Minimum

# Minimum (2014) — AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX pairs a 16-core, 32-thread Zen 4 design with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 in a mobile configuration that yields strongly CPU-favorable results in Minimum, a 2014 third-person shooter. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 148 FPS average, while 4K Ultra drops to 25 FPS. The data shows a system where the CPU's headroom is rarely the binding constraint; instead, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become the dominant factors as resolution and settings climb. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows, contextualizes the hardware's synthetic benchmarks, and explains how the combo ranks 2325th out of 2939 tested configurations for this title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 5 nm TSMC process with a Dragon Range codename. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide substantial single-thread headroom, which is critical for a 2014 title like Minimum that predates modern multi-threaded game engines. The processor's 64 MB of L3 cache (with 1 MB L2 per core and 64 KB L1 per core) helps feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates, though the measured FPS data suggests this is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

Synthetic benchmarks position this CPU in the 95th percentile of all processors. In Cinebench R23, it scores 42713 multi-core and 6030 single-core; Cinebench R20 shows 17939 multi-core and 2532 single-core; Cinebench R15 yields 4305 multi-core and 607 single-core. PassMark results include a multi-thread score of 51405, a single-thread score of 3907, and a physics score of 2168. These figures indicate a processor that can sustain high frame rates even in CPU-bound scenes, but the game's age means the GPU typically becomes the bottleneck earlier than the CPU would.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 8945HX's average benchmark score of 76212 is effectively tied with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155, +0.1% delta), the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492, -0.4% delta), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513, -0.4% delta). The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D sits at 75779 (+0.6% delta). This clustering around the 76,000 mark shows that the 8945HX delivers compute parity with top-tier desktop and mobile parts, meaning the CPU is not a weak link in this combo.

For Minimum specifically, the 1080p Low result of 148 FPS average demonstrates that the CPU can push well beyond 144 Hz in light GPU load. The 4K Low result of 52 FPS, however, shows a 65% drop from 1080p Low, indicating that even at low settings, the GPU's throughput limitations emerge at higher resolutions. The CPU's 32 threads and 5.40 GHz boost clock are likely overkill for this game's engine, which was designed for the 4-core/8-thread era of 2014. The data supports the conclusion that the Ryzen 9 8945HX provides ample processing power for Minimum, with the GPU being the primary determinant of frame rates in all measured configurations.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture (GB207 chip) with 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective), while the base GPU clock is 2317 MHz and the boost clock is 2572 MHz. This configuration delivers 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s, with a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is the most likely constraint in Minimum's higher settings. The game's 2014 release predates modern VRAM-hungry textures, but the data shows a steep performance cliff at 4K Ultra (25 FPS) compared to 1080p Ultra (73 FPS). This 66% drop in average FPS suggests that the 128-bit memory bus and 320 GB/s bandwidth become saturated at higher resolutions, even if the 8 GB capacity is not fully exhausted. The RTX 5050's 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores are present but largely unused in a non-ray-traced title like Minimum.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score is 17326, with a G2D score of 1113, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2502. Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores are 90334 and 89381, respectively. The GPU ranks in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, -0.6% delta), the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, -1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, +1.6% delta), and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, -1.6% delta). This places the RTX 5050 in a performance tier that is competitive with mid-range desktop GPUs from several generations ago, which is consistent with its mobile form factor and 130 W TDP.

In Minimum, the GPU's role is to render the game's environments and effects, and the measured FPS shows that it can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p across all settings, with 73 FPS at Ultra being the minimum. However, at 1440p, Ultra drops to 47 FPS, and at 4K, only Low (52 FPS) and Medium (39 FPS) approach playability. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game's texture sizes, but the bandwidth limitation becomes apparent in the 4K Medium result (39 FPS) versus 4K Low (52 FPS), a 25% performance loss from a single settings tier increase.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 95 at 1080p to 61 at 1440p (a 36% decrease) and further to 33 at 4K (a 65% decrease from 1080p). This scaling is steeper than the pixel count increase would suggest (1080p to 1440p is 1.78x pixels, but FPS drops by 1.56x; 1080p to 4K is 4x pixels, but FPS drops by 2.88x), indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth or ROP throughput becomes a limiting factor before the raw pixel count does.

At Low settings, the pattern shifts: 1080p yields 148 FPS, 1440p yields 96 FPS (a 35% drop), and 4K yields 52 FPS (a 65% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings (65% from 1080p to 4K at both Low and High, and 66% at Ultra) strongly suggests that the RTX 5050's memory bus width is the primary constraint, rather than shader compute or VRAM capacity. The 320 GB/s bandwidth is simply insufficient to feed the GPU at 4K with this game's rendering demands.

Medium settings provide the only complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium averages 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131. At 1440p, the average drops to 73 FPS (min 62, max 84), and at 4K, it falls to 39 FPS (min 34, max 45). The 4K Medium minimum of 34 FPS is below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider playable, highlighting that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo beyond Low settings.

The resolution scaling data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS across resolutions at the same settings, since CPU load is resolution-independent. Instead, the FPS drops monotonically with resolution, confirming that the RTX 5050 is the binding constraint. The Ryzen 9 8945HX's 16 cores and 5.40 GHz boost clock provide more than enough processing power to keep up with the GPU at all measured settings and resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with averages ranging from 148 FPS at Low to 73 FPS at Ultra. For a 60 Hz display, High (95 FPS) offers a good balance of visual quality and performance, while Medium (114 FPS) provides additional headroom for frame time consistency. Ultra (73 FPS) is viable for 60 Hz but leaves little margin for dips in demanding scenes.

At 1440p, the choices narrow. Low (96 FPS) and High (61 FPS) are both playable, with Medium (73 FPS) being the sweet spot for 60 Hz displays. Ultra (47 FPS) is marginal for 60 Hz and should be avoided if frame pacing is a concern. The 1440p Medium minimum of 62 FPS shows that the system can hold above 60 FPS in the worst-case measured scenario, making this the recommended preset for 1440p gaming.

At 4K, only Low (52 FPS) provides a consistently playable experience. Medium (39 FPS) is borderline, with a minimum of 34 FPS that may cause noticeable stuttering. High (33 FPS) and Ultra (25 FPS) are not recommended for gameplay, as they fall below the 30 FPS threshold for smooth motion. The data suggests that 4K is only viable for this combo at Low settings, and even then, the 52 FPS average is modest.

For the best overall experience per the measured rows, Medium settings at 1440p provide the strongest combination of visual fidelity and performance, with 73 FPS average and a 62 FPS minimum. If a higher refresh rate is the priority, 1080p High (95 FPS) or 1080p Medium (114 FPS) are excellent choices. The 1080p Ultra setting (73 FPS) is acceptable for 60 Hz but does not offer enough visual improvement over Medium to justify the 36% FPS loss.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination ranks 2325th out of 2939 tested combos for Minimum, placing it in the bottom 21% of all configurations. This ranking is surprising given the CPU's 95th percentile performance and the GPU's 66th percentile standing, but it reflects the fact that Minimum is a 2014 title that may favor older hardware architectures or specific driver optimizations.

The low rank relative to the individual component percentiles suggests that this combo's performance is held back by the GPU's mobile-tier characteristics. The RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus, while adequate for modern titles at 1080p, may not align well with Minimum's rendering path, which was designed for the GPU architectures of its era. The 2325th rank indicates that many other combos, likely featuring desktop GPUs with wider memory buses, achieve higher frame rates in this specific game.

However, the ranking should be interpreted with caution. The combo's 1080p Low result of 148 FPS places it well above the threshold for competitive play, and 1080p Ultra at 73 FPS is respectable for a mobile GPU. The data shows that while the combo does not rank highly among all tested configurations, it delivers playable performance at 1080p and 1440p across most settings, which may be sufficient for the target user of a mobile gaming system.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX strong enough for this game?

A: Yes. The CPU scores 42713 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6030 in single-core, ranking in the 95th percentile of all processors. The measured FPS data shows no CPU-bound limitations, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K?

A: Only at Low settings, which averages 52 FPS. Medium at 4K drops to 39 FPS (minimum 34 FPS), while High (33 FPS) and Ultra (25 FPS) fall below playable thresholds. The 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus of the RTX 5050 restrict 4K performance.

Q: What settings provide the best experience for 60 Hz displays?

A: At 1080p, High (95 FPS) or Ultra (73 FPS) are suitable. At 1440p, Medium (73 FPS) with a 62 FPS minimum is the best balance. At 4K, only Low (52 FPS) maintains acceptable frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 21035 is within 1.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713) and within 1.6% of the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379). It trails the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153) by 0.6% and the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237) by 1%.

Q: Is the CPU's 16-core configuration beneficial for this game?

A: Minimum was released in 2014, when 4-core CPUs were standard. The 32 threads of the 8945HX are unlikely to be fully utilized, but the high single-core performance (6030 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures the game's primary thread runs without bottlenecking the GPU.

Q: What is the most significant performance limitation of this combo?

A: The RTX 5050's 320 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128-bit bus. The resolution scaling data shows consistent 65% FPS drops from 1080p to 4K across settings, indicating that memory bandwidth saturation, not VRAM capacity or shader compute, is the primary constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 148 average FPS
• Medium: 114 average FPS (minimum 97, maximum 131)
• High: 95 average FPS
• Ultra: 73 average FPS

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 96 average FPS
• Medium: 73 average FPS (minimum 62, maximum 84)
• High: 61 average FPS
• Ultra: 47 average FPS

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 52 average FPS
• Medium: 39 average FPS (minimum 34, maximum 45)
• High: 33 average FPS
• Ultra: 25 average FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern across all settings, with 1440p averaging approximately 64% of 1080p FPS, and 4K averaging approximately 35% of 1080p FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data at all resolutions, providing insight into frame time consistency: at 1080p, the spread is 34 FPS (97 to 131), at 1440p it is 22 FPS (62 to 84), and at 4K it is 11 FPS (34 to 45). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently saturated, reducing variance but also lowering average performance.

The 1080p Low result of 148 FPS is the highest measured average across all configurations, representing the combo's peak performance ceiling. The 4K Ultra result of 25 FPS is the lowest, representing the most demanding scenario. Between these extremes, the 12 measured data points provide a comprehensive picture of how this mobile CPU-GPU pairing scales across the resolution and settings matrix.