Minimum

# Minimum with AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a combo that lands in the lower-middle tier for Minimum, ranking 1551 out of 1733 tested combinations. That rank places it in the bottom 11% of tested systems, which tells you this pairing is not built for maxing out this title at high resolutions. However, the measured frame rates reveal a more nuanced picture: at 1080p, this combo delivers playable performance across all settings, with the Low preset hitting 129.6 FPS and Ultra still managing 64.8 FPS. The data shows a system that can handle 1080p gaming comfortably, but struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K, where even the Low preset only reaches 48.2 FPS.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer codename), built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It runs at a base clock of 3.00 GHz and boosts up to 4.10 GHz, with a 105 W TDP. The processor features a substantial 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is a hallmark of the X3D line and typically benefits gaming workloads that rely on large data sets. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 22366 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3157 in single-core, with a passmark multi-thread score of 26318 and a single-thread score of 2970. Its average benchmark score of 24673 places it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly four out of every five processors on the market.

Looking at the nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D is essentially neck-and-neck with the Intel Core i7-1360P (0.2% ahead), AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D (0.3% ahead), and Intel Core i5-11600 (0.5% ahead), while trailing the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 by 0.6%. These tiny deltas indicate that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this system — it has ample headroom for a game like Minimum, which is a 2014 third-person shooter and likely not heavily threaded. The 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for this title's demands, and the high L3 cache should help with any data-heavy scenes. At 1080p, where the GPU is typically the limiting factor, this CPU's strength is evident in the frame rates remaining consistent across different settings — the jump from High (82.4 FPS) to Low (129.6 FPS) at 1080p suggests the CPU can feed the GPU well, but the GPU's limits cap the upper end.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU (chip TU116) built on a 12 nm process, featuring 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s bandwidth. It operates at a base clock of 1530 MHz with a boost clock of 1785 MHz, and memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The card has 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units, delivering 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. Its pixel rate is 85.68 GPixel/s and texture rate is 157.1 GTexel/s. The GPU's average benchmark score of 14286 places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, which is around the middle of the pack.

The nearest rivals for the GTX 1660 SUPER are all within 0.7% of its score: the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (0.2% behind), Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (0.2% behind), AMD Radeon Vega 11 (0.5% behind), and AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (0.7% behind). The fact that integrated graphics solutions like the Vega 11 are scoring nearly identically to this discrete card is telling — it indicates that in pure compute terms, the GTX 1660 SUPER is not a particularly strong performer by modern standards. In Minimum, the GPU's 6 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, but at 4K, the combination of lower compute throughput and memory bandwidth becomes apparent. The 4K results show a steep drop-off: Ultra at 21.2 FPS and High at 26.3 FPS are both effectively unplayable, while even Medium (34 FPS) and Low (48.2 FPS) fall below smooth 60 FPS thresholds.

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

The measured FPS data clearly shows how this combo scales across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the system is firmly GPU-limited at higher settings but can still push respectable numbers: Low hits 129.6 FPS, Medium 97.5 FPS, High 82.4 FPS, and Ultra 64.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p, frame rates drop by roughly 35-40% across the board: Low drops to 83.3 FPS, Medium to 63.9 FPS, High to 54.2 FPS, and Ultra to 42 FPS. At 4K, the performance collapses further — Low falls to 48.2 FPS, Medium to 34 FPS, High to 26.3 FPS, and Ultra to 21.2 FPS.

The scaling pattern is revealing. From 1080p to 1440p, the FPS drops by approximately 36% at Low settings (129.6 to 83.3) and 35% at Ultra (64.8 to 42). From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more severe: Low falls 42% (83.3 to 48.2), while Ultra falls 50% (42 to 21.2). This non-linear degradation, especially at 4K, points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck. The GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus struggle to feed the massive pixel count at 3840x2160, and the 5.027 TFLOPS compute cannot keep up with the fill rate demands. The CPU, with its 82nd percentile ranking, is unlikely to be the limiting factor at any resolution — the data suggests that the Ryzen 7 5700X3D has enough headroom to push higher frame rates if the GPU were stronger. This is classic GPU-bound behavior: the CPU's performance is consistent, but the GPU's rendering capabilities cap the output.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 60 FPS at 1080p?*

A: Yes, at all four tested settings. The Low preset achieves 129.6 FPS, Medium 97.5 FPS, High 82.4 FPS, and Ultra 64.8 FPS. All exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this setup?

A: Not really. At 3840x2160, the best result is Low at 48.2 FPS, which falls short of 60 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all drop below 35 FPS, making them impractical for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700X3D scores 24673 on average, placing it 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1360P, 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600. It trails the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 by 0.6%.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER sits in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14286. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, is only 0.2% behind, indicating the card is near the middle of the pack.

Q: Which setting gives the best balance at 1440p?

A: Medium at 63.9 FPS is the only 1440p setting that clears 60 FPS. High drops to 54.2 FPS, while Low at 83.3 FPS is playable but sacrifices visual quality. Ultra at 42 FPS is not recommended for smooth play.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 82nd percentile, while the GPU sits at the 55th percentile. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K follow a pattern consistent with GPU limitations, not CPU constraints.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination ranks 1551 out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the bottom 10.5% of all systems tested. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-tier standing — while the CPU is a strong performer (82nd percentile), the GTX 1660 SUPER's 55th percentile score drags the overall combo down. The data indicates that this pairing is not competitive with higher-end systems, but it also shows that the combination is workable for 1080p gaming.

The rank relative to the combo's individual components reveals a significant imbalance: the CPU is performing far above the GPU's level. This suggests that if you were to upgrade the GPU, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D could handle a much more powerful graphics card without becoming a bottleneck. The CPU's nearest rivals all score within 0.6% of each other, confirming that the processor is not the weak link here. For Minimum, the rank of 1551 is primarily a reflection of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions and settings, not the CPU's capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo depends heavily on your target resolution. At 1920x1080, Ultra is the recommended choice — it delivers 64.8 FPS, which is above 60 FPS, and provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. If you prefer a higher refresh rate, Low at 129.6 FPS or Medium at 97.5 FPS are excellent options, with Medium offering a good balance of visuals and speed.

At 2560x1440, Medium is the only setting that maintains 60+ FPS at 63.9 FPS. This should be your default choice for 1440p gaming. Low at 83.3 FPS is also viable if you prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but High (54.2 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) fall short of the 60 FPS target and are not recommended.

At 3840x2160, no setting achieves 60 FPS. The best option is Low at 48.2 FPS, which is playable but may feel less smooth. Medium (34 FPS) and High (26.3 FPS) are borderline, while Ultra at 21.2 FPS is effectively unplayable for a third-person shooter. For 4K, the data suggests lowering the resolution or accepting reduced settings — the GPU simply does not have the compute or memory bandwidth to handle this title at 4K with high quality. The most balanced overall experience for this combo is 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium, depending on your monitor's native resolution.