Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination delivers a highly playable experience in Minimum, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The measured data shows this pairing is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, solid 60+ FPS at 1440p, and playable frame rates at 4K when settings are adjusted appropriately. This analysis breaks down the measured performance metrics to explain what the data reveals about this specific hardware configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU/GPU combo?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 170.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates range from 27.4 FPS on Ultra settings to 59.6 FPS on Low settings, indicating that 4K is only smooth at the lowest preset.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival in raw benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774, which places it 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (score 19680) and 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (score 19706).

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance relative to its multi-thread performance?

A: The CPU scores 973 in Cinebench R20 single-core and 6900 in multi-core, while in 3DMark it scores 836 for single-thread and 5411 for max threads, showing a strong scaling from single to multi-threaded workloads.

Q: What is the difference in frame rate between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 106.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 71.1 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 41 FPS at 3840x2160.

Q: Does the system rank highly among other hardware combinations for this game?

A: The combination ranks 1220 out of 1733 total tested combinations for Minimum, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance distribution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rates in Minimum, and its specifications directly explain the measured results. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game's demands, as evidenced by the consistent scaling of frame rates across resolutions.

The GPU's clock speeds are set at 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost, with a pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s. These figures translate into the measured performance: at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system achieves 86.1 FPS, while at 3840x2160 with the same settings, it drops to 43.5 FPS. The dramatic drop between these resolutions indicates that the GPU's raw fillrate and shading capabilities (2176 shading units, 64 ROPs) become the bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 19774. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, scores 19680, meaning the 2060 SUPER is 0.5% ahead in synthetic testing. However, in real-world Minimum gameplay, the data shows the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, particularly with Ultra settings where the 4K average drops to 27.4 FPS. This aligns with the GPU's DirectX 12 benchmark score of 61, which is notably lower than its DirectX 11 score of 130, suggesting that the game's workload may not fully utilize the GPU's newer feature set.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that points directly to the GPU as the limiting component. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings reduces the average frame rate from 106.6 FPS to 71.1 FPS, a drop of 35.5 FPS. Scaling further to 3840x2160 at the same settings yields 41 FPS, representing a 65.6 FPS decrease from the 1080p baseline.

This scaling behavior is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 170.3 FPS at 1080p to 110.2 FPS at 1440p, then to 59.6 FPS at 4K. The proportional decrease between resolutions is nearly identical regardless of settings, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's capabilities, including its 6 cores and 12 threads with boost clock up to 4.20 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions but become less relevant as resolution increases.

The data shows that the transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, with frame rates roughly halving at every settings tier. For instance, at Medium settings, the drop is from 86.1 FPS at 1440p to 43.5 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the GPU's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are the primary constraints at higher pixel densities. The 4K results, which stay below 60 FPS even at Low settings, confirm that this resolution is at the edge of what the RTX 2060 SUPER can handle in Minimum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 170.3 FPS, Medium settings achieve 129.1 FPS, High settings reach 106.6 FPS, and Ultra settings still maintain a smooth 84.5 FPS. This resolution is clearly where the CPU and GPU combination shines, with even the most demanding preset remaining well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but show the GPU beginning to strain. Low settings average 110.2 FPS, Medium settings produce 86.1 FPS, High settings deliver 71.1 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 56.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first configuration to dip below 60 FPS, suggesting that users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity should consider High settings or lower.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low settings are the only tier that remains playable, with an average of 59.6 FPS. Medium settings achieve 43.5 FPS, High settings produce 41 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 27.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming with this hardware requires significant compromises, as even the lowest settings barely maintain 60 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium settings at 4K is particularly notable, with a difference of 16.1 FPS, suggesting that the game's medium-tier effects impose a substantial cost on the GPU.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 provides the processing foundation for this system, and its specifications are well-matched to the GPU for this game. The CPU features 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth ensure adequate data throughput for the GPU.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate solid multi-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 16429 multi-core and 2319 single-core, while in 3DMark it achieves 5411 with max threads and 836 single-thread. These scores place the CPU in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20875. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, scores 20897, putting the Ryzen 5 5500 just 0.1% behind.

In Minimum, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate scaling across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 170.3 FPS, which is well within the CPU's capability to feed frames. The PassMark multi-thread score of 19330 and physics score of 896 suggest that the CPU can handle the game's computational demands without becoming a bottleneck. The data shows that even at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, the CPU maintains sufficient headroom, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution rather than showing CPU-induced stutters or plateaus.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired performance level. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings provide the best visual experience while maintaining 84.5 FPS, which is smooth enough for most players. However, for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors, High settings at 106.6 FPS or even Medium at 129.1 FPS offer progressively higher frame rates with marginal visual trade-offs.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 71.1 FPS represent the best balance of visual quality and performance, as Ultra drops to 56.1 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. Players seeking higher frame rates can drop to Medium at 86.1 FPS or Low at 110.2 FPS if competitive advantage is prioritized over visual fidelity. The data suggests that Medium settings at 1440p provide a significant frame rate boost over High with only modest visual compromises.

For 3840x2160, the only viable option for smooth gameplay is Low settings, which yield 59.6 FPS. Medium settings at 43.5 FPS and High at 41 FPS are borderline playable but may feel sluggish, while Ultra at 27.4 FPS is not recommended for active gameplay. The frame rate difference between Low and Medium at 4K is substantial at 16.1 FPS, indicating that the medium preset's additional effects have a disproportionate performance cost. Ultimately, the data recommends High settings at 1080p for the best overall experience, Medium or High at 1440p depending on preference, and Low at 4K for acceptable performance.