Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 8050S produces a wide performance envelope in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. The measured results show a system that is highly capable at 1080p, but which becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution climbs, ultimately struggling to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with maximum settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, component roles, and resulting rankings.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable decline in average frame rates as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 107 at 1080p to 69 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 38 frames. The climb to 4K is even steeper, with the average falling to 37 FPS, which represents a 65% decrease from the 1080p figure. This pattern strongly suggests that the AMD Radeon 8050S becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the rendering load on the GPU scales exponentially with pixel count.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the 1080p average of 167 FPS drops to 108 at 1440p and 58 at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 128 FPS at 1080p, 82 at 1440p, and 44 at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, starting at 82 FPS at 1080p, falling to 53 at 1440p, and bottoming out at 28 FPS at 4K. The consistent proportional drops across all presets reinforce the conclusion that resolution, rather than settings complexity, is the dominant factor limiting performance at higher pixel densities.

The delta between 1080p and 1440p is substantial but manageable, while the jump from 1440p to 4K is disproportionately punishing. For example, at Medium settings, moving from 1440p to 4K reduces the average FPS from 82 to 44, a 46% loss, whereas the 1080p to 1440p transition only costs 36%. This indicates that the Radeon 8050S hits a memory bandwidth or fill-rate wall at 4K, making this resolution impractical for smooth gameplay outside of the Low preset.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S, built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture with the Strix Halo chip, is the central component driving these results. Its performance profile, with a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2800 MHz, allows for solid 1080p performance but reveals its limits at higher resolutions. The GPU’s memory configuration is "System Shared," which means its bandwidth is "System Dependent." This architecture likely contributes to the steep 4K performance drop, as the shared memory subsystem may become a bottleneck when handling the large frame buffers required at 3840x2160.

The GPU’s raw compute specifications, including 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, are sufficient for a game from 2014 at lower resolutions. The measured pixel rate of 179.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 358.4 GTexel/s provide the theoretical throughput, but the benchmark results show that real-world performance at 4K falls well short of what would be needed for a fluid experience. The FP32 throughput of 11.47 TFLOPS is respectable, yet the data indicates that the Radeon 8050S cannot maintain high frame rates when pixel count quadruples from 1080p.

The GPU’s benchmark percentile of 89 versus all GPUs places it in the upper tier of available hardware, and its average benchmark score of 62108 puts it within 3% of rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 7600M and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP. However, these synthetic benchmarks do not translate into 4K gaming dominance. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is borderline unplayable, demonstrating that while the GPU is powerful for its class, it is not designed for maximum settings at the highest resolution in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers an average of 107 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize visual fidelity, as it remains comfortably playable. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays, the Low preset at 167 FPS is the clear choice, providing maximum fluidity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 69 FPS, which is adequate for most players, though it may feel slightly less responsive than 1080p. The Medium preset at 82 FPS is a better balance, offering a higher frame rate with only a modest reduction in visual quality. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is borderline; it is playable but may exhibit noticeable stutter in fast-paced third-person shooter action. The Low preset at 108 FPS remains the best option for those seeking high refresh rates at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the choices are severely constrained. The Low preset averages 58 FPS, which is the only setting that provides a consistently playable experience. The Medium preset at 44 FPS is marginal, and the High preset at 37 FPS will likely feel sluggish. The Ultra preset at 28 FPS is not recommended for serious gameplay. For 4K users, the data supports using Low settings to maintain frame rates, or alternatively, dropping to 1440p to unlock higher quality presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and AMD Radeon 8050S ranks 2745 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the lower third of all tested configurations, which is surprising given the individual component strength. The ranking suggests that while the CPU and GPU are individually capable, their pairing is not optimized for this specific title, likely due to the GPU’s shared memory architecture limiting performance at higher resolutions.

The CPU itself is a top-tier part, with a percentile of 95 versus all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 76212. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, has a nearly identical average score of 76155, a delta of just 0.1%. This indicates that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is not the bottleneck in this system. The GPU, with a percentile of 89, is also strong, but the combo rank of 2745 out of 3712 suggests that the overall system performance in this game is dragged down by the 4K results, which are well below what other high-end combos might achieve.

The deltaPct values for the GPU’s nearest rivals are all negative, ranging from -2.5% for the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 to -2.7% for the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP, meaning the Radeon 8050S outperforms these parts in synthetic benchmarks. Yet, the combo rank indicates that real-world gaming performance may not match that synthetic edge. The data suggests that users with this combo should target 1080p or 1440p for the best experience, as the 4K results are significantly below the average of other tested pairings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its substantial multi-threading capabilities are evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030. This level of performance is more than sufficient for a 2014 title like Minimum, which is unlikely to utilize more than a few cores effectively.

The CPU’s large 64 MB of L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core provide ample bandwidth for game logic and asset streaming. Its memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, while modest compared to desktop parts, is adequate for feeding the Radeon 8050S. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as 51405 in Passmark multithread and 3907 in Passmark single-thread, place it in the top 5% of all CPUs, confirming that it is not a limiting factor in this game.

Given the CPU’s massive headroom, the frame rate drops at higher resolutions are almost entirely attributable to the GPU. At 1080p Low, the 167 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with frames well beyond what the Radeon 8050S can render at higher settings. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that even single-threaded game logic will not bottleneck the system. The data shows that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is a future-proof component that will not constrain performance in this or likely any other current title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. The Low preset achieves an average of 167 FPS, with the Medium preset at 128 FPS (min 109, max 147), High at 107 FPS, and Ultra at 82 FPS. All presets at this resolution are playable, with even the most demanding Ultra setting maintaining a frame rate above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 108 FPS, Medium 82 FPS (min 70, max 95), High 69 FPS, and Ultra 53 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that users seeking maximum quality at this resolution will need to accept some compromise in smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. The Low preset is the only one to average above 50 FPS, hitting 58 FPS. The Medium preset averages 44 FPS (min 38, max 51), High 37 FPS, and Ultra 28 FPS. These results show that 4K gaming is only viable with reduced settings, and even then, the frame rates are marginal for a fast-paced shooter. The minimum FPS values, where available, show that the Medium preset can dip to 38 FPS at 4K, which may cause noticeable hitches during intense gameplay.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 is the best resolution, with all settings presets averaging above 82 FPS. The High and Ultra presets offer playable frame rates, while Low and Medium provide excellent fluidity for competitive play.

*Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Only at Low settings, which average 58 FPS. Medium averages 44 FPS, High 37 FPS, and Ultra 28 FPS, all of which are below the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for smooth gameplay in a shooter.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p High?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s single-core score of 6030 in Cinebench R23 and multi-core score of 42713 provide far more processing power than Minimum requires, while the GPU’s average of 69 FPS at 1440p High indicates it is the bottleneck.

Q: How does the Radeon 8050S compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Radeon 8050S has an average benchmark score of 62108, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M and 2.5% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56. It also outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 7600M by 2.6% and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP by 2.7% in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS is 167, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The highest maximum FPS recorded is 147, also at 1080p with Medium settings.

Q: Does the combo rank indicate poor performance in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2745 out of 3712 tested combos, which is in the lower third. This suggests that while the individual components are strong, the pairing underperforms in Minimum, particularly at higher resolutions, likely due to the GPU’s system-shared memory architecture.