Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti pairing is a study in contrast: a modern 8-core CPU built for high throughput paired with a Turing-era GPU that is now firmly in the budget tier. In Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, this combo behaves exactly as the hardware split suggests. The CPU provides massive headroom, while the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows a system that is excellent for high-refresh 1080p play in this title, but which falls apart when asked to push 4K Ultra.

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

The Ryzen 7 5800XT is a desktop part built on the Zen 3 architecture, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, and it is manufactured on a 7 nm process. These specifications are far beyond what a 2014 shooter like Minimum can utilize. Benchmark results confirm this: the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 and a single-core score of 3359, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs.

The relevance here is that the CPU is never the limiting factor in the measured FPS results. At 1080p Low, the system produces 135.4 FPS. This is a high frame rate, but it is not indicative of CPU saturation; rather, it shows the GPU is still working hard. The 5800XT's Passmark single-thread score of 3538 and multithread score of 27988 indicate it can handle game logic and draw calls with ease. Compared to its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE is 0.1% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is 0.3% faster, showing this chip sits at the top of its immediate competitive bracket. The 32 MB of L3 cache also helps keep frequently accessed data close, reducing latency that could otherwise impact frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios. However, in Minimum, the frame rate is dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities, not the CPU's processing power. The 5800XT is essentially a silent partner, providing a stable platform that never introduces a bottleneck.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is the clear performance limiter in this combination. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost of 1770 MHz. Based on the Turing architecture (TU116 chip), it supports DirectX 12 and Vulkan 1.4, which are relevant for a modern install of Minimum. The GPU's Passmark G3D score is 12871, placing it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, exactly in the middle of the pack.

This mid-range positioning is reflected in the measured FPS. The GPU’s 1536 shading units and 48 ROPs are sufficient for 1080p gaming, but the 6 GB VRAM capacity becomes a concern at higher resolutions. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, with an Ultra average of only 22 FPS. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 570X, is 0.4% faster, and the NVIDIA Tesla K10 is 0.7% slower, indicating the 1660 Ti is in a dense performance cluster. The 120 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU also indicate this is a low-power, entry-level solution. In Minimum, the GPU's compute throughput (5.437 TFLOPS FP32) is the primary constraint, and the measured FPS scales directly with the resolution and settings load placed upon it.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo playable at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 83.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is a strong result for a mid-range GPU.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: Only at the lowest settings. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 45.2. At Medium, it drops to 35 FPS, and at High it falls to 33 FPS. At Ultra, the average FPS is 22, which is not a playable experience.

Q: How does the CPU affect the performance at 1080p Low?

A: The CPU provides enough headroom to not be a limiting factor. The 135.4 FPS average at 1080p Low is a GPU-bound result, as the Ryzen 7 5800XT's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 score of 3359) is more than sufficient for this game's engine.

Q: What is the most balanced setting for 1440p?

A: The data suggests Medium settings are the best compromise for 1440p. The average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 62.9, which is just above 60 FPS. High settings drop to 55.1 FPS, which is still playable but less consistent.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1504 out of 1733 tested combinations. This places it in the lower 15% of all system pairings, reflecting the GPU's mid-range standing despite the high-end CPU.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 Ti's 6 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, for this older title. The VRAM usage is not the primary limiting factor at 1080p and 1440p based on the performance scaling. The GPU's raw compute power is more of a bottleneck than its memory capacity, as evidenced by the large FPS drop between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame places this pairing at 1504 out of 1733 tested combinations. This is a low ranking, indicating that most other CPU and GPU pairings deliver higher average frame rates in Minimum. The primary reason for this is the GTX 1660 Ti. While the CPU is in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, the GPU is only in the 55th percentile. This creates a significant imbalance where the system's overall performance is dragged down by the graphics card.

The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 5800XT is overkill for this GPU. The system would likely rank higher if paired with a more powerful GPU, or the same ranking could be achieved with a much cheaper CPU. The 1504 rank is a reflection of the GPU's mid-range compute capabilities (Passmark G3D score of 12871) being the limiting factor, not the CPU's ability to feed it frames. This is a classic case of a CPU-heavy pairing that does not leverage the processor's full potential in a GPU-bound scenario like Minimum at high settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a steep drop as resolution increases, which is a clear indicator of a GPU-bound system. At Low settings, the average FPS scales from 135.4 at 1080p, to 85.1 at 1440p, and finally to 45.2 at 4K. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. This is a consistent and predictable pattern for a GPU that is being pushed to its limits.

At Ultra settings, the drop is even more pronounced. The average FPS goes from 63.7 at 1080p, to 41.4 at 1440p, and then to 22 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling, as it shows the GPU is completely saturated. The scaling factor from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is a 65% reduction in frame rate. This steep curve suggests that the 6 GB of VRAM and the 192-bit memory bus are insufficient for the higher pixel count and texture detail at 4K. The CPU is not the cause of this drop; the Ryzen 7 5800XT's performance is constant regardless of resolution. The limiting component is unambiguously the GTX 1660 Ti, as its fillrate and shading power cannot keep up with the increased pixel workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across all standard settings and resolutions.

1920x1080 (1080p):

At Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 135.4 FPS. This is the highest result in the entire dataset. At Medium settings, the average drops to 102.5 FPS. At High settings, the average is 83.3 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average falls to 63.7 FPS. This shows a clear 71.7 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, indicating the GPU is sensitive to graphical fidelity.

2560x1440 (1440p):

At Low settings, the average FPS is 85.1. At Medium settings, it is 62.9 FPS. At High settings, the average is 55.1 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average drops to 41.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 43.7 FPS. The 1440p results show the system is still capable of 60+ FPS at Medium, but it falls below the 60 FPS threshold at High and Ultra.

3840x2160 (4K):

At Low settings, the average FPS is 45.2. At Medium settings, it is 35 FPS. At High settings, the average is 33 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average is 22 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 23.2 FPS. None of the 4K results are above 60 FPS, and only the Low setting achieves a playable 45 FPS average. The Ultra setting at 22 FPS is effectively unplayable.

This breakdown confirms the system's identity: a 1080p gaming machine. The 5800XT's power is wasted at 4K, as the GTX 1660 Ti simply cannot process the frame data fast enough. For a 2014 title like Minimum, the 1080p results are excellent, but the 4K results are a clear indication of the GPU's limitations.