Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a highly playable experience in Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The measured data shows a strong performance profile that scales predictably across resolutions and settings, with the combination ranking in the 1380th position out of 1733 tested combos. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results to determine the optimal settings, the role of the GPU, and how the system behaves under varying loads.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data for this combination reveals a clear hierarchy in performance across the four available presets. At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are 157.3 FPS for Low, 116.8 FPS for Medium, 101.9 FPS for High, and 74.5 FPS for Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium represents a significant 40.5 FPS drop, while the step from Medium to High is a more modest 14.9 FPS decline. The most substantial cost comes from enabling Ultra, which sacrifices 27.4 FPS compared to High settings.

For the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended choice. It maintains an average of 101.9 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for responsive gameplay in a fast-paced third-person shooter. While Low settings offer the highest frame rates, they likely compromise visual quality too heavily for a game from 2014. Conversely, Ultra, while visually superior, drops to 74.5 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The data suggests that High provides the most efficient use of the hardware's capabilities at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern emerges, with High settings producing an average of 63.8 FPS. This is still above the 60 FPS target, making it a viable option for users with a 1440p display. The Medium preset at 76.9 FPS offers a safer margin, but High is preferable if visual detail is a priority. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 51.6 FPS, which begins to feel less fluid for a shooter.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary driver of performance in this configuration. Its specifications include 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz. These specifications are central to understanding the frame rates observed. The GPU's 1920 shading units and 48 ROPs process the geometry and pixel data for Minimum, and the 6 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's demands at all tested settings.

The GPU's performance percentile of 58 indicates it is a mid-range part, and the benchmark results reflect this positioning. The data shows that the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor as resolution and settings increase. For instance, at 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly, demonstrating that the GPU's compute and memory resources are being saturated. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 7600S with a 0.5% higher average score and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 with a 1.7% lower score, bracket its performance level. This context shows that the RTX 2060 is not a high-end part but is capable of delivering solid frame rates in a 2014 title when paired with a powerful CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is substantial and clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 101.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 63.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 38.1 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the frame rate plummets further to 36.6 FPS, which is a 64% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline is consistent across all settings presets, confirming that the RTX 2060's rendering capabilities are the bottleneck.

The scaling pattern highlights that the Ryzen 9 5900X is not the constraint. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 1920x1080 Low settings, the system achieves 157.3 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate to potentially challenge the CPU in some scenarios, but the consistent drop-off as resolution increases points directly at the GPU. This is typical for a system where a high-end CPU is paired with a mid-range GPU; the GPU becomes the primary determinant of performance at higher graphical loads.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average frame rates provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities.

At 1920x1080, the performance is strong across the board. The Low preset achieves 157.3 FPS, making it exceptionally smooth. The Medium preset delivers 116.8 FPS, and the High preset follows with 101.9 FPS. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still manages a respectable 74.5 FPS. All four presets at this resolution are playable, with even the lowest result well above the standard 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the system begins to show more strain. The Low preset still performs admirably at 103.1 FPS. The Medium preset produces 76.9 FPS, and the High preset yields 63.8 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 51.6 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a fast-paced game but still technically playable. For a smoother experience at 1440p, users would likely prefer the Medium or High presets.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 is clearly overburdened. The Low preset manages 54.3 FPS, which is the only setting that approaches playability. The Medium preset falls to 41.3 FPS, the High preset to 36.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset to a sluggish 25.5 FPS. These results indicate that 4K gaming is not a practical option for this combination, as the frame rates are too low for a responsive experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination holds the 1380th rank out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum. This placement, in the lower half of the database, reflects the GPU's mid-range status. The ranking is a direct consequence of the RTX 2060's performance, which is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The CPU itself is a high performer, with a percentile of 90 versus all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 39453 places it slightly above the AMD EPYC 4245P (0.2% higher) and the Intel Core i7-13700F (0.9% higher), while being slightly below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS (0.7% lower) and the Intel Core i7-13700 (1.0% lower). This indicates the 5900X is a top-tier processor. However, the GPU's lower standing, with a percentile of 58 and an average score of 16074, drags the overall combo ranking down. The RTX 2060's closest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (0.5% faster) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (1.7% faster), which show that the GPU is competitive within its class but not a performance leader.

The combo's rank of 1380 is a direct result of the GPU's inability to fully utilize the 5900X's potential in Minimum at higher resolutions. The data shows a system that is well-balanced for 1080p gaming but falls behind when pushed to 1440p or 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth 1080p experience?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080 is recommended, as it delivers an average of 101.9 FPS. This provides a strong balance between visual quality and performance, staying well above the 60 FPS target.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest playable frame rate is 54.3 FPS on Low settings. The High and Ultra presets drop to 36.6 FPS and 25.5 FPS, respectively, which are too low for a responsive shooter.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. Frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases, from 101.9 FPS at 1080p to 36.6 FPS at 4K on High settings. The Ryzen 9 5900X, with its high percentile of 90, has more than enough processing power.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074. It is 0.5% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S and 1.7% slower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, while being 1.8% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 103.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 51.6 FPS. This represents a performance reduction of 51.5 FPS when enabling the highest graphical settings.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p on High settings?

A: Yes, the High preset at 2560x1440 produces an average of 63.8 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset offers a higher margin of safety at 76.9 FPS.