Minecraft

Minecraft with an AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER produces some of the highest frame rates in the database, but the data reveals a fascinating split between CPU-bound and GPU-bound territory. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 810 FPS average, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 105 FPS — a 7.7x difference that tells a clear story about where the bottleneck shifts. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D, with its 12 cores and 24 threads based on Zen 5 (Granite Ridge), pairs with the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory to create a system that is almost absurdly fast for this game. Yet the measured rows show that even this hardware has limits, and those limits are defined by resolution and settings in predictable ways.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling pattern in Minecraft is stark. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at the same settings reveals how the workload transforms. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 810 at 1080p down to 511 at 1440p, then to 267 at 4K. That is a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear — the 4K step hurts more than the 1440p step, which suggests the GPU is becoming the primary constraint as pixel count rises. At High settings, the same pattern holds: 509 FPS at 1080p, 321 at 1440p, and 168 at 4K. The percentage drops are similar (37% then 48%), reinforcing that the relative penalty of higher resolution is consistent across presets.

The Medium settings row includes min and max FPS values, which offer a window into frame time stability. At 1080p Medium, the average is 641 FPS with a minimum of 545 and maximum of 738. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 405 FPS with min 344 and max 466. At 4K Medium, the average is 212 FPS with min 180 and max 243. Notice that the spread between min and max narrows as resolution increases — at 1080p the range is 193 FPS, at 1440p it is 122 FPS, and at 4K it is 63 FPS. This tightening suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU can push frames so fast that occasional hiccups create larger relative swings, while at 4K the GPU’s more consistent frame delivery smooths out the variance.

What does this say about the limiting component? At 1080p Low, 810 FPS average is far beyond what any display can show, and it indicates that the CPU — with its 5.50 GHz boost clock and 128 MB L3 cache — is feeding the GPU as fast as possible. The RTX 4080 SUPER, with a boost clock of 2550 MHz and 10240 shading units, is not breaking a sweat at such low pixel counts. As resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU’s pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s become the determining factors. The data implies that for this combo, Minecraft at 1080p is purely CPU-limited, while at 4K the GPU takes over as the bottleneck. The fact that 4K Low (267 FPS) is still higher than 1080p Ultra (318 FPS) shows that settings have a larger impact on the GPU than resolution alone, but both matter significantly.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on TSMC’s 4 nm process with a Zen 5 (Granite Ridge) architecture. Its base clock is 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, and it carries 128 MB of L3 cache — a massive pool that Minecraft’s single-threaded world-generation logic can exploit. The CPU’s benchmark scores paint a picture of a processor that excels at both single-core and multi-core tasks. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6739 single-core and 47737 multi-core. In Geekbench, it hits 3041 single-core and 22884 multi-core. The 3DMark results show scaling from 2512 at 2 threads to 13795 at max threads, with 12490 at 16 threads — indicating that performance gains flatten beyond 16 threads for this workload.

Minecraft is notoriously single-thread-bound for its core game loop, but modern versions with heavy mods or shaders can use more threads. The data here suggests that the CPU’s single-thread strength is the key driver at lower resolutions. The passmark single-thread score of 4646 and the 3dmark single-thread score of 1269 both rank high, and the CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus of 91 confirms it sits above 91% of all processors. At 1080p Low, the 810 FPS average is likely near the ceiling of what this CPU can produce in Minecraft’s CPU-limited scenarios. The boost clock of 5.50 GHz is critical here — each core can run at maximum speed for the game’s primary thread, while the other 23 threads handle background tasks.

The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database are all Intel parts: the Core Ultra 5 245KF (deltaPct -0.6), Core Ultra 5 245K (deltaPct 1.3), Xeon 6505P (deltaPct 2), and Core i7-14700F (deltaPct 2.1). The 9900X3D’s average benchmark score of 54762 is nearly identical to the Ultra 5 245KF’s 55093, within 0.6%. This means that in synthetic workloads, the 9900X3D is not dramatically ahead of its closest competitors, but for Minecraft specifically, the 128 MB L3 cache and high boost clock give it an edge that synthetic tests may not fully capture. The data shows that this CPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p — the fact that 1080p High (509 FPS) is still far above 1440p High (321 FPS) indicates the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render at higher resolutions.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD103 chip, using TSMC’s 5 nm process. It has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2550 MHz, and it houses 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The memory clock runs at 1438 MHz with 23 Gbps effective speed. These specifications translate to 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is substantial for any workload. The GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus is 86, meaning it outperforms 86% of all GPUs in the database.

In the GPU benchmark suite, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 34245 in Passmark G3D, 219065 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 260075 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 4080 (deltaPct -0.1), Radeon Pro W5700X (deltaPct -1.1), Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (deltaPct -2.7), and Radeon 8060S (deltaPct -2.8). The RTX 4080 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 54209 is essentially tied with the RTX 4080’s 54247, a 0.1% difference. This tells us that the SUPER variant offers minimal synthetic improvement over the base 4080, but in Minecraft the 16 GB VRAM is more than enough — even at 4K Ultra, the game never approaches the memory limit.

The GPU’s role in this combo becomes clear when examining the 4K results. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 267, while at 4K High it drops to 168, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 105. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s is the theoretical maximum for filling pixels, and the measured FPS at 4K aligns with the GPU being the primary constraint. The 736.3 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is not a bottleneck, but the sheer number of pixels at 3840x2160 — over 8.3 million — requires the shading units to work harder. The 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is what drives Minecraft’s shader-based rendering, and the drop from 267 FPS at Low to 105 FPS at Ultra at 4K shows how settings like shadows, anti-aliasing, and draw distance multiply the GPU workload.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 74th out of 1176 tested combos in Minecraft, placing it in the top 6.3% of all configurations. This rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, weighted by the data available. The comboRankInGame of 74 with 1176 total combos means that only 73 other combinations of CPU and GPU produce higher average frame rates in this game. Given that Minecraft is a game where frame rates can exceed 800 FPS at low settings, the competition at the top is intense — but this pairing is firmly in the upper echelon.

What does the rank imply about the balance of this combo? The CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus of 91 and the GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus of 86 are both high, but the CPU is slightly stronger relative to its peers. This suggests that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the more exceptional component in this pairing. The fact that the combo ranks 74th despite both parts being near the top of their respective categories indicates that some other combos — likely with even higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer Ada Lovelace parts — can push Minecraft further, particularly at 4K where the GPU matters most. The data shows that this combo is not the absolute fastest, but it is close enough that the differences would be imperceptible without a high-refresh-rate display capable of showing 500+ FPS.

The rank also highlights that Minecraft rewards CPU strength more than GPU strength at lower resolutions. Since the 9900X3D is in the 91st percentile for CPUs, it lifts the combo’s rank more than the GPU’s 86th percentile would alone. At 1080p, the CPU is the star, and the rank reflects that. At 4K, the GPU becomes more important, and the RTX 4080 SUPER’s slightly lower percentile means the combo loses ground to systems with faster GPUs. The balance between these two components is well-matched for 1440p gaming, where the 321 FPS average at High settings is likely the sweet spot for both parts working in harmony.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS across settings shows a wide range. Low settings produce an average of 810 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 641 FPS average, with a minimum of 545 and maximum of 738. High settings yield 509 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 318 FPS average. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 492 FPS, a 60.7% reduction. The Medium row’s min and max values — 545 and 738 — show a spread of 193 FPS, which is the largest variance of any resolution, indicating that frame pacing can swing widely when the CPU is pushing so many frames.

At 2560x1440, the FPS drops noticeably. Low settings average 511 FPS, Medium averages 405 FPS (min 344, max 466), High averages 321 FPS, and Ultra averages 201 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 310 FPS, or 60.7% — identical to the 1080p percentage drop, which is a curious coincidence that suggests the settings scaling is resolution-independent in percentage terms. The Medium min-max spread at 1440p is 122 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, reflecting more consistent frame delivery as the GPU takes on more work.

At 3840x2160, the FPS is significantly lower. Low settings average 267 FPS, Medium averages 212 FPS (min 180, max 243), High averages 168 FPS, and Ultra averages 105 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra drop is 162 FPS, or 60.7% — again the same percentage. This consistency across resolutions is striking: going from Low to Ultra always costs roughly 61% of the frame rate, regardless of whether you are at 1080p or 4K. The Medium min-max spread at 4K is 63 FPS, the tightest of all resolutions, showing that at 4K the GPU’s frame pacing is most stable. Comparing across resolutions at the same settings: Low goes 810→511→267, High goes 509→321→168, Ultra goes 318→201→105. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is about 37-38% for each setting, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is about 48-50%, confirming that the 4K jump is disproportionately more demanding.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured rows suggest that Medium settings offer the best balance of frame rate and visual quality for this combo. At 1080p Medium, the average of 641 FPS is still far beyond any display’s refresh rate, and the minimum of 545 FPS ensures no drops below 500 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average of 405 FPS with a minimum of 344 FPS is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors — a 144 Hz display would be saturated with headroom. At 4K Medium, the average of 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 FPS is still above 144 Hz, making it viable for high-refresh 4K displays. The Medium preset provides the only rows with min/max data, and the consistent scaling — 641→405→212 — follows the same pattern as other settings but with enough headroom to avoid dips below 180 FPS at 4K.

High settings are also viable if visual fidelity is a priority. At 1080p High, 509 FPS average is still massive, and at 1440p High, 321 FPS average exceeds 240 Hz displays. However, at 4K High, 168 FPS average might be borderline for 165 Hz monitors, and without min/max data, there is risk of occasional dips. Ultra settings are only recommended for 1080p users who want maximum visuals — the 318 FPS average is still high, but the 201 FPS at 1440p and 105 FPS at 4K may not satisfy esports-level smoothness. Low settings are unnecessary for this hardware; even at 4K, the 267 FPS average is far above what any display can show, so sacrificing visuals for frame rate is pointless.

The data implies that Medium is the sweet spot because it delivers frame rates that are 2-3x higher than what most monitors can display, while presumably retaining enough visual quality for a game like Minecraft where textures and draw distance matter. For 4K users, Medium’s 212 FPS average with a 180 FPS minimum is the only preset that guarantees no drop below 180 FPS across the tested resolutions. For 1080p and 1440p users, High is a reasonable alternative, but the lack of min/max data for High makes Medium the safer choice based on the measured rows.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 810 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 641 at 1080p Medium, followed by 511 at 1440p Low.

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

A: The combo ranks 74th out of 1176 tested combos, placing it in the top 6.3% of all CPU-GPU pairings in the database for this game.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 509 at 1920x1080 to 321 at 2560x1440 to 168 at 3840x2160. The 1080p-to-4K difference is 341 FPS, a 67% reduction.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most stable frame pacing according to min/max data?

A: Medium settings are the only preset with min and max FPS data. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 180 and maximum is 243, giving a 63 FPS spread — the tightest range across all resolutions.

Q: What are the CPU and GPU percentiles relative to all other parts?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a percentileVsAllCpus of 91, meaning it outperforms 91% of all CPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has a percentileVsAllGpus of 86, outperforming 86% of all GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The FPS drops from 267 at Low to 105 at Ultra at 4K, while the CPU’s high single-thread score (6739 in Cinebench R23) keeps 1080p frame rates above 500 FPS, indicating the GPU limits the higher resolutions.