Minimum

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination of Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 in Minimum shows a clear performance gradient across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers strong frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 155.6 FPS, Medium reaches 120.3 FPS, High drops to 99.8 FPS, and Ultra maintains 76.3 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a reduction of roughly half the frame rate, indicating that the graphics preset has a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decline noticeably but remain playable. Low settings yield 98.2 FPS, Medium produces 79.3 FPS, High settles at 63.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 50.6 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each preset is consistent, with the gap widening as settings increase. At 3840x2160, performance becomes marginal. Low settings average 53.9 FPS, Medium manages 38.3 FPS, High reaches 37.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 23.4 FPS. No minimum or maximum frame time data was recorded, so the analysis relies on average FPS values.

Across the entire measurement set, the trend is predictable: higher resolutions and higher presets both reduce frame rates. The most demanding configuration tested, 4K Ultra, averages 23.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The least demanding configuration, 1080p Low, averages 155.6 FPS, leaving ample headroom for higher settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

The playable threshold for this benchmark is 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above that threshold is Ultra, with an average of 76.3 FPS. This means the system can run the game at maximum visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable line. All four presets at 1080p clear 60 FPS, so the best settings choice is simply the highest quality option.

At 2560x1440, the best settings that remain playable are High, averaging 63.6 FPS. Low and Medium also clear 60 FPS, at 98.2 and 79.3 FPS respectively, but High represents the optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance. Ultra at this resolution falls short, averaging 50.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The best recorded average is 53.9 FPS on Low settings, which still misses the playable threshold. The verdict data confirms this: there are no playable settings at 4K for this combination. Users targeting 4K would need to accept sub-60 FPS performance or consider lower resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets indicates where the performance bottleneck lies. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is substantial, from 155.6 FPS down to 76.3 FPS, a reduction of 79.3 FPS. This large swing suggests the GPU is the primary driver of performance at this resolution, as changing graphics settings directly impacts the rendering load. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at these frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the same preset scaling shows a narrower absolute range: from 98.2 FPS on Low to 50.6 FPS on Ultra, a spread of 47.6 FPS. The reduction in absolute FPS compared to 1080p indicates that the GPU is becoming more heavily loaded, but the CPU still keeps up. At 3840x2160, the range compresses further, from 53.9 FPS on Low to 23.4 FPS on Ultra, a spread of 30.5 FPS. The absolute values are much lower, suggesting that the GPU is now the dominant constraint, as the pixel throughput demand at 4K exceeds what the Radeon RX 6600 can deliver.

The CPU's role is more evident when comparing the same preset across resolutions. For instance, High settings drop from 99.8 FPS at 1080p to 63.6 FPS at 1440p, then to 37.8 FPS at 4K. This steep decline with resolution is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario: the CPU can generate frames at a certain rate, but the GPU limits how many are rendered as pixel count rises. The data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the combination is reasonably balanced, but at 4K, the GPU is the clear limiting factor.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at 1920x1080 with all settings playable. The verdict data lists High, Low, Medium, and Ultra as playable at this resolution, with the best settings being Ultra at 76.3 FPS. That gives a 16.3 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold, which is sufficient for smooth gameplay in most scenarios.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable on High, Low, and Medium presets. The best settings are High at 63.6 FPS, which narrowly clears the 60 FPS line. The margin is slim, only 3.6 FPS, so users may prefer Medium at 79.3 FPS for more headroom if frame pacing becomes an issue.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot achieve playable performance on any preset. The best average is 53.9 FPS on Low, which is 6.1 FPS short of the threshold. Ultra at 4K averages 23.4 FPS, which is not a viable experience. Overall, this combination is a solid 1080p performer and a capable 1440p option, but it is not suited for 4K gaming in Minimum.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, a delta of -0.2 percent, meaning it is essentially equal in performance. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a delta of 0.3 percent, also effectively identical. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a delta of 0.4 percent, and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a delta of -0.4 percent. All four rivals are within a fraction of a percent of the i5-9400, so swapping to any of them would produce nearly indistinguishable results in Minimum.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19036. The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 scores 19030, a delta of 0 percent, meaning it is a direct match. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile scores 19049, a delta of -0.1 percent, and the NVIDIA Tesla K20m scores 19089, a delta of -0.3 percent. The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation scores 18954, a delta of 0.4 percent. These GPUs would behave very similarly to the RX 6600, though the mobile and workstation variants may have different power characteristics that are not reflected in these scores.

Combining any of these rival CPUs with the RX 6600, or pairing the i5-9400 with any of these rival GPUs, would yield frame rates within a couple of percent of the measured values. The deltas are all under 0.5 percent, so the gameplay experience would be effectively unchanged.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2925 out of 3712 combos for Minimum. That places it in the lower third of all tested systems, at roughly the 21st percentile from the top. This ranking reflects the fact that while the GPU is reasonably capable, sitting at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, the CPU is only at the 47th percentile among all CPUs. The combination is balanced but not exceptional, and the ranking shows that many other tested systems deliver higher frame rates in this game.

The rank is driven primarily by the 4K results, where the system fails to reach playable performance, and the 1440p Ultra result, which also misses the threshold. At 1080p, the system performs well, but the overall ranking considers all measured resolutions. The data indicates that this combo is a mid-to-low tier option for Minimum, suitable for 1080p and lighter 1440p presets, but not competitive with higher-end configurations.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, all four presets are playable at 1080p. The best settings are Ultra, which averages 76.3 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: High settings average 63.6 FPS at 1440p, which is the most demanding preset that clears the 60 FPS line. Ultra drops to 50.6 FPS and is not playable.

Q: Is 3840x2160 playable with this hardware?

A: No. The best average at 4K is 53.9 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra averages 23.4 FPS, which is far from playable.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 1080p Ultra?

A: Low averages 155.6 FPS, while Ultra averages 76.3 FPS. Low is roughly double the frame rate of Ultra.

Q: Which component limits performance at 4K?

A: The GPU is the primary constraint at 4K. The Radeon RX 6600, despite having 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 128-bit bus, cannot sustain 60 FPS at that resolution, while the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed frames.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Minimum?

A: It ranks 2925 out of 3712 combos, placing it in the lower third of tested configurations. The GPU is at the 63rd percentile, but the CPU is at the 47th percentile, and the 4K results drag down the overall standing.