Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT delivers a wide range of frame rates in Minimum, a third-person shooter released on 2014-06-25. The recorded data covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with average FPS values ranging from 35.6 at 4K Ultra to 204.1 at 1080p Low. This combination sits at rank 1971 out of 3712 tested combos in the database for this title, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the field. The following sections break down the measurements, the balance between CPU and GPU load, nearby alternatives, and the practical verdict for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs strongly across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 204.1 FPS, Medium reaches 156.3 FPS, High delivers 133.4 FPS, and Ultra stays at 98.1 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS threshold by a substantial margin, with the lowest recorded average (Ultra) still being 38.1 FPS above the playability line. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a drop of 106 FPS, or roughly 52 percent of the Low value, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom even at the highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages remain well above 60 FPS for all presets. Low settings yield 128.4 FPS, Medium produces 101.3 FPS, High reaches 84.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 62.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 65.5 FPS, which is a smaller absolute reduction than at 1080p but still represents a 51 percent decrease from the Low setting. Ultra at this resolution is the closest any preset comes to the 60 FPS threshold, sitting just 2.9 FPS above it. The data shows that 1440p Ultra is playable, but it leaves little margin for scene complexity spikes.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes considerably. Low settings produce 69 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K that clears 60 FPS. Medium drops to 54.7 FPS, High falls to 47.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 35.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 33.4 FPS, a 48 percent reduction. The progression from Low to Medium to High to Ultra is not linear: the step from Low to Medium costs 14.3 FPS, from Medium to High costs 7 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 12.1 FPS. This suggests that the Medium to High transition is relatively gentle, while the High to Ultra jump imposes a heavier penalty. No min or max FPS values were recorded in the database for any resolution or preset, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: higher settings reduce average FPS, and higher resolutions amplify that reduction. The most demanding combination measured is 4K Ultra at 35.6 FPS, while the least demanding is 1080p Low at 204.1 FPS. The spread between these extremes is 168.5 FPS, which illustrates the wide operating range of this hardware pair.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data shows a clear shift in which component limits performance as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, with Low exceeding 200 FPS. At such high output, the Intel Core i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, likely becomes a more significant factor, as the GPU can generate frames faster than the CPU can feed it. The CPU has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, and its benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core 6629, single-core 935) indicate moderate capability. The data does not include per-component utilization, but the pattern of 1080p Low hitting 204.1 FPS suggests that the GPU is not saturated at that point.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The average FPS at Low is 128.4, which is still high but considerably lower than at 1080p. The reductions from Low to Ultra (from 128.4 to 62.9) are driven by the GPU handling more pixels and effects. The RX 6700 XT, with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 192-bit bus, has a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s, which supports higher resolutions. The GPU's pixel rate is 165.2 GPixel/s and texture rate is 413.0 GTexel/s, figures that align with the observed performance drop from 1080p to 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The fact that even Low settings only reach 69 FPS, while Medium drops to 54.7, indicates that the RX 6700 XT is struggling with the pixel count. The GPU's FP32 performance is 13.21 TFLOPS, which is substantial but not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher presets. The CPU's role at 4K is lessened, as the GPU is clearly the bottleneck: the frame rate differences between presets at 4K (from 69 to 35.6) are much larger in absolute terms than the differences between resolutions at Low (from 204.1 to 128.4 to 69). This pattern suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, while at 1080p the CPU may start to cap the maximum achievable FPS.

The scaling between resolutions reinforces this interpretation. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS by 75.7 (from 204.1 to 128.4), a 37 percent drop. Moving from 1440p to 4K reduces FPS by 59.4 (from 128.4 to 69), a 46 percent drop. At Ultra settings, the reductions are 35.2 FPS from 1080p to 1440p (from 98.1 to 62.9) and 27.3 FPS from 1440p to 4K (from 62.9 to 35.6). The percentage drops are larger at higher resolutions, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is likely adequate for this game at all resolutions, but the GPU cannot keep up at 4K with anything above Low.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database lists nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU based on average benchmark scores. For the Intel Core i5-9400, the closest alternatives are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259 on average (0.2 percent higher than the i5-9400's 2254), the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 (0.3 percent lower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 (0.4 percent lower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264 (0.4 percent higher). These CPUs would behave nearly identically in Minimum, with differences of less than half a percent in average score. In practice, any of these processors paired with the RX 6700 XT would produce frame rates within the same small margin as the i5-9400, meaning the observed FPS values would be effectively indistinguishable.

For the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (avg score 27435, exactly 0 percent delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (avg score 27565, 0.5 percent higher), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (avg score 27135, 1.1 percent lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (avg score 27839, 1.5 percent higher). The RTX 4070 Mobile matches the RX 6700 XT's score (27425 vs 27435), so it would deliver nearly the same FPS in this game. The RTX 3090 is only 0.5 percent faster, which translates to roughly 1 FPS at 60 FPS levels, so it would not be noticeably different. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell and Radeon Pro Vega 20 are within 1.1 and 1.5 percent, respectively, again meaning the measured FPS would fall within the same range.

The CPU percentile versus all CPUs is 47, meaning it sits just below the median. The GPU percentile versus all GPUs is 72, indicating it is above average. This combination of a mid-range CPU and a solid GPU explains why the frame rates are high at 1080p and 1440p but taper off at 4K. Users coming from a system with an RTX 3090, for instance, would see only a marginal improvement in Minimum, while those with a Radeon Pro Vega 20 would see a slight decrease. The practical takeaway is that this pair is well matched for this title, with no single component being drastically stronger or weaker than its closest peers.

The Verdict

The database records a playable threshold of 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear this threshold, with the lowest being Ultra at 98.1 FPS. This resolution is fully playable at any setting, and the best preset is Ultra at 98.1 FPS, which leaves 38.1 FPS of headroom. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra at 62.9 FPS being the minimum. The best preset at 1440p is Ultra, but the margin is thin at 2.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low clears 60 FPS, achieving 69 FPS. Medium (54.7), High (47.7), and Ultra (35.6) all fall below the threshold. The best preset at 4K is Low, with 69 FPS.

Therefore, this PC can run Minimum at 1080p and 1440p with any preset, including Ultra. At 4K, it can run Low settings at 69 FPS, but Medium and above will drop below 60 FPS. The verdict is straightforward: for smooth gameplay, stick to Low at 4K, or use Ultra at 1440p and below. The data does not include min or max FPS, so stutter or frame time spikes cannot be assessed, but the averages suggest a generally smooth experience at the playable settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 1971 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. That places it in the 53rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly half of the tested combinations perform better and half perform worse. The rank reflects the balance between the i5-9400's moderate CPU score (47th percentile) and the RX 6700 XT's stronger GPU score (72nd percentile). The game is a third-person shooter from 2014, so it is not particularly demanding by modern standards, which is why the combo can hit high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

The rank of 1971 out of 3712 is consistent with the measured FPS: it is not a top-tier system, but it is comfortably above the median. Systems with higher-ranked GPUs and CPUs would occupy the upper ranks, while older or lower-end hardware would fall below. The fact that the GPU is in the 72nd percentile but the combo is only in the 53rd percentile suggests that the CPU holds the overall ranking down. If the same GPU were paired with a faster CPU, the rank would likely improve, though the measured FPS at 1080p Low (204.1) suggests the CPU is not a severe bottleneck at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: Yes. All four presets at 1920x1080 exceed 60 FPS: Low averages 204.1, Medium 156.3, High 133.4, and Ultra 98.1.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra is the highest preset at 2560x1440, averaging 62.9 FPS. All lower presets (High at 84.3, Medium at 101.3, Low at 128.4) also clear 60 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings, which averages 69 FPS. Medium (54.7), High (47.7), and Ultra (35.6) all fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259 (0.2 percent higher), while the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3 percent lower). Differences are minimal.

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

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 27425. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile scores 27435 (0 percent delta), the RTX 3090 scores 27565 (0.5 percent higher), and the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores 27135 (1.1 percent lower).

Q: What is the best setting for this system at 4K?

A: Low is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 3840x2160, with an average of 69 FPS. Medium and above drop below 60.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 98.1 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and it still leaves 38.1 FPS of headroom, so there is no reason to lower settings at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, averaging 62.9 FPS. This is a close call, with only 2.9 FPS of margin. For users who prefer a safety buffer, High at 84.3 FPS would be a more comfortable choice, but Ultra is technically playable.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, averaging 69 FPS. Medium drops to 54.7 FPS, so the setting must be kept at Low to maintain smooth gameplay. The data shows a clear break between Low and Medium at 4K, with a 14.3 FPS difference that pushes the average below the threshold.

In summary, the best settings per resolution are: Ultra at 1080p (98.1 FPS), Ultra at 1440p (62.9 FPS), and Low at 4K (69 FPS). These selections maximize visual quality while staying at or above 60 FPS, based on the recorded average frame rates.