Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 produces a very constrained experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014. The measured frame rates show a system that is heavily dependent on resolution and settings, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. This analysis breaks down the measured data to explain how this specific combination behaves.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a steep and consistent drop in performance as resolution increases, which is a clear indicator of GPU-bound operation. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 81 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that average to 52 FPS, a reduction of 29 frames. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 28 FPS, a further 24-frame decline. This pattern—a near-halving of frame rate with each major resolution step—demonstrates that the GTX 1650's rendering throughput is the limiting factor.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 40 at 2560x1440 to 22 at 3840x2160. That is a 45% reduction in performance for a single resolution step. The 4K results are, without exception, below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Even the best 4K result, 28 FPS on Low, appears choppy. The 1080p results, by contrast, are largely playable across all settings, with the worst case being 40 FPS on Ultra.

The data indicates that the 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 5500X3D is not the primary constraint in this title. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates that are more consistent across resolutions, since the CPU's workload doesn't scale linearly with pixel count. Instead, the dramatic FPS drops suggest the GPU is saturated. The GTX 1650, with its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128-bit bus, is simply unable to maintain high fill rates at higher resolutions. The 1080p results are the only tier where this combo delivers a consistently fluid experience, indicating that this is the intended operating resolution for this hardware pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the central figure in this performance profile. Its specs—including a base clock of 1485 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz—provide the raw processing power, but its memory subsystem is a limiting factor. The 4 GB VRAM capacity and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are modest by modern standards. In Minimum, this translates to performance that is acceptable at 1080p but deteriorates rapidly as the pixel count increases.

The GPU's benchmark scores put its performance into perspective. It holds a 40th percentile ranking among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score is 7472. Its nearest rivals in the data include the Intel Arc A310, which scores 7550 (1% higher), and the AMD Radeon R7 350, which scores 7425 (0.6% lower). This places the GTX 1650 in the entry-level segment. The measured FPS in Minimum aligns with this positioning: it can handle the game at lower resolutions but is not built for high-fidelity, high-resolution output.

The 4 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor to the poor 4K performance. While the game is from 2014 and may not have massive texture requirements, the combination of high resolution and higher settings can exceed what the memory buffer can efficiently manage. The data shows that at 3840x2160, even dropping from Medium (22 FPS) to Low (28 FPS) only yields a 6 FPS improvement, suggesting that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are both overwhelmed, not just one or the other. The GPU's DirectX 12 benchmark score of 35 and DirectX 11 score of 58 are low, which reinforces the idea that this card is not designed for demanding modern workloads. The data shows a card that is functional for esports and older titles at 1080p, but it has no headroom for higher resolutions in this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear path for optimizing the experience. At 1920x1080, the sweet spot is the Low preset, which delivers an average of 81 FPS. This is the only setting that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. The Medium preset at 1080p also provides a solid experience, with an average of 62 FPS and a minimum of 53 FPS, which is still very smooth. The High preset at 1080p, averaging 52 FPS, is playable but represents a significant step down from Medium.

The data does not support using Ultra settings at any resolution. At 1080p, Ultra averages 40 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. At 2560x1440, the situation is worse. The Low preset at 1440p averages 52 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 40 FPS, and High falls to 34 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 26 FPS average, is not recommended. For 4K, all presets are below 30 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable in a smooth state.

Based on the measured data, the optimal strategy is to prioritize resolution and settings that keep the average FPS above 60. The only configuration that achieves this is 1920x1080 with Low or Medium settings. For users with a 1080p monitor, Medium is the best choice if visual fidelity is desired, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS. For users wanting maximum smoothness, Low is the better option. There is no measured configuration where 1440p or 4K provides a consistently smooth experience, so those resolutions should be avoided with this hardware. The data suggests that the "best experience" is a 1080p Medium setup, which balances the 62 FPS average with improved visuals over Low.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 2837 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the bottom 3.5% of all configurations, indicating that it is significantly weaker than the vast majority of systems tested. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU, as discussed, is not the bottleneck, but the GTX 1650 is a very low-performing part in the context of the database.

The CPU's own benchmark data supports this conclusion. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37018 and sits in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, scores 37093, which is only 0.2% higher. This shows the CPU is a mid-range or better part. In contrast, the GTX 1650's 40th percentile ranking is far lower. The combo's rank is dragged down by the GPU's performance ceiling.

The 2939 total combos represent a wide range of hardware. A rank of 2837 means that almost every other pairing of CPU and GPU in the database delivers higher frame rates in this game. This is a critical data point for anyone considering this hardware for Minimum: the performance is at the very bottom of the scale. The data suggests that the only reason to use this combo is if it is the only hardware available, not because it provides a good experience. The GPU's end-of-life production status and low benchmark scores confirm that it is an outdated component that cannot keep up with even modest demands.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K resolution?*

A: The measured data shows that the best 4K result is 28 FPS on Low settings. All other 4K presets (Medium, High, Ultra) average between 14 and 22 FPS. This is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, so the game is not practically playable at 3840x2160.

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

A: The data indicates that the best experience is at 1920x1080. The Low preset delivers an average of 81 FPS, while the Medium preset delivers 62 FPS. Both are above 60 FPS and provide a smooth experience.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A310?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 7472, while the Intel Arc A310 scores 7550. This makes the Arc A310 1% faster in general GPU benchmarks. The performance difference is minimal.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. Frame rates drop dramatically with resolution increases (from 81 FPS at 1080p Low to 28 FPS at 4K Low), which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU is a high-performing part with an 85th percentile ranking.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 on High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for this configuration is 34. This is a playable but not smooth frame rate, and it is significantly lower than the 1080p results.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37018. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36945, which is 0.2% lower. The two CPUs are essentially equal in performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for every resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 3840x2160 | High | 18 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 28 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 22 | 18 | 25 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 14 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 34 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 52 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 40 | 34 | 46 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 26 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 52 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 81 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 62 | 53 | 72 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 40 | - | - |

The data for Medium settings provides the only min/max FPS values. At 1920x1080 Medium, the frame rate varies between 53 and 72 FPS, showing a stable 19-frame range. At 2560x1440 Medium, the range is 34 to 46 FPS, a 12-frame spread. At 3840x2160 Medium, the range is 18 to 25 FPS, a 7-frame spread. This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is working at its absolute limit, with less overhead for variance. The 1080p results are the only tier where the frame pacing is consistently above 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU's cache configuration includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a substantial amount. Its benchmark scores are strong: a Passmark single-thread score of 2941 and a multithread score of 20363. These figures place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. The data shows that the CPU is more than capable of handling this task. The frame rate scaling is directly tied to resolution, which is a GPU function. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see similar frame rates across different resolutions. Instead, we see a clear drop from 81 FPS at 1080p Low to 28 FPS at 4K Low. This indicates that the CPU is not the primary constraint.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 37018 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0.2% lower) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, 0.2% higher). This shows that the 5500X3D is a competitive mid-range part. However, its performance is irrelevant when paired with a GPU that holds only a 40th percentile ranking. The CPU is effectively idle, waiting for the GTX 1650 to catch up. The data confirms that this is a severely unbalanced pairing for Minimum, where the GPU's limitations define the entire performance envelope. The CPU has the power to drive much higher frame rates, but it is held back by the graphics card.