Minimum

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename) built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It runs at a 3.60 GHz base clock and boosts up to 4.20 GHz, with 16 MB of L3 cache and 512 KB of L2 per core. Its 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a flexible desktop part, and its 79th percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates solid mainstream performance. In synthetic workloads, the chip scores 16,429 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,319 in single-core, with a 3DMark max-thread score of 5,411.

For a third-person shooter like Minimum, the CPU's single-thread performance often dictates frame pacing in lightly threaded scenes, while multi-thread scores matter for background simulation and physics. The Ryzen 5 5500's single-thread Cinebench R15 score of 233 and R20 score of 973 place it in a competitive zone—benchmark results show it lands within 0.2% of the Intel Core i5-12500 and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE in average benchmark score, and it is 0.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7J13. This tight clustering suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the 5500 will trade blows with those parts rather than dominate or fall behind.

The pairing with the AMD Radeon RX 6600—a 7 nm RDNA 2.0 GPU with 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs—creates a balanced 1080p-focused system. The GPU's boost clock of 2,491 MHz and game clock of 2,044 MHz, combined with 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus (224 GB/s bandwidth), means it can feed frames quickly. However, the CPU's PCIe Gen 3 interface (the 5500 does not support Gen 4) could theoretically limit bandwidth, but in practice, the measured results show the combo handles Minimum well.

At 1080p Low, the average FPS hits 153.7, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold. This suggests the CPU is not the primary limiter at that settings level; the GPU is still providing headroom. The single-thread score of 3,058 in PassMark and 836 in 3DMark single-thread indicate the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output at lower resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 26 FPS, which is a GPU-bound scenario—the CPU's 6 cores are not the bottleneck there. The data shows the 5500 is a capable match for the RX 6600, but the system's overall ranking (1379th of 1733 combos in this game) reflects that this is a mid-range pairing, not a top-tier one.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its nearest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The 5500's average benchmark score is 20,875, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-12500 (20,897) and 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE (20,900). It is 0.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 7J13 (20,845) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-12600T (20,917 minus 0.2% delta). These are negligible differences, so expect similar CPU-bound frame rates.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080, measured averages are 153.7 FPS on Low, 119.8 FPS on Medium, 98.6 FPS on High, and 75.7 FPS on Ultra. The Low preset is the only one that exceeds 144 FPS, while Ultra stays above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the RX 6600 a bottleneck at 4K?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 35.1 on High, 44.1 on Medium, 54.3 on Low, and 26 on Ultra. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are stressed at this resolution, and the CPU's role diminishes. The 4K Low result (54.3 FPS) is barely playable, while Ultra is not.

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

A: The combo ranks 1379th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the lower-middle tier, meaning there are many faster pairings, but it is not at the very bottom. The data indicates it is a reasonable 1080p setup rather than a high-end one.

Q: Does the CPU's PCIe Gen 3 support hurt performance?

A: The benchmark results do not show a major penalty. At 1080p Low, the 153.7 FPS average suggests the CPU and GPU are communicating effectively despite the Gen 3 interface. The GPU's PCIe 4.0 x8 bus runs at Gen 3 speeds, but the measured FPS at lower resolutions indicates the bottleneck is elsewhere—likely the GPU's raw compute at higher settings.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking versus all GPUs?

A: The RX 6600 sits at the 69th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 25,235. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 890M, scores 25,246 (0% delta), while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 25,120 (0.5% higher). This means the 6600 is a solid mid-range card, but not exceptional.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p High, the combo averages 98.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 66.5 FPS—a 32.6% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 35.1 FPS, which is a 64.4% drop from 1080p. This steep decline indicates the GPU becomes the dominant limiter as pixel count increases. The RX 6600's 8 GB VRAM and 224 GB/s bandwidth are simply not enough for 4K at high settings in Minimum.

Looking at Low settings, the scaling is less severe but still pronounced: 153.7 FPS at 1080p, 101.5 FPS at 1440p (34% drop), and 54.3 FPS at 4K (64.7% drop). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions, but the CPU's headroom becomes more apparent at 1080p Low, where the 153.7 FPS result shows the 5500 can push frames well above 144 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth cap performance, making the CPU's 6 cores less relevant.

The delta between Medium and High settings at each resolution is informative. At 1080p, Medium (119.8 FPS) to High (98.6 FPS) is a 17.7% drop, while at 4K, Medium (44.1 FPS) to High (35.1 FPS) is a 20.4% drop. This similar relative penalty indicates that the settings scale uniformly, and the GPU is the limiting factor across the board. The CPU's single-thread performance (2,319 in R23) is sufficient to avoid becoming the bottleneck, even at 1080p Low where the GPU has the most headroom.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination ranks 1379th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 79.6th percentile of tested combinations—meaning roughly 20% of combos are slower, and 80% are faster. This is a mid-pack result for a mid-range pairing. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs (79th) and GPU's percentile (69th) both point to a system that is above average individually, but the combo ranking suggests the two parts do not synergize exceptionally well for this specific game.

The ranking implies that many combos with higher-end CPUs or GPUs will outperform this setup. For instance, a combo with a faster GPU (like an RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 0.5% higher in average benchmarks) would likely rank higher, even with the same CPU. Conversely, pairing the RX 6600 with a stronger CPU (such as one in the 90th percentile) could improve the ranking at 1080p, where the CPU has more influence. However, the data shows that at 4K, the GPU is the clear limiter, so a CPU upgrade would not meaningfully change the 4K results.

The 1379th rank is not a poor showing—it is a functional 1080p gaming setup. But for a game like Minimum, which is a third-person shooter that can benefit from high frame rates, the combo's ranking suggests it is better suited for 1080p High or 1440p Medium rather than chasing 4K. The measured FPS at 1440p High (66.5 FPS) is playable, but 1080p High (98.6 FPS) offers a smoother experience without sacrificing visual quality.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on your target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 153.7 FPS, which is ideal for a 144 Hz monitor. Medium (119.8 FPS) and High (98.6 FPS) are both above 60 FPS and provide better visual fidelity. Ultra (75.7 FPS) is still smooth but may not be worth the performance cost if you need higher frame rates for competitive play.

At 1440p, Low (101.5 FPS) is the only preset that exceeds 100 FPS, while Medium (77.2 FPS) and High (66.5 FPS) are both above 60 FPS. Ultra (52.1 FPS) dips below the 60 FPS target, so it is not recommended for a smooth experience. For a balanced 1440p setup, Medium offers a good middle ground—77.2 FPS is decent, but High at 66.5 FPS is still playable if you prefer better shadows and textures.

At 4K, the situation is dire. Low (54.3 FPS) is the only playable option, and even then, it is borderline. Medium (44.1 FPS) and High (35.1 FPS) are not suitable for a shooter, and Ultra (26 FPS) is unplayable. If you must play at 4K, Low is the only viable preset, but the data suggests this combo is not designed for 4K gaming in Minimum.

The "best experience" recommendation is 1080p High (98.6 FPS). It provides good visual quality while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS, and it leaves headroom for occasional dips. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, 1080p Low (153.7 FPS) is better, but you sacrifice visual fidelity. For most players, 1080p High strikes the ideal balance.

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

1920x1080

• Low: 153.7 FPS average
• Medium: 119.8 FPS average
• High: 98.6 FPS average
• Ultra: 75.7 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo scales predictably with settings. The gap from Low to Medium is 33.9 FPS (22% drop), from Medium to High is 21.2 FPS (17.7% drop), and from High to Ultra is 22.9 FPS (23.2% drop). This indicates that each settings tier costs roughly 20-23% performance, which is typical for a mid-range GPU.

2560x1440

• Low: 101.5 FPS average
• Medium: 77.2 FPS average
• High: 66.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 52.1 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance drops are more pronounced in absolute terms. Low to Medium is a 24.3 FPS loss (24% drop), Medium to High is 10.7 FPS (13.9% drop), and High to Ultra is 14.4 FPS (21.7% drop). The GPU's memory bandwidth (224 GB/s) becomes a limiting factor at this resolution, especially on Ultra.

3840x2160

• Low: 54.3 FPS average
• Medium: 44.1 FPS average
• High: 35.1 FPS average
• Ultra: 26 FPS average

At 4K, the RX 6600 is clearly overmatched. The drop from Low to Medium is 10.2 FPS (18.8% loss), Medium to High is 9 FPS (20.4% loss), and High to Ultra is 9.1 FPS (25.9% loss). The 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely exceeded at Ultra, causing the steep decline. The 26 FPS average at 4K Ultra is below the 30 FPS minimum for playability, making it a non-option.

The data shows that the combo is most effective at 1080p, where it can deliver high frame rates on all presets. At 1440p, it is a capable 60+ FPS machine on Medium and High, but Ultra is borderline. At 4K, it is only usable on Low, and even then, the 54.3 FPS average is not ideal for a fast-paced shooter. The measured results confirm that this pairing is optimized for 1080p gaming, with 1440p as a secondary option.