Minimum

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 1309 out of 3712 tested combos in Minimum. That places this configuration in the upper third of all recorded system pairings for this title, which is a strong result given the game's age and the hardware's mid-range to high-end positioning. The combo outperforms roughly 65% of all tested combinations, meaning the vast majority of systems in the database will produce lower frame rates in this game.

The ranking reflects a pairing where the GPU does most of the heavy lifting. The RTX 3070 Ti sits at the 75th percentile among all GPUs in the database, which is a high placement. The Core i5-9400, by contrast, sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, which is a middle-of-the-road position. The gap between these two percentile values tells the story: this is a GPU-limited setup at most settings, and the processor is adequate but not exceptional for feeding the graphics card.

For a game released in 2014, the absolute performance is more than sufficient at mainstream resolutions. The recorded data shows this combo clearing 60 FPS at nearly every tested configuration, with the only sub-60 result appearing at 4K Ultra. The rank within the database confirms that this is a capable pairing for Minimum, even though the CPU is not a top-tier part by today's standards.

The percentile data suggests that if you already own this CPU, the RTX 3070 Ti is a sensible upgrade path for this game. The GPU's 75th percentile ranking is the dominant factor in the combo's overall position. Swapping in a faster CPU would yield some gains at lower resolutions, but the frame rates are already high enough that the practical benefit would be minimal.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to several other processors. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, which is 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, which is 0.4% lower. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, which is 0.4% higher. These four CPUs would behave essentially the same as the i5-9400 in Minimum, assuming the same GPU is installed. None of these alternatives would produce a meaningful frame rate difference in this game.

For the GPU side, the RTX 3070 Ti's average benchmark score of 29945 is closely matched by three other cards. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile scores 29928, which is 0.1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, which is 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, which is 0.5% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433, which is 1.6% higher. In practical terms, any of these GPUs paired with the i5-9400 would deliver nearly identical performance in Minimum. The deltas are small enough that they fall within run-to-run variance.

If you are considering a system with similar performance, the closest match would be the i5-9400 with an RX 6800 or RTX 2080 Ti. The RX 6800 sits marginally ahead, while the RTX 2080 Ti sits marginally behind. Both would land within a few percent of the RTX 3070 Ti's frame rates in this game. The RTX 5070 Mobile is a laptop part, so it is less relevant for desktop builders, but its score indicates it would also be a near-identical performer.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for Minimum shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the dominant component at every resolution, but the CPU's role becomes more visible as resolution drops. At 4K, the RTX 3070 Ti is almost certainly the limiting factor. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 3840x2160 is substantial, with Low producing 85.9 FPS and Ultra producing 41.1 FPS. This wide spread indicates that the graphics card's rendering load is the primary constraint at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the GPU remains the main bottleneck, but the CPU starts to matter more. The frame rates range from 155.4 FPS at Low to 74.9 FPS at Ultra. The fact that Low settings still produce over 150 FPS suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at this resolution, but the GPU cannot push much beyond that ceiling without lowering settings.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's influence becomes more pronounced. Low settings produce 242.7 FPS, which is a very high number. The i5-9400's six cores and six threads are sufficient to drive the RTX 3070 Ti to extremely high frame rates at this resolution. However, the scaling from Low to Ultra is steep: Ultra drops to 120.6 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is still the primary constraint, even at 1080p, because the graphical load increases significantly with each preset step.

The scaling between resolutions reinforces this analysis. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 242.7 at 1080p to 155.4 at 1440p, then to 85.9 at 4K. That is a 64% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 120.6 at 1080p to 74.9 at 1440p, then to 41.1 at 4K. The large drops at every resolution step confirm that the GPU is the deciding factor. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking is not a liability in this game, because Minimum does not appear to be a CPU-heavy title.

For builders, the practical takeaway is this: if you are playing at 1080p or 1440p, the i5-9400 is not holding back the RTX 3070 Ti in any meaningful way. At 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that the CPU's performance is almost irrelevant. The data shows a GPU-bound scenario across the board.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Minimum? Yes, comfortably. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best playable option at 62.8 FPS average. High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with High at 55 FPS and Ultra at 41.1 FPS. If you own a 4K display, you should stick to Medium settings to stay above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, every preset is playable. The best settings are Ultra, which produces 74.9 FPS average. Even the most demanding preset clears the 60 FPS bar with headroom. At 1920x1080, all settings are playable as well, with Ultra producing 120.6 FPS average. The best settings at 1080p are Ultra, and the frame rate is more than double the playable threshold.

The playable threshold in the database is 60 FPS. This combo exceeds that at all resolutions except 4K High and 4K Ultra. The data indicates that the system is well suited for Minimum, and the only compromise required is at 4K where you must drop to Medium or lower. For 1080p and 1440p gaming, this is a definitive yes, with no settings compromises needed.

One caveat: the measured FPS data only includes average frame rates. No minimum or maximum frame rates were recorded for any resolution or settings combination. This means the data cannot speak to frame time consistency or stutter behavior. The averages are high enough, however, that even with typical dips, the experience should remain smooth at 1440p and 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded frame rates are organized by resolution and settings preset. All values are average FPS, as no minimum or maximum values were captured.

At 3840x2160, the results are as follows. Low settings produce 85.9 FPS. Medium settings produce 62.8 FPS. High settings produce 55 FPS. Ultra settings produce 41.1 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 44.8 FPS, which is the largest gap of any resolution. This confirms that 4K is the most demanding scenario for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the results are as follows. Low settings produce 155.4 FPS. Medium settings produce 118.4 FPS. High settings produce 100.8 FPS. Ultra settings produce 74.9 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 80.5 FPS. The jump from Medium to High is 17.6 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra is 25.9 FPS. Ultra takes the largest performance hit relative to High.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows. Low settings produce 242.7 FPS. Medium settings produce 184.3 FPS. High settings produce 156.3 FPS. Ultra settings produce 120.6 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 122.1 FPS. This is the widest range across all resolutions, reflecting both the high ceiling at Low and the significant cost of Ultra. The difference between Medium and High is 28 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is 35.7 FPS.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings reveals the scaling. At Low, the frame rate drops from 242.7 at 1080p to 155.4 at 1440p, a 36% reduction, then to 85.9 at 4K, a further 45% reduction. At Ultra, the drop is from 120.6 at 1080p to 74.9 at 1440p, a 38% reduction, then to 41.1 at 4K, a further 45% reduction. The consistent percentage drops indicate that the GPU's performance scales predictably with pixel count.

The data shows that the RTX 3070 Ti is capable of very high frame rates at 1080p, exceeding 240 FPS on Low settings. At 1440p, the card still delivers over 150 FPS on Low and nearly 75 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the card requires settings reductions to stay above 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 4K with smooth frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. The recorded data shows 85.9 FPS at Low and 62.8 FPS at Medium for 3840x2160. High settings drop to 55 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41.1 FPS, both below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce 74.9 FPS average, which is the highest playable preset at that resolution. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold at 1440p.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to the RX 6800 in overall performance?

A: The database shows the RX 6800 has an average benchmark score of 30095, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 3070 Ti's 29945. In practical terms, the two GPUs would perform nearly identically in Minimum.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 3070 Ti in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a significant CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 242.7 FPS, which shows the CPU can feed the GPU to very high frame rates. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, so the CPU's mid-range ranking does not hold back performance.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system to maintain high frame rates?

A: At 1920x1080, the system achieves 120.6 FPS at Ultra settings and 242.7 FPS at Low settings. This resolution offers the highest frame rates. At 2560x1440, Ultra still delivers 74.9 FPS, so 1440p is also a strong choice if you prefer higher resolution over raw frame rate.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 Ti perform better than the RTX 2080 Ti?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti's average benchmark score is 29945, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2080 Ti's 29783. The difference is small enough that the two cards would be effectively interchangeable in Minimum, with the RTX 3070 Ti holding a slight edge.