Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a robust performance profile in Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. The benchmark data indicates that this combination is heavily capable of exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold at standard gaming resolutions, with performance scaling predictably as resolution and graphical demands increase. Measured results show a clear hierarchy across the three tested resolutions, with the system maintaining high average frame rates even under maximum settings at 1440p and offering a solid experience at 4K with adjusted presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this CPU and GPU combination provides a comprehensive look at frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system operates at exceptionally high performance levels. With the Low preset, the average frame rate reaches 229 FPS. Moving up to Medium, the average drops to 175 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 147 FPS. At the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding setting at this resolution, the average frame rate remains very high at 112 FPS. These figures show that the combination has significant headroom at 1080p, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, performance remains well above the 60 FPS threshold across all presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 148 FPS. Selecting Medium reduces the average to 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 95 FPS. Even at the Ultra preset, the system maintains a strong average of 72 FPS. This indicates that the hardware can handle the game flawlessly at 1440p without requiring any compromises in visual quality, as even the highest settings maintain a comfortable margin above the playability threshold.

The most demanding scenario is found at 3840x2160, where the system begins to show its limits. At the Low preset, the average frame rate is 79 FPS. The Medium preset achieves an average of 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. This places it just above the 60 FPS playability threshold on average. The High preset sees the average drop to 51 FPS, which falls below the threshold. Finally, the Ultra preset results in an average of 39 FPS. The data at 4K clearly demonstrates that while the hardware is powerful, the Ultra and High presets are too demanding for a consistent 60 FPS experience, requiring users to select lower presets for smooth gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database provides nearest rival comparisons for both the CPU and GPU, offering context on what other hardware would deliver a similar experience. For the Intel Core i5-9400, its average benchmark score of 2254 places it near several other processors. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a 0.3% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 matches closely with a score of 2246, a 0.4% difference. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, which is 0.4% higher. These minimal deltas indicate that swapping the i5-9400 for any of these processors would result in nearly identical CPU-bound performance in this game, with differences too small to meaningfully affect frame rates.

On the graphics side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208 and sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with a score of 17083, a 0.7% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, a 1% difference. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, a 1.1% difference. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, a 1.5% difference. These figures suggest that the RTX 3070's performance is closely matched by these alternatives. In practical terms, a user with any of these GPUs would likely see frame rates within a few percentage points of what the RTX 3070 achieves, meaning the overall gaming experience in Minimum would be nearly indistinguishable. The ranking of the RTX 3070 against these rivals shows that it sits comfortably in the middle of this performance cluster.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU workload shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, with the Low preset reaching 229 FPS. At this resolution, the GPU is less stressed, allowing the CPU to play a more significant role in feeding frames. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop from 229 FPS to 112 FPS, a reduction of approximately 51%. This indicates that the graphical settings have a substantial impact, but the absolute frame rates are high enough that neither component is a bottleneck for achieving smooth play.

When moving to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to carry more of the load. The Low preset delivers 148 FPS, while Ultra drops to 72 FPS, a reduction of about 51% as well. The consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests that the scaling is largely driven by GPU workload. However, the fact that even the Ultra preset at 1440p holds above 60 FPS shows that the RTX 3070 has ample compute power for this title, and the CPU is not limiting performance at this stage.

The situation changes at 3840x2160. The Low preset yields 79 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 39 FPS. This is a drop of roughly 50% from Low to Ultra, similar to the other resolutions. The key difference is that the absolute values are lower, meaning the GPU is now the dominant factor. The High preset at 51 FPS and Ultra at 39 FPS show that the GPU is struggling to maintain frame rates under heavy load. The CPU's role becomes less critical here, as the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The data indicates that at 4K, the RTX 3070 is the limiting component, while at 1080p and 1440p, the combination works well together to deliver high performance.

The Verdict

Based on the recorded data, this PC configuration can run Minimum successfully across all tested resolutions, provided the correct settings are selected. At 1920x1080, the verdict is clear: all four presets, including Ultra, maintain an average frame rate above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset achieves 112 FPS, which is far above the playable threshold, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the system also passes the 60 FPS requirement on every preset. The Ultra preset delivers 72 FPS, which is a comfortable margin above the threshold. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for this hardware, as it allows for maximum visual quality without any performance compromises. Users can expect a fully smooth experience at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more nuanced. The verdict indicates that only the Low and Medium presets are playable, with Medium averaging 61 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 51 FPS and 39 FPS respectively. Therefore, while the hardware can run the game at 4K, it requires a reduction in settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The data ultimately shows that this combination is a capable 1080p and 1440p performer, and a conditional 4K performer when settings are tuned appropriately.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users seeking the most demanding preset that still maintains at least 60 FPS, the database provides clear guidance. At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, which delivers an average frame rate of 112 FPS. This allows users to experience the game with all graphical features enabled while still having substantial performance headroom. At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Ultra, with an average of 72 FPS. This is the optimal choice for 1440p, as it provides the highest visual fidelity while keeping performance safely above the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the best setting is Medium, which achieves an average of 61 FPS. This is the only preset other than Low that reaches the playable threshold at 4K. Choosing Medium offers a balance between visual quality and performance, though the minimum recorded frame rate of 52 FPS suggests that there may be brief dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. For a strictly consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, the Low preset at 79 FPS is a safer choice, but for the best visuals that remain playable on average, Medium is the recommended option.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested hardware combinations for Minimum, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds a rank of 1589 out of 3712 total combinations. This places it in the upper half of the database, indicating that it performs better than a majority of systems tested with this game. The rank reflects the strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, where the system excels, while being pulled down by the less impressive results at 4K Ultra settings.

Considering that the RTX 3070 sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs and the i5-9400 is in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, the combination performs as expected. The GPU is the stronger component, and the overall rank of 1589 out of 3712 shows that this system is competitive. The data suggests that users with this hardware are positioned well for playing Minimum, with a configuration that is neither at the top nor the bottom of the performance spectrum. The rank serves as a useful indicator that this is a well-balanced system for this particular game, capable of delivering high frame rates at standard resolutions without requiring a top-tier CPU or GPU.