Minecraft: Java Edition

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Minecraft: Java Edition at 60 FPS?

A: Yes. The recorded data shows this combination clears the 60 FPS threshold at every tested resolution and preset, with the single exception of 4K Ultra which averages 40.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset at 1080p?

A: Ultra is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1920x1080, averaging 128.1 FPS. Low, Medium, and High also clear the threshold, with Low reaching 320.4 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a delta of 0.4%, meaning the i5-9400 sits effectively at parity with all four nearest rivals.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780. The AMD FirePro W5000 scores 9803 (delta -0.2%), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M scores 9832 (delta -0.5%), and the NVIDIA Tesla M10 scores 9724 (delta 0.6%). All are within 0.7% of the GTX 1070.

Q: Is 4K playable with this combination?

A: Yes, but only up to High settings. At 3840x2160, High averages 67.6 FPS, Medium averages 81.2 FPS, and Low averages 104.1 FPS. Ultra drops to 40.4 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the GPU's launch MSRP?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 had a launch MSRP of 379 USD.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for Minecraft: Java Edition reveals a clear pattern: this game is far more sensitive to resolution and preset changes than to raw component scaling, and the GPU carries the heavier load as resolution increases.

At 1920x1080, the combination produces extremely high frame rates across all presets. Low averages 320.4 FPS, Medium drops to 255 FPS, High sits at 201.9 FPS, and Ultra still manages 128.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 192.3 FPS, a 60% reduction. This suggests that at 1080p, the workload is light enough that neither the Intel Core i5-9400 nor the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor; the frame rates are so high that the game is likely bound by draw call throughput or engine limits rather than either component.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same preset progression shows lower but still robust numbers. Low averages 199 FPS, Medium 158.6 FPS, High 123.9 FPS, and Ultra 81.8 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is 46.3 FPS (from 128.1 to 81.8), while at Low the drop is 121.4 FPS (from 320.4 to 199). The larger absolute drop at Low settings indicates that when the GPU is less stressed by pixel count, other bottlenecks emerge; but when the GPU is already heavily loaded at Ultra, the resolution increase has a smaller absolute impact.

At 3840x2160, the pattern shifts decisively. Ultra falls to 40.4 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold. High averages 67.6 FPS, Medium 81.2 FPS, and Low 104.1 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a 41.4 FPS loss, the largest single-resolution drop in the data. This is the clearest evidence that the GTX 1070 becomes the dominant constraint at 4K Ultra. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, has ample headroom at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 320.4 FPS result at 1080p Low.

The preset scaling also tells a story about GPU load. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 63.7 FPS (104.1 to 40.4). At 1440p, the same spread is 117.2 FPS (199 to 81.8). At 1080p, the spread is 192.3 FPS (320.4 to 128.1). The shrinking spread as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is progressively more saturated, which is typical for a Pascal-generation card with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and a 256-bit bus.

In summary, the GPU is the primary differentiator at 4K, where Ultra cannot hold 60 FPS. At 1440p and 1080p, the combination has enough headroom that either component could be swapped for a slightly weaker part without dropping below 60 FPS, as long as the preset is chosen appropriately.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 2254. The nearest rivals, all within 0.4%, are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, delta 0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, delta 0.4%), and the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, delta -0.4%). These deltas are so small that in gaming workloads, particularly for a game like Minecraft: Java Edition which is not heavily multithreaded, any of these chips would produce nearly identical frame rates when paired with the same GPU. The i7-1068NG7 and i3-10305 are marginally faster in synthetic averages, while the i7-10710U and Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 are marginally slower, but the differences are within measurement noise for a game that runs above 200 FPS at 1080p.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 also sits at the 47th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9780. Its nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803, delta -0.2%), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832, delta -0.5%), the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724, delta 0.6%), and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (9716, delta 0.7%). None of these are gaming-focused cards, and the deltas are all under 1%, so swapping the GTX 1070 for any of them would yield essentially identical performance in Minecraft: Java Edition. However, the database rankings treat them as equivalent based on aggregate scores, so the practical takeaway is that the GTX 1070's performance class is well established.

The combination of the i5-9400 and GTX 1070 ranks 1441 out of 1727 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. That rank reflects the age of both components rather than their absolute capability in this specific title, since the measured frame rates are high across most presets. A combo ranked near the top of the database would need a much newer CPU and GPU, but the data shows that such hardware is unnecessary to exceed 60 FPS in Minecraft: Java Edition at any resolution below 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination ranks 1441 out of 1727 tested combos in Minecraft: Java Edition. That places it in the 83rd percentile of the database, meaning roughly 17% of tested combos are slower. The rank is low in absolute terms because the database includes many modern CPUs and GPUs with far higher average benchmark scores, but the measured frame rates in this game tell a different story.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 128.1 FPS at Ultra, which is more than double the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, it delivers 81.8 FPS at Ultra, still comfortably above the threshold. At 3840x2160, it manages 67.6 FPS at High, barely clearing 60 FPS, and 40.4 FPS at Ultra, which fails. The rank of 1441 is therefore a reflection of the hardware's age and its standing in aggregate benchmark scores, not its suitability for this game. The 47th percentile ranking of both the CPU and GPU independently reinforces that this is mid-pack hardware, but the game's modest requirements allow it to perform well above its percentile rank in practice.

The gap between the combo's rank and its actual performance is worth noting. Many combos ranked above it likely include CPUs with higher multithreaded scores and GPUs with higher compute scores, but Minecraft: Java Edition's rendering workload, which is heavily draw-call bound and single-thread sensitive, does not scale with those metrics the way newer AAA titles do. The i5-9400's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 935 and Geekbench single-core score of 1389 are adequate for this game's primary thread, and the GTX 1070's 6.463 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is more than enough for the simple geometry and texturing this game uses at 1080p and 1440p.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Minecraft: Java Edition. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous.

At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable. Low averages 320.4 FPS, Medium 255 FPS, High 201.9 FPS, and Ultra 128.1 FPS. The best settings are Ultra with an average of 128.1 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable. Low averages 199 FPS, Medium 158.6 FPS, High 123.9 FPS, and Ultra 81.8 FPS. The best settings are Ultra with an average of 81.8 FPS, still well above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, three of the four presets are playable. High averages 67.6 FPS, Medium 81.2 FPS, and Low 104.1 FPS. Ultra fails, averaging 40.4 FPS. The best playable settings are High with an average of 67.6 FPS.

The only configuration that fails the 60 FPS threshold is 4K Ultra, which is an extreme combination of pixel count and preset for hardware of this generation. Every other tested configuration clears 60 FPS, and most clear it by a wide margin. Users with a 1080p or 1440p display can run the game at maximum settings without concern. Users with a 4K display should stick to High or lower.

Best Settings per Resolution

1920x1080: Ultra is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 128.1 FPS. Low, Medium, and High also clear the threshold, but Ultra provides the highest visual quality while maintaining a frame rate that is more than double the playable minimum.

2560x1440: Ultra is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 81.8 FPS. The margin above the threshold is 21.8 FPS, which provides some headroom for scene complexity spikes, though not as much as at 1080p.

3840x2160: High is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 67.6 FPS. The margin above the threshold is only 7.6 FPS, so users who prefer a larger buffer should consider Medium, which averages 81.2 FPS. Ultra is not recommended, as it averages 40.4 FPS, well below the 60 FPS threshold.