Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a wide range of performance in Minimum, a third-person shooter released in 2014. The recorded data shows that this combination scales predictably across resolutions and presets, with the most demanding settings proving too heavy for 4K but entirely manageable at lower resolutions. The database places this combo at rank 1804 out of 3712 tested combinations, putting it in the upper half of all systems measured for this title. The RTX 5060, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, provides substantial headroom at 1080p and 1440p, while the six-core i5-9400 keeps pace without becoming a limiting factor in the tested scenarios.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Low. The recorded average at this setting is 75.3 FPS. Medium drops to 56.1 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and High manages only 49 FPS. Ultra is the least viable at this resolution, producing 38.9 FPS. The data indicates that 4K requires a significant reduction in visual quality to stay smooth, and even then, the margin above 60 FPS is modest.

At 2560x1440, all four presets clear the 60 FPS line, so the best settings are Ultra. The average at Ultra is 69.9 FPS, which is above the playable threshold but not by a wide margin. High runs at 85.6 FPS, Medium at 104.5 FPS, and Low at 139.5 FPS. The progression from Ultra to Low shows a steady climb in frame rate, with Low nearly doubling the Ultra figure. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the lower presets offer substantial headroom, but Ultra remains the recommended choice for this resolution because it stays above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 103.2 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, leaving room for fluctuations in demanding scenes. High runs at 134.3 FPS, Medium at 165.1 FPS, and Low tops out at 211 FPS. The 1080p results show that the RTX 5060 has ample compute for this game, as even the heaviest preset produces a frame rate that is nearly double the playable threshold. The gap between Ultra and Low at this resolution is about 108 FPS, highlighting the scalability of the engine and the headroom available to users who prefer maximum refresh rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-9400, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259 against the i5-9400's 2254, a difference of -0.2%. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a delta of 0.3% relative to the i5-9400. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, also 0.4% higher than the i5-9400. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, which is -0.4% relative to the i5-9400. These four processors are statistically indistinguishable in average score, meaning any of them would likely produce similar frame rates in Minimum when paired with the same GPU. The i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, so it is a mid-pack processor, and the rivals listed here represent the closest matches in the database.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M at 26401, a delta of -0.3%, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at 26421, also -0.3%. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, a delta of -0.8%, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% higher than the RTX 5060. These GPU alternatives would behave very similarly in Minimum, with differences of roughly 1% or less in aggregate benchmark performance. The RTX 5060 ranks at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, placing it well above the midpoint, and the rivals listed are the closest scoring cards in the database. For a user considering a system swap, any of these CPUs or GPUs would deliver nearly identical performance in this game, assuming the rest of the system remains unchanged.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Minimum at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes, but only on Low settings. The recorded average at 3840x2160 with Low is 75.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium drops to 56.1 FPS, High to 49 FPS, and Ultra to 38.9 FPS, so the higher presets are not playable at this resolution.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p?

A: Ultra is the best preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 69.9 FPS. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution, so users can select the highest quality without sacrificing playability.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401 (-0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421 (-0.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553 (-0.8%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011 (1.2%). These differences are small enough that in-game frame rates would be nearly identical.

Q: Is the i5-9400 a limiting factor for this game?

A: The recorded data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, have average scores within 0.4% of it. The frame rates achieved with this combo are primarily driven by the GPU's performance.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The average at 1920x1080 with Ultra is 103.2 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience with room for demanding scenes. Users who prefer higher refresh rates can select Medium (165.1 FPS) or Low (211 FPS) for even higher frame rates.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Minimum?*

A: The combo ranks 1804 out of 3712 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of all systems measured. This ranking reflects the balance between the mid-pack CPU and the above-average GPU.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear. At 3840x2160, the only playable setting is Low, with an average of 75.3 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 56.1, 49, and 38.9 FPS respectively. This makes 4K a viable option only for users willing to accept reduced visual quality. At 2560x1440, the system clears 60 FPS at every preset, and the best setting is Ultra at 69.9 FPS. This is the resolution where the combo offers the best balance between image quality and performance. At 1920x1080, the system is not just playable but fast, with Ultra averaging 103.2 FPS and all presets far exceeding the threshold. The lowest preset at 1080p produces 211 FPS, which is more than enough for high-refresh-rate displays.

The recorded data answers the page question directly: yes, this PC can run Minimum. The limiting factor is resolution. At 1080p and 1440p, every preset is playable, and at 1440p the highest quality setting still maintains an average above 60 FPS. At 4K, only Low is playable, and the margin above the threshold is about 15 FPS, which could be consumed by demanding scenes. Users targeting 4K should either stick with Low or consider lowering resolution to 1440p for the full range of presets. The 60 FPS playable threshold is a key reference point: the system exceeds it in nine of the twelve measured scenarios, and in the three where it does not, all are at 4K with Medium or higher settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 shifts with resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the GPU is clearly the dominant component. Frame rates scale dramatically with settings: Low produces 211 FPS, Medium 165.1 FPS, High 134.3 FPS, and Ultra 103.2 FPS. This wide spread, roughly 108 FPS between the lowest and highest presets, indicates that the game's rendering load is the primary constraint. The i5-9400, with six cores and six threads and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, has enough single-thread performance to feed the GPU at these frame rates, but the GPU is what determines the output.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with narrower margins. Low produces 139.5 FPS, Medium 104.5 FPS, High 85.6 FPS, and Ultra 69.9 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is about 70 FPS, smaller than at 1080p but still substantial. The GPU remains the bottleneck, as the increased pixel count raises the load on the RTX 5060 while the CPU's workload stays relatively constant. The i5-9400's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, suggest it can handle the game's logic and draw calls without becoming the limiting factor at these frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role becomes even more pronounced. The frame rates compress further: Low produces 75.3 FPS, Medium 56.1 FPS, High 49 FPS, and Ultra 38.9 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is about 36 FPS, the smallest of the three resolutions. This compression is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the pixel throughput of the RTX 5060 is the ceiling. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and its FP32 performance of 19.18 TFLOPS are the relevant specifications here, and they are insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on higher presets. The CPU's contribution is minimal at this resolution, as the frame rates are low enough that even a weaker processor would likely produce similar results.

The scaling between resolutions reinforces this analysis. Moving from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra reduces the average from 103.2 to 69.9 FPS, a drop of about 33 FPS. Moving from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra reduces it from 69.9 to 38.9 FPS, a drop of about 31 FPS. These consistent drops across resolution steps indicate that the GPU is the performance limiter. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would show less variation across resolutions, because the CPU's workload is largely independent of pixel count. The data shows the opposite, confirming that the RTX 5060 is the component that matters most for Minimum, with the i5-9400 providing adequate support.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Minimum, this combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1804 out of 3712 tested combos. This places it just past the midpoint of all systems, in the 49th percentile of tested combinations. The ranking reflects the blend of a mid-tier CPU and a high-tier GPU. The i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 5060 sits at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. The system's overall position in the game is closer to the CPU's percentile than the GPU's, which is notable given the GPU-bound nature of the game. This suggests that the ranking is influenced by the full set of tested combinations, many of which pair higher-end CPUs with comparably capable GPUs.

The rank of 1804 means that about 1908 combinations produced better performance in Minimum, while about 1908 produced worse performance. The system is squarely in the middle of the field, not a standout but not a laggard. Users with this combo can expect performance that is representative of a mainstream gaming PC from the past few years, with the GPU providing most of the muscle. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT with a score 1.2% higher, indicate that other cards in this performance class would land in a similar rank. The CPU rivals, with deltas of less than 0.5%, would also produce nearly identical rankings if swapped in. The database shows that this combo is a balanced pairing, neither component dramatically outclassing the other in terms of overall system ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded measurements cover three resolutions and four settings each, for a total of twelve scenarios. At 1920x1080, Low produces an average of 211 FPS, the highest of any tested configuration. Medium averages 165.1 FPS, High averages 134.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 103.2 FPS. All four settings at this resolution exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold by a wide margin, with even the most demanding preset coming in at more than 40 FPS above the line. The data shows a consistent decline as settings increase, with each step from Low to Medium to High to Ultra costing roughly 46, 31, and 31 FPS respectively.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 139.5 FPS, Medium averages 104.5 FPS, High averages 85.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 69.9 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs about 35 FPS, from Medium to High about 19 FPS, and from High to Ultra about 16 FPS. The diminishing returns at higher presets are evident, as the frame rate gap narrows with each increase in quality. Ultra remains playable at this resolution, but the margin above 60 FPS is only about 10 FPS, so users in graphically intense areas may see dips closer to the threshold. The database does not include minimum or maximum frame rates for these tests, so the averages are the only available metric, but they indicate a generally smooth experience at every preset.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 75.3 FPS, Medium averages 56.1 FPS, High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 38.9 FPS. This is the only resolution where the playable threshold is not met across all settings. Low is the sole preset that clears 60 FPS, and it does so by about 15 FPS. Medium falls short by about 4 FPS, High by about 11 FPS, and Ultra by about 21 FPS. The gaps between settings are smaller than at lower resolutions, with the step from Low to Medium costing about 19 FPS, from Medium to High about 7 FPS, and from High to Ultra about 10 FPS. The compression of frame rates at 4K underscores the GPU's limitations at this pixel count, as even the lowest quality setting cannot reach the frame rates seen at 1080p with Ultra. The data across all twelve scenarios shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p provides the best frame rates, 1440p offers a balanced experience, and 4K requires significant compromises. The RTX 5060's 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the higher pixel throughput at 4K exposes the card's limits. The i5-9400's performance, including a Geekbench multi-core score of 5141, is adequate throughout, and no scenario in the data suggests a CPU-side constraint.