Minecraft

Measured FPS Breakdown

Minecraft is not a typical demanding title, but the recorded data for the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination shows extreme headroom across all tested resolutions. The benchmark suite captured average, minimum, and maximum frame rates for four presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high. The Low preset delivers an average of 455 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded in this run. Medium raises the average to 418 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 356 FPS and a maximum of 481 FPS. High sits at 385 FPS average. Ultra, the most demanding preset, still achieves 250 FPS on average. Even the lowest recorded figure across the entire 1080p set, the 356 FPS minimum at Medium, is nearly six times the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains far beyond what a 60 Hz or even 144 Hz display requires. Low preset averages 390 FPS. Medium averages 318 FPS, with a minimum of 270 FPS and a maximum of 366 FPS. High averages 253 FPS. Ultra drops to 158 FPS average, which is still more than double the 60 FPS baseline. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly linear in terms of pixel count, but the frame rate reduction is modest, indicating that the GPU is not the limiting factor at these settings.

At 3840x2160, 4K resolution, the data shows the first signs of meaningful load on the graphics card. Low preset averages 210 FPS. Medium averages 166 FPS, with a minimum of 141 FPS and a maximum of 191 FPS. High averages 132 FPS. Ultra, the heaviest setting, averages 82 FPS. This is the only resolution and preset combination where the average drops below 100 FPS, but it still clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium, 141 FPS, is still more than double the playable threshold.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: Minecraft's engine, even with the RTX 4070 providing the rendering muscle, rarely stresses the GPU to its limit. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 205 FPS, which is substantial in absolute terms but irrelevant for practical play since both are far above any refresh rate commonly in use. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 128 FPS, showing that the GPU begins to matter more as pixel count rises.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places this CPU and GPU combination at rank 1201 out of 3710 tested combos for Minecraft, meaning it sits in the upper third of all systems. To understand what nearby hardware would behave similarly, the nearest rivals for each component provide useful context.

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254 across all tested workloads. Its closest rival is the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259, a delta of -0.2 percent. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, which is 0.4 percent higher than the i5-9400. On the other side, the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3 percent lower, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4 percent lower. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming terms, so any of these CPUs paired with a similar GPU would produce nearly identical Minecraft frame rates.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648. The closest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P4, which scores 37628, a delta of 0.1 percent. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, 0.4 percent lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3 percent higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, 1.3 percent lower. The RTX 4070 sits at the 81st percentile of all GPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly four out of five graphics cards in the database.

In practical terms, a system using any of these rival CPUs alongside the RTX 4070 would deliver Minecraft frame rates within a few percentage points of the measured results. Likewise, pairing the i5-9400 with a GPU like the RX Vega 56 or the RTX 4080 Mobile would produce very similar performance, since Minecraft at these settings is not heavily GPU-bound until 4K Ultra. The data suggests that the i5-9400's six cores and six threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 4070 in this game, and the bottleneck is rarely the CPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded frame rates across resolutions reveal which component dominates in Minecraft. At 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiter. The jump from Low to Ultra only reduces the average from 455 FPS to 250 FPS, a 45 percent drop. This indicates that the GPU is barely breaking a sweat, and the CPU's single-thread performance, reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935, is what sets the ceiling.

At 1440p, the GPU starts to take on more work, but the CPU still matters. The Ultra preset average falls to 158 FPS, which is 37 percent lower than at 1080p Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p increases pixel count by 78 percent, but the frame rate only drops by 37 percent, showing that the system is still not purely GPU-bound.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The Ultra preset averages 82 FPS, down from 158 FPS at 1440p. The pixel count doubles from 1440p to 4K, and the frame rate drops by 48 percent, which is closer to the expected scaling for a GPU-bound scenario. The Low preset at 4K still averages 210 FPS, so even at this resolution the RTX 4070 has enormous headroom. The CPU's role is diminished at 4K because the GPU is doing more work per frame, but the i5-9400 does not appear to hold the system back at any setting.

The preset scaling within each resolution reinforces this. At 1080p, going from Low to Medium reduces the average by 37 FPS, from Medium to High by 33 FPS, and from High to Ultra by 135 FPS. The large drop at Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that hammer the GPU, even at 1080p. At 4K, the same progression shows a more even distribution: Low to Medium is 44 FPS, Medium to High is 34 FPS, and High to Ultra is 50 FPS. The GPU is clearly the bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the 82 FPS average is less than a third of the 1080p Low figure.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Minecraft has an unambiguous answer based on the database: yes, at every resolution and preset tested. The verdict by resolution lists all four settings, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, as playable at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080.

At 1080p, the system clears 60 FPS by an enormous margin. The lowest average across all presets is 250 FPS at Ultra, which is more than four times the playable threshold. Even the minimum frame rate recorded at Medium, 356 FPS, is far above 60 FPS. Gamers with 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitors will find that the system can drive those refresh rates without issue.

At 1440p, the story is similar. The Ultra preset averages 158 FPS, which is still well above 60 FPS and sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset averages 318 FPS, and Low averages 390 FPS. No preset at 1440p dips anywhere near the playable threshold.

At 4K, the system remains fully playable. The Ultra preset averages 82 FPS, which clears 60 FPS by 37 percent. Medium averages 166 FPS, and Low averages 210 FPS. The minimum recorded at 4K Medium is 141 FPS, so even the worst frame pacing captured in the data is more than double the threshold. This means the RTX 4070, despite being an end-of-life product, is overkill for Minecraft at any reasonable setting.

The overall rank of 1201 out of 3710 combos places this system in the top third for Minecraft specifically. Given that the game is a sandbox title with simple geometry and limited draw distances compared to modern AAA shooters, the high frame rates are expected. The data confirms that this CPU and GPU pairing is more than capable of delivering a smooth experience at any resolution the user chooses.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the database identifies the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, and in every case that preset is Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, with an average frame rate of 250 FPS. This is the highest preset available, so there is no further headroom to push. The system could easily handle higher render distances or additional mods, but within the tested parameters, Ultra is the maximum.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 158 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold, so users with 1440p 144 Hz monitors will see near-maximum refresh rates even at the highest quality preset.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra once again, with an average of 82 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset drops below 100 FPS, but it still clears the playable threshold with a 22 FPS margin. For a game like Minecraft, which does not rely on fast-paced competitive action, 82 FPS at 4K Ultra is a smooth experience.

The consistency of the Ultra recommendation across all three resolutions underscores the headroom in this system. There is no scenario in the recorded data where the user must compromise on quality to achieve playable frame rates. The only consideration is that at 4K Ultra, the 82 FPS average leaves less room for demanding shader packs or heavy mods, which could push the frame rate below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 4K on this system?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 82 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. All four presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, are listed as playable at 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in the database?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37628 (0.1 percent lower), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507 (0.4 percent lower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135 (1.3 percent higher), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157 (1.3 percent lower).

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 in Minecraft?

A: At 1080p, the CPU limits the maximum frame rate, but the lowest average at that resolution is 250 FPS at Ultra. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary factor, but the CPU still delivers enough performance to keep all presets above 60 FPS.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The recorded data shows an average of 318 FPS, with a minimum of 270 FPS and a maximum of 366 FPS. This is well above any common monitor refresh rate.

Q: How does this system rank among all tested combinations for Minecraft?

A: The combination ranks 1201 out of 3710 tested combos, placing it in the top third of systems for this game.

Q: What is the lowest recorded minimum frame rate across all tested settings?

A: The lowest minimum in the data is 141 FPS, recorded at 4K Medium settings. No tested configuration ever drops below 60 FPS.