Minimum

Minimum is a 2014 third-person shooter, and the benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER reveals a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The measured FPS across the board indicates a configuration that is exceptionally strong at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K remains the only resolution where the GPU is pushed to its limits. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics, component roles, and ranking of this specific combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 307.7 FPS, but this falls to 196.8 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 110.2 FPS at 4K—a reduction of roughly 64% from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings, with the Ultra preset showing the most significant absolute drop, from 150.8 FPS at 1080p down to 51.8 FPS at 4K.

The scaling behavior suggests that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited. The Ryzen 9 5950X with its 16 cores and 32 threads can feed frames faster than the RTX 4070 SUPER can render them, even at Low settings. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the load shifts to the GPU, and the frame rate becomes more dependent on the graphics card's rendering capabilities. The data implies that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component at 4K, where even the High preset only manages 68.8 FPS.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and High settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (307.7 FPS) and High (197.6 FPS) is 110.1 FPS, but at 4K, the gap shrinks to 41.4 FPS (110.2 vs 68.8). This compression indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the dominant factor, making the settings-based workload differences less impactful relative to the sheer number of pixels being processed.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 5000-series processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, providing substantial single-thread performance. In 3DMark benchmarks, the CPU scores 944 in single-thread and 11597 in max-threads tests, demonstrating a strong balance between single-core speed and multi-core capability.

For a game like Minimum, which is a third-person shooter from 2014, the CPU's role is primarily to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. The data supports this: at 1080p, the system achieves 307.7 FPS on Low settings, which is far beyond what most displays can show. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s help ensure that game data is readily available for processing.

The 5950X's benchmark performance places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49062. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores 49166, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the 5950X is essentially tied with that competitor in synthetic tests. This suggests that while the CPU is not the absolute fastest on the market, it provides more than enough headroom for Minimum's engine, which appears to be well-optimized for high frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, with a boost clock of 2475 MHz and 7168 shading units. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores are present, though Minimum's age means these features are unlikely to be heavily utilized.

In the context of Minimum, the GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution rises. At 4K, the RTX 4070 SUPER is the clear bottleneck, as evidenced by the frame rates dropping to 51.8 FPS on Ultra settings. The GPU's performance in synthetic tests shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 and a Passmark G3D score of 29995, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 42576.

The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, has an average score of 42653, a delta of -0.2%, indicating that the 4070 SUPER is slightly behind that workstation card in synthetic tests. However, for gaming at 1440p and below, the RTX 4070 SUPER delivers exceptional results. At 1440p High settings, the combo achieves 127.6 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 5950X and RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 306th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 18% of all configurations. This is a strong ranking, though not elite, suggesting that there are many other combinations that can match or exceed its performance in this specific title.

The ranking is likely influenced by the fact that the CPU is overkill for a game from 2014, while the GPU is modern and capable. The data shows that the system excels at 1080p and 1440p, where the CPU's strength allows the GPU to work efficiently. At 4K, the rank drops in relative terms because the GPU's limitations become apparent, but the combo still maintains playable frame rates on High settings.

Given the CPU's 93rd percentile ranking and the GPU's 84th percentile ranking, the combo's 306th position out of 1733 makes sense. It outperforms many systems with weaker CPUs but is surpassed by those with even faster GPUs, such as the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX, which would push 4K performance higher.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Minimum?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 307.7, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The CPU scores 11597 in 3DMark max-threads and 944 in 3DMark single-thread, showing strong multi-core scaling with 16 cores and 32 threads.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this configuration?

A: The lowest average FPS is 51.8, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the GPU's memory bandwidth sufficient for 4K gaming in Minimum?

A: The GPU has 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which supports 4K High settings at 68.8 FPS, indicating it is adequate for this title.

Q: How does the CPU rank against its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 5950X scores 49062 on average, while the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 49166, a delta of -0.2%, meaning they are nearly identical.

Q: What settings provide the closest frame rate to a 60 FPS target at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, High settings produce 68.8 FPS, while Medium produces 81.2 FPS, both exceeding the 60 FPS target.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 307.7 FPS on Low, 235.8 FPS on Medium, 197.6 FPS on High, and 150.8 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates are 196.8 FPS on Low, 155.4 FPS on Medium, 127.6 FPS on High, and 98.4 FPS on Ultra. Finally, at 3840x2160, the system achieves 110.2 FPS on Low, 81.2 FPS on Medium, 68.8 FPS on High, and 51.8 FPS on Ultra.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution reduces performance by roughly 35-40%, while each step up in settings reduces performance by approximately 20-25%. The 4K Ultra result of 51.8 FPS is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that players seeking a locked 60 FPS experience should avoid the Ultra preset at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 197.6 FPS is recommended, as it provides a substantial visual improvement over Medium (235.8 FPS) while still delivering frame rates far above any monitor's refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 150.8 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the High preset at 127.6 FPS offers the best balance for high-refresh-rate gaming, while Medium at 155.4 FPS is suitable for those with 144 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 98.4 FPS is still smooth but represents a noticeable step down from the lower presets.

For 4K, the High preset at 68.8 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience, as it comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 81.2 FPS provides even more headroom, while the Ultra preset at 51.8 FPS should be avoided unless the player can tolerate sub-60 FPS performance. Overall, the data suggests that this combo is best utilized at 1440p with High settings, offering the most balanced performance and visual quality.