Minimum

# Minimum: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a highly capable 1080p and 1440p experience in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. Benchmark data shows this combination ranks 961st out of 3,712 tested combos, placing it in the top 26% of all configurations. The measured frame rates reveal a system that can comfortably handle high-refresh gaming at lower resolutions while maintaining playable performance at 4K, though the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, settings recommendations, and the respective roles of CPU and GPU in shaping the overall experience.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset represents the optimal choice across all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 212 FPS average with a minimum of 180 FPS and maximum of 244 FPS, which is 34 FPS higher than High settings and only 65 FPS lower than Low. The jump from Low to Medium costs 65 FPS at 1080p but provides substantial visual improvements, while the subsequent jump to High costs another 34 FPS for diminishing returns. At 2560x1440, Medium yields 137 FPS average with a 116 FPS minimum and 157 FPS maximum, maintaining smooth gameplay on high-refresh monitors. The 4K Medium result of 74 FPS average with 63 FPS minimum and 85 FPS maximum remains above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only preset besides Low that achieves playable 4K performance.

Low settings are recommended for competitive play or when targeting maximum frame rates, particularly at 1080p where it reaches 277 FPS average. However, the gap between Low and Medium narrows as resolution increases: at 1440p, Low produces 179 FPS versus Medium’s 137 FPS, and at 4K, the difference is 96 FPS versus 74 FPS. Ultra settings are not advisable for this combination, as they drop frame rates to 136 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold, and even at 1440p, Ultra’s 87 FPS average may cause noticeable dips in demanding scenes. For a consistent experience across all resolutions, Medium provides the best compromise between visual fidelity and frame rate stability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti achieves a combo rank of 961 out of 3,712 tested configurations in Minimum, placing it within the top 26% of all tested combos. This ranking reflects a strong overall system that excels in CPU-bound scenarios while remaining competitive in GPU-heavy workloads. The CPU’s benchmark percentile of 92 versus all CPUs indicates it outperforms the vast majority of processors, while the GPU’s percentile of 83 versus all GPUs shows it is slightly less dominant but still well above average. The discrepancy between these percentiles suggests that in this particular game, the CPU has more headroom relative to the GPU, which becomes increasingly relevant at lower resolutions where the processor plays a larger role.

Comparisons with nearest rivals highlight the balanced nature of this pairing. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 58,386 places it within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 (58,826) and 0.5% of the Intel Core i9-14900 (58,115), with a 0.1% edge over the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (58,323) and a 0.2% deficit against the Intel Xeon w5-2545 (58,504). On the GPU side, the RTX 3080 Ti’s average score of 41,187 positions it 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40,870) and 2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (40,377), while trailing the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB by 1.2% (41,707) and the Tesla M40 by 1.7% (41,897). These narrow margins indicate that the RTX 3080 Ti remains competitive with newer and more specialized hardware, though it is not the top performer in its class.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 912.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz, and the memory operates at 1188 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed. The GPU’s Ampere architecture includes 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, 112 raster output units, 80 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores, delivering 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications place the RTX 3080 Ti at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,187.

In Minimum, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the measured frame rates across settings range from 136 FPS (Ultra) to 277 FPS (Low), indicating that even at the highest settings, the GPU is not fully saturated. However, at 4K, the frame rates drop to 47 FPS (Ultra) and 62 FPS (High), demonstrating that the GPU’s 12 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s demands but the raw compute power becomes the limiting factor. The 4K Medium result of 74 FPS with a 63 FPS minimum suggests that the GPU can handle moderate settings at 4K, but the steep drop from 96 FPS at Low to 47 FPS at Ultra indicates a significant performance penalty for higher visual fidelity. The GPU’s end-of-life production status and 350 W TDP, with a suggested 750 W PSU, reflect its high power requirements, but the benchmark results show it remains capable for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear progression across settings. Low settings achieve 277 FPS average, Medium produces 212 FPS with a minimum of 180 FPS and maximum of 244 FPS, High reaches 178 FPS, and Ultra drops to 136 FPS. The 65 FPS difference between Low and Medium is the largest single-step gap, while the 42 FPS difference between Medium and High and the 42 FPS difference between High and Ultra are consistent. The minimum FPS of 180 FPS at Medium indicates strong frame time stability, with the 64 FPS range between minimum and maximum suggesting minimal variance.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably. Low settings deliver 179 FPS, Medium produces 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS and maximum of 157 FPS, High reaches 115 FPS, and Ultra drops to 87 FPS. The 42 FPS difference between Low and Medium mirrors the 1080p gap, but the subsequent steps are smaller: 22 FPS between Medium and High and 28 FPS between High and Ultra. The Medium preset’s 41 FPS range between minimum and maximum shows slightly more variance than at 1080p but remains acceptable for smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160, the results compress significantly: Low achieves 96 FPS, Medium produces 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS and maximum of 85 FPS, High reaches 62 FPS, and Ultra drops to 47 FPS. The 22 FPS gap between Low and Medium narrows further to 12 FPS between Medium and High, and 15 FPS between High and Ultra, indicating that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming with this combination?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 137 FPS average with a 116 FPS minimum and 157 FPS maximum, making it the optimal choice for high-refresh 1440p gaming. It provides a 22 FPS improvement over High settings while maintaining frame rates well above 100 FPS, and the 41 FPS variance between minimum and maximum indicates stable performance.

Q: Can this system achieve 4K 60 FPS in Minimum?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 96, and with Medium settings, the average is 74 FPS with a 63 FPS minimum. High settings barely miss the 60 FPS threshold at 62 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall short at 47 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, Medium is the recommended 4K preset.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to the RTX 5070 in this game?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41,187, which is 2% higher than the RTX 5070’s 40,377. In Minimum, this translates to the RTX 3080 Ti providing slightly better performance, though the difference is within a close margin and may not be noticeable in actual gameplay.

Q: What is the CPU’s ranking compared to other processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D sits at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 58,386. It outperforms the Intel Core i9-14900 by 0.5% and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M by 0.1%, while trailing the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 by 0.7% and the Intel Xeon w5-2545 by 0.2%.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU provides sufficient headroom at 1080p, with frame rates reaching 277 FPS at Low settings and 212 FPS at Medium. The CPU’s 8 cores, 16 threads, and 96 MB shared L3 cache, along with its 4.70 GHz base and 5.60 GHz boost clocks, are more than adequate for this title, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor primarily at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 178 at 1920x1080 to 115 at 2560x1440, representing a 35.4% decrease. This drop aligns with the increased pixel count and indicates that the GPU is beginning to limit performance at 1440p, though the frame rate remains highly playable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename, manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 96 MB shared L3 cache, 1 MB L2 cache per core, and 80 KB L1 cache per core. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, operates on the AMD Socket AM5, and includes Radeon Graphics integrated. Its benchmark scores include a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22,807 and single-core score of 2,228, along with a Passmark multi-thread score of 41,318 and single-thread score of 4,704.

In Minimum, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 200 FPS at Medium settings and reach 277 FPS at Low. The 92nd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates that the 9850X3D provides ample processing power for this game’s CPU-bound scenarios, such as physics calculations and AI routines. The 4 nm process and 120 W TDP contribute to efficient operation, while the unlocked multiplier allows for overclocking potential. The CPU’s 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die size demonstrate a dense design that delivers high single-thread performance, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in a third-person shooter. The benchmark results show the CPU outperforms its nearest rivals by narrow margins, confirming it is a top-tier processor for gaming workloads.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 277 at 1080p to 179 at 1440p (a 35.4% decrease) and then to 96 at 4K (a 46.4% decrease from 1440p). At Medium settings, the progression is 212 FPS at 1080p, 137 FPS at 1440p (a 35.4% decrease), and 74 FPS at 4K (a 46% decrease). High settings follow a similar trajectory: 178 FPS at 1080p, 115 FPS at 1440p (a 35.4% decrease), and 62 FPS at 4K (a 46.1% decrease). Ultra settings show the steepest drops: 136 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p (a 36% decrease), and 47 FPS at 4K (a 46% decrease).

The consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that scaling is driven primarily by pixel count rather than settings complexity. The transition from 1080p to 1440p represents a 78% increase in pixels, while 1440p to 4K represents a 125% increase, yet the FPS drops are proportionally smaller, suggesting the GPU has some headroom in its memory bandwidth and compute resources. The RTX 3080 Ti’s 912.4 GB/s bandwidth and 12 GB GDDR6X memory are sufficient to handle the increased resolution demands without VRAM limitations. The limiting component at higher resolutions is the GPU’s raw compute performance, as evidenced by the 47 FPS at 4K Ultra, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance and large cache allow the GPU to operate at near-peak efficiency, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 performance becomes the bottleneck. For users seeking the highest frame rates, 1080p with Medium or High settings provides the best experience, while 4K requires Medium settings to maintain playable performance.