Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The data shows this pairing is capable of pushing well past 100 FPS at 1440p and remains very playable at 4K, though the performance scaling across resolutions reveals a system that is clearly balanced around the GPU's capabilities at higher settings.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This CPU sits on the AMD Socket AM5 platform, supporting DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. For a game released in 2014, this hardware is dramatically overqualified, but the benchmark data shows the CPU's raw single-thread strength is what keeps frame rates high when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

Looking at synthetic benchmarks, the 9700X scores 1280 in 3dMark single-thread and 2211 in Cinebench R23 single-core. These are strong numbers that indicate excellent per-core performance, which is critical for older game engines that may not scale well across many threads. The multi-threaded results are equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20485 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 17906. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB L2 per core provide ample fast memory for game data.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the RTX 5080 with enough data to keep it busy. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 369 FPS average, which is a scenario where the CPU is likely the limiting factor. The 9700X's 3dMark 2-thread score of 2525 and 4-thread score of 4869 suggest it can handle the game's primary logic threads without breaking a sweat. The processor ranks in the 86th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37943. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14901E, scores 37911, a delta of just 0.1%, meaning the 9700X is effectively tied with that competitor in overall CPU performance.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this pairing. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2617 MHz, and it operates with a 360 W TDP. The RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture (GB203 chip) using a 5 nm process, housing 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. It also includes 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores, making it a fully modern DirectX 12 Ultimate part.

For Minimum, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM is far more than the game needs, but the raw compute power is what drives high frame rates. The GPU scores 8637 in 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12, and its Passmark G3D score is 36565. The RTX 5080 sits in the 87th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 56083. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 8060S, scores 55757, a 0.6% difference, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57367, placing it 2.2% ahead of the RTX 5080.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s is a key asset for high-resolution rendering. At 4K Ultra settings, the game averages 63 FPS, which indicates the GPU is being heavily taxed. The GPU's pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s are substantial, and they allow the card to maintain high fill rates needed for smooth gameplay at 1440p and 4K. The RTX 5080's FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS ensures that even the most demanding shader work in Minimum is handled with ease.

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 of scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p High settings, the average FPS is 237. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 153, a 35% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 82, which represents another 46% drop from 1440p. This steep decline indicates that the system is becoming GPU-bound as resolution increases, which is expected given the RTX 5080's power.

Looking at Low settings, the scaling is even more revealing. At 1080p Low, the system hits 369 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it drops to 238 FPS, and at 4K Low, it averages 128 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 369 FPS is likely near the CPU's limit, as the GPU is not heavily loaded at that resolution and settings combination. The fact that the frame rate drops to 238 FPS at 1440p Low suggests the GPU is starting to take over as the primary constraint, but the CPU is still contributing to the high frame rates.

The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is a 36% drop, while the gap between 1440p and 4K at Low settings is a 46% drop. This pattern shows that the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as pixel count rises. At Ultra settings, the system averages 181 FPS at 1080p, 117 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 63 FPS is the lowest measured, indicating that the RTX 5080 is the limiting component at this extreme setting. The data suggests that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, the Ryzen 7 9700X provides more than enough headroom, while the RTX 5080 is the component that determines performance at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 209th out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the top 5.6% of all configurations tested, which is an excellent result. The ranking reflects that this pairing is among the faster setups for this game, though it is not the absolute top-tier combination.

The combo's rank of 209 out of 3712 means there are 208 other combinations that perform better. Given the CPU's 86th percentile ranking and the GPU's 87th percentile ranking, it is logical that this combo would be near the top but not the absolute best. The delta between the CPU and its nearest rivals is minimal, with the Intel Core i9-14901E and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 both within 0.1% of the 9700X's average score. This suggests that swapping to a slightly faster CPU would not yield a significant performance change in Minimum, as the game appears to be more GPU-dependent at higher resolutions.

The combo's strong ranking is supported by the measured FPS data. At 1440p High, the 153 FPS average is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate that many monitors support. At 4K Medium, the 98 FPS average is very playable, and even 4K Ultra at 63 FPS is close to console-level performance. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for high-refresh 1440p gaming, where it can push past 150 FPS on High settings, while still being capable of 4K gaming at reduced settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K smoothly?*

A: Yes, at 4K Medium settings the average FPS is 98, which is smooth for most players. At 4K High, the average drops to 82 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 63 FPS. For a locked 60 FPS experience, 4K Ultra is borderline, but Medium or High settings will provide a more comfortable margin.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The data shows 1440p as the sweet spot. At 1440p High, the average is 153 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra, it is 117 FPS. This allows for high refresh rate gaming without sacrificing visual quality. At 1080p, the system is likely CPU-limited at lower settings, hitting 369 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56083. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57367, which is 2.2% higher. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, which is 0.6% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 0.7% lower.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700X a bottleneck for the RTX 5080?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the 369 FPS average suggests the CPU is nearing its limit, but this is far beyond typical display refresh rates. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The CPU's single-thread score of 1280 in 3dMark indicates it has sufficient power for this game.

Q: What kind of frame rates can I expect at 1080p with high settings?

A: At 1080p High settings, the average FPS is 237. At 1080p Ultra, it drops to 181 FPS. These frame rates are extremely high and will be limited by your monitor's refresh rate rather than the hardware.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 209th out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the top 5.6% of all configurations. This is a strong result, indicating that the pairing is well-suited for high-performance gaming in Minimum.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1080p, the system delivers exceptional performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 369. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 283 FPS, with a minimum of 240 and a maximum of 325. High settings yield an average of 237 FPS. Ultra settings reduce the average to 181 FPS. The 1080p results show that the system is capable of pushing beyond 300 FPS on lower settings, making it ideal for competitive play on high-refresh monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very strong. Low settings produce an average of 238 FPS. Medium settings average 182 FPS, with a minimum of 155 and a maximum of 210. High settings average 153 FPS. Ultra settings drop the average to 117 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that the combo can easily drive 144 Hz monitors on High settings and 100+ FPS on Ultra. The minimum FPS of 155 at Medium settings shows good frame pacing, with no severe dips.

At 3840x2160, the system transitions from high-refresh territory to standard 60 FPS gaming. Low settings average 128 FPS. Medium settings average 98 FPS, with a minimum of 83 and a maximum of 113. High settings average 82 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 63 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 98 FPS is particularly noteworthy, as it offers a strong balance of visual quality and smoothness. The 4K High result of 82 FPS is still very playable on a 60 Hz display, while 4K Ultra at 63 FPS is right at the edge of the 60 FPS threshold.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the system is capable of extreme frame rates at 1080p, excellent high-refresh performance at 1440p, and solid 4K gaming with settings adjustments. The RTX 5080's 16 GB of VRAM and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth ensure that memory is never a constraint, even at 4K. The Ryzen 7 9700X's strong single-thread performance prevents it from being a bottleneck at lower resolutions, allowing the GPU to stretch its legs fully. This combination is a well-balanced high-end setup for Minimum, with the caveat that 4K Ultra is the only scenario where the frame rate approaches the 60 FPS line.