Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800M delivers a solid, if not spectacular, showing in Minimum, a third-person shooter from 2014. The measured data for this combo across three resolutions and four quality presets reveals a system that is clearly capable of high-refresh-rate 1080p play, comfortable at 1440p, and only dipping into 4K territory when settings are lowered. This analysis breaks down where this combination excels, where it struggles, and how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the final frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

The most balanced experience for this combo in Minimum is the Medium preset at 2560x1440. Benchmark results show an average of 85 FPS at this setting, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. This places the experience well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while the min FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate holds up. The gap between the minimum and maximum (73 to 98) shows a consistent performance envelope, avoiding the severe dips that can be jarring in a shooter.

For players targeting maximum smoothness on a high-refresh-rate 1440p monitor, the Low preset at 2560x1440 is the safer choice, delivering an average of 112 FPS. However, the quality loss may not be worth it for the frame rate increase. The High preset at 1440p also performs admirably, with an average of 72 FPS, which is still perfectly playable for a game of this genre. The drop from Medium to High (85 to 72 FPS) is a 13 FPS penalty, which might be acceptable for improved visuals, but the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance headroom.

At 1920x1080, the story is even better. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields an average of 85 FPS, a very strong result for a game from this era. While High and Medium presets at 1080p hit 111 FPS and 133 FPS respectively, the jump to Ultra still keeps the experience smooth. The 133 FPS average on Medium with a minimum of 113 FPS is particularly notable, suggesting that players with 144Hz or 165Hz displays could push toward those refresh rates without dropping below 100 FPS for most of the game. The Low preset at 1080p produces 173 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but the visual compromise is severe.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 is the only 4K option with a min FPS (39) and max FPS (53) recorded, and it averages 46 FPS. This is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced shooter. The Low preset at 4K hits exactly 60 FPS on average, which is a workable baseline, but the visual downgrade is significant. The High preset at 4K averages 39 FPS, making it a marginal choice, and Ultra at 4K drops to a 29 FPS average, which is not recommended for gameplay. For the best overall experience, 1440p Medium is the sweet spot, while 1080p Ultra is the choice for those who prioritize visual quality without sacrificing playability.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the primary driver of frame rates in Minimum, and its performance characteristics directly explain the scaling seen across settings. This GPU is based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, featuring a Navi 32 chip built on a 5 nm process. With 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines, it has the raw throughput to handle a 2014 title with ease at lower resolutions. The GPU’s boost clock of 2335 MHz and game clock of 2145 MHz are key to its performance, and the data shows they are sufficient for high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. For a game from 2014, this is an enormous amount of bandwidth and capacity. This becomes evident in the 4K results, where the game’s texture and geometry demands increase. The fact that the GPU can maintain a 46 FPS average at 4K Medium, with a minimum of 39 FPS, shows that memory is not a bottleneck. The 12 GB capacity is far more than this game requires, meaning the GPU is not being held back by a lack of video memory, even at 4K with higher-quality textures.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are substantial, with an FP32 rating of 35.87 TFLOPS. In Minimum, this translates to strong pixel and texture throughput. The pixel rate of 224.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 560.4 GTexel/s are reflected in the high frame rates at 1080p. For example, at 1080p High, the combo delivers 111 FPS average, which is a clear indication that the GPU has headroom to spare. At 1080p Low, the 173 FPS average shows that even when reducing the load, the GPU can push far beyond what most 60Hz displays can show.

The GPU’s benchmark scores put its performance into perspective. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2994 and Passmark G3D score of 17613 show a GPU that sits in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (0.2% faster) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (0.5% faster), are older or professional-oriented parts. This suggests that while the RX 7800M is not a top-tier flagship, it is a very capable mobile part. The gap between the 1080p and 1440p results points to the GPU being the primary scaling factor. Dropping from 1080p High (111 FPS) to 1440p High (72 FPS) is a 35% reduction in frame rate, which is a larger drop than what a CPU bottleneck would typically produce.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (Dragon Range codename). With a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, it has the single-thread and multi-thread muscle to avoid being a bottleneck in Minimum. The CPU’s 64 MB of L3 cache is more than enough for a game from this era, and the data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is keeping up with the GPU’s output.

The CPU’s benchmarks are impressive. In Cinebench R23, it scores 42713 in multi-core and 6030 in single-core. The Passmark single-thread score of 3907 and multithread score of 51405 place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (0.1% faster) and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (0.6% faster), show that the 8945HX is a high-end mobile chip. However, in Minimum, the CPU’s role is less about raw multi-core power and more about maintaining high minimum frame rates.

Looking at the measured data, the CPU’s influence is most visible when comparing 1080p and 1440p results at the same settings. At 1080p Low, the average is 173 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 112 FPS. This 35% drop indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as resolution increases. But at the same time, the 1080p Low result of 173 FPS is not limited by the CPU; if it were, we would see a plateau in frame rates regardless of resolution. The fact that 1080p Low produces a much higher frame rate than 1440p Low shows that the CPU is not the primary constraint at those settings.

The CPU’s high single-thread performance is crucial for a game like Minimum, which likely relies on a few threads for game logic and physics. The boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that these threads can be processed quickly, preventing stutters. The minimum FPS values recorded at 1440p Medium (73 FPS) and 1080p Medium (113 FPS) show that the CPU is maintaining a stable frame delivery even when the GPU is under load. The CPU’s 32 threads may be overkill for this game, but its high clocks mean it will never be a limiting factor here. The Passmark physics score of 2168 and the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 607 are more relevant to gaming than the multi-core results, and they indicate a chip that can handle the game’s logic without issue.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and AMD Radeon RX 7800M combination ranks 1934 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is surprising given the individual component specs. The rank suggests that while this combo is capable, there are many other combinations of CPUs and GPUs that deliver higher average frame rates in this specific game. It is important to note that this rank is based on the measured FPS data across all presets and resolutions, not on a single setting.

The combo’s rank is relatively low, but the actual performance is far from poor. The 1080p results are excellent, with even the Ultra preset hitting 85 FPS. The 1440p results are strong, with Medium at 85 FPS. The 4K results are the weakest link, with only Low and Medium presets being playable. This suggests that the combo is more suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming, which is typical for a mobile GPU. The rank reflects that many other combos, likely with desktop-class GPUs, can achieve higher frame rates at 4K.

When considering the GPU’s rivals, the RX 7800M is close to the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (0.2% faster in average benchmark score) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (0.5% faster). These are older desktop GPUs, and the fact that the RX 7800M matches them shows its efficiency. The CPU’s rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (0.1% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (0.6% faster), which are also high-end parts. The combo’s rank of 1934 out of 2939 is not a reflection of weak components but rather the fact that Minimum is an older title that does not heavily leverage the CPU’s multi-core capabilities, and the GPU’s mobile form factor limits its 4K potential.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of frame rate scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 111 FPS. At 1440p High, this drops to 72 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K High, it falls to 39 FPS, a 65% reduction from 1080p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would be more similar across resolutions. The fact that the frame rate drops significantly with each resolution increase points to the GPU being the primary constraint.

The Low settings tell a similar story. At 1080p Low, the average is 173 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 112 FPS (a 35% drop), and at 4K Low, it is 60 FPS (a 65% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings is a strong indicator that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at higher resolutions. The GPU’s 432.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the increased pixel count demands more bandwidth, leading to the frame rate decline.

The Medium preset shows a slightly different pattern due to the available min and max data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 133 FPS (min 113, max 152). At 1440p Medium, the average is 85 FPS (min 73, max 98), a 36% drop. At 4K Medium, the average is 46 FPS (min 39, max 53), a 65% drop from 1080p. The min FPS values at 1440p and 4K (73 and 39) are above 30 FPS, which means the game remains playable, but the 4K experience is clearly not ideal for a competitive shooter. The scaling indicates that the RX 7800M is best suited for 1080p and 1440p, where it can push frame rates high enough for smooth gameplay, while 4K is only viable at Low settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and RX 7800M in Minimum?*

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 with Medium settings provides the best balance, yielding an average of 85 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS. For those who prefer a higher frame rate, 1920x1080 with Medium settings delivers 133 FPS average with a 113 FPS minimum.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low, the average is 60 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS, which is still playable but less smooth. The 4K High and Ultra presets produce 39 FPS and 29 FPS averages respectively, which are not recommended for a fast-paced shooter.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck for this combo in Minimum?*

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. Frame rates drop by approximately 35% when going from 1080p to 1440p and by 65% when going from 1080p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU limitation. The CPU’s high single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030) ensures it can keep up with the GPU’s output at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the RX 7800M compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7800M has an average benchmark score of 27883. It is 0.2% slower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 and 0.5% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti. It is 0.3% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X and 0.8% faster than the AMD FirePro S7150. These are close margins, indicating the RX 7800M is a mid-to-high-tier performer.

*Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among tested systems in Minimum?*

A: The combo ranks 1934 out of 2939 tested combos. This places it in the 34th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that while it performs well at 1080p and 1440p, many other combos achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 4K.

Q: How much FPS does the CPU contribute to the overall performance?

A: The CPU’s role is to prevent frame rate dips. The minimum FPS values, such as 73 FPS at 1440p Medium and 113 FPS at 1080p Medium, show that the CPU maintains a stable frame delivery. The CPU’s Passmark single-thread score of 3907 and boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensure that game logic threads are processed quickly, but the GPU’s workload is what ultimately determines the average frame rate.