Minimum

Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter, shows remarkable scaling behavior on the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet transitions to a CPU-bound state at 1080p, where frame rates climb to levels that most displays cannot even reproduce. The following analysis breaks down the performance characteristics of this specific hardware pairing across all tested settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and follows an expected curve for a game of this era, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly depending on the quality preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 371 FPS at 1920x1080 to 137 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 234 FPS or roughly 63%. This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the 4K resolution imposes a substantial workload on the RTX 4090, pushing the GPU toward its limits despite the game's age.

Moving to Medium settings, the same resolution step shows a drop from 301 FPS at 1080p to 105 FPS at 4K, a 196 FPS decrease. The High preset tells a similar story, with 253 FPS at 1080p falling to 88 FPS at 4K, a 165 FPS reduction. The Ultra preset, however, demonstrates the most severe scaling penalty, dropping from 193 FPS at 1080p to just 67 FPS at 4K, a 126 FPS decrease that represents a 65% performance loss.

The pattern across all four settings reveals that the limiting component shifts as resolution increases. At 1080p, the data shows frame rates above 250 FPS for every preset except Ultra, with Low hitting 371 FPS. These numbers far exceed what the CPU can sustain in terms of frame-time generation for this game, suggesting the Ryzen 9 5950X's 16 cores and 32 threads are not the primary bottleneck at this resolution. Instead, the GPU is delivering frames as fast as the game's engine allows, and the CPU has ample headroom.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU's increasing workload. The Low preset delivers 254 FPS, High manages 163 FPS, and Ultra drops to 124 FPS. The 4K results, however, clearly indicate that the RTX 4090 becomes the dominant limiting factor, as even Low settings only achieve 137 FPS, which is lower than the 1440p Ultra result of 124 FPS by a smaller margin than expected. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU's raw compute throughput and memory bandwidth are the constraints, while the CPU's role diminishes.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. For Low settings, the drop is from 254 to 137 FPS (46% reduction), for Medium from 194 to 105 FPS (46% reduction), for High from 163 to 88 FPS (46% reduction), and for Ultra from 124 to 67 FPS (46% reduction). This consistent 46% penalty across all presets indicates a uniform GPU-bound scenario at these resolutions, where the pixel count increase directly translates to frame rate loss regardless of graphical complexity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, with its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, provides 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. For a 2014 title like Minimum, this memory subsystem is vastly overprovisioned, meaning VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor at any resolution or setting tested. The data confirms this, as the frame rates do not show any sudden drops that would indicate memory swapping or capacity issues.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). These clocks contribute to the card's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is more than sufficient for this game. The benchmark results show the RTX 4090 achieving a Passmark G3D score of 38194, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 60347 puts it statistically tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (deltaPct 0.0) and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (deltaPct 0.3).

The measured FPS data indicates that the RTX 4090's role is to push frame rates to extreme levels at 1080p and maintain playable performance at 4K. At 1080p Low, the 371 FPS average suggests the GPU is not the bottleneck; the game engine or CPU is likely limiting the maximum frame rate. At 4K Ultra, the 67 FPS average demonstrates that the GPU is being fully utilized, as this is the most demanding configuration tested, and the card still delivers a smooth experience.

The GPU's 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are not relevant for this game, as Minimum predates ray tracing and DLSS. The card's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is also unused, as the game likely runs in an older DirectX mode. The Passmark DirectX scores reflect this, with the card scoring 397 in DirectX 9, 326 in DirectX 11, and 150 in DirectX 12, indicating that the game may be using a legacy API path.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering an average of 194 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 223 FPS. This frame rate is well above the refresh rate of most monitors, ensuring a fluid experience without any noticeable stutter. The minimum FPS of 165 is particularly important, as it indicates that the frame time variance is low enough to avoid perceptible hitches.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 105 FPS (minimum 89 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it provides a solid 60+ FPS experience with room to spare. The High preset at 88 FPS is also viable, but the 17 FPS difference between Medium and High at 4K may not justify the visual improvement, depending on the user's sensitivity to frame rate. The Ultra preset at 67 FPS is playable but approaches the lower boundary of what most users consider smooth, and the minimum FPS is not recorded, which introduces uncertainty.

At 1080p, the data shows that the Medium preset at 301 FPS (minimum 256 FPS, maximum 347 FPS) is the optimal choice, as the jump to High (253 FPS) and Ultra (193 FPS) provides diminishing returns for the frame rate loss. The Low preset at 371 FPS is unnecessary, as it sacrifices visual quality for frame rates that exceed any display's refresh rate. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors (240Hz+), the Medium preset's 301 FPS average ensures that the display is fully utilized.

The Ultra preset is only recommended for users who prioritize maximum visual fidelity over frame rate, particularly at 1440p where it still delivers 124 FPS. At 4K, Ultra's 67 FPS is borderline, and the lack of minimum FPS data makes it a riskier choice compared to Medium, which has a documented 89 FPS minimum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings was tested with complete data. The Low preset achieved an average of 371 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium averaged 301 FPS, with a minimum of 256 and a maximum of 347. High averaged 253 FPS with no min/max data. Ultra averaged 193 FPS, again without min/max values. The spread from Low to Ultra is 178 FPS, showing that graphical settings have a substantial impact at this resolution, but even the lowest result (Ultra) is far above playable thresholds.

At 2560x1440, the results show a similar pattern but with lower absolute values. Low averaged 254 FPS, Medium averaged 194 FPS (minimum 165, maximum 223), High averaged 163 FPS, and Ultra averaged 124 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 130 FPS, indicating that the GPU is starting to feel the resolution increase, but the RTX 4090 still has significant headroom.

At 3840x2160, the data becomes more interesting. Low averaged 137 FPS, Medium averaged 105 FPS (minimum 89, maximum 120), High averaged 88 FPS, and Ultra averaged 67 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 70 FPS, which is narrower than at lower resolutions, confirming that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint. The Medium preset's minimum of 89 FPS is noteworthy, as it suggests that even under heavy load, the frame rate stays above 60 FPS, which is the baseline for smooth gameplay.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all three resolutions, providing the most reliable picture of frame time consistency. At 1080p, the 256-347 FPS range shows a 91 FPS spread, at 1440p the 165-223 FPS range shows a 58 FPS spread, and at 4K the 89-120 FPS range shows a 31 FPS spread. This tightening of the frame time distribution at higher resolutions further confirms the GPU-bound nature of 4K performance.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with RTX 4090 capable of running Minimum at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average of 67 FPS, which is playable, though the lack of minimum FPS data means frame time consistency is not verified.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination to achieve the highest frame rates?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the configuration reaches 371 FPS average, which is the highest measured value. However, Medium settings at 301 FPS provide a better balance of quality and performance.

Q: How does the RTX 4090 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60347 is statistically tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (deltaPct 0.0) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (deltaPct 0.3), while it is 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M and 2.9% behind the AMD Radeon PRO V710.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 5950X bottleneck the RTX 4090 in this game?

A: At 1080p, frame rates above 250 FPS suggest the CPU may be limiting, but at 1440p and 4K, the consistent scaling patterns indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The High preset averages 163 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 124 FPS, a difference of 39 FPS (24% reduction for Ultra).

Q: How much of a frame rate drop occurs when moving from 1080p to 4K on the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset drops from 301 FPS at 1920x1080 to 105 FPS at 3840x2160, a 196 FPS reduction, which represents a 65% performance loss.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, with its 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, provides substantial processing power for this game. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz, combined with 64 MB of L3 cache, ensure that CPU-related bottlenecks are minimal. The CPU's benchmark scores support this, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26017 and a single-core score of 1614, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

The nearest rivals for the CPU show a tight cluster of performance. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX scores 52073 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the Ryzen's 51947 average. The AMD EPYC 8124P is 0.3% higher at 52121, while the Intel Core i9-13900F is 0.4% lower at 51730, and the Intel Core i7-14700 is 0.7% lower at 52301. These small deltaPct values indicate that the 5950X is competitive with modern processors, despite being released in 2020.

In the context of Minimum, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. At 1080p, the frame rates of 253-371 FPS suggest that the CPU is keeping up with the GPU's output, but the lack of scaling between Low (371 FPS) and Medium (301 FPS) indicates that the CPU may be reaching its limit for this game's single-threaded performance. The single-core score of 1614 in Cinebench R23 and 944 in 3DMark single-thread (which is a low score relative to modern CPUs) suggest that the game's primary thread may be a limiting factor at these extreme frame rates.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 16 cores and 32 threads are more than sufficient for a game from 2014, which likely uses only a few threads. The CPU's 105W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) are adequate for this workload, and the PCIe Gen 4 interface (20 lanes) provides sufficient bandwidth for the RTX 4090.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 155th out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the top 4.2% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the high absolute performance of both components, even though the game is from 2014 and may not fully utilize the hardware.

The rank of 155 indicates that there are 154 other combinations that perform better in this specific game. These higher-ranked combos likely feature newer CPUs with better single-thread performance, as the RTX 4090 is already one of the fastest GPUs available. The CPU's single-thread performance, as measured by the 3DMark single-thread score of 944, may be the limiting factor in achieving a higher rank, especially at 1080p where the CPU's influence is most pronounced.

The combo's position in the rankings is notable given the CPU's age. The Ryzen 9 5950X was released in November 2020, and its 91st percentile ranking against all CPUs shows it remains competitive. The RTX 4090, released in September 2022, is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, and its end-of-life status means it is being compared against newer cards, yet it still delivers top-tier performance.

The data suggests that this combination is well-balanced for Minimum, with the GPU providing the majority of the performance at higher resolutions and the CPU enabling extremely high frame rates at 1080p. The rank of 155 out of 3712 confirms that this is a high-end configuration, but the game's age and the CPU's single-thread limitations prevent it from reaching the top 100. For users seeking the absolute highest frame rates in this game, a newer CPU with better single-core performance might yield a higher rank, but the current combo already delivers playable performance at all settings and resolutions.