Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers commanding performance in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The data shows this pairing ranks first out of 2,939 tested configurations, establishing it as the definitive benchmark for this title. Across all resolutions and settings, the system maintains exceptional frame rates, though the scaling patterns reveal distinct bottlenecks and strengths that merit closer analysis.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable drop as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that drop varies significantly depending on the quality preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 430 FPS at 1920x1080 to 277 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 153 FPS, and then to 149 FPS at 3840x2160, another 128 FPS drop. This represents a total decline of roughly 65% from 1080p to 4K, indicating that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is becoming increasingly dominant as the pixel count rises.

The High preset tells a similar but slightly less dramatic story. The system delivers 276 FPS at 1920x1080, 178 FPS at 2560x1440, and 96 FPS at 3840x2160. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs 98 FPS, while the jump to 4K costs another 82 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is approximately 65%, nearly identical to Low, which suggests that the scaling penalty is resolution-bound rather than settings-bound.

Medium settings show the most consistent progression with a 329 FPS average at 1080p, 212 FPS at 1440p, and 114 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings, the most demanding preset, produce 210 FPS at 1080p, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 73 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset's 4K result of 73 FPS is the lowest measured figure in the entire dataset, yet it remains comfortably playable.

The scaling behavior indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU plays a meaningful role in limiting performance, particularly at lower settings where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. The 430 FPS result at 1080p Low is extraordinary and suggests the Ryzen 7 9700X's strong single-thread performance is being fully utilized. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor, as evidenced by the tighter grouping of results across settings at that resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture with a 4 nm process node. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz provide substantial headroom for demanding workloads. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB L2 cache per core support its strong performance in both gaming and productivity tasks.

Benchmark data shows the 9700X excels in multi-threaded scenarios, scoring 20,485 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 17,906 in Geekbench multicore. Its single-thread scores are equally impressive, with 2,211 in Cinebench R23 singlecore and 3,023 in Geekbench singlecore. These numbers place the processor in the 86th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37,943.

The nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Core i9-14901E with an average score of 37,911 and a delta of 0.1%, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at 37,904 with a 0.1% delta, the Intel Core 5 211E at 37,829 with a 0.3% delta, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 at 37,804 with a 0.4% delta. These extremely tight margins, all within 0.4%, indicate that the 9700X is statistically tied with its closest competitors in aggregate benchmark performance, though its gaming-specific behavior may differ.

For Minimum, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p where frame rates exceed 400 FPS. The 430 FPS average at Low settings approaches the practical limits of game engine and CPU scheduling, suggesting that the 9700X's 5.50 GHz boost clock is being pushed to its maximum. The 3DMark scores further illustrate this strength, with 1,280 in single-thread and 9,824 in 16-thread tests. The processor's 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it an efficient and flexible choice for this configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the graphics powerhouse in this pairing, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 21,760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus delivers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, a figure that ensures memory constraints are never a limiting factor at any resolution or setting in Minimum.

The GPU's clock speeds are substantial, with a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz. Its 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate demonstrate its raw computational capability. The 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores provide ample resources for any modern rendering technique, though Minimum's 2014 release date means it likely does not utilize these features extensively.

Benchmark results place the RTX 5090 D in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 77,712. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT with a score of 78,940 and a delta of -1.6%, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 79,605 with a -2.4% delta, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB at 79,396 with a -2.1% delta, and the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT at 76,904 with a 1.1% delta. These deltas, ranging from -2.4% to 1.1%, show that the 5090 D is competitive but not dominant in synthetic benchmarks, yet its gaming performance in Minimum is exceptional.

The GPU's 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU requirement indicate substantial power delivery needs, but the dual-slot design and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensure compatibility with modern systems. The combination of 32 GB VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth means that even at 4K Ultra, the GPU has ample resources to maintain 73 FPS without any memory-related stuttering.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers outstanding performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 430 FPS, the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium settings achieve 329 FPS with a minimum of 280 FPS and a maximum of 379 FPS, showing excellent frame pacing. High settings reach 276 FPS, while Ultra settings still manage a very strong 210 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is largely CPU-limited, as even the most demanding preset maintains over 200 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive but shows the expected decline. Low settings average 277 FPS, a 153 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium settings deliver 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 FPS and a maximum of 244 FPS. High settings produce 178 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 136 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows from 220 FPS at 1080p to 141 FPS at 1440p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to exert more influence on performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. Low settings still deliver a playable 149 FPS, while Medium settings reach 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. High settings produce 96 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 73 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 76 FPS, significantly tighter than at lower resolutions, confirming that pixel throughput is the limiting factor.

The Medium settings row at each resolution provides the only min/max data in the dataset. At 1080p, the range from 280 to 379 FPS represents a 99 FPS swing, while at 1440p the range is 180 to 244 FPS, a 64 FPS swing. At 4K, the range narrows to 97 to 131 FPS, a 34 FPS swing. This progressive tightening of frame time variance as resolution increases further supports the GPU-limited analysis at higher pixel counts.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Minimum with this hardware?*

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at High settings delivers 178 FPS, which offers an excellent balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. For maximum frame rates, 1920x1080 at Low settings reaches 430 FPS, while 3840x2160 at Ultra still provides a playable 73 FPS.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37,943, placing it in the 86th percentile. Its closest competitor, the Intel Core i9-14901E, scores 37,911, a delta of just 0.1%. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 37,904 (0.1% delta), the Intel Core 5 211E scores 37,829 (0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 scores 37,804 (0.4% delta).

*Q: Is the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of VRAM necessary for Minimum?*

A: While the game is from 2014 and likely does not require extensive VRAM, the 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensure that memory is never a bottleneck. Even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains 73 FPS without any indication of memory pressure.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at different resolutions?

A: The Medium settings data shows that at 1080p, frame rates range from 280 to 379 FPS, a 99 FPS spread. At 1440p, the range is 180 to 244 FPS, a 64 FPS spread. At 4K, the range narrows to 97 to 131 FPS, a 34 FPS spread, indicating more consistent frame pacing at higher resolutions.

*Q: How does this system rank compared to other configurations in Minimum?*

A: This pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks first out of 2,939 tested combinations, meaning no other configuration in the database achieves higher overall performance in this game.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings average 149 FPS while Ultra settings average 73 FPS, a difference of 76 FPS. This represents a roughly 51% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Minimum experience with this hardware. At 1920x1080, the system is so powerful that even Ultra settings deliver 210 FPS, making the choice purely about visual preference. Players seeking maximum smoothness can opt for Low at 430 FPS, but the 220 FPS gap between Low and Ultra is unlikely to be perceptible on most displays, which typically cap at 240 Hz or lower. The Medium preset at 329 FPS offers a compelling middle ground with a minimum of 280 FPS, ensuring no frame drops below high refresh rate thresholds.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts toward High settings, which deliver 178 FPS. This provides a 42 FPS advantage over Ultra's 136 FPS while maintaining a visually rich experience. The Medium preset at 212 FPS is also viable for competitive play, with a minimum of 180 FPS ensuring smooth performance even in intense scenes. The Low preset at 277 FPS is excessive for most users, as the visual compromises outweigh the marginal smoothness gain.

For 3840x2160, High settings at 96 FPS represent the optimal balance between quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS is playable but may show occasional dips in demanding sequences, while Medium at 114 FPS offers a safer margin for maintaining high frame rates. The Low preset at 149 FPS is unnecessary given the GPU's capabilities, as the visual quality loss is significant for a modest frame rate gain over Medium.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the tightest frame time data, with minimums of 280 FPS at 1080p, 180 FPS at 1440p, and 97 FPS at 4K. This consistency makes Medium the most predictable choice for users who prioritize frame pacing stability. However, for the best overall experience at each resolution, the data suggests High settings at 1440p for competitive play and High settings at 4K for visual fidelity, both of which exceed 90 FPS and provide excellent responsiveness.