Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER delivers a playable but constrained experience in Minimum, a 2014 Third-Person Shooter. The data shows a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides a solid foundation for the lower-end settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to understand the scaling behavior, the role of each component, and how this combination ranks among the 1,733 tested combos.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable performance drop as resolution increases, but the severity of that drop is highly dependent on the quality settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 132.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 82.2 FPS, a substantial reduction of roughly 38%. At 4K, the frame rate falls to 45.8 FPS, which is about a 65% drop from the 1080p Low baseline. This pattern indicates that at lower settings, the system is heavily influenced by the GPU's rendering load.

The scaling is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The transition from 1080p Ultra (66 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (38.6 FPS) represents a 41.5% loss in performance. The jump to 4K Ultra is brutal, with the average FPS plummeting to 21.8. This 67% reduction from 1080p Ultra shows that the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are quickly overwhelmed by the demands of 4K with maxed-out graphics. The GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are the likely limiting factors here.

The data suggests that the limiting component shifts depending on the resolution. At 1080p, the CPU can likely keep up with the GPU, allowing the GTX 1660 SUPER to reach its full potential, as evidenced by the high frame rates at Low and Medium settings. However, as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The frame rate drops are far too steep to be attributed to CPU limitations, confirming that the GPU is saturated with pixel work. For example, the difference between 1080p High (87.1 FPS) and 4K High (29.9 FPS) is a 66% performance hit, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, provides a robust processing foundation for this game. Its Zen 2 architecture, clocked at a base of 3.60 GHz and a boost of 4.40 GHz, ensures that the system is rarely held back by processor throughput at standard resolutions. The benchmark results for the CPU show a strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19087 and a single-core score of 2694. This suggests that even in a game like Minimum, which may not be heavily multi-threaded, the single-core performance is more than adequate.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the frame rates at 1080p. At this resolution, the GPU has less work to do per frame, and the frame rate can climb high enough that the CPU's processing speed becomes a potential ceiling. The 132.5 FPS at 1080p Low indicates that the Ryzen 7 3700X is capable of feeding the GTX 1660 SUPER enough data to achieve high frame rates. However, the data does not show any signs of the CPU being the primary limiter at higher resolutions, as the frame rates drop dramatically regardless of CPU capability.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is noteworthy. It is nearly identical in average benchmark score to the Intel Core i5-12600, with a deltaPct of -0.1%. This means that in synthetic benchmarks, the 3700X is essentially neck-and-neck with that Intel chip. In the context of Minimum, this implies that the CPU is not a differentiating factor; it provides a consistent, high-performance baseline. The 3700X's 32 MB of L3 cache also helps with game-level data, but the frame rates at 4K show that no amount of CPU cache can compensate for the GPU's lack of pixel-pushing power.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the defining component in this pairing. With a boost clock of 1785 MHz and 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. This memory bandwidth is likely the key reason the card performs well at 1080p, but it is also the primary reason performance collapses at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 21.8 FPS is a clear indication that the card is unable to manage the texture and shading data required at that resolution.

The GPU's 1408 shading units and 48 ROPs are responsible for the pixel throughput. The pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s is sufficient for 1080p, where the card achieves 87.1 FPS on High settings. However, at 4K, the pixel rate is grossly insufficient, leading to the low frame rates observed. The data shows a direct correlation between the GPU's fill rate and the resolution scaling. The FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS is also a factor, but it is the memory bandwidth and ROP throughput that are the most likely constraints at high resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning. Its Passmark G3D score of 12699 places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, are only 0.7% slower in average benchmark score. This suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER is a solid, predictable performer for its class. In Minimum, this translates to a card that can handle 1080p with ease, but the data clearly shows that 4K is beyond its capabilities, regardless of the CPU paired with it.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination can achieve?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 132.5 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is the system capable of 4K gaming?

A: The data indicates it is not a viable 4K option. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 45.8 on Low settings, and it drops to 21.8 FPS on Ultra, which is below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in terms of benchmark score?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 14286, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, its closest competitor listed.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system perform best?

A: The data shows the best combination of performance is at 1920x1080 with High settings, achieving 87.1 FPS, which is a smooth experience. Lower settings yield higher frame rates, but High offers a better balance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 2560x1440. The frame rate drops from 87.1 FPS at 1080p High to 55.9 FPS at 1440p High, a 36% decrease that is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the CPU's single-core benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X achieves a single-core score of 2694 in Cinebench R23.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination ranks 1518th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the lower 12th percentile of all systems tested. This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, which heavily impacts the overall score. While the CPU is capable, the GPU holds this pairing back from achieving a higher standing.

The rank of 1518 indicates that this is a mid-to-low range system in the context of this game. The data suggests that most other tested combos are able to achieve higher frame rates, likely due to more powerful GPUs. The combo's performance is competitive at 1080p, but the poor 4K results drag down its overall standing. The fact that it is in the bottom 12% shows that for Minimum, this hardware combination is not a high-performance solution. The strong CPU and moderate GPU create an imbalance, where the system's potential is capped by the graphics card's ability to render at higher resolutions. This ranking is a clear indicator that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the bottleneck in this setup for this specific game.