Minimum

# Minimum — AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The data for Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014, shows this AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 pairing producing a wide spread of frame rates depending on resolution and quality preset. Measured results span from 30 FPS at 4K Ultra to 179 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that the system's capability is heavily modulated by the selected settings. The combo ranks 1764th out of 2939 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, a position that reflects the GPU's modest standing relative to the CPU's stronger benchmark profile.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all quality settings, pointing to the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 115 at 1920x1080 to 74 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 41 FPS, and then further down to 40 at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% decrease from 1080p to 4K, a pattern typical of a graphics-bound scenario where the render resolution directly dictates the workload.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced in absolute terms. The 1080p result of 179 FPS drops to 116 FPS at 1440p and then to 62 FPS at 4K. The 117 FPS difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low is the largest spread across any preset, suggesting that when the CPU is less burdened by graphics overhead, the GPU's raw throughput becomes the sole bottleneck. The fact that 1080p Low nearly triples the 4K Ultra frame rate (179 vs 30) underscores how resolution scaling dominates this combo's performance envelope.

The Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, provides additional insight into scaling behavior. At 1920x1080, the average is 137 FPS with a range of 117 to 158 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 88 FPS with a range of 75 to 102 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 48 FPS with a range of 41 to 55 FPS. The consistent frame time variance at each resolution — roughly 30% of the average — indicates that the GPU is operating near its limits across all tested resolutions, with the gap between min and max FPS widening proportionally as the resolution increases.

The scaling pattern reveals that the Ryzen 7 9700X is not the constraining component in this pairing for Minimum. At 1080p Low, the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are capable of feeding the RTX 5050 to reach 179 FPS, but even at this resolution, the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus width appear to be the ceiling. The 4K results, particularly the 30 FPS Ultra figure, are well below what the CPU's single-thread performance would suggest is possible, reinforcing that the RTX 5050's pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s is the limiting factor at high resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1764th out of 2939 tested combinations, a percentile position of roughly 40% from the top. This ranking places it below the median of the database, which is consistent with the GPU's benchmark percentile of 66% versus all GPUs but the CPU's stronger 86th percentile ranking. The discrepancy between component-level standings and the final combo rank suggests that Minimum's engine is more sensitive to GPU throughput than CPU compute for this particular pairing.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database illustrate its positioning. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL scores 21153, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M is 1% ahead at 21237, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT trails by 1.6% at 20713. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile leads by 1.6% at 21379. These deltas are tight, within a 3.2% band, indicating that the RTX 5050 sits in a crowded performance tier where small architectural differences can shift rankings.

The CPU's nearest rivals show a similar clustering. The Intel Core i9-14901E scores 37911, just 0.1% ahead of the Ryzen 7 9700X's 37943 average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is also 0.1% behind at 37904, while the Intel Core 5 211E trails by 0.3% at 37829. The AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 is 0.4% back at 37804. This near-tie at the top of the CPU benchmarks suggests that the Ryzen 7 9700X's performance is well-established, but the combo's rank of 1764 indicates that the GPU's lower standing drags the overall position down.

The ranking data implies that for Minimum specifically, the combo performs as expected given the GPU's tier. The 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many users consider playable, while the 1080p Medium result of 137 FPS is comfortably above it. The combo's rank is not an outlier relative to its components; instead, it reflects the GPU's 66th percentile positioning dominating the higher-resolution results.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with a Granite Ridge codename. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, and it operates within a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache, totaling a substantial 8 MB of L2 across all cores. This configuration is well-suited for gaming workloads that benefit from high single-thread performance and moderate multi-threading.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 9700X demonstrates strong results. Its 3DMark single-thread score is 1280, while the 2-thread score is 2525, 4-thread is 4869, 8-thread is 8184, and 16-thread (max) is 9771. The scaling from 2 to 16 threads is nearly linear up to 8 threads, with the 16-thread score only 19% higher than the 8-thread score, indicating diminishing returns beyond 8 cores for this workload. Cinebench R23 scores of 20485 multi-core and 2211 single-core reinforce this pattern, with the multi-core result being 9.3 times the single-core figure.

For Minimum, a game from 2014, the CPU's role is likely less demanding than modern titles. The game's engine was designed for the hardware of its era, and the Ryzen 7 9700X's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by the PassMark single-thread score of 4654 and Geekbench single-core score of 3023, should be more than sufficient to avoid CPU bottlenecks. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 179 FPS, which is likely near the game's engine or GPU limit rather than a CPU constraint.

The CPU's 3DMark max-thread score of 9771 and PassMark multithread score of 37161 indicate robust multi-core capability, but Minimum's age suggests it may not utilize all 16 threads effectively. The 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS is far below what the CPU could theoretically support, further confirming that the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU's 86th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37943, places it well above the GPU's 66th percentile, and the measured FPS data aligns with this hierarchy.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5050 with the Ryzen 7 9700X delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 179 FPS, which is the peak measured result across all configurations. The Medium preset averages 137 FPS with a min of 117 and max of 158 FPS, providing a smooth experience with a 41 FPS spread. High settings reduce the average to 115 FPS, while Ultra drops to 88 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is 42 FPS, from Medium to High is 22 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 27 FPS, showing that each preset tier has a meaningful impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease proportionally. Low settings average 116 FPS, which is 63 FPS less than the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 88 FPS with a min of 75 and max of 102 FPS, a 27 FPS range. High settings average 74 FPS, and Ultra drops to 57 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 59 FPS, slightly smaller than the 91 FPS gap at 1080p, indicating that the GPU's capacity is being approached as resolution increases.

At 3840x2160, the results are substantially lower. Low settings average 62 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K that exceeds 60 FPS. Medium averages 48 FPS with a min of 41 and max of 55 FPS, High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 32 FPS, the smallest absolute gap across resolutions, showing that the GPU is heavily constrained at this resolution regardless of settings. The 1080p Medium result of 137 FPS is 2.9 times higher than the 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS, quantifying the performance cliff at high resolutions.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 117 to 158 FPS; at 1440p, it is 75 to 102 FPS; at 4K, it is 41 to 55 FPS. The relative variance, calculated as the range divided by the average, is 30% at 1080p, 31% at 1440p, and 29% at 4K, indicating consistent frame pacing across resolutions. This consistency suggests that the GPU's performance is stable under load, with no thermal or power throttling evident in the data.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Minimum?

A: The highest average FPS is 179, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K in Minimum?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 62 FPS. Medium averages 48 FPS, High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rival in GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, scores 21153, which is 0.6% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M is 1% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT is 1.6% behind.

Q: What is the CPU's multi-threaded performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X scores 20485 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2211 in single-core, with a multi-core to single-core ratio of 9.3 to 1.

Q: Which settings preset provides the largest frame rate improvement at 1080p?

A: Moving from Medium to Low at 1080p increases the average FPS from 137 to 179, a 42 FPS improvement. This is the largest single-step gain among the presets.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations for Minimum?

A: The combo ranks 1764th out of 2939 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance for this combo. At 1920x1080, Medium averages 137 FPS with a min of 117 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The min FPS of 117 is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the 158 FPS max indicates headroom for occasional spikes without stuttering. Compared to High settings, which average 115 FPS, Medium provides a 22 FPS improvement while likely offering a modest visual downgrade that may be imperceptible in a fast-paced third-person shooter.

At 2560x1440, Medium is also the recommended preset. The 88 FPS average with a 75 FPS min keeps gameplay fluid, while the 102 FPS max shows the GPU can burst above the average. High settings at 1440p average 74 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less margin for frame drops. The 14 FPS difference between Medium and High at 1440p is significant enough to prefer Medium for consistent performance.

At 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. The Low preset averages 62 FPS, barely exceeding the 60 FPS target, while Medium drops to 48 FPS. For 4K gaming, Low is the only preset that delivers playable frame rates, but the visual trade-off may be substantial. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, offering 88 FPS average with good visual fidelity. Users prioritizing higher settings should consider 1080p Ultra at 88 FPS, which matches the 1440p Medium average while providing better image quality.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution based on the data. At 1080p, it averages 88 FPS, which is playable but identical to the 1440p Medium result. At 1440p, it drops to 57 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 30 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra settings is steep, and the frame rate gains from dropping to High or Medium are substantial. For competitive play, the 1080p Low preset at 179 FPS offers the highest refresh rate potential, but for general use, Medium provides a better balance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the limiting component in this combo for Minimum, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, and the memory operates at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective). The GPU's 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS.

The RTX 5050's benchmark results show a mixed profile. Its PassMark G3D score is 17326, which is solid for its tier, but its DirectX 12 score of 66 is notably lower, while DirectX 11 scores 150 and DirectX 9 scores 186. This pattern suggests the GPU's performance varies significantly by API, which could affect Minimum's performance depending on which DirectX version the game uses. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 90334 and Vulkan score of 89381 indicate strong compute capabilities, but these may not translate directly to gaming performance.

The GPU's 66th percentile ranking versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035, places it in the middle of the database. Its nearest rivals are all within 1.6% of its score, showing that the RTX 5050 is in a competitive tier where architectural differences are minimal. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for Minimum, a 2014 title that would not require high memory usage, but it could be a limiting factor in more modern games.

The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS result is likely constrained by the GPU's pixel rate and memory bandwidth, not the CPU. The RTX 5050's 320.0 GB/s bandwidth and 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate are modest figures, and Minimum's rendering demands at 4K exceed these capabilities. At 1080p Low, the 179 FPS result suggests the GPU can handle the game's workload when the resolution is low, but the steep drop-off as resolution increases is a clear indicator of GPU-bound performance.