Minecraft

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER lands at rank 793 out of 1176 tested combos in Minecraft. This places the combination in the lower-middle tier of the database, meaning that while it delivers playable frame rates across most settings, it is far from the top of the performance hierarchy. The ranking reflects a system that is balanced but not exceptional for this title, with the CPU’s strong multi-threaded capabilities offset by the GPU’s mid-range standing among all tested graphics cards.

Benchmark results indicate that this combo sits in the 67th percentile of all tested configurations, which is respectable but not dominant. The data suggests that users seeking maximum frame rates in Minecraft would need to look toward higher-tier GPUs, as the RTX 2060 SUPER’s overall average benchmark score places it just below several competitors. However, the pairing is sufficient for smooth gameplay at most resolutions, particularly when settings are adjusted appropriately.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This CPU is built on a 4 nm process node at TSMC, with 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth.

In Minecraft, the CPU’s role is significant because the game’s world generation and entity updates are heavily single-threaded. The 9700F’s single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4691, which places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. This high single-thread capability ensures that the game’s primary logic thread runs efficiently, minimizing stutter during chunk loading and complex redstone operations. The boost clock of 5.50 GHz is particularly beneficial here, as it allows the CPU to rapidly process individual tasks.

Multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a Passmark multithread score of 36470. While Minecraft does not fully utilize all 16 threads, the additional cores help with background tasks and modded environments that may spawn multiple threads for world generation or physics. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 69996 places it in close competition with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% ahead), Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% behind), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% ahead), and Intel Core i7-14700K (0.9% ahead). These rivals are all within a 1% performance band, indicating that the 9700F is a highly competitive processor for this game’s CPU-bound aspects.

The 9700F’s 32 MB of L3 cache is ample for Minecraft’s block data and world state, reducing memory latency during rapid block updates. The DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth further aids in keeping the CPU fed with data, though Minecraft’s memory footprint is not particularly demanding. Overall, the CPU provides a solid foundation for the game, ensuring that frame rates are not bottlenecked by processor limitations at most settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. It features 34 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores, though ray tracing is not typically used in Minecraft unless enabled through mods. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. Memory bandwidth is 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for the game’s texture streaming and chunk rendering.

The GPU’s performance in synthetic benchmarks shows a Passmark G3D score of 16462 and a compute score of 6721. Its average benchmark score of 18093 places it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER is 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 460, and 1.6% behind the Intel Arc A770M. These small deltas indicate that the GPU is competitively positioned within its performance class, though it is not a standout performer.

In Minecraft, the GPU’s role is primarily to handle rendering of the blocky world, including texture mapping, lighting, and draw calls. The 8 GB of VRAM is more than adequate for Minecraft’s modest texture requirements, even with high-resolution texture packs. The boost clock of 1650 MHz ensures consistent rendering throughput, while the 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth allows for fast transfer of texture data to the GPU cores. The 12 nm process node and 175 W TDP indicate that this is a mid-range card from the GeForce 20-series, which is reflected in its end-of-life production status.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility are relevant for Minecraft’s rendering pipeline, which supports multiple APIs. The 34 ray tracing cores are present but underutilized in standard gameplay, as Minecraft’s default renderer does not use ray tracing. The tensor cores are similarly idle unless AI-based upscaling is employed. Overall, the GPU provides sufficient horsepower for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it will struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the measured frame rates demonstrate a clear scaling with settings. Low settings produce an average of 389 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution. Medium settings reduce the average to 308 FPS with a minimum of 262 FPS and a maximum of 355 FPS. High settings drop the average to 245 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 153 FPS. These numbers show that the GPU can easily handle 1080p rendering, with the CPU’s single-thread performance driving frame rates at lower settings.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show a more pronounced GPU influence. Low settings average 246 FPS, while Medium settings average 195 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS. High settings produce 154 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 97 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 37% reduction in frame rates for Low settings, indicating that the GPU is beginning to play a larger role in determining performance.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor. Low settings average 128 FPS, Medium settings average 102 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, High settings average 81 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 50 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is notably below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that users targeting 4K will need to compromise on settings to achieve smooth gameplay.

The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER can deliver playable frame rates across all tested settings at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K requires careful settings management. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings (262 FPS at 1080p, 165 FPS at 1440p, 86 FPS at 4K) indicate that frame pacing is consistent, with no severe drops that would cause noticeable stutter.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the balance between CPU and GPU workload. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 389 at 1080p to 246 at 1440p (a 37% decrease) and then to 128 at 4K (a 48% decrease from 1440p). This progressive decline indicates that the GPU is becoming increasingly taxed as resolution increases, though the CPU still has headroom at 1080p.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 308 FPS at 1080p, 195 FPS at 1440p (a 37% decrease), and 102 FPS at 4K (a 48% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium settings suggests that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints as resolution scales.

High settings show a slightly different pattern: 245 FPS at 1080p, 154 FPS at 1440p (a 37% decrease), and 81 FPS at 4K (a 47% decrease from 1440p). The Ultra settings exhibit the steepest scaling, with 153 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p (a 37% decrease), and 50 FPS at 4K (a 48% decrease from 1440p). This consistent ~37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~48% drop from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at resolutions above 1080p.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck, particularly at Low and Medium settings where frame rates exceed 300 FPS. As resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and by 1440p the system becomes more balanced. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth being insufficient to maintain high frame rates at Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all settings produce playable results, with even Ultra averaging 153 FPS. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, Medium settings at 308 FPS or High settings at 245 FPS provide the best balance of visual quality and performance. Ultra settings at 153 FPS are also viable, though the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 60% frame rate reduction.

At 1440p, Medium settings at 195 FPS offer the best experience, with High settings at 154 FPS also being excellent. Ultra settings at 97 FPS are still above 60 FPS, but the drop from High suggests that users should stick with High for smoother gameplay. Low settings at 246 FPS are unnecessary unless extreme frame rates are desired, as the visual compromise is significant.

At 4K, the recommendation is to use Low settings at 128 FPS for the smoothest experience, or Medium settings at 102 FPS for a better visual quality. High settings at 81 FPS are playable but may exhibit occasional dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. Ultra settings at 50 FPS are not recommended, as the frame rate falls below the generally accepted 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset provides the most consistent frame rates across all resolutions, with the minimum FPS values (262 at 1080p, 165 at 1440p, 86 at 4K) ensuring that stutters are rare. The High preset offers a good balance for users prioritizing visual quality over raw frame rates, particularly at 1440p where it delivers 154 FPS. Users targeting 4K should opt for Low or Medium settings to maintain smooth gameplay, as the GPU’s limitations become apparent at higher presets.