Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a top-tier combination for the 2014 third-person shooter Minimum. Measured frame rates across three resolutions and four presets show this combo ranks 48th out of 1,733 tested combinations, placing it in the top 2.8% of all systems evaluated. The data indicates a system that can push well beyond 60 FPS at 4K and exceed 300 FPS at 1080p on lower presets, making it a strong choice for high-refresh-rate displays.

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

The Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) built on a 4 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and boosts up to 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it includes a Radeon Graphics iGPU, though the discrete RTX 4090 handles all rendering here.

In Minimum, a game from 2014, the CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The 9700X scores 1,280 in 3DMark single-thread, 4,459 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 3,353 in Geekbench single-core, and 4,654 in Passmark single-thread. These are strong numbers, and they translate directly to high frame rates at lower resolutions where the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 393.4 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can show, indicating the CPU is not a bottleneck at that setting. The 8-core/16-thread configuration also provides ample multi-threaded headroom, with Cinebench R23 multi-core scoring 31,588 and Passmark multithread at 37,161, but a 2014 shooter rarely uses more than a few threads, so the single-core strength matters more.

The CPU's overall standing is solid. It holds the 89th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 36,029. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.8% of that score: the Intel Core i5-14500HX is 0.2% lower, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is 0.6% lower, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is 0.4% higher and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is 0.8% higher. This places the 9700X in a tight competitive band, but its high boost clock and efficient architecture make it a capable partner for the RTX 4090 in this game.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 4090 ranks 48th out of 1,733 tested combinations in Minimum. That puts it in the top 2.8% of all systems, a position that reflects the GPU's dominance more than the CPU's. The RTX 4090 sits at the 91st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66,473. Its nearest rivals are all within 1.3%: the NVIDIA Tesla T4 is 0.4% higher, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 is 0.9% higher, and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 is 1.3% higher, while the NVIDIA Tesla P40 is 0.5% lower. The 9700X, at the 89th percentile, is also a strong performer, but the GPU is the clear driver of this combo's high rank.

Only 47 other combinations outperform this pairing in the game's measured results. That means the 9700X + RTX 4090 is among the fastest setups tested, and it will deliver exceptional frame rates in Minimum at any resolution. The rank is based on measured FPS data, not synthetic benchmarks, so it directly reflects real-world performance in this specific title. For a 2014 game, this combo is overkill in the best sense—it leaves no performance on the table.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern as resolution increases. At High settings, the combo delivers 256.8 FPS at 1080p, 161.6 FPS at 1440p, and 89.7 FPS at 4K. That is a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p (256.8 to 161.6) and a further 44% drop from 1440p to 4K (161.6 to 89.7). The same trend appears across all presets: at Low, 393.4 → 251.4 → 133.9; at Medium, 300.3 → 196.6 → 102.3; at Ultra, 191.3 → 122.2 → 66.0. The percentage drops are remarkably consistent—roughly 36% from 1080p to 1440p and 45% from 1440p to 4K—which indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push very high frame rates, as seen in the 393.4 FPS at Low. As resolution climbs, the GPU's workload increases, and the FPS falls proportionally. This is classic GPU-bound behavior. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for a 2014 title, but the sheer pixel count at 4K still taxes the GPU. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K, where the 9700X's single-thread strength is less critical. The data suggests that for maximum frame rates, lowering resolution is the most effective lever, but even at 4K Ultra the combo maintains 66 FPS, which is playable.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700X compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The 9700X scores 36,029, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-14500HX (35,940) and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (35,802). It is 0.4% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (36,165) and 0.8% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H (36,328).

Q: What is the RTX 4090's memory configuration?

A: The GPU has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The memory clock is 1313 MHz, which translates to 21 Gbps effective.

*Q: What is the combo's rank in Minimum?*

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X + RTX 4090 ranks 48th out of 1,733 tested combinations, placing it in the top 2.8% of all systems.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X boosts up to 5.50 GHz, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz.

Q: What is the GPU's TDP?

A: The RTX 4090 has a TDP of 450 W, and the suggested power supply is 850 W.

Q: What is the CPU's L3 cache size?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has 32 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 1 MB of L2 per core and 80 KB of L1 per core.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip on a 5 nm process. It has 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, 176 ROPs, 128 RT cores, and 512 tensor cores. The base clock is 2235 MHz, boosting to 2520 MHz, and the memory runs at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) across a 384-bit bus, yielding 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM is far more than any 2014 game requires, but it ensures headroom for future titles and high-resolution textures.

In Minimum, the GPU is the primary driver of performance. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 393.4 FPS, which confirms the GPU's raw throughput. Even at 4K Ultra, it maintains 66 FPS, a playable level for a third-person shooter. The GPU's percentile rank of 91 and average benchmark score of 66,473 place it among the fastest cards ever tested. Its nearest rivals in the database are all within 1.3% of that score, but the 4090's real-world performance in this game is exceptional, as shown by the measured FPS. The GPU's high pixel rate (443.5 GPixel/s) and texture rate (1,290.2 GTexel/s) allow it to handle the game's rendering demands with ease.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. The consistent FPS drops from 1080p to 4K indicate that the GPU is the bottleneck, not the CPU. The 4090's 24 GB VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient, so the limiting factor is raw compute and memory bandwidth at 4K pixel counts. For a game from 2014, the RTX 4090 is overkill, but it delivers the highest possible frame rates, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors or future-proofing.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for choosing a preset. At 4K, the Ultra preset yields 66 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, but High jumps to 89.7 FPS—a 36% improvement. Medium offers 102.3 FPS, and Low reaches 133.9 FPS. For a visually demanding title, High is the sweet spot at 4K: it delivers a significant frame rate boost over Ultra while still looking good. If you prioritize frame rate over visuals, Medium or Low are viable, but High provides the best balance.

At 1440p, Ultra runs at 122.2 FPS, which is already very smooth. High gives 161.6 FPS, a 32% increase, and Medium hits 196.6 FPS. For most players, Ultra at 1440p is perfectly playable, but if you have a 144 Hz or higher refresh monitor, High or Medium will keep you above the refresh rate more consistently. At 1080p, even Ultra delivers 191.3 FPS, so any preset is fine; Low reaches 393.4 FPS, which is beyond the refresh rate of any mainstream display.

The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, so lowering from Ultra to High yields the largest relative gain. At 1440p and 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to keep frame rates high, so the choice of preset is more about visual quality than performance. For the best experience, use High at 4K, Ultra at 1440p if you have a 120 Hz+ monitor, and Ultra at 1080p without worry. The RTX 4090's power ensures that even the most demanding preset remains playable at all resolutions.