Minimum

# Minimum — AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers strong frame rates across all tested settings in Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. The data shows a combination capable of triple-digit averages at every resolution tested, even at 4K with High settings, though the scaling pattern between resolutions and quality presets reveals where the bottlenecks sit. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, compares the combo against the broader database, and offers practical guidance based strictly on the numbers.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS drops as resolution increases, but the shape of that curve is telling. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 345 FPS average; moving to 1440p Low drops that to 230 FPS, a reduction of roughly one-third. Jumping to 4K Low yields 124 FPS, which is a further drop of nearly half from the 1440p figure. This steep decline from 1080p to 4K suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is doing more of the heavy lifting, while the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as pixel count rises.

The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings — 345 to 230 FPS — indicates the RTX 4080 has headroom at 1080p that the Ryzen 7 5800X3D cannot fully exploit. The 115 FPS difference is substantial, and it narrows when moving to 1440p to 4K, where the delta is 106 FPS (230 to 124). At High settings, the pattern shifts: 1080p High produces 229 FPS, 1440p High yields 148 FPS, and 4K High drops to 79 FPS. The percentage losses are consistent, but the absolute numbers suggest that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor — the 79 FPS average at 4K High is less than half the 1080p High figure.

Medium settings tell a similar story with more granularity. The average FPS at 1080p Medium is 273, with a minimum of 232 and maximum of 313. At 1440p Medium, those figures drop to 176 average, 149 minimum, and 202 maximum. The 4K Medium average is 95, with a minimum of 80 and maximum of 109. Notably, the spread between minimum and maximum FPS narrows at higher resolutions — the delta is 81 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. This compression of the frame time variance at higher resolutions points to the GPU becoming the primary constraint, as consistent pixel-throughput demands smooth out CPU-side fluctuations.

Ultra settings reinforce this interpretation. The 1080p Ultra average is 174 FPS, which falls to 112 FPS at 1440p and 61 FPS at 4K. The 50% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by another 46% drop from 1440p to 4K, shows a nearly linear relationship with pixel count. This is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where each resolution step increases the pixel workload proportionally.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 brings substantial hardware to this title. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for a 2014 release. The GPU's base clock of 2205 MHz and boost of 2505 MHz, combined with 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, explain why the card sustains high frame rates even at 4K Ultra — though the 61 FPS average there shows even this hardware hits limits.

The RTX 4080's FP32 throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are far beyond what Minimum requires, given its release date. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the 345 FPS average is likely constrained by the CPU rather than the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling pattern discussed earlier. The GPU's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are present but largely irrelevant for this title, which predates widespread ray tracing adoption.

The measured performance at 4K Low (124 FPS) versus 4K Ultra (61 FPS) shows a 2x difference purely from settings changes. This indicates the game's Ultra preset imposes significantly more GPU load — likely through higher-resolution textures, more detailed shadows, or additional post-processing effects that tax the 16 GB frame buffer and the 48.74 TFLOPS compute capacity. The 4K Medium average of 95 FPS sits nearly midway between Low and Ultra, suggesting a roughly linear scaling of GPU workload across these presets at this resolution.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209 — a delta of 0.1% — meaning the two are effectively indistinguishable in synthetic tests. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 at 2.6% higher. These margins are small, but they contextualize where the RTX 4080 sits relative to its peers.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 307th out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 8.3% of all configurations. This is a strong showing for a CPU that was released in April 2022 and a GPU from September 2022, both now end-of-life products. The ranking reflects the synergy between the CPU's 96 MB of shared L3 cache and the GPU's raw throughput.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores an average of 27896. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27887, a delta of 0%, meaning they're statistically tied. The Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27872, just 0.1% lower, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 scores 27932, 0.1% higher. The Intel Core i5-12600KF scores 27799, 0.3% below. These tiny margins suggest the 5800X3D is well-positioned among CPUs from its generation and even some newer parts, but the ranking in-game likely benefits more from the GPU.

The GPU's nearest rivals show similar tight clustering. The RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54247 is within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209) and within 2.7% of the AMD Radeon 8060S (55757). Given that Minimum is a 2014 title, the game's engine may not fully utilize the latest GPU features, which could explain why the combo ranks at 307 rather than higher. The 3712 total combos include many with newer hardware, and the 8.3% position suggests that for this specific game, the 5800X3D + RTX 4080 is competitive but not at the absolute top.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all presets deliver playable performance — even Ultra averages 174 FPS, which is well above typical 60 Hz or 144 Hz displays. The Low preset's 345 FPS average is excessive for most monitors, so players with 144 Hz or 240 Hz panels will find High (229 FPS) or Medium (273 FPS) more than sufficient. The Medium preset's minimum of 232 FPS ensures no drops below 200 FPS, making it the safest choice for high-refresh gaming at 1080p.

At 1440p, the situation changes. Ultra averages 112 FPS, which is still excellent, but High (148 FPS) offers a better balance. The Medium preset's minimum of 149 FPS means it never dips below 144 FPS, making it ideal for 144 Hz monitors. Low at 230 FPS is overkill unless using a 240 Hz display. For most 1440p users, High is the recommended preset — it provides 148 FPS average with no recorded minimum below that, and the visual quality improvement over Medium is likely noticeable, though the data doesn't quantify visual differences.

At 4K, the choices become more consequential. Ultra averages 61 FPS, which is borderline for 60 Hz displays but could feel inconsistent. Medium averages 95 FPS with a minimum of 80, making it the best option for smooth 4K gameplay. High averages 79 FPS, which is playable but closer to the 60 FPS threshold. Low at 124 FPS is excellent but sacrifices visual fidelity. For 4K, Medium is the recommended preset — it offers the best combination of high average FPS (95) and a minimum (80) that stays above 60 FPS, ensuring no major hitches. High is a reasonable alternative for those prioritizing visuals over headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings produces these averages: Low delivers 345 FPS, Medium delivers 273 FPS with a minimum of 232 and maximum of 313, High delivers 229 FPS, and Ultra delivers 174 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a step-down of approximately 72 FPS between Low and Medium, 44 FPS between Medium and High, and 55 FPS between High and Ultra. This suggests that the Ultra preset imposes a significantly higher workload than High, possibly through settings that are disproportionately demanding.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 230 FPS for Low, 176 FPS for Medium (minimum 149, maximum 202), 148 FPS for High, and 112 FPS for Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 54 FPS, between Medium and High is 28 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 36 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 149 FPS is noteworthy — it indicates that even during demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above 144 Hz thresholds.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 124 FPS for Low, 95 FPS for Medium (minimum 80, maximum 109), 79 FPS for High, and 61 FPS for Ultra. The step-down from Low to Medium is 29 FPS, Medium to High is 16 FPS, and High to Ultra is 18 FPS. The Ultra preset's 61 FPS average is the only figure in the entire dataset that falls below 60 FPS, making it the only configuration that risks dropping below standard refresh rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on Zen 3 architecture with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its defining feature is the 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is unusually large for a consumer CPU. This cache configuration benefits gaming workloads by reducing memory latency, and the data suggests it helps maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions where CPU performance is more critical.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 80th percentile of all CPUs, with an average score of 27896. In multithreaded tests, it scores 14317 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2413 in Cinebench R15 multicore. Single-thread performance is 1452 in Cinebench R23 and 241 in R15. These scores indicate solid but not class-leading performance — the 5800X3D is competitive with newer chips like the Intel Core i9-10900K (0.1% delta) but lacks the raw speed of more recent flagship CPUs.

The CPU's role in Minimum becomes clear when examining the 1080p results. At 1080p Low, the 345 FPS average is likely CPU-bound, as the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution. The 5800X3D's 8 cores and 16 threads are sufficient for this 2014 title, which likely doesn't scale beyond a few threads. The large L3 cache may help with frame pacing, as evidenced by the Medium preset's tight minimum-to-maximum spread at 1080p (232 to 313 FPS). The CPU's 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate for this workload, and the 105 W TDP indicates efficient operation.

The 5800X3D's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks — the Ryzen 7 6800U, Core i9-10900K, Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340, and Core i5-12600KF — all score within 0.3% of each other. This clustering suggests that CPU performance is not the differentiating factor for this combo's 307th rank. Instead, the GPU's 86th percentile position likely drives the ranking, with the CPU providing sufficient support without bottlenecking.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Minimum?

A: The highest average is 345 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next highest is 273 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 230 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, but just barely. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 61, with no minimum or maximum recorded. This is the only preset in the dataset that drops below 70 FPS, indicating the Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration tested.

Q: How does the CPU's cache size impact performance in this game?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800X3D has 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is larger than typical CPUs. While the data doesn't isolate cache effects, the 1080p Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 232, suggesting strong frame pacing that could benefit from reduced memory latency.

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows exceptional performance at both. At 1080p, all presets exceed 174 FPS, while at 1440p, even Ultra averages 112 FPS. The choice depends on the display's refresh rate — 1440p High (148 FPS) is ideal for 144 Hz monitors, while 1080p Medium (273 FPS) suits 240 Hz displays.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 307th out of 3712 total combinations, placing it in the top 8.3% of all tested hardware pairings for this game.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54247 on average, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209 — a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (1.1% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.6% higher).