Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination delivers playable performance in Minimum, but the data clearly shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. Benchmark results indicate this combo ranks 1071 out of 1733 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-middle tier, which reflects the GPU's position in the 65th percentile versus the CPU's 90th percentile. The pairing is effective for high-refresh 1080p gaming, but 4K Ultra demands more than this hardware can provide.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, with average FPS ranging from 90.1 at Ultra settings to 184.8 at Low settings. At 2560x1440, the range drops to 61.2–119.5, while 3840x2160 sees a significant fall to 31.9–66.2.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 5900X has an average benchmark score of 39453, which is 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4245P and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700F. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS by 0.7% and the Intel Core i7-13700 by 1%.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22206. It is 0.9% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z and 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5700, but 2.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No, the evidence points to the GPU as the limiting factor. The CPU's multi-threaded score (10075 in 3DMark max threads) and 12-core/24-thread configuration far exceed what a third-person shooter requires. The FPS drops between resolutions follow a classic GPU-bound pattern.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the components?

A: The CPU had a launch MSRP of $549, while the GPU had a launch MSRP of 499 USD. This information is provided for reference only.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the 8 GB GDDR6 memory appears adequate, as FPS scales consistently with settings. At 4K, the performance collapse (31.9 FPS at Ultra) suggests the memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and capacity are stressed, though the game's age (released in 2014) likely keeps VRAM usage moderate.

GPU Role

The RTX 2070 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing, and the measured FPS data makes this unambiguous. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K Ultra. The base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz are the physical rates that drive the rendering pipeline, and the data shows these clocks translate into a clear performance ceiling.

The GPU's compute capabilities, including 2560 shading units and 40 RT cores, contribute to its 9.062 TFLOPS FP32 performance. This is a Turing-generation card on a 12 nm process, and its 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it firmly in the mid-range tier. In Minimum, the GPU's role is most evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K: at 1080p High, the combo achieves 123.2 FPS, but at 4K High, it drops to 39.5 FPS. This 68% reduction in FPS (from 123.2 to 39.5) is the signature of a GPU that is saturated by the increased pixel count.

The GPU's memory configuration deserves scrutiny. The 8 GB capacity is adequate for a game from 2014, but the bandwidth becomes the constraining factor at 4K. The data shows that at 4K, dropping from High to Low settings only recovers 26.7 FPS (from 39.5 to 66.2), which is less than the 61.6 FPS recovery seen at 1080p (from 123.2 to 184.8). This asymmetric scaling confirms that the GPU's memory subsystem, not its shading units, is the primary bottleneck at high resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling pattern in Minimum is textbook GPU-bound behavior, and the numbers tell a clear story. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 184.8 FPS, which is an excellent result for a third-person shooter. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 119.5 FPS (a 35% reduction), and 4K Low further reduces it to 66.2 FPS (a 64% reduction from 1080p). These percentages are consistent with the GPU's fill-rate limitations.

The settings sensitivity varies dramatically by resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 94.7 FPS (184.8 vs 90.1), indicating the GPU has headroom to handle increased graphical complexity. At 1440p, this gap narrows to 58.3 FPS (119.5 vs 61.2), and at 4K, it shrinks to 34.3 FPS (66.2 vs 31.9). This diminishing delta proves that pixel fill-rate becomes the dominant cost as resolution increases, overwhelming the settings-based workload differences.

The data also reveals that 1440p is the practical ceiling for comfortable play. At 1440p High, the combo delivers 78.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K, even Medium settings only produce 47.7 FPS, which is below that threshold. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are not the constraint here; the GPU's 64 ROPs and 113.3 GPixel/s pixel rate are what limit 4K performance.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings profile depends on the target resolution, and the measured data provides clear guidance. For 1080p, the High preset at 123.2 FPS is the recommended choice, as it balances visual fidelity with a frame rate well above the 90.1 FPS floor of Ultra. The Low preset's 184.8 FPS is unnecessary for a game of this genre, and the 61.6 FPS gain over High is not worth the visual degradation.

At 1440p, Medium settings at 91.2 FPS offer the best experience. The High preset's 78.8 FPS is acceptable, but Medium provides a 15.7% improvement while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 61.2 FPS is technically playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes, while Low at 119.5 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality.

For 4K, the data recommends Low settings, which produce 66.2 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium at 47.7 FPS is marginal, and High at 39.5 FPS or Ultra at 31.9 FPS are not viable for responsive gameplay. The measurements show that this combination is not suited for 4K gaming beyond minimal settings, and users should target 1440p for a balanced experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1071 out of 1733 tested configurations places it in the 38th percentile of all tested combos. This is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range standing; the CPU's 90th percentile ranking is dragged down by the GPU's 65th percentile performance. Benchmark results indicate a significant mismatch: the Ryzen 9 5900X has an average score of 39453, while the RTX 2070 SUPER averages 22206, yet the game's performance is capped by the latter.

This rank is not a commentary on the CPU's capability but rather on the balance of the pairing. The nearest CPU rivals (AMD EPYC 4245P, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS, Intel Core i7-13700F, Intel Core i7-13700) all sit within 1% of the 5900X's average score, confirming that the CPU is not the weak link. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals (NVIDIA RTX A400, GTX TITAN Z, RTX 4060 Mobile, Radeon RX 5700) are all within 2.5% of its score, indicating it is a typical mid-range performer.

The practical implication is that this combo is over-provisioned on the CPU side for Minimum. The 12-core/24-thread processor offers far more computational horsepower than the game can utilize, while the GPU's 8 GB memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the deciding factors. Users seeking a better rank would need to upgrade the GPU, not the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low at 184.8 FPS, Medium at 144.9 FPS, High at 123.2 FPS, and Ultra at 90.1 FPS. This represents a 51% reduction from Low to Ultra (184.8 to 90.1), showing that the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the results are: Low at 119.5 FPS, Medium at 91.2 FPS, High at 78.8 FPS, and Ultra at 61.2 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra reduction is 48.8% (119.5 to 61.2), a slightly smaller percentage than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to approach its fill-rate limits. The absolute FPS values are all above the 60 FPS threshold except for the Ultra preset.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low at 66.2 FPS, Medium at 47.7 FPS, High at 39.5 FPS, and Ultra at 31.9 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra reduction is 51.8% (66.2 to 31.9), and only the Low preset achieves playable frame rates. The 4K Medium result of 47.7 FPS is a 47.7% reduction from 1440p Medium's 91.2 FPS, highlighting the steep cost of 4K rendering.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-end processor that is underutilized in Minimum. Its 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture (codenamed Vermeer), provide a 3DMark max threads score of 10075 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33150. These numbers indicate massive parallel processing capability, but a third-person shooter from 2014 does not scale to 12 cores.

The CPU's single-thread performance is equally strong, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 941 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4680. The base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.80 GHz ensure that even lightly threaded workloads receive fast execution. The data shows that the CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs is justified by these benchmarks, but this does not translate to Minimum performance gains.

The game's FPS scaling is entirely GPU-bound, as evidenced by the consistent FPS drops when resolution increases. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect similar FPS across resolutions at a given setting, but the data shows a 40-50% drop from 1080p to 1440p and another 35-45% drop from 1440p to 4K. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are more than adequate for the game's engine, which was released in 2014 and does not demand modern CPU features like PCIe Gen 4 or high core counts. In summary, the CPU is not a limiting factor in this pairing; it provides a vast performance reserve that the GPU cannot fully utilize.