Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter that remains a useful stress test for modern hardware, particularly when paired with a high-end configuration like the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. This pairing places in the 469th position out of 1,733 tested combinations, indicating a robust setup that handles the game with considerable headroom. The measured data reveals a title that is extremely scalable, with performance varying dramatically based on resolution and quality preset, offering a clear window into where the CPU and GPU each become the governing factor. The analysis below walks through the benchmark results step by step, interpreting the raw FPS figures to explain the behavior of this specific hardware duo.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K shows how the RTX 3080 Ti increasingly becomes the dominant constraint. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the configuration produces 278.6 FPS, but this drops to 180.1 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 95.2 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 65.8% reduction in frame rate from the lowest to the highest resolution, which is a clear indicator that the GPU is being pushed much harder as pixel count rises. The pattern holds across all settings, but the severity of the drop is more pronounced at lower quality presets, where the CPU has less work to do and the GPU's rendering load is the sole variable.

Examining the Ultra preset, the scaling is slightly less steep but still substantial. At 1080p, the average is 138.1 FPS, at 1440p it is 86.9 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 46.6 FPS. The 4K result is barely above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that the RTX 3080 Ti is fully saturated at this resolution with maximum details. Conversely, the High preset at 4K yields 61.1 FPS, which is playable but not smooth, while the Medium preset at 4K achieves 71.4 FPS. The data indicates that 1080p and 1440p are firmly GPU-bound, but the gap between Low and High settings at 4K (95.2 FPS versus 61.1 FPS) shows that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capacity are the limiting factors, not the CPU.

For the Ryzen 5 5600X, the scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals its strength. At 1080p Low, the 278.6 FPS result is likely near the CPU's practical limit for this game, but the fact that it scales down smoothly to 95.2 FPS at 4K shows that the processor is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions. The 6-core, 12-thread design with a 4.60 GHz boost clock is sufficient to feed the GPU at 1440p and 4K, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate drops that align with the increased pixel workload rather than any CPU stall. The data suggests this game is heavily GPU-limited at 4K, and the 5600X has ample headroom even in the most demanding scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frames, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is found at the High preset for most users. At 1920x1080, High delivers 180.6 FPS, which is far above any refresh rate need, while at 2560x1440 it achieves 114.9 FPS, providing a smooth experience for high-refresh monitors. Even at 3840x2160, the High preset holds at 61.1 FPS, just at the edge of playability for 60 Hz displays. This setting offers a significant improvement over Medium (71.4 FPS at 4K, 138.7 FPS at 1440p) without the harsh performance penalty of Ultra.

The Ultra preset is the only option that pushes the system to its limits, with 46.6 FPS at 4K being below the standard for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, Ultra still manages 86.9 FPS, which is acceptable, but the jump from High to Ultra at 4K costs over 14 FPS (61.1 to 46.6), a 23.7% reduction for what is likely marginal visual gains. For users with 1440p monitors, High or Medium are the sweet spots, as Low (180.1 FPS) provides diminishing returns when the frame rate is already far beyond display capabilities.

The Low preset is the performance king, with 278.6 FPS at 1080p and 95.2 FPS at 4K, but it sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a title from 2014 that likely benefits from higher-quality textures and effects. The data points to High as the recommended starting point, with Medium as a fallback for 4K users who prioritize smoothness over maximum detail. The 180.6 FPS result at 1080p High also indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti is not fully utilized at this resolution, so users with 240 Hz monitors could still push higher settings without fear of CPU bottlenecking.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the primary driver of performance in Minimum, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for handling the texture and geometry data at 4K resolution. The measured FPS drop from 61.1 at High 4K to 46.6 at Ultra 4K suggests that the GPU's 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is being fully taxed by the Ultra preset, pushing the card near its limits. The core clock boost of 1665 MHz, combined with 10,240 shading units and 112 ROPs, allows for high pixel throughput, as evidenced by the 186.5 GPixel/s pixel rate.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 41,224. This is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which scores 41,441 (a 0.5% difference), showing that the 3080 Ti is a top-tier performer. The data confirms that at 1440p and below, the RTX 3080 Ti is rarely the bottleneck, with 1080p Low producing 278.6 FPS and 1440p Low reaching 180.1 FPS. However, the 4K results, especially at Ultra (46.6 FPS), indicate that the card's 12 GB VRAM capacity and 8 nm process node are sufficient but not overkill for this game's highest demands.

The memory clock of 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective) contributes to the high bandwidth, which is a key factor in the 4K scaling. The data shows that from High to Ultra at 4K, the FPS drops by 23.7%, likely due to increased memory pressure and shader complexity. The RTX 3080 Ti's performance relative to rivals, such as the RTX 5070 which scores 41,687 (1.1% higher), shows that this older card remains competitive, but the game's settings scaling suggests that users should be cautious with Ultra at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration is overwhelmingly GPU-bound with massive headroom. The Low preset achieves 278.6 FPS, while Medium reaches 210.6 FPS, High hits 180.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 138.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 140.5 FPS, indicating that the RTX 3080 Ti can handle any setting at this resolution without breaking a sweat. The Ryzen 5 5600X's single-thread performance, as shown by its 3DMark single-thread score of 917, is more than adequate to keep up with these high frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are still excellent. Low produces 180.1 FPS, Medium 138.7 FPS, High 114.9 FPS, and Ultra 86.9 FPS. The frame rate at Ultra is still above 60 FPS, making this resolution entirely playable with maximum settings. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p results in a 35.4% drop for Low, but only a 37.1% drop for Ultra, showing a consistent pattern of GPU workload increase.

At 3840x2160, the limits become apparent. Low yields 95.2 FPS, Medium 71.4 FPS, High 61.1 FPS, and Ultra 46.6 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the first point where the RTX 3080 Ti's performance is truly challenged. The 4K results show a spread of 48.6 FPS from Low to Ultra, which is a significant range that gives users clear choices between smoothness and fidelity. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high refresh rates at most settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 4K for this configuration?

A: The High preset is the highest playable at 3840x2160, delivering 61.1 FPS. Ultra drops to 46.6 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay, while Medium and Low achieve 71.4 FPS and 95.2 FPS respectively.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data shows 278.6 FPS at 1080p Low, which is very high, but the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads with a 4.60 GHz boost clock are sufficient. The 3DMark max-thread score of 5,588 suggests the CPU can handle the load, but at such high frame rates, the CPU may be the limiting factor rather than the GPU.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to the RTX 3090 in this game?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41,224, which is 0.5% lower than the RTX 3090's 41,441 score. In practice, the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (46.6 FPS) is likely close to what the RTX 3090 would achieve, given the minimal performance delta.

Q: What settings should I use for a 1440p monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 produces 138.7 FPS, which is close to 144 Hz. High provides 114.9 FPS, and Ultra delivers 86.9 FPS, so Medium is the best choice for hitting the refresh rate, while High offers a good balance if you can tolerate slightly lower frame rates.

Q: Does the game favor the GPU or CPU more at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant factor. The FPS drops from 95.2 at Low to 46.6 at Ultra, a 51% reduction, which is purely due to GPU load. The CPU's role is minimal, as evidenced by the smooth scaling across resolutions.

Q: What is the performance delta between the 5600X and its nearest rivals?

A: The 5600X has an average score of 20,680, which is 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT (20,740) and the Intel Core i7-10700 (20,746), and 0.5% lower than the Intel Core i5-12490F (20,794). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X plays a supporting role in Minimum, providing ample compute power without becoming a limiting factor. Its 6 cores and 12 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture with a 7 nm process, deliver strong multi-threaded performance, as seen in the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18,578. The single-thread performance is equally solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,622, which is critical for a game that likely relies on a few main threads. The 32 MB of L3 cache and 4.60 GHz boost clock ensure that the CPU can feed the GPU at all tested resolutions.

The 5600X's average benchmark score of 20,680 places it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, with a negligible performance delta compared to its nearest rivals. It sits just 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and Intel Core i7-10700, and 0.5% behind the Intel Core i5-12490F, showing that it is a well-balanced processor for gaming. In the measured FPS data, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the 278.6 FPS result likely approaches the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability. However, the fact that the FPS scales down consistently with resolution increases indicates that the CPU is not holding back the GPU at 1440p or 4K.

The CPU's 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and DDR4 support are sufficient for this 2014 title, which does not require the latest memory technologies. The 65 W TDP and Socket AM4 compatibility make it a practical choice, but the data shows that its performance is more than adequate for Minimum. The benchmark results, including the Geekbench multi-core score of 8,673 and PassMark single-thread score of 3,364, confirm that the 5600X is a capable partner for the RTX 3080 Ti, ensuring that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates in this game.