Minimum

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER in Minimum reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p, the combo delivers 188 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 121 FPS at 1440p and 65 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35.6% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 46.3% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The steep decline indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel throughput demand outpaces the GPU's rendering capacity.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. On High settings, the average FPS falls from 121 at 1080p to 78 at 1440p (a 35.5% drop) and then to 42 at 4K (a 46.2% drop from 1440p). Medium settings show 144 FPS at 1080p, 93 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. The scaling pattern is nearly identical regardless of quality preset, which strongly suggests that the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth are the constraints, not the CPU or the game's engine logic.

Ultra settings provide the clearest evidence of GPU limitation. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is barely playable, while 1440p Ultra reaches 59 FPS and 1080p Ultra hits 92 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution is substantial — 96 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K — indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER's shader throughput and texture units are heavily taxed by the higher-quality presets.

What makes this data particularly informative is that the Ryzen 7 9700F is clearly not the bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect the FPS to plateau at higher resolutions rather than continue dropping. Instead, the consistent proportional declines point to the GPU as the limiting component. The 8-core, 16-thread Zen 5 processor with a 5.50 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom, evidenced by the fact that even at 1080p Low — the most CPU-intensive scenario — the combo still achieves 188 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Minimum?*

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. High settings at 1440p deliver 78 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while 4K High only reaches 42 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset at 93 FPS offers an even higher margin for demanding scenes.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20,282. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, scores 20,480, which is 1% higher. The Intel Arc B570 scores 20,556 (1.3% higher), and the Intel Arc A750 scores 20,582 (1.5% higher). All four GPUs are within a 1.5% performance band, indicating near-identical raw compute capability.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700F a strong CPU relative to other processors?

A: Yes. The Ryzen 7 9700F ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69,996. It sits within 0.9% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515) and is virtually tied with the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163, 0.2% higher). This places it firmly in high-end desktop territory.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p with this combo?

A: The measured data shows 188 FPS on Low, 144 FPS on Medium, 121 FPS on High, and 92 FPS on Ultra at 1920x1080. The Medium preset also has a recorded minimum of 122 FPS and maximum of 165 FPS, indicating stable frame times.

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

A: Technically yes, but with compromises. At 4K, the combo achieves 65 FPS on Low, 50 FPS on Medium, 42 FPS on High, and 32 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low preset reaches a comfortable 60 FPS. The Medium preset provides a playable 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS, but the Ultra preset dips below the 30 FPS threshold in demanding moments.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score translate to gaming performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F scores 4,691 in single-thread tests and 36,470 in multithread tests. Its floating-point math score is 77,955, and integer math is 120,788. These scores indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for game physics and draw call processing, though the FPS data shows the GPU is the limiting factor in Minimum.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 architecture processor built on TSMC's 4 nm process node. It features 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a 32 MB shared L3 cache, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 80 KB of L1 per core. Its memory bandwidth is rated at 89.6 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with geometry, physics calculations, and game logic. The measured FPS data indicates that the Ryzen 7 9700F is more than adequate for this task. At 1080p Low, where CPU overhead is highest relative to GPU load, the combo still achieves 188 FPS. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would see diminishing returns when lowering resolution or settings, but the data shows consistent scaling that tracks with GPU workload.

The CPU's benchmark profile supports this interpretation. Its single-thread score of 4,691 places it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, and its multithread score of 36,470 reflects strong multi-core capability. The nearest rivals — AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875 average, 0.2% lower), Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163, 0.2% higher), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515, 0.7% lower), and Intel Core i7-14700K (69,355, 0.9% lower) — are all within 1% of the 9700F's average score of 69,996.

The 65W TDP of the Ryzen 7 9700F is notably low for a processor with this performance level, which suggests thermal headroom for sustained boost clocks. The 5.50 GHz boost clock is the highest among its nearest rivals, and this high frequency directly benefits frame pacing in CPU-light scenarios. The processor's 4 nm process node and 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die indicate a dense, efficient design that contributes to its strong single-thread performance.

In Minimum, the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are likely underutilized, as the game's third-person shooter mechanics typically rely more on single-thread performance. However, the high boost clock ensures that even if the game spawns background threads for streaming or AI, the main game thread has access to fast, responsive cores. The measured FPS deltas between settings presets — e.g., 92 FPS at 1080p Ultra versus 188 FPS at 1080p Low — are entirely attributable to GPU workload, not CPU limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 188 FPS, while Medium averages 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 and maximum of 165. High settings average 121 FPS, and Ultra drops to 92 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 96 FPS spread, with each settings tier costing roughly 20-40% of the previous tier's performance.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 121 FPS on Low, 93 FPS on Medium (minimum 79, maximum 106), 78 FPS on High, and 59 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 62 FPS, reflecting the GPU's increased workload at higher pixel counts. The Medium preset's minimum of 79 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, the combo maintains a smooth experience at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 65 FPS, Medium averages 50 FPS (minimum 42, maximum 57), High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 42 FPS is the only sub-50 FPS frame time recorded in the data, suggesting that 4K Medium is playable but with occasional dips. The Ultra preset at 32 FPS is borderline, and the jump from Low to Ultra at 4K costs 33 FPS — the smallest absolute delta across all resolutions, confirming the GPU is saturated.

Comparing across resolutions for the same settings: High settings scale from 121 FPS (1080p) to 78 FPS (1440p) to 42 FPS (4K). Low settings scale from 188 FPS to 121 FPS to 65 FPS. Medium settings scale from 144 FPS to 93 FPS to 50 FPS. Ultra settings scale from 92 FPS to 59 FPS to 32 FPS. The consistent ~35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~46% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings confirms that resolution, not settings, is the dominant performance factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combo ranks 1,659 out of 2,939 tested combinations in Minimum. This places it in the 43.5th percentile of all tested combos, meaning roughly 44% of combinations perform worse and 56% perform better. The rank reflects the RTX 2070 SUPER's age — it was released in 2019 and is now end-of-life — rather than the CPU's capability.

The CPU's percentile rank of 94 among all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's percentile rank of 65 among all GPUs. This mismatch indicates that the combo's overall ranking is dragged down by the GPU. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 2070 SUPER's average score of 20,282 is within 1.5% of its nearest rivals (Quadro M4000M, RTX 3070 Mobile, Arc B570, Arc A750), all of which are mid-range to upper-mid-range parts. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 18,169 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,651 confirm its mid-range positioning.

The combo's rank of 1,659 out of 2,939 suggests that in Minimum, this configuration is positioned in the middle of the pack. The CPU's strong single-thread and multithread scores cannot compensate for the GPU's limited pixel throughput at higher resolutions. However, the measured FPS data shows that the combo is fully capable of delivering high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, which is where most gamers likely operate.

The delta between the CPU's performance percentile (94th) and the combo's overall game rank (43.5th) is a clear signal that the GPU is the limiting factor. If the combo were paired with a stronger GPU, the ranking would improve substantially. Conversely, pairing this CPU with a weaker GPU would likely yield similar game performance, as the CPU has significant headroom in this workload.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 121 FPS offers the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset at 92 FPS is also viable, especially for players with 144Hz displays who favor image quality over maximum frame rates. The Medium preset at 144 FPS is the optimal choice for competitive play, providing a 22 FPS advantage over High while still looking respectable. The Low preset at 188 FPS is unnecessary for most scenarios, as the Medium preset's minimum of 122 FPS already exceeds most display refresh rates.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 93 FPS is the recommended choice. It delivers a 15 FPS advantage over High (78 FPS) while maintaining a minimum of 79 FPS, which keeps frame times well within acceptable bounds. The High preset at 78 FPS is a solid alternative for players who prioritize visual fidelity and have adaptive sync displays. The Ultra preset at 59 FPS is borderline — it dips below 60 FPS, which may cause perceptible stutter on standard 60Hz displays. The Low preset at 121 FPS is overkill for the visual compromise it requires.

At 4K, the Low preset at 65 FPS is the only setting that consistently maintains 60+ FPS. The Medium preset at 50 FPS is playable but will exhibit noticeable frame pacing issues, particularly its 42 FPS minimum. The High preset at 42 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are not recommended for anything beyond static screenshots. For 4K gaming, players should either accept the Low preset's visual trade-offs or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p with High settings for a better overall experience.

The best overall experience in Minimum with this combo is 1440p Medium, which balances visual quality, frame rate stability, and the GPU's capabilities. The 93 FPS average with a 79 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay in all but the most demanding scenes. For players with 144Hz monitors, 1080p Medium at 144 FPS is the superior choice, as it fully utilizes the display's refresh rate while maintaining consistent frame times (122-165 FPS range).