Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 397th out of 1,733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 23% of all configurations. This is a strong showing for a pairing that mixes a 2018-era six-core processor with a current-generation graphics card. The data confirms the RTX 4070 SUPER is doing the heavy lifting, but the Ryzen 5 2600's 12 threads and 16 MB of shared L3 cache keep frame rates from falling off a cliff, especially at lower resolutions where CPU overhead matters most.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 397 out of 1,733, this pairing sits comfortably ahead of the median tested system. The percentile placement tells a clear story: the RTX 4070 SUPER is the star, while the Ryzen 5 2600 is a capable but aging partner. Benchmark results indicate the CPU's average benchmark score of 19,616 places it near the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19,740, a 0.6% gap) and just ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (19,508, a 0.6% lead). That puts the 2600 in the same performance tier as modern mid-range laptop chips, which is respectable for a six-core desktop part from 2018.

The GPU, meanwhile, scores 42,576 on average, essentially matching the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42,653, a 0.2% gap) and edging out the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42,723, a 0.3% gap). This means the graphics card is performing at a level that would normally pair with a much newer CPU. The bottleneck in this combo is clearly the processor, but it is not a severe one: the 2600's single-thread score of 2,239 in Passmark is modest, yet Minimum's engine appears to scale well enough across the 12 threads to avoid catastrophic frame drops.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER brings 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. That memory configuration is well-suited to Minimum, a third-person shooter that does not appear to be VRAM-hungry at the tested settings. The GPU's boost clock of 2,475 MHz, combined with 7,168 shading units, produces a 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 throughput. These specs translate directly into the measured performance: even at 4K Ultra, the card maintains playable frame rates, which indicates the memory subsystem and compute resources are not running out of headroom.

The GPU's 84th percentile ranking among all graphics cards reinforces that this is a high-end part. Its compute score of 17,108 in Passmark and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4,627 show strong raw performance. In Minimum, the card's role is to push pixels faster than the CPU can feed it at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows to just 84.5 FPS, suggesting the CPU becomes the limiting factor once the GPU is no longer stressed. At 4K, however, the GPU takes over as the primary bottleneck, which is why frame rates drop more dramatically as settings increase.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the High preset at 1440p is the sweet spot. The data shows 127.7 FPS average at 2560x1440 High, which is smooth for a shooter and leaves headroom for drops in intense firefights. Dropping to Medium at the same resolution yields 151.7 FPS, a 19% improvement, but the visual fidelity loss is not worth it when High already exceeds 120 FPS.

At 1080p, High delivers 199.9 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. Ultra at 1080p drops to 152.4 FPS, still excellent, but the 47.5 FPS cost over High is steep for marginal visual gains. If you are chasing maximum frame rates at 1080p, Low gives 236.4 FPS, but that is overkill for most displays. For 4K, High is the only sensible choice: 69.7 FPS is playable, while Ultra falls to 49.4 FPS, which is borderline for a shooter. Medium at 4K (80.5 FPS) is a viable alternative if you want more smoothness over High.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high across all settings. Low averages 236.4 FPS, Medium 216.9 FPS, High 199.9 FPS, and Ultra 152.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 84.5 FPS, which is substantial but expected given the settings range. The fact that Low only beats High by 36.5 FPS suggests the CPU is starting to cap performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low delivers 201.3 FPS, Medium 151.7 FPS, High 127.7 FPS, and Ultra 99.3 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 49.6 FPS, larger than the 1080p gap, indicating the GPU is becoming more involved. Ultra at 1440p still clears 90 FPS, making it usable for competitive play, though High is clearly the better trade-off.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully engaged. Low averages 108.1 FPS, Medium 80.5 FPS, High 69.7 FPS, and Ultra 49.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 58.7 FPS, and the fact that even Low cannot hit 120 FPS at 4K confirms the resolution is pushing the card hard. Interestingly, 1080p Low (236.4 FPS) is more than double 4K Low (108.1 FPS), showing how much resolution taxes the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a clear scaling pattern. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the frame rate drops from 199.9 FPS to 127.7 FPS, a 36% reduction. From 1440p to 4K at High, it falls from 127.7 FPS to 69.7 FPS, a 45% reduction. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 65%, which is significant but not linear—the GPU is handling the increased pixel count better than a purely CPU-limited system would.

This scaling behavior indicates the limiting component changes across resolutions. At 1080p, the Ryzen 5 2600's single-thread performance (2,239 Passmark score) is the primary constraint, as evidenced by the relatively small FPS gains from lowering settings. At 4K, the RTX 4070 SUPER's 504.2 GB/s bandwidth and 80 ROPs become the bottleneck, which is why pushing from Medium to Ultra costs 31.1 FPS at 4K versus just 64.5 FPS at 1080p. The 2600's 46.9 GB/s memory bandwidth is irrelevant here, but its 12 threads still manage to keep up with the GPU's demands in most scenes.

FAQ

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 2600 holding back the RTX 4070 SUPER in this game?

A: Only at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU limits frame rates, as shown by the small 36.5 FPS gap between Low and High settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's impact diminishes.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1440p High offers the best balance, delivering 127.7 FPS. It is smooth enough for competitive play while utilizing the GPU more fully than 1080p.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, it averages 69.7 FPS, which is playable. 4K Ultra drops to 49.4 FPS, which is not ideal for a fast-paced shooter.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 scores 19,616 on average, which is 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-1345U (19,691) and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (19,508). It is effectively in the same performance class.

Q: How much FPS do you gain by dropping from Ultra to Low?

A: At 1080p, you gain 84 FPS (from 152.4 to 236.4). At 1440p, the gain is 102 FPS (from 99.3 to 201.3). At 4K, the gain is 58.7 FPS (from 49.4 to 108.1).

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER a strong card relative to others?

A: Yes, it ranks in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its average score of 42,576 is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42,653) and 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42,723).