Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 58th out of 1,733 tested combos in Minimum. This places the pairing in the top 3.3% of all configurations analyzed, a strong showing for a last-generation CPU matched with a flagship GPU. The ranking reflects a system that is heavily weighted toward GPU performance, but the CPU’s 3D V-Cache design ensures it does not bottleneck the RTX 4090 at the resolutions where this game is typically played.

How This Combo Ranks

The 58th-place finish out of 1,733 combos is a decisive verdict: this is a top-tier configuration for Minimum. The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU, which sits in the 91st percentile among all tested graphics cards. The CPU, while not as dominant, holds the 83rd percentile among all processors, meaning both components are above the vast majority of hardware in the database. The delta between the two is significant—the GPU is a class leader, while the CPU is merely excellent—but the combination produces no weak link in this title.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU’s average benchmark score of 26,574 places it within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600, which scores 26,617. It is also effectively tied with the Intel Core i9-11900K (26,546) and the AMD EPYC 8024P (26,555). This clustering shows that the 5800X3D is not an outlier in raw compute, but its 96 MB of shared L3 cache is the differentiator in gaming workloads. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 66,473 is within 0.5% of the NVIDIA Tesla P40 (66,127), though that comparison is misleading for gaming—the RTX 4090’s architecture and driver support are what matter here.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed driver of this combo’s performance. It features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. In Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, this memory capacity is far beyond what the game requires, but the bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution rendering never stall. The GPU’s boost clock of 2520 MHz and base clock of 2235 MHz are high for any architecture, and the Ada Lovelace design with 16,384 shading units provides 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

The data shows that the RTX 4090’s performance in Minimum is not memory-limited at any setting. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 69.8, which is a 49.5% reduction from 4K Low (138.2 FPS). This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario where increased shading complexity and texture quality demand more from the 16,384 cores. The GPU’s 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are underutilized in this title, as Minimum does not employ ray tracing or DLSS, but their presence does not hurt performance. The card draws up to 450 W and requires an 850 W PSU, indicating that the power delivery is robust enough to sustain boost clocks under sustained load.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D brings 8 cores and 16 threads to the table, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its Zen 3 architecture, built on TSMC’s 7 nm process, features a massive 96 MB of shared L3 cache—this is the defining characteristic for gaming. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 3,397 points, while multi-thread reaches 24,063 points. These scores are respectable, but the cache is what prevents frame pacing issues in Minimum.

The CPU’s 105 W TDP is modest for a desktop part, and its DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth is a generation behind the GPU’s PCIe Gen 4 interface. However, the benchmark results indicate that this does not matter in Minimum. The CPU’s percentile rank of 83 is lower than the GPU’s 91, but the measured FPS at 1080p Low (344.2 FPS) suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor. The 5800X3D’s nearest rivals in average score—the EPYC 8024P and i9-11900K—are within 0.1%, yet the 5800X3D’s cache gives it a gaming edge that synthetic benchmarks do not capture. The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 884 is low, but the game rarely uses a single thread exclusively.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers exceptional results. Low settings produce 344.2 FPS average, Medium drops to 302.2 FPS, High yields 255.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 192.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 151.3 FPS, a 43.9% reduction, showing that even at 1080p, the GPU’s shading units are the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s role is minimal here, as the 5800X3D can feed frames at over 300 FPS without breaking a sweat.

At 1440p, the trend continues but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 252.1 FPS, Medium 193.3 FPS, High 165.7 FPS, and Ultra 122.8 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 92.1 FPS (26.7%), which is substantial but expected as pixel count increases. The Ultra preset at 1440p (122.8 FPS) is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this combo can handle high refresh rates at this resolution.

At 4K, the GPU is fully engaged. Low settings average 138.2 FPS, Medium 106.9 FPS, High 90.1 FPS, and Ultra 69.8 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only one below 100 FPS, but it remains playable. The scaling from 1080p Ultra (192.9 FPS) to 4K Ultra (69.8 FPS) is a 63.8% drop, which aligns with the 4x pixel increase from 1080p to 4K, though the actual reduction is less steep due to the GPU’s massive compute resources.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is telling. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 344.2 at 1080p to 138.2 at 4K, a 59.8% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 192.9 to 69.8 FPS, a 63.8% reduction. This consistent ~60% decline across presets indicates that the RTX 4090 is the limiting component at all resolutions, but the CPU’s cache ensures that frame times remain stable even when the GPU is saturated.

The scaling pattern also reveals that the CPU is never the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, we would see a plateau at lower resolutions, where FPS would cap regardless of GPU load. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with resolution, confirming that the 5800X3D’s 8 cores and 96 MB cache are sufficient to keep the RTX 4090 fed. The 4K Ultra result of 69.8 FPS is the closest to a CPU limit, but the 5800X3D’s multi-thread score of 24,063 in Cinebench R23 suggests it has headroom. The data shows no min FPS values, but the average FPS numbers are consistent, implying no severe frame drops.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo overkill for a 2014 game like Minimum?*

A: At 1080p and 1440p, yes. The combo exceeds 250 FPS at 1080p Low and 165 FPS at 1440p High. At 4K Ultra, it still averages 69.8 FPS, which is playable but not excessive.

Q: Which component limits performance at 4K Ultra?

A: The GPU. The RTX 4090’s 24 GB of VRAM and 82.58 TFLOPS are fully utilized, while the CPU’s 8 cores and 96 MB cache are not saturated, as shown by the 69.8 FPS result being a 49.5% drop from 4K Low.

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

A: The 5800X3D’s average benchmark score of 26,574 is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (26,617) and within 0.1% of the Intel Core i9-11900K (26,546). Its gaming edge comes from the 96 MB L3 cache, not raw compute.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming?

A: 1440p Low settings deliver 252.1 FPS, and 1080p Low hits 344.2 FPS. For a 144 Hz monitor, 1440p High at 165.7 FPS is the sweet spot.

Q: Does the GPU’s 24 GB VRAM matter in this game?

A: No. Minimum does not require more than a few GB, but the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensures no texture pop-in at 4K. The VRAM is future-proofing, not a current advantage.

Q: Is the 5800X3D a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. The 1080p Low result of 344.2 FPS shows the CPU can sustain high frame rates. The CPU’s single-thread score of 884 in 3DMark is low, but the game’s engine utilizes multiple threads effectively.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 1440p is the recommended starting point. It delivers 165.7 FPS average, which is well above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors, and the visual uplift over Medium (193.3 FPS) is noticeable. At 4K, the High preset (90.1 FPS) is preferable to Ultra (69.8 FPS), as the 20.3 FPS gain is significant and the visual difference between High and Ultra in a 2014 title is minimal.

For competitive play, 1080p Low is the clear choice, offering 344.2 FPS—the highest measured result in the dataset. This setting maximizes response time and eliminates any potential frame pacing issues. At 1440p, Low (252.1 FPS) is still viable for esports-style play, but Medium (193.3 FPS) provides a better image without sacrificing much speed. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 4K on a display that cannot exceed 60 Hz, as the 69.8 FPS result is playable but does not fully utilize the hardware’s potential. The data shows that High settings at 1440p or 4K offer the best experience per the measured rows, balancing the GPU’s 91st percentile performance with the CPU’s 83rd percentile capability.