Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 pairing in Minimum delivers a benchmark profile defined by a stark contrast: a mainstream six-core processor paired with an enthusiast-grade flagship GPU. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower settings, while the CPU’s capabilities become more relevant at higher resolutions and graphical loads. This analysis interprets the measured data to explain how each component contributes to the final experience.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, yielding a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration places the CPU in the 79th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 21765.

Benchmark results show the processor’s single-threaded strength is moderate: it scores 882 in 3dmark single-thread and 3256 in Passmark single-thread. Multi-threaded performance is more robust, with scores like 5641 in 3dmark 16 threads and 18309 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. However, the nearest rivals in the database—such as the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (deltaPct 0.6) and AMD EPYC 9554P (deltaPct -0.6)—indicate that the 5600 sits in a tight performance band where differences are minimal, within 0.9% of the Intel Core i7-11700F.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU’s role is most evident in the scaling between resolution and settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 349 FPS, a figure that exceeds the RTX 4090’s capabilities at higher presets. This suggests the CPU can feed frames quickly enough to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower graphical loads. However, at 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS drops to 67.2, which is more indicative of GPU limitations. The CPU’s 12 threads and 32 MB L3 cache are sufficient for the game’s third-person shooter mechanics, which typically rely on a few heavily utilized threads. The data shows no evidence of CPU-bound frame rate ceilings in the measured rows, as even the lowest average FPS (67.2 at 4K Ultra) is well above what would indicate a CPU stall.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a flagship Ada Lovelace GPU with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. It operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The GPU contains 16384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, alongside 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores. Its compute capabilities include 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 and a texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s. The card is rated at a TDP of 450 W and sits in the 91st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66473.

The RTX 4090’s nearest rivals are enterprise or workstation cards: the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (deltaPct -0.4), Tesla P40 (deltaPct 0.5), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (deltaPct -0.9), and Quadro P6000 (deltaPct -1.3). These comparisons highlight that the 4090’s raw rasterization performance is exceptional, though the delta percentages are small, indicating that the benchmark scores are tightly clustered.

In Minimum, the GPU’s dominance is clear from the frame rate scaling. At 2560x1440, lowering settings from High (162 FPS) to Low (253.7 FPS) produces a 56.6% increase in average FPS, demonstrating that the GPU can deliver massive headroom when graphical demands are reduced. At 1920x1080 Low, the system hits 349 FPS, which is likely near the display or game engine’s maximum refresh, but the data shows no such cap. The 24 GB VRAM is far beyond what Minimum requires, even at 4K Ultra, so memory capacity is not a limiting factor. Instead, the GPU’s pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s are the primary drivers of performance, as these directly affect fill-rate-dependent scenes common in third-person shooters.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At High settings, it delivers 162 FPS, which is 87.3% higher than 4K High’s 86.5 FPS, while still exceeding 120 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh displays.

Q: How much does lowering settings from Ultra to Low improve performance at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS jumps from 67.2 (Ultra) to 135.9 (Low), a 102.2% improvement. This indicates the GPU is heavily stressed at Ultra, but Low effectively doubles the frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at any measured configuration?

A: No. The lowest average FPS across all rows is 67.2 at 4K Ultra, which is a GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 349 FPS, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU without limiting frame rates in the measured data.

Q: How does the RTX 4090’s performance compare to its nearest rival in the database?

A: The RTX 4090’s average benchmark score of 66473 is 0.4% lower than the Tesla T4’s 66733 and 0.5% higher than the Tesla P40’s 66127, showing near-parity with these enterprise cards in synthetic tests.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 305.1, which is 59.2% higher than the 4K Medium result of 103.4 FPS, indicating that 1080p Medium is well within the GPU’s comfort zone.

Q: Does the RTX 4090’s 24 GB VRAM affect performance in this game?

A: The data does not show any VRAM-related limitations, as the 24 GB capacity is far above what Minimum requires even at 4K Ultra. The bottleneck is purely computational, not memory capacity.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 3840x2160, the High preset provides 86.5 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh monitors. Dropping to Medium yields 103.4 FPS, a 19.5% improvement, while Low pushes to 135.9 FPS. Ultra at 4K is the least favorable, with 67.2 FPS, which is below the 90 FPS threshold many players prefer. For 4K users, Medium offers the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, as it stays above 100 FPS without the significant drop seen at High.

At 2560x1440, the data shows that High settings deliver 162 FPS, which is already excellent for most displays. Ultra at 124 FPS is still smooth, but the jump to Medium (195.3 FPS) provides a 57.5% margin over Ultra, making it a strong choice for competitive play. Low at 253.7 FPS is the maximum performance option, but it sacrifices visual quality unnecessarily given the GPU’s headroom. For 1440p, High is recommended for the best visual-to-performance ratio, as it exceeds 160 FPS.

At 1920x1080, all presets are above 190 FPS, with Low hitting 349 FPS and Medium at 305.1 FPS. The High preset at 254.9 FPS is the standout recommendation, as it preserves visual details while still delivering over 250 FPS. Ultra at 191.7 FPS is acceptable, but the 24.8% drop from High is not justified by the incremental visual gains in a fast-paced third-person shooter. The data indicates that High at 1080p is the most balanced choice, offering high frame rates without the diminishing returns of Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 61st out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 3.5% of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU’s exceptional raw performance, as the CPU is a mid-range part (79th percentile) that does not meaningfully detract from the overall frame rates in the measured data. The gap between this combo and the top spot is likely driven by CPUs with higher single-threaded scores, which could improve performance at 1080p Low where the system hits 349 FPS.

The rank of 61 is notable because it places this pairing ahead of the vast majority of systems, despite the CPU being far from flagship-class. This is due to the RTX 4090’s dominance: at 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 67.2 FPS, which is higher than what many mid-range GPU combos achieve at 1080p. The data shows that the pairing is well-balanced for high-resolution gaming, as the CPU’s 12 threads are sufficient to avoid limiting the GPU’s output in most scenarios. However, the rank also implies that there are 60 combos with better performance, likely featuring higher-end CPUs that can push frame rates higher at lower resolutions where CPU overhead is more significant. Overall, the combo ranks as a top-tier performer, with the GPU carrying the load and the CPU providing adequate support without becoming a liability.