Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a compelling performance profile in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The measured data reveals a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions and settings, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck only at the highest visual presets. This analysis examines the 12 measured FPS data points to understand the balance between the 6-core, 12-thread CPU and the 12 GB GDDR6X graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is steep and consistent, but the shape of that curve shifts depending on the quality preset. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 307.6 FPS at 1080p to 197.8 FPS at 1440p and finally to 106.2 FPS at 4K. That is a 65.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count. At Ultra settings, the same resolution jump sees performance drop from 151.2 FPS at 1080p to 97.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 54.7 FPS at 4K — a 63.8% decrease.

The pattern suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully GPU-bound. The 307.6 FPS Low result at 1080p is unusually high, hinting that the CPU’s single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 917) is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions. However, the 4K results across all settings show a narrower spread between Low (106.2 FPS) and Ultra (54.7 FPS) than at 1080p, where Low (307.6 FPS) and Ultra (151.2 FPS) differ by more than 2x. This widening gap at lower resolutions is classic evidence of the GPU becoming the limiting factor as pixel count drops, while the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 302nd out of 1733 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 17.4% of all configurations. This percentile is respectable for a mid-range pairing, but it is not an elite result. The CPU alone sits in the 78th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 84th percentile among all GPUs. The combo’s rank suggests that the pairing is well-matched, but the game’s age and the CPU’s 2020 release date (versus the GPU’s 2024 release) mean the processor may be holding back the graphics card in certain scenarios.

The nearest CPU rivals show a tight cluster: the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is 0.3% slower, the Intel Core i7-10700 is 0.3% slower, and the Intel Core i5-12490F is 0.5% slower. Only the Intel Xeon 6325P is faster, at 0.7% ahead. This means the 5600X is essentially equal to its immediate competitors, with no single rival offering a meaningful advantage. For the GPU, the NVIDIA RTX A6000 is 0.2% slower, the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Radeon Pro 580X is 1.4% faster. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s position here indicates it is a solid mainstream performer, but not a standout in raw compute.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 192-bit bus width provide a 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, which is ample for a 2014 title. The card’s boost clock of 2475 MHz and 7168 shading units are high enough that the game’s pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s is rarely stressed. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (54.7 FPS) is the lowest result, showing that even this modern GPU struggles with the game’s most demanding settings at 2160p.

The GPU’s percentile rank of 84 places it above the CPU’s 78, which is the expected relationship for a balanced gaming system. The memory clock of 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) supports the high bandwidth, and the 80 ROPs ensure that fill-rate limited scenes are handled efficiently. In Minimum, the GPU’s role becomes dominant at 4K, where the difference between Low (106.2 FPS) and Ultra (54.7 FPS) is nearly 2x, demonstrating that the graphics card is the primary constraint at this resolution. At 1080p, the GPU is less stressed, allowing the CPU’s 3.70 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost clocks to shine.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4070 SUPER delivers exceptional performance. Low settings produce 307.6 FPS, Medium drops to 235.3 FPS, High yields 201.2 FPS, and Ultra still achieves 151.2 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors even at Ultra quality. The 1440p results show a similar pattern but with a larger drop: Low hits 197.8 FPS, Medium 153.9 FPS, High 127.9 FPS, and Ultra 97.1 FPS. The 4K results are the most demanding: Low manages 106.2 FPS, Medium 83.3 FPS, High 67.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 54.7 FPS.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is a 35.7% reduction, while the same settings change from 1440p to 4K is a 46.3% reduction. This suggests that the transition to 4K is more punishing than the move to 1440p, which is expected given the 2.25x pixel count increase at 4K versus 1440p. Interestingly, the High preset at 1080p (201.2 FPS) is close to the Medium preset at 1440p (153.9 FPS), indicating that resolution has a slightly larger impact on performance than quality settings in this game.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p and 1440p gaming, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. At 1080p, Ultra delivers 151.2 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors. At 1440p, Ultra produces 97.1 FPS, which is still smooth for most users, though those with 144 Hz displays may prefer High at 127.9 FPS for a guaranteed high frame rate. The data shows that High at 1440p (127.9 FPS) offers a 31.7% improvement over Ultra (97.1 FPS), a significant gain for a modest visual downgrade.

At 4K, the choice is more nuanced. Ultra’s 54.7 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced gameplay. High at 67.8 FPS is better, but Medium at 83.3 FPS provides a more comfortable margin. The jump from Medium to Low at 4K (from 83.3 to 106.2 FPS) is a 27.5% improvement, which suggests that Low settings are the best option for competitive play at 4K. For most users, Medium at 4K strikes the best balance between visual quality and performance, as the 83.3 FPS result is 52.3% higher than Ultra while still offering decent fidelity.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X features 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, manufactured on TSMC’s 7 nm process. Its 32 MB L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for this game, which was released in 2014 and likely does not utilize more than a few threads. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18578 and single-core score of 2622 indicate strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for older titles that rely on one or two cores.

The 3dmark benchmarks show a clear scaling pattern: 2 threads score 1793, 4 threads score 3363, 8 threads score 4811, and 16 threads score 5582. This 3.1x improvement from 2 to 16 threads suggests that the game benefits from additional cores, but the 5600X’s 12 threads are likely more than enough. The CPU’s 78th percentile rank, combined with a 0.7% deficit to the Xeon 6325P in average benchmark score, confirms that the 5600X is a competent but not exceptional processor for this workload. Its 65 W TDP and 4.60 GHz boost clock allow it to sustain high clocks without thermal throttling, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 at Ultra settings delivers 151.2 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate displays. For 1440p, High settings at 127.9 FPS provide a strong experience, while 4K is best played at Medium settings for 83.3 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 42576 is 0.2% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X is 1.4% faster, but the RTX 4070 SUPER remains competitive within its class.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The 54.7 FPS result is significantly lower than the 151.2 FPS at 1080p Ultra, and the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K (106.2 vs 54.7 FPS) indicates that the graphics card is saturated.

*Q: Can this system achieve 200+ FPS in Minimum?*

A: Yes, but only at 1080p Low settings, where the measured result is 307.6 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate drops to 235.3 FPS, and at 1080p High it is 201.2 FPS. These results are achievable thanks to the CPU’s strong single-thread performance.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600X perform relative to its rivals?

A: The 5600X’s average benchmark score of 20680 is 0.3% lower than the Ryzen 5 5600GT and Intel Core i7-10700, and 0.5% lower than the Intel Core i5-12490F. It is 0.7% faster than the Intel Xeon 6325P, but the differences are negligible.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the frame rate falls from 127.9 FPS at 2560x1440 to 67.8 FPS at 3840x2160, a 47.0% reduction. This highlights the significant rendering cost of 4K resolution in this game.