Minimum

The pairing of AMD’s Ryzen 5 2600 with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 creates a stark contrast in generational capability. The CPU, a 2018 release built on the Zen architecture, provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. The GPU, a 2025 Blackwell design, is a massive 5 nm part with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory. In Minimum, this combination produces playable frame rates, but the data reveals a system heavily constrained by its older processor, especially at lower resolutions.

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

The Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a modest 16 MB of shared L3 cache. Its benchmark scores place it in the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19616. This is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-1345U (19691, -0.4% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (19508, 0.6% delta). The data suggests this CPU is a mid-range performer, and its influence on Minimum is evident in the frame rate scaling.

At 1080p, the CPU is the primary bottleneck. The measured FPS ranges from 186.2 on Ultra to 240.2 on Low. The difference between Low and Ultra is only 54 FPS, a relatively small gap for a game. This indicates that the processor is limiting the maximum frame output, preventing the RTX 5090 from fully stretching its legs. The 3.90 GHz boost clock is low by modern standards, and the Zen architecture's single-thread performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1579, is simply not enough to feed this flagship GPU at high frame rates.

As the resolution increases, the CPU's load relative to the GPU decreases. The frame rate drops from 240.2 FPS at 1080p Low to 205.5 FPS at 1440p Low, a decline of about 15%. This is a smaller drop than expected if the GPU were the sole limiting factor, further confirming the CPU is holding back performance at 1080p. At 4K, the CPU's 12 threads are still sufficient to maintain a playable experience, but the gap between settings narrows. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 2600 is a capable processor for this game, but it is not a match for the RTX 5090's raw power.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a behemoth, with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its boost clock is 2407 MHz, and it has a massive 21760 shading units. This GPU sits in the 94th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84306. Its nearest rivals are the RTX 5090 D (84241, 0.1% delta) and the RTX 5050 Mobile (84171, 0.2% delta), showing it is at the top of the performance stack.

In Minimum, the GPU's role is to handle the visual load, and it does so effectively until the CPU becomes the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is pushed hard, resulting in 67.8 FPS. This is a demanding setting, and the RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any texture or asset the game can throw at it. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that data flows quickly, preventing any memory-related stutters.

The performance scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is telling. The GPU delivers 142.6 FPS at Low, 108.8 FPS at Medium, 91.5 FPS at High, and 67.8 FPS at Ultra. This is a clear, steady decline, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution. The RTX 5090 is powerful enough to make the game playable at 4K Ultra, but the 67.8 FPS average is a far cry from the 240 FPS ceiling seen at 1080p. The data implies that the GPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios, but its performance is being capped by the older CPU.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve over 200 FPS on average?

A: At 1080p, the combo achieves over 200 FPS on Low (240.2 FPS), Medium (215.3 FPS), and High (203.3 FPS) settings. Only the Ultra preset falls short at 186.2 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low setting compared to the 4K Ultra setting?

A: The 1080p Low setting produces 240.2 FPS, while the 4K Ultra setting produces 67.8 FPS. This represents a 172.4 FPS difference, meaning the 1080p result is approximately 3.5 times higher.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1440p High settings?

A: The 1440p High setting yields 168.3 FPS. Given that the drop from 1080p High (203.3 FPS) to 1440p High is 35 FPS, the scaling suggests a mix of both, but the CPU still has significant headroom to limit the GPU, as the GPU is capable of much higher output at lower resolutions.

Q: Does the RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM ever appear to be a limiting factor in this game?

A: No. The data does not indicate any VRAM-related performance degradation. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, suggesting that the GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth are more than adequate for Minimum.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between the Medium and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: The Medium preset at 4K averages 108.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 67.8 FPS. This is a 41 FPS difference, which is the largest gap between any two consecutive settings at this resolution.

Q: How does the combo's rank in this game compare to its overall component strength?

A: The combo ranks 169th out of 1733 tested combinations. This is a strong ranking, putting it in the top 10% of all combos, but it is lower than the GPU's 94th percentile ranking, highlighting the CPU's limiting effect.

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

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 240.2 FPS, which is the maximum measured in the entire dataset. Medium follows at 215.3 FPS, and High at 203.3 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 186.2 FPS, showing that even at 1080p, the most demanding settings can reduce performance by over 50 FPS compared to Low.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease across the board. The Low preset still leads with 205.5 FPS, a drop of 34.7 FPS from 1080p. Medium produces 184.4 FPS, High produces 168.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 128.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 77.4 FPS, which is larger than the 54 FPS gap at 1080p, indicating the GPU is starting to take on more work.

At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly lower. The Low preset averages 142.6 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium drops to 108.8 FPS, High to 91.5 FPS, and Ultra to 67.8 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset dips below 60 FPS, and it is also where the difference between Low and Ultra becomes the most pronounced at 74.8 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: the CPU limits performance at 1080p, while the GPU becomes the primary constraint at 4K.

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

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck. For the Low preset, the FPS drops from 240.2 at 1080p to 205.5 at 1440p, a 14.4% decrease. From 1440p to 4K, it drops to 142.6, a 30.6% decrease. This pattern shows that the GPU is only mildly stressed at 1080p and 1440p, but becomes significantly more loaded at 4K.

For the Ultra preset, the scaling is different. The FPS drops from 186.2 at 1080p to 128.1 at 1440p, a 31.2% decrease. From 1440p to 4K, it drops to 67.8, a 47.1% decrease. This suggests that at Ultra settings, the GPU is already working hard at 1440p, and the jump to 4K is particularly punishing. The fact that the Ultra preset shows a more dramatic drop than the Low preset implies that the GPU is the limiting component at higher settings, while the CPU is the limiter at lower settings.

The data indicates a classic CPU-GPU imbalance. At 1080p, the CPU is unable to push frame rates much beyond 240 FPS, regardless of the GPU's potential. At 4K, the GPU's workload increases enough to become the primary bottleneck. The transition point appears to be around 1440p, where both components are relatively balanced, but the CPU still holds back the Low preset from reaching its full potential.

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

For players targeting the highest possible frame rates at 1080p, the Low preset is the clear choice, delivering 240.2 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 215.3 FPS offers a significant visual upgrade with only a 24.9 FPS penalty. The High preset at 203.3 FPS is also viable, providing a good balance. The Ultra preset at 186.2 FPS is the least attractive option at this resolution, as it offers marginal visual gains over High for a noticeable performance cost.

At 1440p, the Low preset at 205.5 FPS is optimal for competitive play. The Medium preset at 184.4 FPS is a strong alternative for those who want better visuals without sacrificing too much speed. The High preset at 168.3 FPS is still smooth and likely the best overall experience for most users, as it balances visual fidelity with a frame rate well above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 128.1 FPS is playable but represents a significant drop from High.

At 4K, the recommendations change. The Low preset at 142.6 FPS is the only way to achieve a high refresh rate experience. The Medium preset at 108.8 FPS is the sweet spot for a standard 60-100 Hz monitor, providing a good balance of quality and speed. The High preset at 91.5 FPS is also a solid choice for a 90 Hz display. The Ultra preset at 67.8 FPS is only recommended for players with a 60 Hz monitor who prioritize maximum visual quality, as it is the only setting that cannot consistently maintain a 100+ FPS experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 169th out of 1733 tested combinations in Minimum. This places it in the top 9.8% of all configurations, which is a strong result. The high ranking is largely due to the GPU's exceptional performance, as the RTX 5090 is in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. However, the CPU's 77th percentile ranking indicates that it is the weaker link in this pairing.

The data suggests that this combo is capable of delivering a high-quality experience, but it is not maximizing the GPU's potential. The 1080p results show a hard ceiling around 240 FPS, which is likely due to the CPU's single-thread performance. If the combo had a more modern processor, the 1080p results could potentially be higher. At 4K, the combo's ranking is more justified, as the GPU is the primary bottleneck and is performing at its expected level.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing ranks higher than the GPU's percentile alone would suggest, indicating that the CPU is not a severe hindrance in this specific title. The 169th rank out of 1733 combos means there are 1564 configurations that perform worse, and only 168 that perform better. This makes it a top-tier setup for Minimum, even with the aging CPU. The results show that the RTX 5090 can overcome the CPU's limitations at higher resolutions, making this a viable high-end gaming combination.