Minimum

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D pairs with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 to form a profoundly GPU-limited configuration in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. Across every resolution and settings preset, the measured frame rates indicate that the GTX 1650 is the definitive bottleneck, with the CPU’s substantial headroom going largely unused. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 79.6 FPS, but this collapses to 12.3 FPS at 4K Ultra, revealing a stark performance ceiling dictated almost entirely by the graphics card. This pairing ranks 1694th out of 1733 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 2.3% of all configurations for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and unambiguous. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 79.6 at 1920x1080 to 53.8 at 2560x1440, a 32.4% reduction, and then to 25.7 at 3840x2160, a further 52.2% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep, compounding decline is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload at higher pixel counts overwhelms the graphics processor’s fixed compute and memory bandwidth resources.

The pattern persists across all quality presets. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings reduces performance from 62.0 FPS to 43.0 FPS, while the jump to 4K at Medium yields only 23.2 FPS. The High preset shows a similar trajectory: 49.5 FPS at 1080p, 31.3 FPS at 1440p, and 15.5 FPS at 4K. These results demonstrate that the GTX 1650’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128-bit bus, delivering 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth, cannot sustain playable frame rates at higher resolutions, regardless of the quality settings chosen.

The scaling ratio between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is roughly 3.1x (79.6 vs 25.7 FPS), which is close to the 4x pixel count difference, indicating that the GPU is operating at near-saturation. The data conclusively shows that resolution is the primary factor limiting performance in this configuration. The CPU’s role in this equation is minimal, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate drops that track pixel count rather than scene complexity or draw calls.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, clocked between 4.70 GHz base and 5.20 GHz boost. Its benchmark results are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34004 and a single-core score of 4800, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. This processor is not the limiting factor in Minimum; its 96 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide ample capability for the game’s demands.

Synthetic benchmarks reinforce this conclusion. The Geekbench multi-core score of 18413 and single-core score of 3341 show a processor that can handle any modern workload, including the lightly-threaded nature of a 2014 title. The PassMark multi-thread score of 40009 and integer math score of 116709 further confirm that the CPU has massive reserve capacity. In this game, the CPU’s utilization is likely low, as the frame rates are capped by the GPU at every measured point.

The nearest rival data for the CPU shows it performs essentially identically to the Intel Xeon 6353P (deltaPct -0.1%) and Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (deltaPct -0.1%), while edging out the Intel Core i9-13900HK (deltaPct -0.6%) and Intel Core i5-13600KF (deltaPct -0.7%). These margins are negligible in real-world gaming, reinforcing that the CPU’s raw power is not the differentiator here. The 9800X3D’s 120W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest it is built for high-performance scenarios, but in this pairing, its capabilities are largely untapped.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration. With a base clock of 1485 MHz and boost clock of 1665 MHz, the GPU’s Turing architecture (TU117 chip) delivers 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus yields 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth, a figure that proves insufficient for smooth gameplay at higher resolutions in Minimum.

The GPU’s benchmark scores are modest, with a PassMark G3D score of 7880 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 305. It ranks in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (deltaPct -0.4%), AMD Radeon 550X (deltaPct -0.4%), and NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (deltaPct 0.5%). These comparisons highlight that the GTX 1650 is positioned at the entry-level tier, and its performance in Minimum reflects this.

The measured frame rates bear this out. At 1080p Low, the GPU manages 79.6 FPS, but this is the only setting where it approaches a 60+ FPS experience. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 62.0 FPS, and at High, it falls to 49.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 40.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that the GPU’s 896 shading units and 32 ROPs are simply outmatched by the game’s rendering load at higher quality settings, even at the lowest resolution tested.

Settings Recommendations

The data supports a clear hierarchy of playable settings for this combo. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers the best measured experience at 79.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p is also viable at 62.0 FPS, offering a balance of quality and performance. The High preset at 1080p falls below 50 FPS (49.5 FPS), and Ultra drops to 40.4 FPS, both of which represent a degraded experience.

At 1440p, only the Low preset approaches playability at 53.8 FPS, though this is still below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 43.0 FPS, and High drops to 31.3 FPS, with Ultra at a marginal 24.9 FPS. None of these are recommended for a smooth experience. At 4K, all presets are unplayable, with the highest being Low at 25.7 FPS and the lowest being Ultra at 12.3 FPS.

For the best experience, the data recommends 1080p with either Low or Medium settings. The 79.6 FPS at Low offers the highest headroom, while 62.0 FPS at Medium provides better visual fidelity at a still-acceptable frame rate. Users prioritizing smoothness should select Low; those wanting better graphics should accept the Medium preset’s 62.0 FPS. Higher resolutions or quality settings are not supported by this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

This configuration ranks 1694th out of 1733 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the bottom percentile of all systems. This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s limitations, as the CPU is demonstrably high-end. The combination of a top-tier processor with an entry-level graphics card creates a severe imbalance, and the benchmark results reflect this mismatch.

The rank is not an indictment of the CPU, which performs admirably in isolation, but rather a statement about the pairing’s overall gaming capability. The GTX 1650’s 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are the limiting factors, and no amount of CPU power can compensate for these hardware constraints. The data suggests that this combo would be more appropriately ranked alongside other GPU-bound systems, rather than being judged on its CPU’s merits.

In the context of the 1733 tested combos, this pairing sits at the 2.3rd percentile, meaning that over 97% of tested systems outperform it in this game. This is a clear indicator that the GTX 1650 is fundamentally inadequate for Minimum at any resolution above 1080p Low, and even at 1080p, the experience is marginal at best.

FAQ

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

A: The best measured experience is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, achieving 79.6 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is also viable at 62.0 FPS. Higher resolutions or quality presets result in sub-60 FPS performance.

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so sharply from 1080p to 4K?

A: The frame rate drops sharply because the GTX 1650 is the limiting component. At Low settings, performance falls from 79.6 FPS at 1080p to 53.8 FPS at 1440p and 25.7 FPS at 4K, reflecting the GPU’s inability to handle increased pixel counts.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D a bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34004 and single-core score of 4800, indicate it has enormous headroom. The GPU is the sole bottleneck, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate scaling across resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1694th out of 1733 tested combinations. It sits in the bottom 2.3% of all systems, predominantly due to the GTX 1650’s limitations.

Q: What is the highest FPS achievable with this setup?

A: The highest measured FPS is 79.6 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest is 12.3 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the GTX 1650’s memory sufficient for this game?

A: At 1080p Low and Medium, the 4 GB GDDR5 memory is adequate. At higher resolutions or quality settings, the 128.1 GB/s bandwidth and 4 GB capacity are insufficient, causing frame rates to drop below 50 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 79.6 at Low to 40.4 at Ultra. The Medium preset achieves 62.0 FPS, and High reaches 49.5 FPS. These are the only resolution where any preset exceeds 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low settings average 53.8 FPS, Medium 43.0 FPS, High 31.3 FPS, and Ultra 24.9 FPS. No preset at this resolution reaches 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, all presets are below 30 FPS. Low averages 25.7 FPS, Medium 23.2 FPS, High 15.5 FPS, and Ultra 12.3 FPS. This resolution is unplayable with this hardware.

The full data set shows a monotonic decrease in FPS as both resolution and quality settings increase. The largest single drop occurs between 1080p Low (79.6 FPS) and 1440p Low (53.8 FPS), a 25.8 FPS reduction. The smallest drop is between 1440p Medium (43.0 FPS) and 4K Medium (23.2 FPS), a 19.8 FPS decrease. These figures quantify the GPU’s performance ceiling and provide a clear reference for expected performance.