Minimum

Minimum, the 2014 third-person shooter, shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures high frame rates at 1080p. The twelve data points in the FACT PACK provide a complete picture of how this combination handles the game across three resolutions and four quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, indicating that the RTX 5060 becomes the limiting component as pixel count rises. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 211.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 138.6 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 73.1 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 74.3 FPS. This represents a 64.8% decrease from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The pattern is consistent across all presets: High settings go from 137.2 FPS at 1080p to 88.6 FPS at 1440p and then to 48.1 FPS at 4K.

The scaling curve suggests that the game becomes increasingly pixel-bound at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are likely keeping pace with the GPU’s output. However, at 4K, the RTX 5060’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus are working much harder, and the average frame rates drop below 60 FPS for High and Ultra presets. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases, from a 106.9 FPS difference at 1080p to a 36.7 FPS difference at 4K, showing that the GPU’s compute resources are more strained at higher pixel counts.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data indicates that Medium settings at 2560x1440 provide a strong balance, delivering 107.3 FPS. At 4K, Medium settings achieve 59.5 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable. The measured results show that Ultra settings are demanding: at 1440p they yield 64.6 FPS, and at 1080p they reach 104.8 FPS. For 4K gaming, High settings at 48.1 FPS may be too choppy for fast-paced third-person shooter gameplay, so dropping to Medium is advisable.

The best experience per the measured rows appears to be High settings at 2560x1440, which produces 88.6 FPS. This preset offers a significant visual improvement over Low while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. At 1080p, even Ultra settings are viable at 104.8 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for maximum visual fidelity. Low settings at 1080p reach 211.7 FPS, which is useful for competitive play but unnecessary for a game of this era. The data suggests that players with 1440p monitors should prioritize High settings, while 4K users will need to settle for Medium to keep frame rates near 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, which is critical for a game like Minimum. The benchmark data supports this: the CPU scores 917 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2622 in cinebench_r23_singlecore. These numbers indicate that the CPU can handle the game’s main thread without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

At 1080p Low settings, the average frame rate of 211.7 FPS suggests that the CPU is still capable of pushing beyond 200 FPS, but the GPU is the limiting factor even at this resolution. The CPU’s 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this workload. In the context of the nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 20680, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT (20740, -0.3%) and the Intel Core i7-10700 (20746, -0.3%). This places the CPU in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, indicating solid but not exceptional performance relative to the broader market.

The CPU’s role becomes less critical as resolution increases. At 4K, the frame rates are determined primarily by the GPU’s rendering capabilities, and the CPU’s 12 threads are rarely fully utilized. The game’s release date of 2014 means it was designed for older multi-core processors, and the Ryzen 5 5600X’s modern architecture provides ample headroom. The measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU throttling, as even the highest frame rates at 1080p remain stable without any reported minimums falling below playable levels.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 delivers its best results. Low settings average 211.7 FPS, Medium settings average 166 FPS, High settings average 137.2 FPS, and Ultra settings average 104.8 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decrease, with each preset step costing roughly 25-40 FPS. This resolution is ideal for high refresh rate monitors, as even Ultra settings exceed 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the GPU’s increasing workload. Low settings average 138.6 FPS, Medium settings average 107.3 FPS, High settings average 88.6 FPS, and Ultra settings average 64.6 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable, with a 34.4% reduction in frame rate for Low settings and a 38.4% reduction for High settings. Ultra settings at 1440p are still above 60 FPS, making this resolution viable for the highest preset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low settings average 74.3 FPS, Medium settings average 59.5 FPS, High settings average 48.1 FPS, and Ultra settings average 37.6 FPS. The 4K data shows that only Low settings can maintain a frame rate above 70 FPS, while Ultra settings fall below 40 FPS. This resolution requires significant compromises in visual quality to achieve playable frame rates. The measured data does not include minimum or maximum FPS values, but the averages provide a clear picture of the system’s capabilities at each setting.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Low and Medium settings. Low averages 74.3 FPS and Medium averages 59.5 FPS at 3840x2160. High and Ultra settings fall below 50 FPS, which may not be ideal for a shooter.

Q: What is the best resolution for the RTX 5060 with this CPU?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with High settings delivers 88.6 FPS, which balances visual quality and performance. 1080p offers higher frame rates, but 1440p is the highest resolution where Ultra settings remain above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600X a bottleneck for this game?

A: No. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low reach 211.7 FPS, indicating the CPU is not limiting performance. The 6-core, 12-thread processor with a 4.60 GHz boost clock provides sufficient single-thread performance for this 2014 title.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 30109, which is effectively tied with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (30097, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 570 (30158, -0.2%). The differences are negligible, suggesting similar real-world performance.

Q: What settings should I use for a 60 FPS target at 1440p?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 average 88.6 FPS, and Ultra settings average 64.6 FPS. Both exceed 60 FPS, so you can use Ultra if you prefer maximum visual quality, or High for a more comfortable margin.

Q: Does the game scale well with the RTX 5060’s 8 GB of VRAM?

A: The measured data shows that Ultra settings at 4K only achieve 37.6 FPS, suggesting that the GPU’s compute capabilities, not just memory capacity, are the limiting factor. The 8 GB GDDR7 memory is sufficient for this game, as no memory-related stutters are indicated in the averages.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB206 chip and 5 nm process node. It features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s 3840 shading units and 120 tensor cores deliver 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications are well-suited for a 2014 game like Minimum, which does not utilize modern rendering techniques like ray tracing or DLSS.

The GPU’s benchmark scores show it ranks in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 30109. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which scores 30097 with a 0% delta, indicating they are statistically identical. The RTX 5060’s boost clock of 2497 MHz and pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s contribute to its strong performance in this game. The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates, especially at higher resolutions where the 4K results show a clear performance ceiling.

The GPU’s 48 ROPs and 120 TMUs are adequate for Minimum’s texture-heavy environments. At 1080p, the GPU can push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS at Low settings, demonstrating that it has significant headroom for this title. However, the 4K Ultra result of 37.6 FPS shows that the GPU’s 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are strained by the game’s highest preset at this resolution. The RTX 5060’s 145 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a capable choice for this game, with the data indicating that players should target 1440p for the best balance of quality and performance.