Minimum

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination of Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 in Minimum shows a clear progression from 4K down to 1080p, with each resolution presenting distinct performance ceilings. The measurements cover four presets at three resolutions, and the frame rate deltas between presets reveal how the workload scales with graphical fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the system is heavily constrained. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is the only setting approaching playability at this resolution. Medium drops to 39 FPS average, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS, indicating noticeable variance under load. High averages 32 FPS, while Ultra falls to 25 FPS. None of these 4K presets reach the 60 FPS playability threshold, and even the Low preset's 50 FPS average leaves a 10 FPS gap. The spread from Low to Ultra is 25 FPS, showing that at 4K the preset choice changes the experience from borderline acceptable to clearly stutter-prone.

At 2560x1440, performance improves substantially. The Low preset averages 94 FPS, which is nearly double the 4K Low result. Medium averages 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, meaning the worst-case frame time still clears the 60 FPS threshold. High averages exactly 60 FPS, placing it right at the playability line, while Ultra drops to 46 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 48 FPS, a wider spread than at 4K, which suggests that at this resolution the preset scaling is more pronounced. The Medium preset's minimum of 61 FPS is particularly notable, as it demonstrates that even in demanding scenes the system holds above the playability cutoff.

At 1920x1080, the combination performs comfortably across all presets. Low averages 145 FPS, Medium averages 111 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS, High averages 93 FPS, and Ultra averages 71 FPS. Every preset exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, and the Ultra preset's 71 FPS average provides a 11 FPS margin above playability. The minimum recorded at Medium, 95 FPS, is well above the threshold, indicating that even transient drops do not threaten smooth gameplay. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 74 FPS, the largest spread across all resolutions, which reflects the CPU's ability to feed the GPU at lower pixel counts.

The data shows that resolution is the dominant factor in this combination's performance. Dropping from 4K to 1440p at the same preset yields roughly double the frame rate, while dropping from 1440p to 1080p yields roughly 1.5 to 1.6 times the frame rate. This scaling pattern suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU becomes more relevant as resolution decreases.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: No. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 25, which is 35 FPS below the 60 FPS playability threshold. Even the Low preset at 4K only reaches 50 FPS average, so no 4K preset is playable.

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

A: High is the most demanding playable preset at 1440p, averaging exactly 60 FPS. Medium averages 72 FPS, and Low averages 94 FPS, but High offers the highest fidelity while still meeting the threshold.

Q: Does the Medium preset at 1080p maintain 60 FPS at all times?

A: Yes. The recorded data shows a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS at 1920x1080 Medium, with an average of 111 FPS. The lowest recorded frame is 35 FPS above the playability threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at the High preset?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS is 93. At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 60. That is a drop of 33 FPS, or roughly 35 percent, when increasing resolution from 1080p to 1440p.

Q: Is the Ultra preset at 1440p better than the High preset at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 46 FPS, while the High preset at 4K averages 32 FPS. The 1440p Ultra setting provides a higher average frame rate despite being a more demanding preset, because the resolution reduction more than compensates for the quality increase.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that achieves at least 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 71 FPS, making it the highest fidelity option that remains playable. Lower presets also clear the threshold, but Ultra provides the best visual quality within the playable range.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Minimum, this pairing of Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2984 out of 3712 total combos. That places it in the lower third of all tested systems, roughly at the 20th percentile. The rank reflects the combination's inability to handle 4K playability and its modest margins at 1440p, despite strong 1080p performance.

The ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates. A system that cannot exceed 50 FPS at any 4K preset, and that only reaches exactly 60 FPS at 1440p High, will naturally sit below the majority of tested configurations. The 1080p results are respectable, with the Ultra preset at 71 FPS, but many competing combos in the database likely achieve higher 1440p or 4K performance, which pushes this pairing down the order.

The CPU's percentile versus all processors is 47, meaning it sits just below the median. The GPU's percentile versus all GPUs is 65, placing it above the median. This combination of a slightly below-average CPU and a moderately above-average GPU produces a system that is balanced toward 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, which aligns with its rank near the 2984 mark. The gap between the GPU's stronger percentile and the CPU's weaker percentile suggests that the processor may hold back the graphics card in less demanding scenarios, but the measured FPS at 1080p indicates the pairing still delivers smooth results in Minimum.

The Verdict

This combination can run Minimum at 1920x1080 across every preset, with the Ultra preset averaging 71 FPS and the Low preset averaging 145 FPS. The 1080p results are unambiguous: all four settings clear the 60 FPS threshold, and even the most demanding preset maintains an 11 FPS margin above playability.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable on three presets. High averages 60 FPS, Medium averages 72 FPS, and Low averages 94 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 46 FPS, which falls below the threshold, so users who want maximum quality at this resolution will need to accept a frame rate that is not smooth enough for comfortable play. The High preset at 1440p is the recommended ceiling, as it hits exactly 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the combination cannot reach playable performance on any preset. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is the closest result, but still 10 FPS short of the 60 FPS requirement. Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. None of these are suitable for smooth gameplay in Minimum.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p is fully playable at all settings, 1440p is playable up to High, and 4K is not playable at any setting. Users with a 1080p display will have the best experience, while those with a 1440p monitor should stick to High or lower presets. 4K displays will require a different hardware configuration.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured data reveals how the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 divide responsibilities across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the frame rate differences between presets are relatively modest: Low averages 50 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The 25 FPS spread suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint, as increasing graphical load directly reduces throughput in a near-linear fashion. The CPU has enough headroom at 4K to feed the GPU, but the graphics card cannot keep up with the pixel count.

At 2560x1440, the preset scaling becomes more pronounced. Low averages 94 FPS, Medium averages 72 FPS, High averages 60 FPS, and Ultra averages 46 FPS. The 48 FPS spread from Low to Ultra indicates that the GPU is still the main bottleneck, but the CPU's role grows as resolution drops. The fact that High lands exactly on 60 FPS while Medium holds a 72 FPS average with a 61 FPS minimum suggests that the system is balanced at this resolution, with neither component clearly dominating.

At 1920x1080, the picture changes. Low averages 145 FPS, Medium averages 111 FPS, High averages 93 FPS, and Ultra averages 71 FPS. The 74 FPS spread is the largest across all resolutions, and the high frame rates indicate that the GPU has more headroom at this pixel count. The CPU becomes more relevant here, as it must supply draw calls and physics updates fast enough to sustain these higher frame rates. The i5-9400's six-core, six-thread configuration is sufficient for Minimum at 1080p, as evidenced by the 71 FPS average at Ultra, but the scaling pattern suggests that a stronger CPU could potentially push the Ultra preset even higher if the GPU were the sole limit.

The resolution scaling from 4K to 1440p at the same preset yields roughly a 1.5 to 1.9 times improvement, while scaling from 1440p to 1080p yields roughly a 1.5 to 1.6 times improvement. This indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K and 1440p, while the CPU becomes more influential at 1080p. For users targeting 1080p, the CPU's performance is adequate, but for 1440p or higher, the GPU is the component that determines playability.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold, so there is no recommended best setting. The Low preset at 50 FPS average is the closest option, but it still falls short of playability.

At 2560x1440, the best preset is High, which averages exactly 60 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays at or above the playability threshold. Medium at 72 FPS and Low at 94 FPS are also playable, but High offers the highest visual quality within the playable range. The Ultra preset at 46 FPS is not recommended, as it drops below 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best preset is Ultra, which averages 71 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that remains at or above 60 FPS, and it provides a comfortable 11 FPS margin above the threshold. The Low preset at 145 FPS, Medium at 111 FPS, and High at 93 FPS are all playable, but Ultra is the top choice for visual fidelity while maintaining smooth performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-9400 sits near several comparable processors in the database. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, which is 0.2 percent higher than the i5-9400's 2254 average. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4 percent higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4 percent lower, and the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3 percent lower. All four rivals fall within a narrow band around the i5-9400, meaning that swapping to any of these processors would produce nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Minimum. The differences are below one percent, so the choice among them is effectively negligible for this game.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B570 has an average score of 20556. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, just 0.1 percent higher, making it the closest match. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534, 0.1 percent lower. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662, 0.5 percent higher, and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480, 0.4 percent lower. These four alternatives bracket the Arc B570 within a 0.5 percent range, so any of them would deliver essentially the same frame rates in Minimum at the tested resolutions. Users who have access to these GPUs can expect behavior matching the measurements in this analysis, with the caveat that the Arc B570's 10 GB of memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are part of the recorded configuration.

For this specific game, the nearest rivals on both CPU and GPU sides are so close in average score that the measured FPS results would carry over with minimal variation. The combination rank of 2984 out of 3712 reflects this specific pairing, and systems using any of the listed alternatives would likely land in the same region of the database ranking.