Minimum

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 4.40 GHz and boosts to 5.50 GHz, with a 120 W TDP and 128 MB of L3 cache. This processor sits on the AMD Socket AM5 platform, supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU.

For a third-person shooter like Minimum, the CPU's high boost clock of 5.50 GHz is particularly relevant. The game's measured frame rates across different resolutions show a pattern consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, but at 1080p, the CPU's capability becomes more visible. The 9900X3D's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1269 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6739, suggests it can feed frames quickly at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

The processor's 12 cores and 24 threads provide substantial multi-threaded capacity, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and a Geekbench multicore score of 22884. While Minimum may not heavily utilize all 24 threads, the CPU's robust multi-core performance ensures that background tasks and game engine threads do not become a bottleneck. The 128 MB L3 cache is another asset; games that benefit from large cache pools see improved performance, and this capacity is among the largest available in the desktop market.

Benchmark results place the 9900X3D at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54762. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF scores 55093 (0.6% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54053 (1.3% lower), the Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701 (2.0% lower), and the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620 (2.1% lower). The 9900X3D effectively trades blows with these competitors, sitting in a tight performance band where differences are within a couple of percentage points. Given that the measured FPS data shows the combo achieving 145 FPS at 1080p Low settings, the CPU is clearly capable of driving high frame rates in Minimum.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a chip designated BMG-G21 containing 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. It operates at a fixed base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its compute configuration includes 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, 80 render output units, and 18 ray tracing cores.

In Minimum, the Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the measured settings, but the GPU's overall throughput becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the combo achieves 145 FPS on Low settings, 111 FPS on Medium, 93 FPS on High, and 71 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a clear scaling pattern where each settings tier costs a significant frame rate chunk. At 1440p, the same settings yield 94, 72, 60, and 46 FPS respectively. At 4K, the GPU is heavily taxed, producing 50 FPS on Low, 39 FPS on Medium, 32 FPS on High, and 25 FPS on Ultra.

The Arc B570's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s help explain these figures. At 4K Ultra, the GPU must process over 8.3 million pixels per frame, and the measured 25 FPS average suggests the render output units and shading units are saturated. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 11.52 TFLOPS is moderate for a modern graphics card, and the 23.04 TFLOPS FP16 rate (2:1 ratio) indicates compute capabilities that some games may leverage. The memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but may contribute to the steep performance drop at 4K.

Benchmark results place the Arc B570 at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, 0.1% lower), the Intel Arc A750 (20582, 0.1% higher), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, 0.4% lower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662, 0.5% higher). The Arc B570 sits within a remarkably tight cluster of these GPUs, with all deltas under 0.5%. This indicates that in synthetic benchmarks, the B570 performs nearly identically to these competitors, though real-world game performance can vary based on driver optimization and specific title requirements.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings in Minimum. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 145 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings still offer 111 FPS, representing a good balance between visual quality and performance. High settings drop to 93 FPS, still playable but with a 16% reduction compared to Medium. Ultra settings produce 71 FPS, which is the minimum recommended for a consistent experience on standard displays.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 72 FPS appears to be the sweet spot. Low settings achieve 94 FPS, but the visual upgrade to Medium costs only 22 FPS. High settings at 60 FPS are borderline, dipping to the edge of what most players consider acceptable for a third-person shooter. Ultra at 46 FPS falls below the ideal threshold and may introduce noticeable stuttering in fast-paced scenes.

At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings at 50 FPS are the only preset that maintains playable frame rates. Medium drops to 39 FPS, High to 32 FPS, and Ultra to 25 FPS, all of which are below the 60 FPS target and may feel sluggish. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, players may need to accept some compromises.

The data suggests that the best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1080p Medium (111 FPS) or 1440p Medium (72 FPS). Both provide a good balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. If maximizing frame rate is the priority, 1080p Low at 145 FPS is the clear choice. For players with 1440p displays, Medium settings offer the best trade-off, as the jump from Low to Medium costs 22 FPS but likely provides a meaningful visual improvement. At 4K, Low settings are the only recommendation based on the measured data, as all other presets fall below 40 FPS.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2336 out of 2939 tested combos in Minimum. This places the combo in the 21st percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 79% of combinations outperform it in this specific game. Given that the CPU is at the 91st percentile and the GPU is at the 65th percentile, the lower combo ranking indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor.

The gap between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the combo's overall rank suggests that Minimum is heavily GPU-bound with this pairing. The processor's substantial headroom, demonstrated by its strong benchmark scores, is not fully utilized because the Arc B570 cannot push frame rates high enough to stress the CPU. This is consistent with the FPS data, which shows diminishing returns as resolution increases, a classic sign of GPU limitation.

Compared to other tested combos, this configuration is positioned in the lower-middle tier. The 2939 total combos span a wide range of hardware, and the 2336 rank indicates that many systems with more powerful GPUs achieve better results in Minimum. However, the CPU's strength means that upgrading the GPU in the future would likely yield significant frame rate improvements without requiring a processor swap. The combo's ranking is not a reflection of poor hardware quality, but rather a mismatch between the CPU's capabilities and the GPU's throughput in this particular title.

# FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Minimum?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 145, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440, the combo achieves 94 FPS on Low, 72 FPS on Medium, and 60 FPS on High settings. Ultra settings drop to 46 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762, which is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55093) and 1.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54053).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750 (20582).

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS at 1920x1080 Medium settings is 95, with an average of 111 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve above 50 FPS (50 FPS average). Medium, High, and Ultra settings produce 39, 32, and 25 FPS respectively, which are below smooth gameplay thresholds.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 145 FPS average
• Medium: 111 FPS average, 95 FPS minimum, 128 FPS maximum
• High: 93 FPS average
• Ultra: 71 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 94 FPS average
• Medium: 72 FPS average, 61 FPS minimum, 82 FPS maximum
• High: 60 FPS average
• Ultra: 46 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 50 FPS average
• Medium: 39 FPS average, 33 FPS minimum, 44 FPS maximum
• High: 32 FPS average
• Ultra: 25 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: each settings tier reduces the average FPS by a similar proportion. At 1080p, the step from Low to Medium costs 34 FPS, Medium to High costs 18 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 22 FPS. At 1440p, the corresponding drops are 22, 12, and 14 FPS. At 4K, the drops are 11, 7, and 7 FPS. This scaling suggests that the GPU's performance ceiling is approached as resolution increases, with each settings level requiring more compute and memory bandwidth.

The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the frame time consistency is 95-128 FPS, a range of 33 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 61-82 FPS (21 FPS spread). At 4K Medium, the range is 33-44 FPS (11 FPS spread). This tightening of the frame rate range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is more consistently saturated, reducing variance even as average performance drops.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about the limiting component in this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 145 at 1080p to 94 at 1440p (35% reduction) and then to 50 at 4K (47% reduction from 1440p). At Medium settings, the progression is 111 to 72 to 39 (35% and 46% reductions respectively). At High settings, it's 93 to 60 to 32 (35% and 47% reductions). At Ultra settings, the pattern continues: 71 to 46 to 25 (35% and 46% reductions).

The remarkably consistent 35% FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p across all settings indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck in every configuration. The pixel count increases by 78% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, yet the FPS drops by only 35%, suggesting that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound, other factors like memory bandwidth and shader complexity play a role. The subsequent drop from 1440p to 4K, which increases pixel count by 125%, results in a 46-47% FPS reduction, again showing sub-linear scaling.

This scaling behavior points to the Arc B570's memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s as a potential constraint. As resolution increases, the demand on memory bandwidth grows disproportionately, and the 160-bit memory bus may struggle to keep up. The 10 GB VRAM capacity is not exhausted at these settings, but the bandwidth utilization becomes more critical at higher pixel counts.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6739) ensures that even at 1080p Low where the GPU is producing 145 FPS, the CPU can keep up with frame generation. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions, as the CPU's workload remains relatively constant regardless of resolution. Instead, the consistent and substantial FPS drops with each resolution increase confirm that the Intel Arc B570 is the clear bottleneck in this configuration.

The practical implication is that players using this combo should target 1080p or 1440p for optimal experiences. The 4K results, while technically playable on Low settings at 50 FPS, leave little headroom for demanding scenes. The data suggests that Minimum at 4K with this combo is playable but not ideal, and that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached well before the CPU's capabilities are exhausted.