Minimum

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 pairing represents a stark contrast in component generations and performance tiers. The data for Minimum shows a system where a top-tier 2024 processor is matched with an end-of-life 2019 graphics card, resulting in a combination that ranks in the 79th percentile of all tested configurations. This analysis examines the measured frame rates to determine how each component influences the game's performance across resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination for Minimum?

A: The combo ranks 2929 out of 3712 tested combos in this game, placing it in the 79th percentile of all configurations.

Q: How does the RTX 2060's benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290, which is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (15283, 0% delta) and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon 680M (15270, 0.1% delta).

Q: What is the maximum measured average frame rate for this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 155 at 1920x1080 with Low settings, indicating the GPU can produce very high frame rates when graphical load is minimized.

Q: What is the lowest measured average frame rate for this combo?

A: The lowest average is 26 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, showing the RTX 2060 struggles with 4K resolution at maximum quality.

Q: How many cores and threads does the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X have?

A: The CPU features 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 2060?

A: The GPU has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration for Minimum. With 6 GB of VRAM, 1920 shading units, and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, the GPU's compute capability is quantified by its 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The benchmark results show the card sitting at the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 15290. Its nearest rivals include the GTX 580, Radeon 680M, RTX 3050 OEM, and RX 7600, all within a 0.8% delta of its score, indicating that the RTX 2060's raw performance is competitive with a specific mid-range tier.

In Minimum, the GPU's memory subsystem is critical. The 336.0 GB/s bandwidth and 6 GB VRAM capacity are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the measured results. At 1920x1080, the GPU delivers 100 FPS on High settings and 76 FPS on Ultra, suggesting that the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are not severely limiting at this resolution. However, the situation changes dramatically at 4K. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops to 35 FPS on High and 26 FPS on Ultra. The 6 GB VRAM buffer is likely being saturated at this resolution, forcing the GPU to manage memory more aggressively, which directly impacts the frame pacing and average output.

The GPU's architectural features, such as 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, are present but do not appear to provide a significant advantage in this title, as the game's release predates the widespread adoption of real-time ray tracing. The card's pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s are the metrics that more directly correlate with the rasterization workload presented by Minimum. The data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 4K Ultra, where the 26 FPS average indicates a heavy load that the TU106 chip cannot handle smoothly. The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a frame rate drop of approximately 74% when comparing Low settings, underscoring the GPU's inability to maintain performance as the pixel count quadruples.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X provides an immense amount of processing headroom that is largely untapped in this gaming scenario. This 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) operates at a base clock of 4.40 GHz and boosts up to 5.60 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32172 and a single-core score of 2253. The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 57498, places it in the top tier of available CPUs.

The nearest rivals to the 9900X are the AMD EPYC 9015 (57555, -0.1% delta), AMD EPYC 7313 (57399, 0.2% delta), Intel Core i9-14900 (58115, -1.1% delta), and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (58323, -1.4% delta). The 9900X's performance is statistically tied with these enterprise and high-end desktop parts, indicating that its processing power is not a limiting factor in Minimum. With such a powerful CPU, the game's logic, physics, and draw call processing are handled with minimal latency, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of frame rate.

The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth further ensure that data can be fed to the GPU without stalling. In this combo, the CPU's role is to provide a stable foundation that never becomes a bottleneck, even at high frame rates. The measured 155 FPS at 1080p Low settings demonstrates that the CPU can support frame rates well above the GPU's typical output at higher settings. The 3DMark scores, such as 13929 in max threads and 1286 in single thread, confirm that the 9900X has both the multi-core muscle for modern workloads and the single-core speed necessary for gaming. The data suggests that the CPU is capable of driving much more powerful GPUs, but when paired with the RTX 2060, it remains largely underutilized.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X and RTX 2060 achieves a rank of 2929 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 79th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly 79% of all other CPU-GPU pairings tested for this game. While this rank is respectable, it is heavily influenced by the GPU's limited performance relative to the CPU's high-end positioning.

The ranking reveals a fundamental imbalance within the combo. The CPU is in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. This discrepancy means the combo's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU's mid-range performance. In a game like Minimum, which is a third-person shooter from 2014, the graphical demands are not extreme by modern standards, but the RTX 2060 still struggles at higher resolutions and settings. The combo's rank suggests that while it can handle the game adequately at 1080p, it will fall behind configurations with more balanced pairings or more powerful GPUs at 4K.

The rank also indicates that the combo is in the lower half of the top 80% of tested systems. It is not a high-end gaming rig, but it is also far from the bottom of the barrel. The 79th percentile ranking is a direct result of the RTX 2060's performance ceiling, which caps the system's ability to achieve high frame rates at demanding settings. For context, the GPU's nearest rivals include the RTX 3050 OEM and RX 7600, which are similarly positioned in the mid-range, further solidifying that this combo's performance tier is defined by the GPU rather than the CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, which provides insight into the limiting component. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance across all settings, with averages ranging from 76 FPS (Ultra) to 155 FPS (Low). This indicates that at 1080p, the system is well-balanced, and the GPU is able to keep up with the CPU's output.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. The High setting average falls from 100 FPS to 64 FPS, a 36% decrease. The Low setting average drops from 155 FPS to 100 FPS, a 35% decrease. This consistent proportional drop across settings suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as the pixel count increases. The GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being taxed more heavily, and the 6 GB VRAM is starting to feel the pressure.

At 3840x2160, the performance degradation becomes severe. The High setting average plummets to 35 FPS, and the Low setting average is 54 FPS. The Ultra setting average is just 26 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low (155 FPS) to 4K Low (54 FPS) represents a 65% reduction in performance. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the RTX 2060's 6.451 TFLOPS of compute power and 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth are insufficient to handle the 4K resolution workload. The data clearly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU's influence on frame rate is negligible due to its high performance ceiling. The scaling pattern confirms that the RTX 2060 is the bottleneck, and any attempts to play at higher resolutions will be constrained by the GPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across all tested settings and resolutions.

1920x1080:

• Low: 155 FPS average
• Medium: 119 FPS average (min 101, max 137)
• High: 100 FPS average
• Ultra: 76 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo is clearly GPU-bound, but the RTX 2060 has enough headroom to deliver smooth gameplay at all settings. The 155 FPS Low result shows the absolute ceiling of the combo, while the 76 FPS Ultra result is still playable, though it may not fully utilize high refresh rate monitors.

2560x1440:

• Low: 100 FPS average
• Medium: 77 FPS average (min 65, max 88)
• High: 64 FPS average
• Ultra: 49 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance drops to a level where high refresh rate gaming becomes difficult. The Low setting still achieves 100 FPS, but the High and Ultra settings fall below the 60 FPS threshold that is often considered the minimum for smooth gameplay. The Medium setting's min FPS of 65 shows that there are occasional frame dips, but the overall experience remains acceptable.

3840x2160:

• Low: 54 FPS average
• Medium: 41 FPS average (min 35, max 47)
• High: 35 FPS average
• Ultra: 26 FPS average

At 4K, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Only the Low setting achieves an average above 50 FPS, and even that is marginal. The Ultra setting's 26 FPS average is not smooth, and the Medium setting's min FPS of 35 indicates significant stuttering. This resolution is not recommended for this combo, as the GPU is severely overburdened.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the High setting (100 FPS average) provides an excellent balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra setting (76 FPS) is also viable for those who prioritize image quality, as it remains above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low setting (155 FPS) is only necessary for competitive play where maximum frame rate is paramount, as the visual downgrade is significant.

For 2560x1440, the Medium setting (77 FPS average) is the best choice for a smooth experience, offering a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The High setting (64 FPS) is still playable, but it dips closer to the 60 FPS line, and the Ultra setting (49 FPS) may feel less responsive. The Low setting (100 FPS) is recommended if frame rate is the primary concern, as it provides a significant boost over Medium.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Low setting (54 FPS) is the only viable option for a relatively smooth experience. The Medium setting (41 FPS) is playable but may have noticeable stutters, as indicated by the 35 FPS minimum. The High (35 FPS) and Ultra (26 FPS) settings are not recommended for a playable experience. Users targeting 4K should be prepared to accept significant visual compromises or consider a more powerful GPU.

Overall, the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p High or 1440p Medium, where the RTX 2060 can deliver frame rates that are both smooth and visually acceptable. Pushing beyond these settings results in a steep performance penalty that is not justified by the marginal visual improvements.