Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is a capable 1080p and 1440p gaming combo for Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The recorded data shows that this system delivers playable frame rates across most settings at those resolutions, but it falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at 4K. The benchmark results indicate a clear performance hierarchy, with the GPU becoming the dominant factor as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains average FPS measurements for this CPU and GPU combination across three resolutions and four quality presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). The data shows a wide performance spread, from a low of 29 FPS at 4K Ultra to a high of 172.9 FPS at 1080p Low.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are largely below the playable threshold. The Low preset averages 56.4 FPS, which is close to but not above the 60 FPS line. The Medium preset drops to 46.9 FPS, and High falls further to 37.5 FPS. The most demanding setting, Ultra, averages only 29 FPS. This resolution clearly pushes the combo to its limits, with no preset reaching the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves significantly. The Low preset averages 109.7 FPS, Medium averages 86.2 FPS, and High averages 73.8 FPS. These three settings all clear the 60 FPS threshold comfortably. The Ultra preset, however, averages 55.4 FPS, just missing the playable mark. This resolution offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, with the High preset providing the best visual quality while maintaining a solid frame rate.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo performs exceptionally well. The Low preset averages 172.9 FPS, Medium averages 132.1 FPS, High averages 109.6 FPS, and even the Ultra preset averages 83.7 FPS. Every preset at this resolution significantly exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making it the sweet spot for this hardware combination. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a predictable drop, but even the most demanding setting maintains a frame rate well above playable.

The data shows that the gap between presets is consistent but not uniform. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 89.2 FPS, while at 1440p it is 54.3 FPS, and at 4K it is 27.4 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck, limiting the impact of preset changes.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component responsibility as resolution changes. At 1080p, the CPU and GPU share the workload more evenly, but the GPU still carries the majority of the rendering load. The high frame rates at this resolution, particularly the 172.9 FPS on Low, indicate that the Intel Core i5-9400 with its 6 cores and 6 threads is sufficient to feed the Radeon RX 7600 without creating a significant bottleneck.

As resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU's role becomes more prominent. The frame rates drop across all presets, but the relative performance between presets remains similar. The GPU's rendering workload increases with pixel count, and the RX 7600 must work harder to fill those pixels. The CPU's influence wanes, as the frame rate ceiling is now dictated more by the GPU's throughput.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant component. The RX 7600 is fully saturated, and the frame rates drop dramatically. The difference between Low (56.4 FPS) and Ultra (29 FPS) is 27.4 FPS, showing that the GPU has less headroom to accommodate higher quality settings. The CPU is no longer a limiting factor at this resolution; the GPU's pixel-pushing capabilities are the sole constraint.

The scaling between resolutions reinforces this analysis. At the same preset, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly 30-40%, and from 1440p to 4K reduces it by another 40-50%. This is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the number of pixels directly impacts the frame rate. For example, at High settings, the frame rate drops from 109.6 FPS at 1080p to 73.8 FPS at 1440p, and then to 37.5 FPS at 4K. This pattern confirms that the Radeon RX 7600 is the primary performance determinant at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is identified. The database's playable threshold is set at 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, every preset is playable. The best settings are Ultra, which averages 83.7 FPS. This allows the user to enable all visual features while still maintaining a significant margin above the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at this resolution delivers a smooth experience without compromise.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are High, which averages 73.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 55.4 FPS, so High is the optimal choice for maximizing visual quality while staying above the playable threshold. This preset provides a good balance of detail and performance, with a frame rate that is 13.8 FPS above the minimum requirement.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The closest is Low at 56.4 FPS, which is 3.6 FPS below the target. The database lists no playable settings for this resolution, indicating that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Minimum.

The data suggests that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can run the game at maximum settings, and is also viable for 1440p gaming with a slight reduction in quality settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database provides nearest rival comparisons for both the CPU and GPU, based on average benchmark scores. These alternatives would likely produce very similar frame rates in this game.

For the Intel Core i5-9400, the nearest rivals are all within a fraction of a percent in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, also 0.2% higher. On the lower side, the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower). Any of these CPUs would perform nearly identically to the i5-9400 in Minimum, meaning the frame rates would be within a few percent of the recorded values.

For the AMD Radeon RX 7600, the nearest rivals are similarly close. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, which is 0.2% higher than the RX 7600's average of 15171. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270 (0.7% higher), while the AMD Radeon Pro 560X scores 15082 (0.6% lower) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti scores 15063 (0.7% lower). These GPUs would deliver frame rates that are statistically indistinguishable from the RX 7600 in this game.

When pairing an alternative CPU with the RX 7600, or the i5-9400 with an alternative GPU, the results would be nearly identical to the data presented here. The delta percentages are so small that they would not meaningfully change the verdict at any resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's overall ranking for Minimum, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 is ranked 2509 out of 3712 tested combos. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems.

It is important to contextualize this rank. The database includes many combinations with far more powerful CPUs and GPUs, such as modern flagship processors and high-end graphics cards. A rank of 2509 indicates that there are 2508 other combinations that deliver higher average frame rates in this game. However, the rank does not mean the system is inadequate. The measured FPS data shows that the combo is perfectly capable of running the game smoothly at 1080p and 1440p.

The rank reflects the absolute level of performance relative to the entire database, not the playability of the game. Many of the systems ranked higher are likely using much more expensive hardware. In terms of meeting the 60 FPS playable threshold at the target resolutions, this combo succeeds where it matters most.

The Verdict

Based on the benchmark data, the question of whether the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 can run Minimum has a clear answer: it depends on the resolution.

At 1920x1080, the answer is a definitive yes. The database shows that all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 83.7 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a fully smooth experience with maximum visual settings.

At 2560x1440, the answer is also yes, with a caveat. Three presets (Low at 109.7 FPS, Medium at 86.2 FPS, and High at 73.8 FPS) are playable. The Ultra preset at 55.4 FPS is not playable. The recommended setting is High, which averages 73.8 FPS, offering a strong visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the answer is no. No preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The best result is the Low preset at 56.4 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. This combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Minimum.

In summary, this system is a solid choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming for Minimum. The data shows that it can handle the game at high settings with excellent frame rates at 1080p, and at high settings with good frame rates at 1440p. Users should avoid 4K resolution with this hardware, as it cannot maintain a playable frame rate even at the lowest settings. The performance is consistent with the hardware's benchmark scores, which place it in the mid-range tier.