Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti delivers a strong performance profile for Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter released in 2014. The data indicates this combination provides a playable experience at 4K with High settings, while at 1440p and 1080p, it clears the 60 FPS threshold even at the highest preset. The RTX 5070 Ti carries the load here, with the older six-core CPU proving sufficient for this title's demands.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places the Intel Core i5-9400 at the 47th percentile among all tested CPUs. Its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259 and trails by only 0.2 percent, and the Intel Core i7-10710U, which scores 2248 and leads by 0.3 percent. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 sits at 2246, leading by 0.4 percent, while the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, trailing by 0.4 percent. For gaming purposes, any of these processors would deliver a nearly identical level of performance to the i5-9400, meaning the choice between them has minimal impact on frame rates in Minimum.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti holds the 86th percentile among all tested graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 49957 places it directly alongside the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, which scores 50001 and trails by 0.1 percent. The Intel Arc A550M scores 49737, leading by 0.4 percent, and the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT scores 50951, trailing by 2 percent. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT scores 48477, which is 3.1 percent behind. A user swapping between these GPUs would observe similar frame rates, with the RX 6900 XT offering a slight edge and the RX 6800 XT lagging modestly behind.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Minimum at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 resolution, the playable settings list includes High, Low, and Medium. The High preset achieves an average of 78.8 FPS, while Medium reaches 89.1 FPS and Low hits 116.6 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the threshold at 58.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best quality setting at 1440p for this PC?

A: At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable. The Ultra setting delivers the best visual quality while maintaining an average of 108.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to similar processors in the database?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 scores 2254 on average in the database, placing it at the 47th percentile. Its closest competitors are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259, the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246, and the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264. Differences among these are under one percent.

Q: What is the GPU's standing among all tested graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks at the 86th percentile with an average benchmark score of 49957. It is closely matched by the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, which scores 50001, and the Intel Arc A550M at 49737.

Q: Is the Ultra preset viable at 1080p?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 164.7 FPS. This is far above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the best settings choice at this resolution.

Q: Does the game become CPU-bound at lower resolutions?

A: The data suggests the GPU remains the dominant factor. At 1080p Low, the average is 256.1 FPS, and at Medium it is 237.4 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 217.7 FPS. These high numbers indicate the i5-9400 does not bottleneck the RTX 5070 Ti, though the scaling between resolutions shows typical GPU-driven behavior.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results for Minimum show that the GPU is the primary performance driver across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, moving from Low to Ultra settings reduces the average frame rate from 256.1 FPS to 164.7 FPS, a drop of 91.4 FPS. This large delta indicates the graphics card is heavily utilized, and the CPU has ample headroom at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds. Low settings produce 217.7 FPS, while Ultra produces 108.3 FPS. The gap between presets remains substantial, confirming that the RTX 5070 Ti's rendering workload dictates performance. The CPU's role is more passive, providing a stable foundation without becoming a limiting factor.

The 3840x2160 results reinforce this conclusion. Here, the Ultra preset averages 58.1 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold, while High averages 78.8 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 58.5 FPS (116.6 versus 58.1). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate differences between presets would be much smaller, and the absolute numbers would be lower.

Comparing resolutions at the same preset shows how resolution stress affects the GPU. At High settings, 1080p yields 220.7 FPS, 1440p yields 141.7 FPS, and 4K yields 78.8 FPS. The proportional drops align with pixel-count increases, which is the expected behavior for a GPU-bound workload. The Intel Core i5-9400, with its six cores and six threads, delivers enough throughput for this 2014 title, but it is the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti that determines whether the game hits the target frame rates.

The Verdict

This PC can run Minimum, and it does so with authority at most settings. According to the verdict by resolution, at 3840x2160 the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best setting at an average of 78.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution is not playable, as it averages 58.1 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, every preset is playable, including Ultra, which averages 108.3 FPS. This gives the user full freedom to enable maximum visual quality. At 1920x1080, the same applies: all four settings clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 164.7 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the system is more than capable. For high refresh rate displays, the 1080p Low preset reaches 256.1 FPS on average.

The verdict is clear: this combination is well suited for Minimum. The only caveat is 4K Ultra, which falls short, but the High preset at 4K provides a solid 78.8 FPS average, making it the recommended choice for 4K displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded measurements provide a detailed look at performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 256.1 FPS. Medium follows at 237.4 FPS, High at 220.7 FPS, and Ultra at 164.7 FPS. All of these are far above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and even the most demanding preset leaves substantial headroom.

At 2560x1440, the averages are lower but still very strong. Low produces 217.7 FPS, Medium produces 165.7 FPS, High produces 141.7 FPS, and Ultra produces 108.3 FPS. The step from Medium to High is a reduction of 24 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra is a reduction of 33.4 FPS. These drops are consistent with the increasing GPU load from higher-quality effects.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales as expected. Low averages 116.6 FPS, Medium averages 89.1 FPS, High averages 78.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 58.1 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to reach 60 FPS. The data does not include separate minimum or maximum frame rates, so the averages represent the overall experience. The margin at High (78.8 FPS) is sufficient to suggest a stable gameplay session, while the Ultra result at 58.1 FPS may cause noticeable dips during intense scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's ranking of tested combinations for Minimum, the Intel Core i5-9400 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 607th out of 3712 total combos. This places it in the top 16.4 percent of all tested systems for this game. The rank reflects the combined capability of the CPU and GPU, and given the measured frame rates, the position is justified.

The high ranking is primarily driven by the RTX 5070 Ti, which sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU's 47th percentile standing is lower, but for Minimum, a 2014 release, the six-core processor does not hinder the overall result. The combination's rank of 607 is a strong outcome, meaning that most other tested configurations will produce lower or equal frame rates. Systems ranked above this one likely pair even faster CPUs with similar or better GPUs, but for practical gameplay, this combo delivers excellent performance across the board, with only 4K Ultra being out of reach.