Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that remains a demanding benchmark for modern hardware, and the measured results for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D provide a clear picture of how this combination scales across resolutions and settings. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but begins to expose CPU limitations at 1080p, making it a nuanced case study for balancing components. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the role of each component, and the practical implications for players using this specific hardware configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and indicates a clear transition from a CPU-bound scenario to a GPU-bound one. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 312 FPS, but this falls to 270 FPS at 1440p and further to 149 FPS at 4K. This represents a 52% reduction in average FPS from 1080p Low to 4K Low, which is a typical pattern for a high-refresh-rate setup where the CPU can feed frames quickly at lower resolutions, but the GPU's workload becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling is even more pronounced when examining the High settings preset. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 266, which drops to 178 at 1440p (a 33% decrease) and then to 96 at 4K (a 46% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline at higher resolutions confirms that the RTX 5090 D is the primary bottleneck once the resolution demands more from the graphics card. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K, suggesting that the GPU is still capable of maintaining high frame rates at 1440p, but the jump to 4K nearly doubles the pixel workload, causing a significant performance hit.

For the Medium preset, the trend continues with 283 FPS at 1080p, 212 FPS at 1440p, and 114 FPS at 4K. The min FPS data for Medium also shows the strain: at 1080p, the min FPS is 241, which is 85% of the average, but at 4K, the min FPS is 97, which is 85% of the average as well. This consistent ratio suggests that frame pacing remains stable, but the absolute performance drops as resolution increases. The data indicates that for this game, the resolution scaling is primarily dictated by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth, which are fixed by the RTX 5090 D's specifications.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. Its 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a defining feature, and its benchmark scores suggest it is a strong mid-range processor, with an average benchmark score of 37018 and a percentile rank of 85 among all CPUs. In the context of Minimum, the CPU's role becomes evident when comparing 1080p results across settings, where the frame rate differences are smaller than at higher resolutions.

At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 312, and at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 210. This 102 FPS gap is significant, but it is less than the gap seen when moving from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings, which suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is working harder to keep up with the GPU. The 5500X3D's multithread benchmark score of 20363 and single-thread score of 2941 indicate it can handle the game's physics and logic, but the data implies that the RTX 5090 D can outpace the CPU at lower resolutions.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the 5500X3D's average score of 37018 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, deltaPct of 0.2) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938, deltaPct of 0.2), while being slightly behind the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, deltaPct of -0.2) and the Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, deltaPct of -0.3). These minuscule deltas mean that in a game like Minimum, the CPU choice among these options would likely yield very similar performance, with the GPU being the more influential component.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance between visual quality and performance, with an average FPS of 212 and a min FPS of 180. This provides a smooth experience that is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on high-end monitors, while still maintaining a consistent frame rate without the risk of drops below 144 FPS. The 4K Medium preset, at 114 average FPS with a min of 97, is also playable, but it is closer to the 60 FPS threshold, making it a less future-proof option for high-refresh displays.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, the 1080p Low preset achieves 312 average FPS, which is ideal for competitive play, but the visual fidelity is compromised. A more balanced choice is the 1080p High preset at 266 average FPS, which offers improved graphics while still exceeding 240 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with 136 average FPS, is also viable, but it dips below the 144 FPS mark, which may be noticeable to sensitive users. At 4K, the High preset at 96 FPS is the highest visual setting that remains comfortably above 60 FPS, while the Ultra preset at 73 FPS is only suitable for players who accept a lower frame rate for maximum detail.

The data suggests that the Medium preset provides the most consistent experience across all resolutions, with the smallest relative drop from average to min FPS. For example, at 4K Medium, the min FPS of 97 is 85% of the average, while at 4K High, the min FPS is not provided, but the average of 96 suggests it may be lower. This makes Medium the recommended setting for a stable gaming session, particularly at 1440p where the combination of 212 average FPS and 180 min FPS offers a wide safety margin.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 102nd out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the top 2.7% of all configurations. This is a strong showing, indicating that this pairing is capable of delivering high performance in this game, but it is not the absolute best. The rank suggests that there are 101 other combinations that achieve higher average FPS, likely involving even more powerful CPUs or GPUs, but the 5500X3D and RTX 5090 D are still a formidable duo.

The RTX 5090 D's percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs is higher than the CPU's percentile rank of 85, which aligns with the observation that the GPU is the more dominant component in this pairing. This means that the combo's rank is likely constrained more by the CPU than the GPU, as the RTX 5090 D is a top-tier graphics card, while the 5500X3D is a more mid-range processor. In a game like Minimum, which may not be heavily multithreaded, the CPU's single-thread performance is crucial, and the 5500X3D's score of 2941 is respectable but not top-tier.

This rank also implies that the combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, but it may not be the optimal choice for 4K gaming where the GPU is fully utilized. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 73, which is below the 100 FPS threshold that many players consider smooth. For players seeking the highest possible frame rates at 4K, a more powerful CPU might close the gap, but the measured results indicate that the RTX 5090 D is doing most of the heavy lifting.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship graphics card with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its boost clock of 2407 MHz and 21760 shading units allow it to process massive amounts of pixel data, which is reflected in its high benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 44065 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 376915. The GPU's percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs underscores its top-tier status, and its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (deltaPct of -1.6) and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (deltaPct of -2.4), are notably behind, though the deltaPct values are small.

In the context of Minimum, the GPU's role is most apparent at 4K resolution, where the average FPS across all settings is significantly lower than at 1440p. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 73, which is a 65% drop from the 1080p Ultra average of 210. This dramatic reduction is due to the GPU being tasked with rendering four times the pixels, and the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's textures, but the raw compute power is still challenged.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is likely a key factor in maintaining playable frame rates at 4K, as it allows for fast texture streaming and reduces stuttering. The measured min FPS values for Medium settings show that even at 4K, the frame rate does not drop below 97 FPS, indicating that the GPU can handle the workload without severe frame pacing issues. However, the lack of min FPS data for other settings suggests that the GPU may be more variable at Ultra, where the average FPS is lower.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 312 FPS, which is the peak measured performance. The Medium preset averages 283 FPS with a min of 241 and a max of 326, showing a tight range. The High preset averages 266 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 210 FPS. These results indicate that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rates do not scale linearly with the GPU's potential.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop but remain high. The Low preset averages 270 FPS, a 13% decrease from 1080p Low. The Medium preset averages 212 FPS with a min of 180 and a max of 244, which is a 25% decrease from 1080p Medium. The High preset averages 178 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 136 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more pronounced than from 1440p to 4K, suggesting that the GPU is starting to become the bottleneck, but it still has ample headroom.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution, the frame rates are the lowest. The Low preset averages 149 FPS, which is a 45% decrease from 1440p Low. The Medium preset averages 114 FPS with a min of 97 and a max of 131, showing a wider range than at lower resolutions. The High preset averages 96 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS. This data shows that the RTX 5090 D is fully utilized at 4K, and the CPU's role is minimized, as the frame rates are entirely dependent on the GPU's rendering capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Minimum?

A: The highest average FPS is 312, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 73, which is the lowest measured performance across all tested configurations.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the frame rates being closer together across settings, with the Low preset reaching 312 FPS and the Ultra preset at 210 FPS, indicating the CPU cannot fully feed the GPU.

Q: What is the min FPS for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the min FPS is 180, with an average of 212 FPS and a max of 244 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904) and 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940).

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 102nd out of 3712 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the top 2.7%.