Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 8060S lands at rank 1677 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places the combo in the 43rd percentile of all system pairings, meaning roughly 57% of tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this title. The ranking reflects a mid-pack position for a mobile platform, and the data suggests the pairing is balanced enough to avoid a single catastrophic bottleneck, but it is not a top-tier performer for competitive frame rates.

The combo’s standing is heavily influenced by the fact that Minimum is a 2014 release with relatively modest demands on modern hardware. The CPU’s percentile rank of 95 among all processors indicates it is a top-tier part, while the GPU’s 87th percentile ranking is slightly lower but still strong. The gap between these percentiles hints that the graphics solution is the primary constraint in this pairing, a trend confirmed by the resolution scaling data. The overall rank of 1677 is a consequence of the GPU holding the system back from the highest performance tiers, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame value of 1677 out of 2939 places this configuration in the lower-middle portion of the database. It is important to contextualize this against the component-level benchmarks. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 76212 places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU’s average score of 55757 lands in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. If the pairing were perfectly balanced, one might expect a higher in-game rank, but the data shows that the GPU’s relative weakness compared to the CPU creates a situation where the graphics card dictates the final performance tier.

Comparatively, the CPU is nearly tied with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (0.1% delta) and the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (-0.4% delta), while the GPU sits within 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and 0.1% of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB. These margins are razor-thin at the component level, yet the in-game rank suggests that the specific combination of this CPU and GPU does not translate to a top-tier experience in this particular title. The rank indicates that many other pairings, likely with stronger GPUs, outperform this setup in Minimum.

The fact that the CPU is in the 95th percentile and the GPU in the 87th percentile, yet the combo sits in the 43rd percentile, underscores that the GPU is the limiting factor. The system is not underperforming relative to its parts; rather, the parts themselves are mismatched for this game’s demands. The CPU offers headroom that the GPU cannot utilize, resulting in a rank that reflects the weaker component’s ceiling.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8060S is built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture with a 4 nm process node and features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. It includes 40 ray tracing cores and operates at a base clock of 1295 MHz with a boost clock of 2900 MHz. The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, with the size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," meaning the GPU relies on the CPU’s DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM.

This shared memory setup is critical for Minimum’s performance. The GPU’s FP32 compute rating is 14.85 TFLOPS, and its texture rate is 464.0 GTexel/s, which are respectable figures for an integrated-class part. However, the lack of dedicated VRAM means the system must allocate system memory for frame buffering, which can introduce latency and bandwidth constraints. The GPU’s benchmark scores reflect this: it scores 2162 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 84626 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 80483 in Geekbench Vulkan.

In Minimum, the GPU’s role is to manage the rendering workload, and the data shows it becomes the bottleneck as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 187 FPS, but this drops to 42 FPS at 4K High. The GPU’s percentile rank of 87 places it near the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (1.7% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (2.8% delta), indicating it holds its own against dedicated desktop parts in synthetic benchmarks. Yet, the shared memory architecture likely contributes to the steep performance cliffs seen at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s boost clock of 2900 MHz is high for an integrated solution, and the pixel rate of 185.6 GPixel/s suggests it can fill frames quickly at lower resolutions. However, the system-shared memory bandwidth, which is dependent on the CPU’s dual-channel DDR5 configuration (83.2 GB/s), becomes a limiting factor when pushing larger frame buffers at 4K. This explains why the frame rate drops by over 50% when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings, as the memory subsystem cannot keep pace with the GPU’s compute throughput.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that points directly to the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 187 FPS, which drops to 121 FPS at 1440p Low (a 35.3% decrease) and then to 65 FPS at 4K Low (a 65.2% decrease from 1080p). For High settings, the progression is 120 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K, representing a 35.0% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 65.0% drop from 1080p to 4K.

This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The frame rate declines are roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count, which is expected when the graphics processor is saturated. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not scale with pixel count. The data shows no such plateau, confirming that the Radeon 8060S is the constraining factor.

The trend continues at Medium settings: 143 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 45.7%, which is steeper than the 35.7% drop from 1080p to 1440p. This accelerating decline at higher resolutions further validates the GPU limitation, as the memory bandwidth and compute resources become increasingly strained. At Ultra settings, the frame rates fall to 92 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K, with the 4K figure barely reaching playable levels.

The scaling data also indicates that the CPU has ample headroom. The Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is not taxed by a 2014 title like Minimum, even at 1080p where frame rates are highest. The fact that the system can reach 187 FPS at 1080p Low suggests the CPU can feed frames quickly, but the GPU cannot maintain that pace at higher resolutions. This imbalance is the defining characteristic of the combo’s performance profile.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers its best results. At Low settings, the average FPS is 187, which is exceptionally high and suitable for any high-refresh-rate display. Medium settings yield 143 FPS on average, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, indicating smooth performance with minor dips. High settings produce 120 FPS, while Ultra drops to 92 FPS. These numbers show that the system can handle 1080p gaming comfortably across all settings, with even Ultra settings remaining above 90 FPS.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates become more moderate. Low settings average 121 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings average 92 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, showing some variance but no severe stuttering. High settings drop to 78 FPS, and Ultra falls to 59 FPS, which is just at the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data suggests that 1440p is best enjoyed at Medium or High settings, with Ultra pushing the GPU to its limits.

At 4K, the performance becomes a challenge. Low settings average 65 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Medium settings average 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS, indicating that frame pacing may be inconsistent. High settings drop to 42 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The 4K results clearly show that this combo is not suited for maximum settings at this resolution, with the GPU struggling to maintain playable frame rates.

The measured FPS data aligns with the GPU’s synthetic benchmark scores. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2162 is relatively low, reflecting the GPU’s struggle with modern DX12 workloads, but Minimum is an older title that should be less demanding. Despite this, the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS indicates that the GPU’s shared memory architecture and limited compute resources are insufficient for high-fidelity 4K rendering.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS gaming at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 187 FPS at Low, 143 FPS at Medium, 120 FPS at High, and 92 FPS at Ultra settings for 1920x1080 resolution. All settings exceed 60 FPS, making it highly capable for 1080p gaming.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 55757 is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698) and 0.6% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (56083). It is 1.7% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828) and 2.8% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (54247).

*Q: What is the limiting component for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The GPU is the limiting component. The frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases (from 187 FPS at 1080p Low to 65 FPS at 4K Low), indicating the graphics card is saturated. The CPU, with a 95th percentile rank, has ample headroom.

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

A: Only at lower settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 65, and at Medium it is 50. At High settings, it drops to 42 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 32 FPS. The data suggests 4K is only viable at Low or Medium settings.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance affect gaming results?

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores are high, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030. The CPU is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it provides sufficient processing power to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in this title.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration and how does it impact performance?

A: The GPU uses system-shared memory, with the size, type, and bus width all listed as "System Shared." The bandwidth is "System Dependent," relying on the CPU’s dual-channel DDR5 memory, which provides 83.2 GB/s. This shared configuration likely limits performance at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (Dragon Range). It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The CPU features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 64 MB of L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory via a dual-channel bus, providing 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Minimum, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, which are not particularly demanding for a 2014 title. The CPU’s benchmark results are impressive: it scores 42713 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 6030 in single-core, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. PassMark tests show a multithread score of 51405 and a single-thread score of 3907, confirming its strength in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads.

However, the measured FPS data suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. The frame rates scale inversely with resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain stagnant regardless of resolution. Instead, the system achieves 187 FPS at 1080p Low and only 65 FPS at 4K Low, indicating the GPU cannot maintain the same throughput at higher pixel counts.

The CPU’s high single-thread performance (6030 in Cinebench R23) is beneficial for a game like Minimum, which likely relies on a limited number of threads for core game logic. The 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded tasks are handled quickly, reducing the risk of CPU-induced stutters. The 32 threads also provide headroom for background tasks and streaming, though the game itself may not utilize all of them.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (0.1% higher score) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (0.6% higher score), both of which are similarly powerful. The CPU’s 95th percentile rank means it outperforms the vast majority of processors, and its 76212 average benchmark score reflects its capabilities. In this pairing, the CPU is clearly overqualified for the GPU, and the system’s performance is ultimately capped by the Radeon 8060S’s ability to render frames.