Minecraft: Java Edition

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-10400F with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti delivers a wide spread of performance across the four settings tiers. The Low preset produces an average of 305.6 FPS, which drops to 237.7 FPS at Medium, then to 189.6 FPS at High. The Ultra preset still maintains a strong 118.4 FPS average, showing that even the most demanding configuration at this resolution remains far above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with a noticeable reduction in headroom. Low averages 191.6 FPS, Medium reaches 152.1 FPS, and High settles at 117.7 FPS. Ultra continues to clear the 60 FPS mark with an average of 73.9 FPS, which is the lowest margin above the threshold at this resolution but still comfortably playable.

At 3840x2160, the scaling becomes more pronounced. Low averages 99.8 FPS, Medium 77.9 FPS, and High 63.9 FPS. Ultra falls to 39.9 FPS, which sits below the 60 FPS playability benchmark. This is the only resolution and preset combination in the measured data where the system fails to hit the playable threshold. The database records no minimum or maximum frame time data for any of these runs, so the analysis relies entirely on average FPS figures.

The progression across resolutions shows a consistent cost for pixel count. At Ultra settings, the drop from 118.4 FPS at 1080p to 73.9 FPS at 1440p represents a 37.6% reduction, and the further drop to 39.9 FPS at 4K represents another 46.0% reduction from the 1440p figure. At High settings, the same transitions produce 189.6 to 117.7 FPS (a 37.9% drop) and then to 63.9 FPS (a 45.7% drop). The Low preset shows the smallest absolute losses, going from 305.6 to 191.6 to 99.8 FPS, but the percentage decline from 1440p to 4K is actually the largest at 47.9%.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution with any settings?

A: Yes, but only up to High settings. The measured averages are 99.8 FPS at Low, 77.9 FPS at Medium, and 63.9 FPS at High. The Ultra preset drops to 39.9 FPS, which fails the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1440p?

A: Ultra is playable at 2560x1440 with an average of 73.9 FPS. The database lists all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) as playable at this resolution, so there is no need to compromise below the highest quality setting.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from High to Ultra at 1080p?

A: The High preset averages 189.6 FPS at 1920x1080, while Ultra averages 118.4 FPS. That is a 37.5% reduction in average frame rate for the jump to the highest preset.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 Ti the limiting factor at 4K Ultra?

A: The measured data shows the system falls to 39.9 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra, which is the only sub-60 result in the entire set. Since the CPU and GPU were tested together, the database does not isolate one component, but the pattern of larger FPS drops at higher resolutions points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck at 4K.

Q: Does the game scale evenly between presets?

A: Not exactly. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 187.2 FPS (305.6 to 118.4). At 1440p, the gap narrows to 117.7 FPS (191.6 to 73.9). At 4K, the gap is only 59.9 FPS (99.8 to 39.9). Higher resolutions compress the difference between presets, which indicates that pixel throughput becomes the dominant constraint.

Q: What rank does this combination hold in the database?

A: The combo ranks 1498 out of 1727 tested combinations for Minecraft: Java Edition, placing it in the lower portion of the database but still capable of delivering playable frame rates at most settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data reveals how the balance between the Intel Core i5-10400F and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU has substantial headroom. The 305.6 FPS Low preset result suggests that the processor can feed the GPU far more frames than the graphics card can render at higher settings, since the drop to 237.7 FPS at Medium and 189.6 FPS at High is primarily a GPU workload increase. The CPU's six cores, twelve threads, and 4.30 GHz boost clock keep it from being the constraint at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to exert more influence. The Low preset still produces 191.6 FPS, which indicates the CPU can handle the game logic and chunk loading demands without issue. However, the Ultra preset at 73.9 FPS shows that the graphics card is now the limiting factor, as the frame rate scales down with the increased pixel count and shading workload. The CPU does not show signs of bottlenecking, since even the most demanding preset at this resolution stays above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the role separation becomes clear. The Low preset at 99.8 FPS still demonstrates that the CPU can push beyond 60 FPS even at 4K. But the Ultra preset at 39.9 FPS shows the GTX 1660 Ti running out of throughput. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 60.1% reduction in average FPS, compared to a 61.3% reduction at 1440p and a 61.3% reduction at 1080p. The consistency of these percentage drops across resolutions points to a GPU that is uniformly strained by the Ultra preset regardless of resolution, while the absolute FPS levels are dictated by pixel count.

The CPU benchmarks support this interpretation. The i5-10400F scores 10283 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2541 in Passmark single-thread, with a 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The GTX 1660 Ti, by contrast, sits at the 41st percentile among GPUs. The GPU's lower relative standing in the database aligns with the observation that it becomes the performance ceiling at higher resolutions and settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-10400F, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Xeon 6756E with an average score of 14163 and a delta of 0.2%, the Intel Core 7 160UL at 14232 with a delta of -0.3%, the AMD EPYC 7552 at 14115 with a delta of 0.5%, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C at 14277 with a delta of -0.6%. These deltas are all within one percent of the i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14185, meaning any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Minecraft: Java Edition when paired with the same GPU. The Ryzen 3 7320C and Core 7 160UL score slightly higher, while the Xeon 6756E and EPYC 7552 score slightly lower, but the differences are negligible for gaming purposes.

For the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon 540 with an average score of 7673 and a delta of 0.7%, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 at 7580 with a delta of 1.9%, the AMD Radeon R7 250 at 7557 with a delta of 2.2%, and the Intel Arc A310 at 7550 with a delta of 2.3%. The GTX 1660 Ti's average benchmark score is 7723. These deltas are small, but the direction matters: the GTX 1660 Ti outperforms all four rivals, with the Radeon 540 being the closest at 0.7% behind. The Arc A310 is the furthest behind at 2.3%, which would translate to a few frames per second difference in the measured Minecraft results.

A system built with any of the CPU rivals would show essentially the same FPS numbers as the i5-10400F, since the benchmark deltas are all below one percent. Similarly, swapping the GTX 1660 Ti for a Radeon 540 would produce a small but measurable FPS decrease, while the other three GPU rivals would be slightly further behind. None of these alternatives would change the fundamental verdict for this game: the system remains playable at 1080p and 1440p across all presets, and at 4K up to High settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, with a measured average of 118.4 FPS. All four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution, so the highest quality setting is the recommended choice.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is also Ultra, averaging 73.9 FPS. The margin above the 60 FPS threshold is smaller than at 1080p, but it remains sufficient for smooth gameplay. Lower presets offer higher frame rates (191.6 FPS at Low, 152.1 FPS at Medium, 117.7 FPS at High) for users who prefer maximum responsiveness over visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the best playable preset is High, with an average of 63.9 FPS. This is the only resolution where Ultra is not recommended, because the 39.9 FPS average falls below the playability threshold. Low and Medium are also playable at 99.8 and 77.9 FPS respectively, but High provides the best visual quality while still maintaining a playable average.

For users with high refresh rate monitors at 1080p, the Low preset at 305.6 FPS and Medium at 237.7 FPS offer headroom for displays beyond 144 Hz. At 1440p, the Low preset at 191.6 FPS similarly supports high refresh rates, though the Ultra preset at 73.9 FPS is better suited to standard 60 Hz displays.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this system can run Minecraft: Java Edition across the vast majority of tested configurations. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 118.4 FPS. At 2560x1440, every preset also clears 60 FPS, with Ultra at 73.9 FPS representing the lowest but still playable result. At 3840x2160, the system remains playable at Low, Medium, and High settings, with High at 63.9 FPS being the best visual option that stays above the threshold. The only failure case is 4K Ultra at 39.9 FPS.

The verdictByResolution data confirms this: 3840x2160 lists High, Low, and Medium as playable settings with High as the best at 63.9 FPS. 2560x1440 lists all four presets as playable with Ultra as the best at 73.9 FPS. 1920x1080 also lists all four presets as playable with Ultra as the best at 118.4 FPS.

The practical takeaway is that this hardware is well suited for Minecraft: Java Edition at mainstream resolutions. Players at 1080p can enable the highest settings and still have nearly double the 60 FPS threshold. Players at 1440p can do the same, with a smaller but comfortable margin. Players at 4K must avoid the Ultra preset, but High settings deliver a playable experience. The single sub-60 result at 4K Ultra is the only limitation in the entire measured dataset.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti combination ranks 1498 out of 1727 tested combos for Minecraft: Java Edition. That places it in the lower 13.3% of the database, which may seem surprising given the playable frame rates recorded. The explanation lies in the nature of the game and the benchmark pool. Minecraft: Java Edition is notoriously scalable, and the database includes many high-end combinations with far more powerful CPUs and GPUs that push frame rates far beyond what this system achieves.

The CPU itself ranks at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks at the 41st percentile among all GPUs. The combination's rank of 1498 reflects the GPU's below-average standing more than the CPU's above-average standing. The GTX 1660 Ti is an end-of-life product from the GeForce 16 generation, and it sits behind a large portion of the GPU field in the database. However, the measured FPS results show that this ranking does not translate to an unplayable experience for this particular game. The low rank is a relative measure against 1727 other combinations, many of which use significantly more powerful graphics hardware.

The rank also reflects that Minecraft: Java Edition rewards raw single-thread CPU performance and GPU fill rate. The i5-10400F's single-thread benchmark of 2541 in Passmark and 1451 in Cinebench R23 positions it well among desktop CPUs, but the GTX 1660 Ti's 12871 Passmark G3D score limits the ceiling. The combination lands in the lower portion of the database, yet the per-resolution verdicts show playable performance at nearly every setting. The rank tells a story of relative position, while the FPS data tells the story of actual gameplay capability. Both are useful, and for this game, the FPS data is the more relevant measure.