Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a combination that targets high-refresh 1080p gaming and capable 1440p performance. For the third-person shooter Minimum, released in 2014, this hardware pairing delivers a wide range of results depending on resolution and quality preset. The recorded data shows that the system can comfortably exceed 60 FPS at 1080p on all tested settings, while 1440p remains playable up to High settings, and 4K requires dropping to Low to maintain a playable frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination is presented across three resolutions and four quality presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The database records average, minimum, and maximum frame rates where available, though some entries only include the average figure.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system delivers its strongest performance. Low settings produce an average of 188 FPS, which is the highest average recorded for any configuration. Medium settings average 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. High settings average 121 FPS, while Ultra settings average 92 FPS. All four presets at 1080p remain well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a comfortable margin.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are consistent with the increased pixel count. Low settings average 121 FPS, which remains very high. Medium settings average 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. High settings average 78 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 59 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows that 1440p Ultra is the only preset at this resolution that fails to maintain a playable average frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the performance demands increase substantially. Low settings average 65 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a narrow margin. Medium settings average 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. High settings average 42 FPS, and Ultra settings average 32 FPS. The 4K results show a steep decline as quality increases, with only the Low preset achieving a playable average frame rate.

The minimum FPS data, where available, provides additional insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 122 FPS is still far above the playable threshold. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 79 FPS remains playable. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 42 FPS indicates that even average playable performance can include significant dips. No minimum or maximum values are recorded for the other presets, so the analysis relies on average frame rates for those configurations.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have nearby alternatives in the database that would produce similar overall performance. For the Intel Core i5-9400, the closest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 0.2 percent lower, and the Intel Core i7-10710U, which scores 0.3 percent higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 0.4 percent higher, while the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 0.4 percent lower. These four processors all fall within a narrow performance band, meaning any of them paired with the same GPU would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Minimum.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, the nearest GPU rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, which scores 1 percent lower, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 1.2 percent lower, the Intel Arc B570, which scores 1.3 percent lower, and the Intel Arc A750, which scores 1.5 percent lower. These GPUs are all within 1.5 percent of the RTX 2070 SUPER in average benchmark score, so swapping to any of them would produce very similar performance in this game. The differences are small enough that the choice between these GPUs would not meaningfully change the playable settings at any resolution.

The CPU percentile of 47 against all tested CPUs indicates that the i5-9400 sits near the middle of the performance distribution. The GPU percentile of 65 against all tested GPUs places the RTX 2070 SUPER above the majority of tested graphics cards. This combination of a mid-range CPU and an upper-mid-range GPU means that in Minimum, the GPU is likely the component that determines the maximum quality settings at each resolution, while the CPU provides sufficient processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck at the measured frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The recorded data shows an average of 92 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 78 FPS, which is the highest quality preset that maintains a playable average. Ultra settings at this resolution average 59 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings. The 3840x2160 Low preset averages 65 FPS, while Medium averages 50 FPS, High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to the Intel Arc B570?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER scores 1.3 percent higher in average GPU benchmark score than the Intel Arc B570, indicating nearly identical performance in this game.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The average is 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, all well above the playable threshold.

Q: Does the i5-9400 limit performance at 4K?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck at 4K. The frame rate drops from 65 FPS at Low to 32 FPS at Ultra, which reflects the increasing GPU load rather than CPU limitations.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum at all three tested resolutions, but the playable settings vary significantly. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 65 FPS. At 2560x1440, three presets are playable: High averages 78 FPS, Medium averages 93 FPS, and Low averages 121 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls short at 59 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 92 FPS, High averaging 121 FPS, Medium averaging 144 FPS, and Low averaging 188 FPS.

For gamers prioritizing high frame rates, 1080p is the ideal resolution for this combination. The system can push very high averages even at Ultra settings, and the 144 FPS average at Medium makes it suitable for high-refresh displays. At 1440p, High settings offer the best balance of visual quality and playable performance. At 4K, the system is limited to Low settings for a playable experience, and even then the 65 FPS average leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

The playable threshold of 60 FPS is used as the benchmark for these verdicts. The data shows that the system is capable of exceeding this threshold in most configurations, with the notable exceptions of 4K Medium, High, and Ultra, and 1440p Ultra.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals which component matters more under different conditions. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that both components contribute, but the GPU becomes the primary limiter as settings increase. The drop from 188 FPS at Low to 92 FPS at Ultra represents a 51 percent reduction, which is consistent with GPU-bound rendering at higher quality settings.

At 1440p, the GPU load increases further. The average frame rate drops from 121 FPS at Low to 59 FPS at Ultra, a 51 percent reduction. The CPU, with its six cores and six threads, maintains sufficient performance to feed the GPU at these frame rates, as evidenced by the absence of any CPU-specific bottleneck indicators in the data. The i5-9400 has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with an average benchmark score of 2254, placing it in the 47th percentile of all tested CPUs.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The frame rate drops from 65 FPS at Low to 32 FPS at Ultra, a 51 percent reduction, but the absolute values are much lower than at lower resolutions. This indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is fully saturated at 4K, and the CPU has ample headroom. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's requirements, but the sheer pixel count at 3840x2160 limits the achievable frame rates.

The resolution scaling shows that moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces the High preset average from 121 FPS to 78 FPS, a 36 percent drop. Moving from 1440p to 4K reduces the High preset average from 78 FPS to 42 FPS, a 46 percent drop. This steeper decline at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor in this game, with the CPU providing adequate support across all tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2142 out of 3712 tested combinations in the database for Minimum. This places the combo in the upper-middle portion of all tested systems, which is consistent with the component-level percentiles. The CPU sits at the 47th percentile, while the GPU sits at the 65th percentile, resulting in an overall ranking that reflects the GPU's stronger relative position.

The rank of 2142 out of 3712 means that approximately 58 percent of tested combinations rank higher, while 42 percent rank lower. This is a solid result for a system built around a 2018 CPU and a 2019 GPU, both of which are end-of-life products. The combination outperforms systems with weaker GPUs or CPUs, but it falls short of combinations featuring higher-end GPUs such as the GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores only 1.2 percent higher in GPU benchmarks.

The ranking also reflects the game's age and optimization. Minimum, released in 2014, is not particularly demanding by modern standards, so even mid-range hardware can achieve high frame rates. The combination's rank is therefore more indicative of its overall hardware capability than its specific suitability for this game. Players with this combo can expect performance that is representative of a system with a 47th percentile CPU and a 65th percentile GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS. The data provides a clear answer for each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, with an average of 92 FPS. This is the highest quality preset available, and it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold. Players can enable all visual effects at this resolution without concern for playability.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are High, with an average of 78 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 59 FPS, which is just below the threshold, so High is the optimal choice for maximum visual quality while maintaining playable performance.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, with an average of 65 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 50 FPS, so Low is the only option that clears the 60 FPS bar. Players at 4K will need to accept reduced visual quality to achieve a playable frame rate.

These recommendations are based solely on the measured average frame rates. Players with variable refresh rate displays may find that slightly lower presets provide a more consistent experience, since the minimum frame rates at the recommend settings are not recorded for all presets. However, the average frame rates indicate that these settings offer the best balance of visual quality and playable performance for this hardware combination.