Minimum

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 5000 series, built on the Zen 3 architecture (codename Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This CPU sits in the 78th percentile against all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 20,680. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT (average score 20,740, delta -0.3%), Intel Core i7-10700 (average score 20,746, delta -0.3%), and Intel Core i5-12490F (average score 20,794, delta -0.5%). The data shows the 5600X trails these competing chips by less than a full percentage point, indicating essentially equivalent computational performance for this title.

For Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at most settings. The single-thread performance, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,622 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 917, is strong for a processor of this generation. The game's engine, being from that era, does not scale heavily across many threads; benchmark results show the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18,578) are rarely the limiting factor here. Instead, the 5600X's high boost clock ensures that frame pacing remains consistent, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU has headroom to generate frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls.

The L3 cache is 32 MB, which is shared across all cores, and the memory bandwidth is 51.2 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 interface. In a game like Minimum, which does not demand exorbitant memory throughput, this configuration prevents stuttering. The CPU's percentile ranking (78) suggests it is a mid-to-upper-tier part, but in this specific game, the data reveals that the processor is rarely the bottleneck. When comparing the measured FPS at 1080p Low (362 avg) versus 4K Low (138.9 avg), the drop is substantial, but this is attributable to the GPU workload scaling with resolution rather than any CPU limitation. The 5600X's performance in synthetic tests—such as PassMark multi-thread score of 21,858 and Geekbench multi-core score of 8,673—confirms it has ample headroom for a game that is nearly a decade old.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship of the GeForce 40-series, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture (chip AD102) using TSMC's 5 nm process. It has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The memory clock is 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective), and the GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz. This card sits in the 91st percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66,473. Its nearest rivals include NVIDIA Tesla T4 (average score 66,733, delta -0.4%), NVIDIA Tesla P40 (average score 66,127, delta 0.5%), and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (average score 67,097, delta -0.9%). The delta values indicate that the RTX 4090 is statistically indistinguishable from these professional-grade cards in aggregate benchmarks, though the gaming performance profile differs significantly.

For Minimum, the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM is vastly over-provisioned; the game's texture requirements from 2014 are trivial by modern standards, and the data shows no memory-related bottlenecks at any resolution or setting. The GPU's raw compute power—82.58 TFLOPS FP32, with 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs—drives the measured frame rates. At 1080p Low, the card achieves 362 avg FPS, which is near the practical limit for many displays. The boost clock of 2520 MHz ensures that the GPU can sustain high utilization even when the CPU delivers frames quickly. The card's pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s are more than adequate for a game with modest geometry and texture complexity.

The RTX 4090's performance in synthetic benchmarks reinforces its dominance: a PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223. However, in Minimum, the GPU's advantage is most evident at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the card still produces 67.1 avg FPS, which is playable but not excessive, indicating the game's ultra settings impose a significant shading load. The GPU's 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are not leveraged by this title, as it does not support ray tracing or DLSS. Thus, the RTX 4090's performance here is purely a function of its massive rasterization throughput and memory bandwidth.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Analyzing the measured FPS across resolutions reveals a clear scaling pattern that identifies the bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 362 at 1080p to 256 at 1440p, and further to 138.9 at 4K. This represents a 61.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the drop is from 252.4 at 1080p to 160.9 at 1440p, and 88.4 at 4K—a 65.0% reduction. The consistency of these percentage drops across different quality presets suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would plateau at lower resolutions, but the data shows no such plateau; FPS continues to rise as resolution decreases.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep. At Medium settings, going from 191.4 avg FPS at 1440p to 104.8 at 4K is a 45.3% drop, which is larger than the 36.9% drop from 1080p to 1440p (303.3 to 191.4). This nonlinear scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the fill rate requirements grow faster than the card's ability to process them due to memory bandwidth constraints. The RTX 4090's 1.01 TB/s bandwidth is immense, but at 4K, the pixel throughput demand saturates the ROPs and shading units.

The data also shows that the CPU's role diminishes at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 362 avg FPS is likely near the CPU's practical limit for draw call submission, but the GPU is still not fully utilized. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as evidenced by the 138.9 avg FPS at Low settings—a figure that is still high but far from the 1080p result. The fact that Ultra settings at 4K yield 67.1 avg FPS, versus 191.5 at 1080p, further confirms that the GPU's shading complexity is the primary constraint. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are never saturated in this game, as the frame rates scale with GPU workload rather than CPU capability.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 57th out of 1,733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the top 3.3% of all configurations in the database for this game. The rank is notable because the CPU is a mid-range part from 2020, while the GPU is a flagship from 2022. The high ranking suggests that the game is overwhelmingly GPU-bound, and the 5600X does not meaningfully hold back the RTX 4090 in this title. If the game were CPU-sensitive, the combo would rank lower relative to configurations with faster processors.

The rank of 57 out of 1,733 means that only 56 other combinations deliver higher average frame rates in Minimum. Given that the RTX 4090 is the fastest consumer GPU available, the combos that rank above this one likely pair it with CPUs that have higher single-thread performance, such as newer Intel or AMD parts with higher boost clocks. However, the data shows that the 5600X's single-thread score of 917 in 3DMark is sufficient to keep the GPU fed at most settings. The rank also reflects the game's age; modern CPUs do not offer a significant advantage in a title that was released in 2014, as the engine's threading model is limited.

The combo's rank is consistent across resolutions, but the margin to higher-ranked combos likely shrinks at 4K, where the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck. At 1080p, a faster CPU might extract a few more frames per second, but the difference would be marginal. The 5600X's performance in this combo is solid, as evidenced by its CPU percentile of 78, but it is not the reason for the high rank. The RTX 4090's 91st percentile GPU ranking and its massive compute resources are the primary drivers. In summary, this combo ranks in the top tier for Minimum, and the data indicates that the GPU's dominance masks any potential CPU limitations.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Examining the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target refresh rate and resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 362 avg FPS, which far exceeds any display's refresh rate, while Medium yields 303.3 avg FPS and High gives 252.4 avg FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 191.5 avg FPS, which is still exceptionally high. For a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 1080p (303.3 avg FPS) provides a significant margin over the refresh rate, ensuring no frame drops. The High preset at 1080p (252.4 avg FPS) also offers ample headroom. Given the game is from 2014, the visual difference between Medium and High may be modest, but the data shows that High is the sweet spot for 1080p, providing a 16.8% FPS reduction from Medium but likely better image quality.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 191.4 avg FPS, which is suitable for 165Hz displays. The High preset at 1440p yields 160.9 avg FPS, which is still above 144Hz. For users with a 144Hz monitor, the High preset at 1440p is recommended, as it maintains a 11.7% margin over the refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 125.2 avg FPS, which is below 144Hz and may cause visible frame pacing issues on high-refresh-rate displays. Therefore, for 1440p, the High preset offers the best balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, as the data shows it is only 15.9% slower than Medium but likely provides better shadow and texture quality.

At 4K, the situation changes. The High preset yields 88.4 avg FPS, which is suitable for 60Hz displays but not for higher refresh rates. The Medium preset at 4K produces 104.8 avg FPS, providing a 74.7% margin over 60Hz. The Low preset at 4K reaches 138.9 avg FPS, which is above 120Hz. For a 60Hz display, the High preset at 4K is recommended, as it offers the best visual quality while maintaining a 47.3% margin over the refresh rate. For 120Hz displays, the Medium preset at 4K (104.8 avg FPS) is the better choice, as it stays above 100 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K (67.1 avg FPS) is only viable on 60Hz displays but with just an 11.8% margin, which may lead to occasional drops. Overall, the data indicates that High settings at 1080p, High at 1440p, and Medium to High at 4K provide the best experience, depending on the display's refresh rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings is as follows: Low delivers 362.0, Medium delivers 303.3, High delivers 252.4, and Ultra delivers 191.5. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline, with Ultra being 47.1% slower than Low. The gap between Medium and High is 16.8%, while the gap between High and Ultra is 24.1%. This suggests that the Ultra preset imposes a significant additional shading load, likely from higher-quality shadows and post-processing effects. The data shows that even at Ultra, the frame rate remains above 190 FPS, which is far beyond typical display capabilities.

At 2560x1440, the measured average FPS values are: Low at 256.0, Medium at 191.4, High at 160.9, and Ultra at 125.2. The drop from Low to Medium is 25.2%, which is steeper than the 1080p case, indicating that the GPU's fill rate is becoming more constrained. The High preset at 1440p is 16.0% slower than Medium, and Ultra is 22.2% slower than High. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows a reduction of 29.3% for Low (362 to 256), 36.9% for Medium (303.3 to 191.4), 36.3% for High (252.4 to 160.9), and 34.6% for Ultra (191.5 to 125.2). These consistent reductions reinforce that the GPU is the limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the measured average FPS values are: Low at 138.9, Medium at 104.8, High at 88.4, and Ultra at 67.1. The drop from Low to Medium is 24.5%, from Medium to High is 15.6%, and from High to Ultra is 24.1%. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows reductions of 45.7% for Low (256 to 138.9), 45.2% for Medium (191.4 to 104.8), 45.0% for High (160.9 to 88.4), and 46.4% for Ultra (125.2 to 67.1). These near-uniform reductions of roughly 45% across all settings indicate that the resolution increase is the dominant factor, and the game's engine scales predictably with pixel count. The data shows that at 4K, even the Low preset (138.9 avg FPS) cannot match the 1080p Ultra result (191.5 avg FPS), which highlights the massive cost of rendering four times the pixels. The RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at any resolution, as the game's memory footprint is well below that threshold. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown provides a clear picture of how this combo performs across the full spectrum of settings and resolutions, with the GPU consistently being the performance driver.