Minimum

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

The measured frame rates for this AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination reveal a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p Low settings, the combo delivers 274.3 FPS, which drops to 176.9 FPS at 1440p, and further to 94.5 FPS at 4K. This progression represents a 35.5% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 46.6% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling curve suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as the frame rate ceiling is constrained by the Ryzen 5 5500's six cores and twelve threads rather than the GPU's raw throughput.

The pattern becomes more telling when examining High settings. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 175.5 FPS, falling to 113 FPS at 1440p and 60.3 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35.6%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 46.6% — nearly identical percentages to the Low settings case. This consistency across settings tiers indicates that the resolution scaling is primarily a function of pixel throughput demands, not a sudden shift in bottleneck behavior. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth appear sufficient even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS still reaches 48.9.

At Ultra settings, the scaling steepens dramatically. The 1080p Ultra result of 134 FPS drops to 89.5 FPS at 1440p (a 33.2% reduction), then to 48.9 FPS at 4K (a 45.4% reduction from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that the most demanding preset at maximum resolution pushes the GPU's 4096 shading units and 128 ROPs to their practical limit. The data implies that the limiting component shifts from CPU at 1080p to GPU at 4K, with the crossover occurring somewhere between 1440p and 4K depending on the settings preset.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 514th out of 1,733 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the 70.3rd percentile of all tested combos. This ranking reflects a substantial performance tier, positioning the combo in the upper third of the database but not among the elite top-tier configurations. The rank of 514 suggests that while the RX 9070 XT is a high-end GPU — sitting in the 82nd percentile against all GPUs — the Ryzen 5 5500's 79th percentile CPU ranking creates a pairing that performs admirably but leaves performance on the table in CPU-bound scenarios.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i5-12500 with an average benchmark score of 20,897 (a -0.1% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE at 20,900 (-0.1%), the AMD EPYC 7J13 at 20,845 (+0.1%), and the Intel Core i5-12600T at 20,917 (-0.2%). These near-identical scores indicate that the Ryzen 5 5500's compute capabilities are well-balanced against contemporary alternatives, with deltas of less than one percent in either direction. The GPU's nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon Pro 575 at 39,703 (-0.1%), NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile at 39,568 (+0.2%), AMD Radeon Pro 575X at 39,836 (-0.5%), and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 at 39,879 (-0.6%) — show similarly tight clustering, though these are workstation and mobile parts rather than direct desktop gaming competitors.

The combination's rank of 514 out of 1,733 means that 1,219 tested combos perform worse, while 513 perform better. This places the setup in a strong position for 2014-era third-person shooter gameplay, where the title's age means modern hardware can achieve high frame rates, but the rank still reflects the CPU's potential limitation in extracting maximum performance from the RX 9070 XT.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT brings formidable specifications to this pairing: 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock reaches 2970 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a base clock of 1660 MHz. These clock speeds, combined with the 4096 shading units and 128 ROPs, produce a pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 760.3 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute throughput of 48.66 TFLOPS provides ample raw processing power for a game released in 2014.

The measured results show the GPU's capability scaling with workload intensity. At 1080p, the GPU's role is partially masked by the CPU's frame rate ceiling — the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 140.3 FPS (from 274.3 down to 134), demonstrating that the GPU can still differentiate between presets even when the CPU is the primary limiter. By 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant factor: the spread between Low (94.5 FPS) and Ultra (48.9 FPS) is 45.6 FPS, showing the GPU's workload scaling more proportionally with pixel count and settings complexity.

The 16 GB VRAM capacity is unlikely to be a constraint in this title, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset maintains playable frame rates without indication of memory capacity throttling. The 644.6 GB/s bandwidth also appears sufficient for the data throughput demands of a 2014 shooter, where texture sizes and geometry complexity are modest by modern standards. The GPU's 82nd percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39,647, confirms its high-end positioning, though the nearest rival deltas of less than one percent suggest that the benchmark scores cluster tightly around this performance tier.

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

Q: What is the best 1080p performance this combo can achieve?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the combination reaches 274.3 FPS average, which is the highest measured result across all tested configurations. The 1080p Medium preset delivers 209.8 FPS, while High achieves 175.5 FPS and Ultra drops to 134 FPS.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured 4K Ultra average is 48.9 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. However, dropping to 4K High yields 60.3 FPS, just barely crossing the line, while 4K Medium reaches 74.7 FPS and 4K Low achieves 94.5 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500's average benchmark score is 20,875. Its closest competitor, the Intel Core i5-12500, scores 20,897, a delta of -0.1%. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE scores 20,900 (-0.1%), the AMD EPYC 7J13 scores 20,845 (+0.1%), and the Intel Core i5-12600T scores 20,917 (-0.2%).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1440p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the 1440p average is 113 FPS, while the 4K average is 60.3 FPS. This represents a 46.6% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1440p to 4K at the same settings preset.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Minimum?

A: The combo ranks 514th out of 1,733 total tested combinations. This places it in the upper 30% of all configurations, with 1,219 combos performing worse and 513 performing better.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and how does it affect 4K performance?

A: The RX 9070 XT provides 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth through its 256-bit bus and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. The 4K results show that even at Ultra settings, where the average is 48.9 FPS, the memory subsystem does not appear to introduce a bottleneck, as the frame rates scale consistently with settings changes.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a six-core, twelve-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename), manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 with dual-channel configuration, providing 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth — a figure that could become relevant in CPU-bound scenarios.

The CPU's benchmark scores reveal its multi-threaded capabilities: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 16,429, while the single-core score is 2,319. In 3DMark, the 16-thread test scores 5,386, and the single-thread test scores 836. These figures place the CPU in the 79th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,875. The PassMark multi-thread score of 19,330 and single-thread score of 3,058 further characterize its performance profile.

The measured FPS data shows clear evidence of CPU limitation at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 274.3 FPS result is likely near the practical ceiling for this CPU in this game, as the frame rate drops only 35.5% when moving to 1440p Low (176.9 FPS) despite the GPU having to render 1.78 times more pixels. This non-linear scaling suggests the CPU cannot feed the GPU fast enough at 1080p to fully utilize the RX 9070 XT's capabilities. The pattern persists at Medium settings, where 1080p delivers 209.8 FPS but 1440p drops to 139.2 FPS — a 33.6% reduction that again indicates CPU-bound behavior at the lower resolution. The CPU's six cores and twelve threads appear sufficient for this 2014 title, as the game's threading demands are modest by modern standards, but the 3.60 GHz base clock may limit peak frame rates in lightly-threaded scenarios.

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

For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset at 209.8 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance headroom. While Low achieves 274.3 FPS, the additional 64.5 FPS is unlikely to provide meaningful gameplay benefits on most displays, which typically max out at 144 Hz or 240 Hz. High at 175.5 FPS remains well above refresh rate thresholds for high-refresh displays, while Ultra at 134 FPS still provides smooth gameplay. The data suggests that 1080p users can comfortably select High settings to prioritize visual fidelity without sacrificing competitive frame rates.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 139.2 FPS delivers the strongest combination of smoothness and visual quality. High at 113 FPS remains excellent for 120 Hz displays, while Ultra at 89.5 FPS provides a playable experience for those prioritizing image quality. Low at 176.9 FPS offers maximum competitive performance but sacrifices significant visual detail for frame rates that exceed most display capabilities.

For 4K gaming, the High preset at 60.3 FPS is the recommended choice, as it just crosses the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining substantial visual quality. Medium at 74.7 FPS offers better headroom for demanding scenes, while Low at 94.5 FPS provides excellent smoothness at reduced visual fidelity. Ultra at 48.9 FPS falls below the 60 FPS target and should be avoided for consistent gameplay, though it remains usable for less demanding scenarios. The recommendation across all resolutions is to favor Medium or High presets, as they provide the best balance between the measured frame rates and the visual improvements offered by higher settings.

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

At 3840x2160 (4K), the measured average frame rates across settings are: Low at 94.5 FPS, Medium at 74.7 FPS, High at 60.3 FPS, and Ultra at 48.9 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 45.6 FPS total reduction, with the largest single-step drop occurring between High and Ultra at 11.4 FPS. The step from Medium to High is 14.4 FPS, while the Low to Medium transition costs 19.8 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the results are: Low at 176.9 FPS, Medium at 139.2 FPS, High at 113 FPS, and Ultra at 89.5 FPS. The total spread between Low and Ultra is 87.4 FPS. The Medium to High drop is 26.2 FPS, while the High to Ultra reduction is 23.5 FPS. The Low to Medium transition costs 37.7 FPS, representing the largest single-step decline at this resolution.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the measurements show: Low at 274.3 FPS, Medium at 209.8 FPS, High at 175.5 FPS, and Ultra at 134 FPS. The total range spans 140.3 FPS from Low to Ultra. The Low to Medium step costs 64.5 FPS, the Medium to High step costs 34.3 FPS, and the High to Ultra step costs 41.5 FPS. This resolution exhibits the largest absolute differences between settings, reflecting the CPU's ability to push higher frame rates when pixel count is lower.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings: Low settings show a 64.9% reduction from 1080p to 4K (274.3 to 94.5 FPS), Medium shows a 64.4% reduction (209.8 to 74.7), High shows a 65.6% reduction (175.5 to 60.3), and Ultra shows a 63.5% reduction (134 to 48.9). These consistent percentages across settings tiers reinforce that the resolution scaling is uniform regardless of the visual complexity, pointing to a predictable performance model where the GPU's pixel throughput is the dominant factor at higher resolutions.