delivers playable frame rates in many scenarios, a significant portion of other tested hardware configurations produce higher average performance.

Q: What is the largest FPS drop when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: The largest drop is observed at Low settings. The average FPS falls from 389 at 1920x1080 to 128 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 261 FPS or roughly 67%. This indicates a heavy scaling penalty as pixel count quadruples.

Q: Does the measured data include minimum FPS values for all settings?

A: No, minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution. For 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 262 FPS; for 2560x1440 Medium, it is 165 FPS; and for 3840x2160 Medium, it is 86 FPS. All other presets list only average FPS.

Q: What is the boost clock of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D has a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. Its base clock is 3.00 GHz, and it features 6 cores with 12 threads.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, supported by 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. The memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 445 mm² and 10,800 million transistors. Its role in this Minecraft pairing is to handle the rendering workload, and its specifications show a card designed for 1080p and 1440p gaming rather than 4K. The GPU has a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The memory subsystem provides 8 GB of GDDR6 across a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a critical factor for texture-heavy scenes common in Minecraft.

The measured FPS data indicates that the GPU becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 50 at Ultra to 128 at Low. The Ultra preset’s 50 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold often considered smooth, while even Low at 4K only reaches 128 FPS. This suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s compute capabilities, rated at 7.181 TFLOPS FP32, are insufficient to maintain high frame rates when pixel count quadruples from 1080p. The card’s percentile ranking among all GPUs is 62, and its average benchmark score is 18093, with a Passmark G3D score of 16462 and a DirectX 12 score of 61. These figures place it in the mid-range, and the 4K results align with that positioning.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile with an average score of 18159 and a deltaPct of -0.4, meaning the RTX 2060 SUPER scores 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% ahead, and the AMD Radeon RX 460 is 1.5% ahead, while the Intel Arc A770M leads by 1.6%. These small deltas indicate that the RTX 2060 SUPER is closely matched with several other mid-range options, but none of these rivals are tested in this specific Minecraft configuration. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is rarely the bottleneck, as even Ultra settings produce 153 FPS, but at 4K, the GPU’s limitations become apparent.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 5000-series processor based on Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC with a die size of 74 mm². It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and a substantial 96 MB shared L3 cache. This large L3 cache is a defining feature of the X3D series, though the FACT PACK does not label it as vCache3d. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel access and a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it runs on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with PCIe Gen 4 and 20 lanes.

In Minecraft, the CPU’s role is significant because the game’s world generation and entity logic are often single-threaded or lightly threaded. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D’s single-thread performance, measured at 2941 in Passmark’s single-thread test, is a key indicator. Its multithread score is 20363, with integer math at 60033 and floating-point math at 34511. The processor’s average benchmark score is 37018, and it ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, which is a strong showing. The nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with an average score of 36945 (0.2% lower), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at 37093 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 at 36938 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core i9-12900T at 37112 (0.3% higher). These tiny deltas suggest the 5500X3D is competitive with a broad set of modern processors.

The measured FPS at 1080p highlights the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU. At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS is 389, which is likely near the CPU’s ceiling for this game’s draw call processing. At 1920x1080 High, the average is 245, and at Ultra it drops to 153. The fact that the FPS decreases as settings increase indicates that the GPU is becoming more involved, but at Low settings, the CPU is the primary limiter. The 5500X3D’s 6 cores and 12 threads are adequate for Minecraft’s typical workload, and the 96 MB L3 cache may help with chunk loading and block updates, though the data does not isolate this effect. The CPU’s TDP is 105 W, and it is not multiplier-unlocked, meaning overclocking is limited, but the boost clock of 4.00 GHz provides adequate headroom for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank in Minecraft is 793 out of 1176 tested combinations, which places it in the lower third of the database. This ranking is influenced by the GPU’s mid-range status, as the CPU alone ranks in the 85th percentile. The discrepancy between the CPU’s high percentile and the combo’s lower rank suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor in many scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 50, which is below the playable threshold for most users, and this drags the combo’s overall standing down.

When comparing to other combos, the rank of 793 out of 1176 means that roughly 383 tested configurations perform worse in Minecraft. This is not a bottom-tier result, but it is far from top-tier. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the RTX 3060 Mobile and Radeon Pro 5700, have similar average scores, so the combo’s rank likely shifts based on the CPU pairing. The CPU’s nearest rivals also show negligible performance differences, so the rank is primarily determined by the GPU’s capabilities. The measured FPS at 1080p High (245) and 1440p High (154) are solid numbers, but the 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS is a clear weakness.

The combo rank suggests that for Minecraft, this system is better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming where it can deliver high frame rates, rather than 4K where it falls below 60 FPS on Ultra. The data implies that users with this pairing should prioritize resolution over settings, or vice versa, to achieve a smooth experience. The rank of 793 is a summary statistic that reflects the average performance across all measured presets, and the wide range of FPS values (from 50 to 389) indicates that the combo’s suitability depends heavily on the chosen settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 389 on Low, 308 on Medium, 245 on High, and 153 on Ultra. The Medium preset includes minimum and maximum values of 262 and 355 FPS, respectively, showing some frame time variability, but the averages are consistently high. At 1080p, even the lowest average (153 FPS at Ultra) exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many monitors, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate play.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 246 on Low, 195 on Medium, 154 on High, and 97 on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum is 165 FPS and maximum is 224 FPS, indicating that the system can maintain smooth motion in most scenes. The 1440p High result of 154 FPS is nearly identical to the 1080p Ultra result of 153 FPS, suggesting that the GPU and CPU reach a similar balance point when the resolution increases but settings decrease. At 1440p Ultra, the 97 FPS average is still playable, but the margin for demanding scenes is thinner.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 128 on Low, 102 on Medium, 81 on High, and 50 on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum is 86 FPS and maximum is 117 FPS, which shows that even at 4K, Medium settings can provide a playable experience, though not at high refresh rates. The 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, and the 4K High result of 81 FPS is borderline. The gap between 4K Low (128 FPS) and 4K Ultra (50 FPS) is 78 FPS, a significant drop that highlights the GPU’s struggle with the higher settings.

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the FPS drops, and as settings increase, the FPS drops further. The combination of 4K and Ultra produces the worst result (50 FPS), while 1080p and Low produces the best (389 FPS). The Medium preset at each resolution provides the only available minimum and maximum values, which allows for a rough estimate of frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 262 to 355 FPS (a 93 FPS spread), at 1440p Medium it is 165 to 224 FPS (a 59 FPS spread), and at 4K Medium it is 86 to 117 FPS (a 31 FPS spread). The shrinking spread at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes the bottleneck, reducing the impact of CPU-driven frame spikes.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the ideal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, all presets produce over 150 FPS on average, so users can choose High for a balance of visual quality and performance, or Ultra if they prefer maximum detail and can tolerate 153 FPS. The Low preset’s 389 FPS is excessive for most displays, and Medium’s 308 FPS is also above typical refresh rates, so High is the recommended preset for 1080p as it offers the best visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 154 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz monitors. The Medium preset’s 195 FPS is even higher, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the extra frames for most users. The Ultra preset’s 97 FPS is still above 60 FPS, making it viable for those who prioritize detail over refresh rate, but High is the sweet spot for this resolution. The measured minimum at Medium (165 FPS) suggests that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains a high frame rate, so High is unlikely to dip below 100 FPS in most situations.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Ultra preset’s 50 FPS average is below the playable threshold for many, so it is not recommended. The High preset’s 81 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth on high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset’s 102 FPS average, with a minimum of 86 FPS, offers the best balance for 4K, providing a consistently smooth experience without the visual extremes of Ultra. The Low preset’s 128 FPS is also viable, but the reduced detail may detract from the visual experience. For 4K, Medium is the recommended preset, as it stays above 60 FPS with a comfortable margin, while High and Ultra risk dropping below that threshold in complex scenes.

The data suggests that for this combo, the best experience is achieved by matching the preset to the resolution’s demands. At 1080p, High is optimal; at 1440p, High is also optimal; and at 4K, Medium is the best choice. This pattern reflects the GPU’s limitations at higher pixel counts, where reducing settings is necessary to maintain frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS reveals how the system scales across resolutions. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 (a 1.78x increase in pixel count) reduces the average FPS by approximately 37% at Low settings (389 to 246 FPS), 37% at Medium (308 to 195 FPS), 37% at High (245 to 154 FPS), and 37% at Ultra (153 to 97 FPS). This consistent ~37% drop across all presets indicates that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than setting-driven, and the slight non-linearity (e.g., 308 to 195 is 36.7%) suggests a balanced workload between CPU and GPU at these resolutions.

Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 (a 2.25x increase in pixel count) produces a larger drop in FPS. At Low settings, the FPS falls from 246 to 128, a 48% reduction. At Medium, it falls from 195 to 102, a 48% reduction. At High, it falls from 154 to 81, a 47% reduction. At Ultra, it falls from 97 to 50, a 48% reduction. The consistent ~48% drop across all presets is notable, and it suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary limiter as the pixel count increases. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical for all presets implies that the bottleneck is not related to specific settings but to the raw pixel throughput required at 4K.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K (a 4x increase in pixel count) shows an even larger total drop. At Low, the FPS goes from 389 to 128, a 67% reduction. At Medium, it goes from 308 to 102, a 67% reduction. At High, it goes from 245 to 81, a 67% reduction. At Ultra, it goes from 153 to 50, a 67% reduction. This uniform 67% drop across all settings is a strong indicator that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) are the limiting factors at 4K. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for Minecraft’s textures, but the 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The data implies that the CPU, with its 96 MB L3 cache and 4.00 GHz boost clock, is not the bottleneck at 4K, as the FPS drops are consistent regardless of settings. At 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance (2941 in Passmark) is likely the limiting factor at Low settings, where the GPU has little to do and the CPU’s draw call processing caps the frame rate at 389 FPS. As resolution increases, the GPU takes over as the primary limiter, and the CPU’s role diminishes. This balance point appears to be around 1440p, where the FPS drops are similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the constraint, and the CPU’s high percentile ranking (85th) is not enough to compensate for the GPU’s mid-range performance (62nd percentile).