Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 places 156th out of 2,939 tested combinations for Minimum. This puts the combo in the top 5.3% of all tested systems, a strong showing that reflects the high-end nature of both components. While the rank is impressive, the data suggests that the CPU is the more modest partner in this pairing, as the GPU is one of the fastest available. The benchmark results show that the combo is positioned well above the median, but the delta between the CPU and GPU performance tiers is worth examining when interpreting the frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a massive contributor to this combo's performance. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 16,384 shading units, 512 tensor cores, and 128 RT cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz and boosts up to 2520 MHz. Memory is a key strength: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus delivers 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. This high bandwidth is critical for feeding the 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power, allowing the card to handle heavy pixel and texture workloads at high resolutions.

In the context of Minimum, the GPU's role is dominant. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo still achieves 67 FPS, which is a demanding setting. The GPU's pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s are the resources that make these frame rates possible. The RTX 4090's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 38,194, place it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (2.9% slower) and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (2.5% faster), showing that it sits in a competitive performance band, though these are professional workstation cards that may not directly translate to gaming performance.

The GPU's 24 GB of VRAM is a significant asset, ensuring that memory capacity is not a bottleneck even at 4K with the highest settings. The 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensures that data can be streamed quickly to the cores, which is particularly relevant for a third-person shooter where high-resolution textures and effects are common. The data indicates that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of the high frame rates seen across all resolution and settings combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K reveal a clear scaling pattern that points to the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS moves from 253 at 1920x1080 down to 163 at 2560x1440, and finally to 88 at 3840x2160. This is a 35.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 46.0% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 65.2%, indicating that the GPU is being pushed harder as pixel count increases.

The scaling is similar at Low settings. The combo delivers 312 FPS at 1080p, 254 FPS at 1440p, and 137 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 18.6%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 46.1%. This pattern confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rate falls by nearly half when moving from 1440p to 4K, regardless of the quality preset. At 1080p, the frame rates are very high, suggesting that the CPU might be starting to limit performance, but the GPU is still able to produce well over 250 FPS.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU has a more significant role, as the FPS at Low settings (312) is only 23% higher than at High settings (253). This smaller gap compared to the 4K gap (137 vs 88, a 55.7% difference) indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs, whereas at 4K, the GPU's raw power is the deciding factor. The 4K results show a clear GPU-bound scenario, with the RTX 4090's capabilities being the primary determinant of performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across four settings presets and three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo produces an average of 312 FPS on Low, 283 FPS on Medium, 253 FPS on High, and 193 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset includes a minimum FPS of 241 and a maximum of 326, indicating a stable frame delivery. The difference between Low and Ultra is 119 FPS, a 61.7% reduction, showing that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 254 FPS on Low, 194 FPS on Medium, 163 FPS on High, and 124 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset again shows a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 223 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 130 FPS, a 51.2% reduction. The frame rates remain high, with even Ultra setting producing over 120 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience on a high refresh rate monitor.

At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 137 FPS on Low, 105 FPS on Medium, 88 FPS on High, and 67 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 70 FPS, a 51.1% reduction. At 4K, the Ultra preset falls below the 70 FPS mark, which may be a concern for players with 120Hz+ displays, but the Low and Medium presets still provide playable frame rates.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across all settings. For example, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 312 to 254 to 137, a clear trend. At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 193 to 124 to 67. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's influence is more apparent at 1080p where the frame rates are higher. The data shows that the combo is capable of running the game at very high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, and remains playable at 4K with adjusted settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the High preset at 253 FPS is an excellent choice, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (283 FPS) while still delivering frame rates well above 240Hz. The Ultra preset at 193 FPS is also playable, but the 60 FPS drop from High may not be worth the visual gain for players with 240Hz monitors. For maximum competitive performance, Low at 312 FPS is available, but the visual compromise is substantial.

At 1440p, the High preset at 163 FPS is the sweet spot. It offers a good balance of visual quality and performance, comfortably exceeding 144Hz refresh rates. The Medium preset at 194 FPS is also viable for players prioritizing frame rate, but High is recommended for its better image quality. Ultra at 124 FPS is still playable and may be preferred for its visuals, but it falls short of 144Hz, making it a choice for players with 120Hz displays or those who prioritize fidelity over smoothness.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 105 FPS is the recommended choice. It provides a smooth experience on 100Hz+ displays and is a significant improvement over High (88 FPS). The Low preset at 137 FPS is ideal for players with 120Hz or 144Hz 4K monitors, as it delivers the highest frame rates while maintaining a playable experience. Ultra at 67 FPS is below 70 FPS, which may introduce noticeable stutter on some displays, making it less ideal for fast-paced gameplay. The data shows that Medium at 4K offers the best balance of performance and visual fidelity for most players.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Minimum?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 312, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average FPS of 67, which is the lowest measured result but still playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU plays a larger role at 1080p, as the FPS difference between Low (312) and High (253) is only 23%, indicating the GPU is not fully utilized due to CPU limitations.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The minimum FPS values for the Medium preset are 241 at 1080p, 165 at 1440p, and 89 at 4K.

Q: How does the combo's rank in this game compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 156th out of 2,939 tested combinations, placing it in the top 5.3% of all systems tested for Minimum.

Q: What is the biggest FPS drop when moving from 1440p to 4K?

A: The biggest drop is at Low settings, where the average FPS falls from 254 at 1440p to 137 at 4K, a 46.1% reduction.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU's defining feature is its 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a significant amount for a 6-core chip. This large cache is designed to improve gaming performance by reducing memory latency, and it shows in the data. The CPU's Passmark multi-thread score is 20,363, with a single-thread score of 2,941. Its average benchmark score is 37,018, placing 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 benchmark results indicate that at 1080p, the CPU's cache and single-thread performance are sufficient to drive high frame rates, but the GPU is not the sole bottleneck. The 312 FPS at Low settings confirms the CPU's ability to handle the game's physics and game logic at high speed. However, the CPU's nearest rivals in the database, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0.2% faster) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (0.2% faster), show that it is not an outlier in CPU performance.

The CPU's 105W TDP and 7nm process node are standard for the 5000 series. The 6-core configuration is adequate for modern games, and the 96 MB L3 cache is a unique advantage that likely contributes to the high frame rates seen at 1080p. The data shows that the CPU's performance is not a major bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU's workload dominates. At 1080p, the FPS gap between Low and High settings (312 vs 253) is smaller than at 4K (137 vs 88), confirming that the CPU is more influential at lower resolutions where the GPU can produce frames faster than the CPU can process game data. Overall, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D provides a solid foundation for the RTX 4090, ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data in most scenarios.