Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The measured frames per second (FPS) data reveals a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU demonstrating ample headroom to push frame rates well beyond display refresh rates at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, indicating that the graphics card is the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 110.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72.1 FPS at 2560x1440—a significant ~35% reduction in performance. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields just 38.9 FPS, which represents a 65% loss compared to the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, where the pixel throughput demand of 4K overwhelms the RTX 2060 SUPER’s capabilities.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (173.2 FPS) and Ultra (84.3 FPS) is 88.9 FPS. At 1440p, the spread between Low (109.2 FPS) and Ultra (53.7 FPS) is 55.5 FPS, and at 4K it narrows to 29.2 FPS (57.5 vs 28.3). This compression at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU’s raw shading and memory bandwidth are exhausted regardless of the visual complexity being rendered.

For competitive play, 1080p is the only resolution where the combo consistently exceeds 144 Hz, with Low settings hitting 173.2 FPS and Medium reaching 128.6 FPS. At 1440p, the setup provides a solid 60+ FPS experience on Medium (87 FPS) and High (72.1 FPS), but Ultra drops to 53.7 FPS, which may be borderline for smooth gameplay. The 4K results are largely marginal, with even Low settings only managing 57.5 FPS, making this resolution impractical for serious play on this hardware.

GPU Role

The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for the game’s demands at 1080p and 1440p. The card’s base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz, combined with 2176 shading units and 64 ROPs, deliver a peak FP32 throughput of 7.181 TFLOPS. These specifications explain why the card handles Medium and High presets so capably at mainstream resolutions, but the 4K results expose its limits.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 19774. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, scores 19680, meaning the 2060 SUPER actually leads by 0.5% despite the higher-tier model number. The data shows the card outperforms the older GTX TITAN by 0.3% (19706) and the Quadro K5200 by 0.8% (19623). This positioning suggests the card is a capable mid-range performer, but the 4K Ultra result of 28.3 FPS indicates it lacks the raw horsepower for maxed-out high-resolution play.

The memory configuration is worth noting. With 8 GB of VRAM, the card avoids capacity-related stutters in this title, but the effective memory speed of 14 Gbps is not enough to sustain high frame rates at 4K. The measured results at 3840x2160 show only 38.9 FPS on High, which is likely constrained by the GPU’s compute throughput rather than memory bandwidth alone.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 5600X, with 6 cores and 12 threads, provides more than enough processing power for this game. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz, paired with a 32 MB L3 cache, deliver strong single-thread performance that games favor. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2622 and multicore score of 18578 indicate robust computational capability that does not bottleneck the GPU at any measured resolution.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 20680 places it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT at 20740—a marginal 0.3% difference. Against the Intel Core i7-10700 (20746), the 5600X trails by 0.3%, and versus the Intel Core i5-12490F (20794), it is 0.5% behind. The Intel Xeon 6325P (20538) trails the 5600X by 0.7%. These tight margins confirm the 5600X is a well-balanced processor whose performance is not the limiting factor in this combo.

Evidence of CPU headroom is visible in the 1080p Low result of 173.2 FPS. At this setting, the GPU is less taxed, yet the frame rate still reaches high levels, indicating the CPU can feed the graphics card efficiently. The 3DMark single-thread score of 917 and 2-thread score of 1793 further substantiate the CPU’s ability to handle game logic and draw calls without creating a bottleneck. The 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate for this title’s requirements.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K smoothly?*

A: No. The best 4K result is 57.5 FPS on Low settings. High settings drop to 38.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28.3 FPS, all below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play?

A: 1080p is the only resolution where the combo exceeds 144 Hz, with Low settings delivering 173.2 FPS and Medium achieving 128.6 FPS. At 1440p, the maximum is 109.2 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to the RTX 2070 in this system?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER’s average benchmark score is 19774, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2070’s 19680. The performance difference is negligible in practice.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600X a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 SUPER?

A: No. The CPU scores in the 78th percentile, and the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with GPU limitation. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18578 indicates ample headroom.

Q: What settings preset offers the best balance at 1440p?

A: Medium at 87 FPS or High at 72.1 FPS both provide smooth experiences. Ultra at 53.7 FPS is playable but may show occasional dips below 60 FPS.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues at higher resolutions?

A: The measured data shows no VRAM-related anomalies. The 8 GB GDDR6 configuration with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth handles all tested settings, with performance limited by compute rather than memory capacity.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience at 1080p, Medium settings provide an excellent balance of visual quality and performance. The measured 128.6 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold and nearly reaches the 144 Hz mark, making it ideal for fast-paced third-person action. High settings at 110.8 FPS are also viable, but Ultra at 84.3 FPS sacrifices frame rate for marginal visual gains that may not be noticeable in gameplay.

At 1440p, High settings at 72.1 FPS offer the most satisfying combination of fidelity and fluidity. The 87 FPS on Medium is smoother but reduces graphical detail, while Ultra at 53.7 FPS risks perceptible stutter. For players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Low at 109.2 FPS is the clear choice, though it may compromise the game’s atmosphere.

The 4K resolution is not recommended for this combination. Even Low settings at 57.5 FPS barely reach playable levels, and the 38.9 FPS on High creates a compromised experience. Players with 4K displays should instead run the game at 1440p with High settings for a superior result, relying on the GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS capacity where it is most effective.

The CPU’s strong showing means settings adjustments have no impact on processor load; all measured frame rates are constrained by the GPU. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s performance at Medium and High presets makes these the sensible defaults, with Ultra reserved for 1080p users who value image quality over the 26.5 FPS difference between High and Ultra. Ultimately, Medium at 1080p and High at 1440p represent the sweet spots for this hardware pairing.