Minimum

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-9400 sits in a tight cluster of comparable processors according to the database's aggregate benchmark scores. Its average score of 2254 places it within 0.4% of all its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, a mere 0.2% higher, making it effectively indistinguishable in CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Core i7-10710U (2248) and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246) trail by 0.3% and 0.4% respectively, while the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264) leads by 0.4%. For a game like Minimum, which is a third-person shooter from 2014, any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame pacing and physics simulation behavior in practice.

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 occupies a similar niche among graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 15852 sits within 1.7% of its nearest competitors. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014 (1% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679 (1.1% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129 (1.7% higher). This means that in GPU-heavy workloads, swapping between these cards would produce nearly identical frame rates, assuming no other system bottlenecks. The RX 7700's 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it above average, while the i5-9400's 47th percentile ranking shows it sits just below the midpoint of all CPUs tested.

For the specific combination in question, users seeking similar behavior could pair any of the rival CPUs with any of the rival GPUs and expect comparable results in Minimum. The performance deltas are all under 2%, which falls well within run-to-run variance for most game benchmarks.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 4K (3840x2160), the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS on average is Low, which delivers 74 FPS. Medium drops to 57 FPS, just below the playable threshold. High manages 48 FPS, and Ultra falls to 36 FPS. The Low preset is the only option that clears the 60 FPS bar at this resolution.

At 1440p (2560x1440), all four presets exceed 60 FPS. The best choice is Ultra, which runs at 68 FPS average. High runs at 89 FPS, Medium at 106 FPS, and Low at 138 FPS. Ultra provides the maximum visual fidelity while still maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

At 1080p (1920x1080), every preset far exceeds 60 FPS. Ultra runs at 105 FPS, making it the best settings choice. High runs at 137 FPS, Medium at 164 FPS, and Low at 214 FPS. There is no reason to sacrifice visual quality at this resolution, as even the heaviest preset leaves substantial headroom.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the Ultra preset runs at 105 FPS, while at 1440p it drops to 68 FPS (a 35% reduction), and at 4K it falls to 36 FPS (a 66% reduction from 1080p). This scaling indicates that the RX 7700's rendering workload scales directly with pixel count, which is typical for a well-optimized GPU-heavy title.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the Low preset across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 214 FPS, which is high enough that the i5-9400's six cores and six threads may be approaching their limit. However, at 1440p Low the frame rate drops to 138 FPS (a 36% reduction), and at 4K Low it falls to 74 FPS (a 65% reduction). This consistent scaling suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU remains the primary bottleneck at all resolutions.

The Medium preset shows the same pattern: 164 FPS at 1080p, 106 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. The consistent ratio between resolutions across all presets, roughly 1.5x between 1080p and 1440p and roughly 2.5x to 3x between 1080p and 4K, indicates that neither component creates a disproportionate bottleneck. The CPU is sufficient to feed the GPU at all tested settings, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scales predictably with resolution rather than plateauing at a CPU-limited ceiling.

The only potential CPU limitation appears at 1080p Low, where 214 FPS is achieved. This is high enough that other system components, such as memory latency or driver overhead, could become relevant, but the database does not record any such bottleneck. For practical purposes, the RX 7700 is the determining factor for visual quality settings, while the i5-9400 provides adequate headroom even at the highest frame rates observed.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with Medium settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 57 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Low preset at 74 FPS is the only playable option at 4K.

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

A: Ultra is the best playable preset at 2560x1440, running at 68 FPS on average. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) exceed 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, while the RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, which is 1.7% higher. This places the two cards within a negligible performance delta.

Q: Is the i5-9400 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 214 FPS, which is very high. The consistent frame rate scaling across resolutions indicates that the GPU remains the primary bottleneck at all tested settings, so the CPU does not appear to limit performance.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p Ultra?

A: The average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 105 FPS, with no recorded minimum or maximum values. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combination ranks 1717 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the upper half of all systems in the database.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the database records the following results:

• High: 48 FPS average
• Low: 74 FPS average
• Medium: 57 FPS average, with a minimum of 48 FPS and maximum of 65 FPS
• Ultra: 36 FPS average

At 2560x1440:

• High: 89 FPS average
• Low: 138 FPS average
• Medium: 106 FPS average, with a minimum of 90 FPS and maximum of 121 FPS
• Ultra: 68 FPS average

At 1920x1080:

• High: 137 FPS average
• Low: 214 FPS average
• Medium: 164 FPS average, with a minimum of 139 FPS and maximum of 188 FPS
• Ultra: 105 FPS average

The only preset with recorded minimum and maximum values is Medium at each resolution. At 4K Medium, the frame rate ranges from 48 to 65 FPS, showing a 17 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 90 to 121 FPS (31 FPS spread), and at 1080p Medium, the range is 139 to 188 FPS (49 FPS spread). The increasing spread at lower resolutions suggests that scene complexity variations have a larger relative impact when the GPU is less stressed.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1717 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. This places it in the 46th percentile of all systems tested, meaning roughly 46% of tested combinations perform worse and 54% perform better. Given that the i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs and the RX 7700 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, the combined ranking is consistent with the expectation that the CPU is the weaker component in this pairing.

The ranking indicates that this system is positioned in the middle of the performance distribution. It is not a top-tier setup, but it is also far from the bottom. The RX 7700's above-average GPU performance compensates for the i5-9400's slightly below-average CPU standing, resulting in a balanced system for a game like Minimum that does not appear to be heavily CPU-bound.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at 1080p and 1440p with all settings presets above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 105 FPS, making it the recommended choice for maximum visual quality. At 2560x1440, Ultra runs at 68 FPS, still comfortably playable. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves playable performance at 74 FPS; Medium falls to 57 FPS, High to 48 FPS, and Ultra to 36 FPS.

The system is fully capable of running the game at high quality on standard 1080p and 1440p displays. For 4K users, the compromise is significant: dropping to Low settings is required to maintain smooth gameplay. The recorded data shows no playable preset above Low at 4K, so users with 4K monitors should expect to sacrifice most visual fidelity or accept frame rates below 60 FPS. Overall, this combination delivers a solid experience for Minimum at mainstream resolutions, with the GPU providing ample headroom and the CPU keeping pace without introducing a bottleneck.