Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER pairing delivers a robust experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The benchmark data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet capable of exploiting the CPU's strength at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, examining the role of each component and how this specific combination ranks against the broader database.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal a classic performance curve as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 198.3 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset, the average drops to 130.3 FPS, a reduction of 68 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 is even more pronounced, with the average falling to 69.9 FPS. This represents a 34.7% decrease in performance from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load is scaling aggressively with pixel count.

The data points to the RTX 4070 SUPER becoming the primary limiting factor as resolution climbs. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but the sheer pixel throughput at 4K (3840x2160) overwhelms the rendering pipeline. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the bottleneck here; its 3.60 GHz base and 4.20 GHz boost clocks provide ample headroom for the GPU to work at full capacity. The 34.7% drop from 1440p to 4K is a clear sign that the graphics card is struggling to maintain the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

At 1080p, the situation flips. The 198.3 FPS average on High settings suggests the CPU is starting to play a more significant role. The Ryzen 5 3600's single-thread performance, measured at 696 in 3dmark_single_thread, is adequate for the game's engine, but the frame rate ceiling is likely being approached. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p on High settings is a 34.3% decrease (from 198.3 to 130.3 FPS), which is substantial. This indicates that even at 1440p, the GPU is still the primary driver, but the gap between resolutions narrows as the CPU's influence grows. The data suggests that for maximum frame rates, 1080p is the sweet spot, while 4K remains playable but demands significant graphical compromises.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows across all presets provide a clear picture of the performance cost for each quality tier. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 273.9 FPS, while Medium drops to 238.3 FPS, and High settles at 198.3 FPS. The Ultra preset brings the average down to 151.2 FPS. This represents a 44.8% performance penalty from Low to Ultra, which is substantial but not prohibitive for a game of this era.

For the best experience, the High preset at 2560x1440 emerges as the optimal balance. The 130.3 FPS average is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the visual quality improvement over Medium (150.4 FPS) is likely noticeable. While Ultra at 1440p (98.5 FPS) is playable, the 31.8 FPS drop from High to Ultra is a significant sacrifice for marginal visual gains. At 1080p, the High preset (198.3 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it provides a high refresh rate experience without the performance tax of Ultra. The Low preset at 1080p (273.9 FPS) is only useful for competitive play where frame rate is paramount over fidelity.

At 4K, the data suggests that High (69.9 FPS) is the highest playable setting. The Medium preset (80.3 FPS) offers a slight performance boost but may not deliver the visual clarity expected at this resolution. The Ultra preset (52.4 FPS) dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less desirable for a smooth experience. The Low preset (106.9 FPS) is a viable option for those prioritizing frame rate, but it negates the benefits of 4K resolution. The recommendation is to use High settings at 1440p for the best overall experience, or High at 4K for a visually rich but less fluid alternative.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its characteristics directly influence the game's performance metrics. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Minimum's texture and geometry data, even at 4K. The memory clock of 1313 MHz, with 21 Gbps effective, ensures that data transfer is not a bottleneck. The Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process, delivers a boost clock of 2475 MHz, which is the primary driver of the high frame rates observed.

The GPU's compute capabilities are extensive, with 7168 shading units and 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specs are far beyond the requirements of a 2014 title, explaining why the game runs at such high frame rates. The 80 ROPs and 224 TMUs are responsible for pixel and texture processing, respectively, and their combined effort determines the fill rate. The pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s are critical in high-resolution scenarios, but the data shows that the GPU's overall throughput is the limiting factor at 4K, not these specific sub-systems.

The RTX 4070 SUPER's performance percentile of 84 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576, places it in the upper echelon. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, has a deltaPct of -0.2, indicating near-identical performance. This context is important because it shows that the GPU is not a weak link in the system. The frame rate drops at higher resolutions are a natural consequence of increased rendering load, not a deficiency in the GPU's design. The GPU is clearly the workhorse, and its 220 W TDP and suggested 550 W PSU are reasonable for the performance it delivers.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER holds a rank of 315 out of 1733 combos for Minimum. This places it in the top 18.2% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The rank reflects the overall average FPS across all measured resolutions and settings, and the data indicates that this combo is well above the median performer.

The CPU's contribution to this rank is noteworthy. The Ryzen 5 3600 has a percentile of 76 against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18129. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-11400, has a deltaPct of -0.1, meaning the two are virtually identical in performance. This suggests that the CPU is not a drag on the combo's ranking. The bottleneck is almost entirely the GPU, and since the RTX 4070 SUPER is a high-end part, the combo excels. The rank of 315 is a direct consequence of the GPU's ability to push high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, which offsets the lower performance at 4K.

The data shows that this combo is better suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions. The rank would likely be higher if the database weighted 1080p performance more heavily, but the inclusion of 4K results pulls the average down. In the context of the 1733 combos, a rank of 315 is a solid result, indicating that this pairing is more capable than the vast majority of systems tested. The combination of a mid-range CPU from 2019 and a high-end GPU from 2024 is a balanced one, with the GPU providing the bulk of the gaming performance while the CPU keeps pace without becoming a bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 198.3 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, making it well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER a bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The average FPS drops to 69.9 on High settings, compared to 130.3 at 2560x1440, indicating the rendering load is too heavy for the GPU to maintain higher frame rates.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 3600 compare to its nearest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600 has an average benchmark score of 18129, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-11400's 18150, a deltaPct of -0.1. This shows the two CPUs perform at the same level.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth 1440p experience?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440, which averages 130.3 FPS, is the best choice. It offers a significant visual improvement over Medium (150.4 FPS) while avoiding the performance penalty of Ultra (98.5 FPS).

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 315 out of 1733 tested combinations for Minimum, placing it in the top 18.2% of all systems in the database.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does the GPU have?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER has a 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, provided by 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, which is more than sufficient for this game's data requirements.