Minimum

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael, built on TSMC's 5 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 105 W TDP. The processor features a 32 MB shared L3 cache, alongside 1 MB L2 cache per core and 64 KB L1 cache per core. The chip supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, offering a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU.

In the context of Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014, the CPU's thread management and single-core performance are critical factors. Benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 1090 in 3DMark and 1987 in Cinebench R23 single-core, indicating strong per-core throughput. This matters because the game's engine, while not new, still relies heavily on primary thread performance for game logic and physics. The 16 threads available through simultaneous multithreading provide ample headroom for background tasks and streaming without causing frame-pacing issues.

The 3DMark multi-threaded scores reveal scaling behavior: the 8-thread score of 7057 is close to the 16-thread score of 8852, suggesting that the game's workload does not fully saturate all 16 threads. The 4-thread score of 4074 and 2-thread score of 2112 indicate that the first few threads scale almost linearly, which is typical for games of this era. The processor's passmark multithread score of 35686 and multi-core Geekbench score of 12451 further confirm its ability to handle heavy concurrent loads, but the game's measured FPS suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The processor sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35909. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (avg score 35802, delta +0.3%), Intel Core 7 250H (avg score 35728, delta +0.5%), and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 (avg score 35719, delta +0.5%). These deltas are minimal, meaning the 7700X offers no significant advantage over these peers in synthetic workloads, but in Minimum, the actual FPS numbers show that the CPU's performance is more than sufficient to feed the GPU.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved by this combo in Minimum?*

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 354 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the ceiling of the measured data, showing that the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER can push very high frame rates at the lowest quality preset.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 60. Given that the CPU has significant headroom (as shown by its high multi-thread scores), the GPU is the primary limiter at this resolution and settings combination. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB VRAM and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized.

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

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, while its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, scores 54247, representing a delta of -0.1%. This means the SUPER variant is essentially on par with the non-SUPER version in average synthetic tests, despite its higher boost clock.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: The Medium preset provides both minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1920x1080, the range is 230-312 FPS with an average of 271. At 2560x1440, the range is 149-201 FPS with an average of 175. At 3840x2160, the range is 80-108 FPS with an average of 94. This shows tighter relative variance at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER a good match for the Ryzen 7 7700X in this game?

A: The data shows a balanced pairing. At 1440p High, the combo achieves 147 FPS, and at 1080p High, it reaches 228 FPS. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking among their respective categories indicate that both components are high-end, and the measured FPS reflects a system that is not bottlenecked at most settings.

Q: What does the combo rank of 311 out of 3712 signify?

A: This rank places the combination in the top 8.4% of all tested combos in Minimum. It indicates that this specific CPU-GPU pairing outperforms the vast majority of other combinations in the database, though it is not the absolute top performer.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the rate of degradation varies by settings preset. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 354 at 1080p to 228 at 1440p (a 35.6% decrease), and then to 123 at 4K (a 46.1% decrease from 1440p). This steep drop indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is becoming increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

At High settings, the scaling is more moderate: 228 FPS at 1080p, falling to 147 FPS at 1440p (35.5% decrease), and then to 79 FPS at 4K (46.3% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and High presets suggests that the GPU's rendering workload scales almost linearly with resolution, independent of the quality preset.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend: 271 FPS at 1080p, 175 FPS at 1440p (35.4% decrease), and 94 FPS at 4K (46.3% decrease). The Ultra preset, however, exhibits a different behavior: 173 FPS at 1080p, 112 FPS at 1440p (35.3% decrease), and 60 FPS at 4K (46.4% decrease). The relative drop from 1440p to 4K is consistent across all presets.

This data indicates that the limiting component shifts as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance (score of 1090 in 3DMark) is sufficient to drive high frame rates, but the GPU still manages to keep up without becoming the bottleneck. At 4K, the GPU's pixel fill rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s are being taxed heavily, resulting in the 60 FPS average at Ultra. The CPU's 16 threads and high boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide enough headroom that it does not become the primary limiter even at 1080p Low, where the 354 FPS average is achieved.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides four presets across three resolutions. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 1440p offers the most compelling experience. At 147 FPS average, this combination delivers smooth gameplay with high detail. The step up to Ultra at 1440p yields 112 FPS, which is still playable, but the visual improvement may not justify the 23.8% performance loss.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p achieves 354 FPS, which is well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. However, this sacrifices visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p, at 271 FPS, provides a good middle ground for competitive play, with the measured minimum of 230 FPS ensuring consistent frame pacing.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 94 FPS is the most viable option, as the Low preset at 123 FPS looks noticeably worse but only offers a 30.9% improvement. The Ultra preset at 60 FPS is the minimum acceptable for smooth gameplay, but the High preset at 79 FPS provides better visual quality than Medium while maintaining a playable frame rate.

The data suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot for this combination. Across all three resolutions, High offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium while staying within 14-17% of Medium's frame rates. At 1440p High, the 147 FPS average is high enough for most high-refresh-rate displays, and at 1080p High, the 228 FPS average exceeds the needs of 240 Hz monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a combo rank of 311 out of 3712 tested combinations in Minimum. This places it in the top 8.4% of all systems in the database. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking among their respective categories align well with this overall combo rank, suggesting that both components perform consistently relative to their peers.

The RTX 4080 SUPER's nearest rival, the RTX 4080, has an average score of 54247, which is just 0.1% higher. This means that in synthetic benchmarks, the two GPUs are nearly identical. However, the measured FPS in Minimum reflects the actual in-game performance, which shows that this combo is well-positioned among high-end systems.

The CPU's nearest rivals — the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, Core 7 250H, and Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 — all have average scores within 0.7% of the 7700X. This indicates that the CPU does not provide a distinct advantage over these alternatives in synthetic workloads. The combo rank of 311 suggests that the GPU plays a more significant role in determining the final in-game performance, as the CPU's performance is closely matched by several alternatives.

The measured FPS numbers, particularly the 354 FPS at 1080p Low, demonstrate that this combo can push frame rates that are only achievable with top-tier hardware. The rank of 311 out of 3712 means that there are 310 combinations that perform better, likely featuring more powerful GPUs such as the RTX 4090 or newer generations, but this combo remains in the top tier of what is currently available.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average FPS: Low settings at 354 FPS, Medium settings at 271 FPS (with a minimum of 230 FPS and maximum of 312 FPS), High settings at 228 FPS, and Ultra settings at 173 FPS. These numbers show a clear hierarchy where each step up in quality costs roughly 20-25% performance, with the largest drop occurring between Medium and High (15.9%).

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally: Low settings at 228 FPS, Medium settings at 175 FPS (minimum 149 FPS, maximum 201 FPS), High settings at 147 FPS, and Ultra settings at 112 FPS. The relative differences between presets remain consistent, with Ultra being 50.9% slower than Low at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly: Low settings at 123 FPS, Medium settings at 94 FPS (minimum 80 FPS, maximum 108 FPS), High settings at 79 FPS, and Ultra settings at 60 FPS. At this resolution, the gap between Low and Ultra is 51.2%, which is slightly larger than at 1440p, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s and 16 GB VRAM capacity are being stressed.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the 230 FPS minimum ensures no noticeable stuttering. At 1440p, the 149 FPS minimum is still above 144 Hz refresh rates. At 4K, the 80 FPS minimum is slightly below the 94 FPS average, indicating some frame time variance but still a playable experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using the AD103 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It operates with a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2550 MHz, with memory running at 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective). The card features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial: 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 80 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores. It delivers a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 52.22 TFLOPS. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with Minimum's rendering requirements.

In the context of Minimum, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's textures, even at 4K Ultra settings. The 736.3 GB/s memory bandwidth allows for high texture throughput, which is evident in the measured FPS at 4K Medium (94 FPS) and 4K High (79 FPS). The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54209, places it near the top of the performance spectrum.

The RTX 4080 SUPER's nearest rivals show minimal performance differences: the RTX 4080 is 0.1% faster, the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.7% faster, with the AMD Radeon 8060S at 2.8% faster. These deltas indicate that the SUPER variant is not the absolute fastest GPU available, but it sits in a performance tier where small differences do not translate into significant FPS changes in Minimum.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at 4K, where the frame rates drop to 60-123 FPS depending on settings. At 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to achieve 354 FPS at Low settings, indicating that the CPU is not holding it back. The card's 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler design are consistent with its high-performance positioning, and the 1x 16-pin power connector with a 700 W suggested PSU provides ample power delivery for sustained gaming sessions.