Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination ranks 1538th out of 1733 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This is a low position, but the data suggests it stems primarily from the graphics card, which sits at the 55th percentile among all GPUs, rather than the processor, which falls in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. The pairing creates a significant bottleneck, where the CPU’s potential is largely untapped in this third-person shooter.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1538 out of 1733 indicates that most other tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates in Minimum. This is not a surprise given the pairing’s asymmetry. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-end desktop processor with an average benchmark score of 36029, while the GTX 1660 SUPER is a mid-range, end-of-life graphics card with an average score of 14286. The data strongly implies the GPU is the limiting factor in nearly all scenarios. When comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tight cluster: the Intel Core i5-14500HX is 0.2% faster, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is 0.6% faster, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is 0.4% slower and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is 0.8% slower. These tiny deltas confirm that the CPU is not the source of the combo’s low ranking. The performance ceiling is defined by the GPU, which sits just above the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (0.2% faster) and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (0.2% faster) in its own benchmarks, though it trails the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT by 0.7%.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the TU116 chip using a 12 nm process, featuring 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. Its memory subsystem consists of 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1530 MHz and boosts to 1785 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). These specifications translate to a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS. In Minimum, the GPU’s 6 GB VRAM appears sufficient, as the measured FPS scales predictably with settings. However, the card’s age shows at higher resolutions; at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 20.7, which is barely playable. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 12699 places it at the 55th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all integrated or low-end discrete solutions, underscoring that this is a modest performer by current standards. The lack of ray tracing or tensor cores means the card relies purely on rasterization, which is fine for a 2014 title like Minimum but limits future-proofing.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 (Granite Ridge) processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on a 4 nm TSMC process. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 via a dual-channel bus, offering 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU excels: it scores 31588 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4459 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 17002. Its PassMark multi-thread score is 37161, and it achieves 437140 in data compression tests. The CPU’s performance in Minimum is largely irrelevant, as the measured FPS is constrained by the GPU. For instance, at 1080p Low, the combo hits 134 FPS, but this is likely a GPU limit, not a CPU one, given the CPU’s massive headroom. The 16 threads are overkill for a game from 2014, but the high single-core performance (PassMark single-thread score of 4654) ensures no CPU-bound stalls at lower resolutions. The data suggests the CPU is waiting on the GPU in every measured scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the combo shows a clear pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 63.8 at Ultra to 134 at Low, with High at 83.9 and Medium at 100.3. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop: Low produces 84.5 FPS, High 56.6, Medium 63.7, and Ultra 39.6. At 3840x2160, the numbers fall further: Low averages 43.4 FPS, Medium 36.4, High 28.9, and Ultra 20.7. The scaling is not linear. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the drop is 49.5 FPS (134 to 84.5), a 37% reduction. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, the drop is 41.1 FPS (84.5 to 43.4), a 49% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop from 1080p (63.8) to 1440p (39.6) is 24.2 FPS, and to 4K (20.7) is 43.1 FPS. The deltas indicate that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are stressed by higher resolutions, especially at Ultra where the 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are pushed to their limits. The 1080p results are the only ones that approach smooth gameplay across all settings, with even Ultra maintaining above 60 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings achieve playable frame rates, with Ultra averaging 63.8 FPS and Low reaching 134 FPS.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 36029, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-14500HX (35940) and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (35802), but 0.4% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (36165).

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 55th percentile, and the FPS drops significantly at higher resolutions, indicating GPU limits.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s and an effective clock of 14 Gbps.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 20.7 at Ultra to 43.4 at Low, making 4K playable only at Low settings.

Q: What are the CPU’s core and clock specifications?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the ideal settings depend on the target refresh rate. For 1080p, the High preset (83.9 FPS) offers a good balance, but Ultra (63.8 FPS) is still viable for 60 Hz displays. At 1440p, Medium (63.7 FPS) is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS, while High (56.6 FPS) and Ultra (39.6 FPS) dip below that threshold. For 4K, only Low (43.4 FPS) approaches playability, with Medium (36.4 FPS) and above falling into slideshow territory. The data suggests that for a smooth experience, users should prioritize Medium at 1440p or High at 1080p. The GPU’s 6 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at these settings, as the FPS differences are consistent with compute and bandwidth scaling rather than memory capacity issues. The Ultra preset at any resolution is the least efficient, providing diminishing returns in visual quality for a significant FPS cost, as seen by the 30 FPS drop from High to Ultra at 1440p.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the GPU’s limitations. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 134 at 1080p to 84.5 at 1440p (a 49.5 FPS drop) and then to 43.4 at 4K (a 41.1 FPS drop from 1440p). At Ultra, the drop is steeper: 63.8 at 1080p, 39.6 at 1440p, and 20.7 at 4K. The percentage reduction from 1080p to 4K is 67.6% for Low (134 to 43.4) and 67.5% for Ultra (63.8 to 20.7). This consistent ~67% reduction across settings indicates that the GPU’s pixel processing and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, not the CPU. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its high single-thread score of 4459 in Cinebench R23, could easily drive higher frame rates if the GPU were faster. The data implies that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, and any attempt to push higher resolutions will result in severe FPS penalties. The scaling pattern also suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER’s 336.0 GB/s bandwidth is saturated at 4K, as the FPS at that resolution barely reaches playable levels even at Low. For a 2014 game, this is a clear sign that the GPU is a legacy component, while the CPU is overqualified for the task.