Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a broad performance envelope in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The benchmark data shows a combination that scales predictably from high-refresh-rate 1080p play to more demanding 4K Ultra settings, with the CPU’s 8-core/16-thread design providing a solid foundation for the GPU’s output.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent drop in performance as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound title. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 277.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 175.5 FPS, a decline of 102 FPS, while 4K Low yields 95.6 FPS, another 79.9 FPS reduction. This pattern indicates that the RX 9070 XT is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is steepest at the Low preset. The 1080p Low score of 277.5 FPS drops to 95.6 FPS at 4K Low, representing a 65.6% decrease. This substantial drop suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully GPU-bound, and the CPU’s capabilities are being utilized to push frame rates far beyond what the GPU can sustain at higher pixel counts. The gap narrows at higher settings; for instance, the 1080p Ultra score of 134.7 FPS falls to 48.3 FPS at 4K Ultra, a 64.1% reduction. This shows that the GPU’s rendering load scales almost linearly with pixel count, confirming that the RX 9070 XT is the bottleneck in this configuration once the resolution increases.

The data also shows that the transition from 1440p to 4K is more punishing than from 1080p to 1440p. At High settings, 1440p yields 113.3 FPS, while 4K drops to 63.5 FPS. This 49.8 FPS loss is proportionally larger than the 65 FPS loss seen when moving from 1080p to 1440p. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and raw compute power are being saturated at 4K, limiting the potential of the 8-core CPU.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested hardware combinations, this pairing achieves a rank of 504 out of 1733 combos for Minimum. This places it in the upper echelon of tested systems, within the top 29.1% of all configurations. The rank reflects a system that is well-balanced for this title, though not at the very top tier of performance.

The CPU’s standalone benchmarks reinforce its position. The Ryzen 7 3700X has a percentile rank of 85 versus all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 85% of tested processors. Its average benchmark score of 28631 places it in close competition with its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i5-12600 scores 28654, a mere 0.1% delta, and the Intel Core i5-12600H is similarly close at 28666. On the AMD side, the Ryzen 5 5600XT scores 28591, just 0.1% lower. This indicates that the 3700X is right at the performance level of these mid-range rivals, offering comparable multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities for this game.

The GPU also holds a strong position. The RX 9070 XT has a percentile rank of 82 versus all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 39647 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Radeon Pro 575 (39703, -0.1% delta) and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (39568, 0.2% delta). This suggests that in synthetic tests, the GPU’s raw compute performance is on par with these professional and mobile parts, which is a notable result for a desktop gaming card in this older title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Minimum?*

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 277.5 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the 3700X compare to the Intel Core i5-12600 in overall CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X scores 28631 on average, while the Intel Core i5-12600 scores 28654. The difference is a delta of -0.1%, indicating near-identical performance.

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

A: The lowest average frame rate is 48.3 FPS, achieved at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Is this combo more likely to be limited by the CPU or GPU at 1440p High settings?

A: At 1440p High, the system produces 113.3 FPS. Given the sharp performance drop when moving to 4K, the data suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at this resolution and setting.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 504th out of 1733 total tested combinations.

Q: What is the average frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset yields 277.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 134.7 FPS. This represents a difference of 142.8 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete matrix of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest scores. The Low preset produces 277.5 FPS, which drops to 211.5 FPS at Medium, 178.3 FPS at High, and 134.7 FPS at Ultra. The frame rate drop from Low to Ultra is 142.8 FPS, showing that the graphical settings have a significant impact on the GPU’s workload at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the scores are more moderate but still highly playable. The Low preset yields 175.5 FPS, Medium produces 137.6 FPS, High reaches 113.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 87.5 FPS. The transition from Low to Ultra here represents a 88 FPS loss, which is less severe than at 1080p but still substantial.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly GPU-limited. The Low preset manages 95.6 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays. Medium produces 72.2 FPS, High yields 63.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 48.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 47.3 FPS. All 4K settings produce playable frame rates, but only Low and Medium are suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Matisse. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This configuration provides ample multi-threading capability for a game like Minimum, which is from 2014 and likely relies more on single-core performance than modern titles. The CPU’s 32 MB of L3 cache is a notable advantage for gaming, helping to reduce memory latency.

The CPU’s benchmark scores show a strong balance. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 19087, while its single-core score is 2694. In Geekbench, it scores 8083 multicore and 1672 single-core. These figures place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is a well-above-average processor for gaming workloads. The Passmark multi-thread score of 22458 and single-thread score of 2656 further confirm its capability.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 277.5 FPS, which is a high frame rate that requires strong single-thread performance. The fact that the frame rate drops so significantly at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is being saturated, while the CPU has headroom remaining. The 3700X’s 8 cores and 16 threads ensure that it can handle the game’s logic and physics calculations without becoming a limiting factor, even when pushing high FPS at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the data suggests prioritizing resolution and settings based on the target display. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 178.3 FPS, which is an excellent balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 135.7 FPS is still very smooth and offers the maximum visual fidelity, making it a viable choice for users with 144Hz monitors.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset produces 137.6 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming. The High preset at 113.3 FPS is also a strong option, providing a significant visual upgrade with only a 24.3 FPS penalty. The Ultra preset at 87.5 FPS is playable but may not fully utilize a 144Hz display, making High the recommended choice for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset yields 72.2 FPS, which is smooth for most gaming experiences. The Low preset at 95.6 FPS is the best option for players seeking higher frame rates at 4K. The High preset at 63.5 FPS is playable but will feel less fluid, while the Ultra preset at 48.3 FPS is best reserved for slow-paced scenes or users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate. Overall, the data indicates that the Medium preset offers the best combination of visual quality and performance across all resolutions, providing a significant uplift over Low while maintaining high frame rates.