Minimum

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture using a 5 nm TSMC process. It operates with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. The chip’s defining feature is its large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is critical for gaming workloads that repeatedly access the same data sets. In “Minimum,” a fast-paced third-person shooter, this cache helps maintain consistent frame pacing by reducing memory latency, allowing the CPU to feed the GPU with minimal stalls.

The processor’s benchmark data supports its strong gaming position. The single-thread score is 3494, while the multithread score is 25047. These numbers indicate that the CPU is well-balanced for a game that requires both high per-core performance and the ability to handle background tasks. The CPU’s overall percentile rank of 89 places it in the top tier of all processors. Its average benchmark score of 44573 is nearly identical to that of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, which scores 44466 (a 0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which scores 44342 (a 0.5% delta). The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 is also close at 44309 (a 0.6% delta), while the Intel Core i5-14600 is slightly ahead with a score of 44889, a -0.7% delta.

In practice, the 7500X3D’s 12 threads are more than sufficient to handle the game’s engine logic, AI, and physics. Because the game launched in 2014, it is unlikely to stress modern high-core-count chips, but the X3D part’s cache advantage ensures that even in crowded firefights, frame drops remain minimal. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for feeding the 6 cores. The 4.50 GHz boost clock ensures that the CPU does not become a bottleneck at lower resolutions, where frame rates are high and CPU overhead is more pronounced. The data from the 1080p Low preset shows an average FPS of 229, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can push very high frame rates when the GPU is not the limiting factor. The chip’s PCIe Gen 5 interface with 24 lanes also means there is no bandwidth constraint when communicating with the GPU.

The CPU’s score in the Passmark physics test is 2779, which, while not directly a gaming metric, suggests robust computational throughput for simulation-heavy scenes. The integer math score of 70774 and floating-point math score of 43594 further confirm that the CPU can handle the arithmetic required for game logic. The data compression and encryption scores (271649 and 15797, respectively) are less relevant to gaming but indicate the processor is not weak in any general-purpose task. Overall, the CPU is a strong partner for the RTX 3070, and the measured FPS data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 39, which is a GPU-bound scenario rather than a CPU limitation.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is an Ampere-architecture GPU built on Samsung’s 8 nm process, featuring the GA104 chip with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The card has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game’s 2014-era assets, which do not require massive VRAM allocations. The GPU’s 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs provide the raw compute power needed for high-resolution rendering.

The RTX 3070’s benchmark results show it is a competent mid-range performer. Its Passmark G3D score is 22214, which places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. The average benchmark score is 17208, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (scoring 17083, a 0.7% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (scoring 17037, a 1% delta), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (scoring 17019, a 1.1% delta). The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is slightly ahead with a score of 17468, a -1.5% delta. This positioning indicates that the RTX 3070 is roughly on par with modern mid-range cards, though it is an older design.

In “Minimum,” the GPU’s role becomes more dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is often not the bottleneck when settings are Low, as the CPU can push up to 229 FPS. However, at 4K, the GPU’s workload increases significantly. The measured data shows that at 4K High, the average FPS is 51, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 39. This behavior is consistent with the GPU running out of pixel-pushing capability. The 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor here because the game’s textures, even at Ultra, are unlikely to exceed 8 GB at 4K, but the GPU’s raw shader throughput is the primary constraint.

The RTX 3070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which ensures compatibility with the game’s rendering requirements. The pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s are adequate for a 2014 title, but they are not exceptionally high by modern standards. The FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS is solid, providing enough compute for advanced lighting effects if the game uses them. The GPU’s 220 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for this class. The card’s 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present but are not relevant for a game that likely does not use ray tracing. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at high resolutions, as the frame rate drops from 147 FPS at 1080p High to 95 FPS at 1440p High and 51 FPS at 4K High.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 147 at 1080p to 95 at 1440p (a 35.4% decrease) and then to 51 at 4K (a 65.3% decrease from 1080p). This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases. The CPU, with its high single-thread score of 3494 and large cache, has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the RTX 3070 cannot sustain the same performance when rendering four times the pixels of 1080p.

At the Low preset, the scaling is even more dramatic: 229 FPS at 1080p drops to 148 FPS at 1440p (a 35.4% decrease) and 79 FPS at 4K (a 65.5% decrease from 1080p). The percentage drops are nearly identical between High and Low presets, which suggests that the limiting factor is resolution itself rather than the complexity of the settings. The GPU’s fillrate and memory bandwidth are the constraints, not the shading workload. This is further confirmed by the Medium preset, where the FPS is 175 at 1080p, 113 at 1440p, and 61 at 4K, with min and max FPS recorded as 149/201, 96/130, and 52/70 respectively.

The Ultra preset shows the lowest frame rates: 112 FPS at 1080p, 72 at 1440p, and 39 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 65.2%, consistent with the other presets. This uniform scaling suggests that the game’s rendering pipeline is heavily bound by pixel throughput. The RTX 3070’s 448 GB/s memory bandwidth is likely the limiting factor at 4K, as the GPU must access textures and frame buffers at a much higher rate. The 8 GB VRAM is not exceeded, but the bandwidth is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The data indicates that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS of 112 is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even at 1440p Ultra, the 72 FPS average is playable. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with no preset achieving 60 FPS. The best 4K result is 79 FPS at Low settings, which is playable but sacrifices visual quality. The scaling analysis shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor until frame rates exceed 200 FPS, as seen at 1080p Low. The RTX 3070’s performance is the dominant factor in determining playability across resolutions.

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

Based on the measured data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combination. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 175, with a minimum of 149 and maximum of 201. This provides a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors while still delivering a reasonable level of graphical detail. The High preset at 1080p yields 147 FPS, which is also excellent, but the Medium preset’s higher minimum frame rate (149 vs. no min data for High) suggests better frame pacing. For players targeting 1440p, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice, as it delivers 113 FPS on average with a minimum of 96, ensuring that frame drops remain above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p drops to 95 FPS, which is still playable, but the Medium preset provides a larger safety margin.

At 4K, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset is the only one that achieves an average above 60 FPS, with a score of 79. The Medium preset at 4K yields 61 FPS on average, with a minimum of 52, which means it can dip below 60 FPS during intense scenes. If a player insists on 4K, the Low preset is the safest choice for maintaining consistent performance. However, the visual quality at Low settings on a 4K display may be disappointing. The High preset at 4K averages 51 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 39 FPS, both of which are not ideal for a fast-paced shooter where reaction time matters. The data suggests that 1080p or 1440p is the best resolution for this GPU, with Medium settings providing the best experience per the measured rows.

The Ultra preset, while offering the best visuals, incurs a significant performance cost. At 1080p Ultra, the FPS drops to 112, which is still playable, but at 1440p Ultra, it falls to 72, and at 4K Ultra, it is only 39. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p reduces performance by 23.8% (from 147 to 112 FPS), which is a substantial hit for what may be a marginal visual improvement. The Medium preset, on the other hand, offers a 19% performance increase over High at 1080p (175 vs. 147 FPS) while likely maintaining most of the visual fidelity. For competitive play, the Low preset at 1080p provides the highest frame rate at 229 FPS, which is ideal for players who prioritize responsiveness over visuals. The data strongly supports Medium as the default recommendation, with Low as an option for maximum frame rates and High/Ultra for players who are less sensitive to FPS drops.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS is 175, with a minimum of 149 and a maximum of 201.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 achieve 60 FPS at 4K with any preset?

A: Yes, the Low preset averages 79 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset averages 61 FPS, but its minimum is 52, so it can dip below 60.

Q: How much faster is the CPU than its nearest rival in multithreaded performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has a multithread score of 25047. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, has an average score of 44466, which is a 0.2% delta, meaning they are virtually identical in average benchmark score.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at the High preset?

A: The average FPS drops from 147 at 1080p to 51 at 4K, a decrease of 65.3%.

Q: Is the game more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1440p?

A: The data shows GPU-bound scaling. The FPS drops from 147 at 1080p High to 95 at 1440p High, a 35.4% decrease, which is proportional to the pixel count increase, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS is 39, which occurs at 4K resolution with Ultra settings.

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

The following table summarizes the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset. The data is taken directly from the fact pack and represents the performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS 229. This is the highest frame rate recorded at any resolution, indicating the CPU is capable of very high output when the GPU load is light.
• Medium: Average FPS 175, with a minimum of 149 and a maximum of 201. This preset provides a stable experience well above 60 FPS.
• High: Average FPS 147. No min or max data is provided, but the average is sufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming.
• Ultra: Average FPS 112. This is still playable, but the performance hit from High to Ultra is notable.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS 148. A strong result, showing the GPU can handle 1440p at low settings with ease.
• Medium: Average FPS 113, with a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 130. The minimum stays above 60, ensuring smooth gameplay.
• High: Average FPS 95. This is a solid result for a high-fidelity setting, though it is lower than the Medium preset.
• Ultra: Average FPS 72. This is a playable frame rate, but it is close to the 60 FPS threshold and may dip in busy scenes.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS 79. This is the only 4K preset that stays comfortably above 60 FPS.
• Medium: Average FPS 61, with a minimum of 52 and a maximum of 70. The average is above 60, but the minimum shows occasional dips below that threshold.
• High: Average FPS 51. This is below the 60 FPS target and may feel less smooth.
• Ultra: Average FPS 39. This is the lowest performance recorded and is not recommended for a shooter where responsiveness is key.

The data confirms a consistent pattern: the RTX 3070 is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, but it struggles at 4K, particularly at High and Ultra settings. The Medium preset offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance across all resolutions, while the Low preset is the only viable option for 4K gaming. The combination’s overall rank in the game is 1210 out of 2939 combos, placing it in the upper half of tested configurations.