Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination delivers a robust performance profile in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. With a combo rank of 1173 out of 3712 tested configurations, this pairing places itself in the upper third of all systems, demonstrating a strong balance between the 8-core/16-thread Zen 5 processor and the RDNA 2-based graphics card. The measured frame rates across resolutions indicate that this pairing excels at high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, while maintaining playability at 4K with adjusted settings. The data suggests a system that is well-matched for the game’s engine, with the GPU becoming the primary scaling factor as resolution increases, while the CPU provides ample headroom to drive high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 166 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average drops to 107 FPS, a reduction of 59 FPS or approximately 35.5%. At 4K, the average falls further to 58 FPS, representing a 45.8% decrease from the 1440p result and a 65.1% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern indicates that the rendering load is scaling directly with pixel count, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p, the difference between Low (259 FPS) and Ultra (127 FPS) is 132 FPS, a 51% reduction. At 1440p, the spread is 85 FPS (167 to 82), and at 4K, the spread narrows to 46 FPS (90 to 44). The narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU’s compute and memory throughput are becoming the limiting factor, as the additional pixel fill rate demands more from the Radeon RX 6800 XT’s 128 ROPs and 512.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The 4K Ultra result of 44 FPS, while playable, shows a significant strain on the GPU, whereas the 1080p Ultra result of 127 FPS indicates that the CPU (AMD Ryzen 7 9700X) is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions.

This scaling behavior leads to the conclusion that the limiting component shifts depending on the resolution. At 1080p, where the CPU’s 5.50 GHz boost clock and high single-thread performance can push frame rates beyond 250 FPS on Low settings, the system is balanced but leans towards a CPU-bound scenario at extreme frame rates. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, as evidenced by the more gradual FPS drops between settings tiers. The data shows that for 4K gaming, users must compromise on settings to achieve smooth performance, with Medium settings yielding 69 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT plays a pivotal role in this combo’s performance, particularly in how its memory configuration and clock speeds influence the results. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. This substantial memory bandwidth is critical for handling the texture and geometry data at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the 4K results. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 69 with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 79, suggesting that the memory subsystem is adequately feeding the GPU’s 4608 shading units. The fact that the 4K High result (58 FPS) is only 11 FPS lower than Medium (69 FPS) suggests that the additional texture filtering and shading work at High settings are not saturating the memory bandwidth, but rather the compute units.

The GPU’s clock speeds also contribute to the observed scaling. With a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, the RX 6800 XT can dynamically adjust its frequency based on thermal and power headroom. The game clock of 2015 MHz represents the typical sustained frequency under load. In a 2014 title like Minimum, which is not particularly demanding by modern standards, the GPU is likely sustaining near-boost clocks for extended periods. This is reflected in the 1440p results, where High settings produce 107 FPS and Low settings produce 167 FPS, indicating that the GPU’s raw compute power (20.74 TFLOPS FP32) is sufficient to handle the game’s DirectX 12 rendering pipeline efficiently.

Interestingly, the GPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals shows a tight grouping. The RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 48477, which is 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (47743) but 2.5% lower than the Intel Arc A550M (49737). This indicates that while the GPU is not the absolute fastest in its class, it is positioned competitively. In Minimum, this translates to the GPU being able to deliver 90 FPS at 4K Low, which is a strong result for a demanding resolution. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is also noteworthy, as it exceeds the requirements of a game from 2014, ensuring that texture memory is never a limiting factor even at Ultra settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 259, achieved with Low settings. This demonstrates the CPU’s capability to drive very high frame rates when the GPU load is minimal.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with default High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 58. This is below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that users may need to lower settings to Medium (69 FPS) for a smoother experience.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Medium and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 128 FPS, while Ultra delivers 82 FPS. This represents a 46 FPS difference, or a 35.9% reduction in performance when moving to the highest quality settings.

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

A: The data shows a strong performance at both resolutions. At 1080p, the combo exceeds 127 FPS on all settings, while at 1440p, it exceeds 82 FPS on all settings. The choice depends on the user’s preference for frame rate versus resolution, but both are viable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Does the GPU’s VRAM capacity of 16 GB impact the game’s performance?

A: Given that Minimum was released in 2014, its VRAM requirements are modest. The 16 GB GDDR6 memory is more than sufficient, and the data shows no signs of memory-related stuttering or performance degradation, even at 4K Ultra (44 FPS average).

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

A: The combo ranks 1173 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the 68.4th percentile of all systems tested for this game. This indicates a solidly above-average configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1173 out of 3712 tested combinations places it in the upper third of all systems benchmarked for Minimum. This percentile position suggests that the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is well above the median system, but it is not among the elite tier of high-end configurations. The CPU’s percentile rank of 86 among all CPUs indicates that the processor is a top-tier component, while the GPU’s percentile rank of 85 among all GPUs shows similar excellence. However, the combo rank of 1173, which is lower than the individual component percentiles would suggest, implies that the game’s performance is not solely dependent on these two components, and other factors such as memory speed and storage may play a role.

When compared to the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 9700X holds a slight edge. It has an average benchmark score of 37943, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i9-14901E and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core 5 211E. This marginal difference indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. Similarly, the GPU’s nearest rivals show a tight clustering, with the RX 6800 XT being 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile but 3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. This suggests that the combo’s ranking is more influenced by the GPU’s performance ceiling than the CPU’s, which is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis.

The rank position also highlights the age of the GPU in this context. The RX 6800 XT was released in 2020, and while it remains a capable card, newer GPUs like the RTX 5070 Ti (which is 3% faster on average) have surpassed it. For Minimum, a game from 2014, this means that the combo is likely overkill for the game’s requirements, but the rank reflects that there are still faster configurations available. The data shows that the combo’s performance is solidly in the upper echelon, making it a reliable choice for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and acceptable 4K performance with settings adjustments.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset is the best balance, delivering an average of 166 FPS. This is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor, and the 59 FPS difference between High and Ultra (127 FPS) suggests that the visual quality gains from Ultra are not worth the performance hit. The Low preset at 1080p (259 FPS) is only useful for competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized over visual fidelity, but the High preset offers a more immersive experience without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, providing an average of 128 FPS with a minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 147 FPS. This ensures a consistently smooth experience even in demanding scenes. The High preset at 1440p (107 FPS) is also viable and offers better visual quality, but the 21 FPS difference between Medium and High may be noticeable to users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p (82 FPS) is only recommended for users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, as it still clears the 60 FPS threshold.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the only recommended option, yielding an average of 69 FPS. This provides a playable experience, albeit with some potential for frame rate dips (minimum 59 FPS). The High preset at 4K (58 FPS) is borderline and may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced action, while the Ultra preset (44 FPS) is not recommended for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 4K (90 FPS) is a viable alternative for users who want high frame rates at 4K, but it sacrifices most visual enhancements. Overall, the data suggests that Medium settings at 1440p provide the best overall experience, balancing visual quality and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are:

• Low: 259 FPS average
• Medium: 198 FPS average, with a minimum of 168 FPS and a maximum of 228 FPS
• High: 166 FPS average
• Ultra: 127 FPS average

These results show a monotonic decrease in performance as settings increase, with a 132 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum of 168 FPS indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the combo maintains a very high frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: 167 FPS average
• Medium: 128 FPS average, with a minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 147 FPS
• High: 107 FPS average
• Ultra: 82 FPS average

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows an average FPS reduction of approximately 35.5% across all settings, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. The Medium preset’s minimum of 109 FPS ensures that the experience remains smooth, while the Ultra preset’s 82 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 90 FPS average
• Medium: 69 FPS average, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS
• High: 58 FPS average
• Ultra: 44 FPS average

The 4K results show a more pronounced drop, with the High and Ultra presets falling below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset’s minimum of 59 FPS is just below 60, indicating that there may be occasional dips. The Low preset (90 FPS) is the only 4K option that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X plays a crucial role in ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data, particularly at lower resolutions. With 8 cores and 16 threads, the CPU offers substantial multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20485 and Geekbench multicore score of 17906. The processor’s base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz provide excellent single-thread performance, which is critical for games like Minimum that may rely on a few primary threads. The Passmark single-thread score of 4654 and the 3DMark single-thread score of 1280 confirm this strength.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates are high enough to potentially become CPU-bound. The 1080p Low result of 259 FPS demonstrates the CPU’s ability to process game logic and issue draw calls at a very high rate. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9824 and max-thread score of 9771 indicate that the CPU can scale well with multi-threaded workloads, but the game’s engine likely benefits more from the high single-thread performance. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2525 is particularly relevant, as it shows strong performance in lightly-threaded scenarios.

The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB L2 cache per core provide low-latency access to frequently used data, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times. The processor’s 65W TDP and 4nm process node also ensure that it does not thermally throttle under sustained gaming loads, allowing it to maintain its boost clock of 5.50 GHz. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 9700X holds a marginal lead, with an average benchmark score of 37943, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i9-14901E. This indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration, and the overall performance is limited by the GPU at higher resolutions, as shown in the resolution scaling analysis.