Fivem

# Fivem Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-9400 + AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB

This combination pairs a 6-core, 6-thread Intel Coffee Lake processor from 2018 with a modern RDNA 4.0 graphics card built on a 4 nm process. The data reveals a system that behaves very differently depending on resolution and settings, with the CPU's age showing most clearly at lower resolutions while the GPU's 8 GB memory buffer becomes a constraint at 4K Ultra. The measured FPS ranges from a playable 46.8 at 4K High to a blistering 192.3 at 1080p Low, suggesting a versatile but not universally strong pairing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 operates with 6 cores and 6 threads, a configuration that was mainstream at its October 2018 release but now shows its age in multi-threaded workloads. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz can boost up to 4.10 GHz, and it carries 9 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 803 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 3346 in R20 multi-core, and 7969 in R23 multi-core. Single-core scores are 113, 472, and 1125 across those same tests respectively. The average benchmark score across all tests is 2305, placing it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs — squarely in the middle of the pack.

The nearest rivals illustrate how tight this mid-range competition is. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2300, a delta of just 0.2% from the i5-9400. The Intel Core i3-1125G4 also scores 2299, again 0.2% away. The Intel Xeon E-2134 scores 2295, a 0.4% gap. The only rival that edges ahead is the Intel Core i7-8809G at 2319, which is -0.6% relative to the i5-9400 (meaning the i5 trails by 0.6%). These deltas are negligible, indicating that in pure CPU compute terms, the i5-9400 offers essentially identical performance to these alternatives.

In Fivem, the CPU's role becomes clearer when examining the 1080p results. At 1080p Low, the system produces 192.3 FPS, which is 60.9% higher than the 120.3 FPS at 1080p High. This massive swing — a 72 FPS difference between Low and High at the same resolution — suggests the CPU is doing heavy lifting in game logic and entity updates that scale with settings. At 1080p Ultra, the FPS drops to 97.1, which is 50% lower than the Low preset. The 6-thread limitation likely becomes a bottleneck in Fivem's multiplayer scenarios, where many players and vehicles are simulated simultaneously. The 65 TDP processor, with its 14 nm process node, delivers modest per-thread performance that can handle 100+ FPS at lower settings but struggles to maintain that pace when graphical settings increase CPU-side workload.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is a much newer part, released in June 2025 with an active production status. It uses the Navi 44 chip on RDNA 4.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process. The GPU packs 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, along with 32 ray tracing cores. Its FP32 compute is rated at 25.64 TFLOPS, with a pixel rate of 200.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 400.6 GTexel/s. The boost clock reaches 3130 MHz, with a game clock of 2530 MHz and base clock of 1700 MHz.

Memory is a critical aspect of this GPU. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 322.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective). This bandwidth is substantial for the bus width, but the 8 GB capacity becomes a potential limitation at higher resolutions. The GPU's 150 W TDP and suggested 450 W PSU requirement indicate a mid-range power envelope, and it connects via PCIe 5.0 x16.

The GPU's role in Fivem is most evident at 4K. At 4K Ultra, the system manages only 32.7 FPS, which is significantly lower than the 4K High result of 46.8 FPS. The gap between 4K Ultra and 4K Low (71.4 FPS) is 38.7 FPS, a 54% reduction. This suggests the GPU is heavily taxed at 4K, particularly with Ultra settings that likely push beyond the 8 GB VRAM capacity, causing potential texture swapping. At 1440p, the GPU shows more headroom, with Ultra hitting 64 FPS and High reaching 82.2 FPS. The 8 GB frame buffer appears adequate for 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K with higher presets.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling pattern reveals a system that transitions from CPU-bound at 1080p to GPU-bound at 4K. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 192.3 FPS, which is 49% higher than the 1440p Low result of 129.1 FPS, and 169% higher than the 4K Low result of 71.4 FPS. This steep drop-off at lower settings indicates that the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p — the GPU has ample headroom, but the i5-9400's single-thread performance caps the frame rate.

Moving to High settings, the scaling is more moderate: 120.3 FPS at 1080p, 82.2 FPS at 1440p, and 46.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 31.7%, and from 1440p to 4K is 43.1%. This shows a more balanced workload where both CPU and GPU contribute to the bottleneck. At Ultra settings, the pattern shifts further toward GPU limitation: 97.1 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 32.7 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling — it's only 34% of the 1080p Ultra figure, suggesting the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is severely constrained at this resolution and preset combination.

The data implies that for competitive play at high frame rates, 1080p is the sweet spot, but the CPU will limit maximum FPS. For visual fidelity at 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, especially with Ultra settings. The 1440p results offer a middle ground where both components are reasonably utilized, with the system delivering between 64 and 129.1 FPS depending on settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this combination ranks 948 out of 1792 tested combos for Fivem. This places it in the 53rd percentile — slightly above the midpoint of all tested systems. Given that the CPU sits at the 50th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU also at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, this ranking is consistent with expectations for a mid-range pairing.

The rank of 948 out of 1792 suggests that while this system is capable of running Fivem comfortably at many settings, it is not a top-tier performer. The 1080p High result of 120.3 FPS and 1440p High of 82.2 FPS are respectable, but the 4K Ultra figure of 32.7 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The combination's mid-pack ranking reflects this mixed performance profile — strong at lower resolutions, weaker at 4K with demanding settings.

Compared to what the CPU's rival scores suggest, the system's performance in Fivem is more dependent on the GPU than the synthetic CPU benchmarks would indicate. The i5-9400's near-identical scores to the i3-10305 (0.2% difference) imply that CPU choice among these mid-range options matters little for Fivem; the GPU and resolution settings dominate the outcome.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Fivem?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS, hitting 71.4 FPS. The Medium preset reaches 53.8 FPS, High drops to 46.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32.7 FPS. Consistent 60 FPS at 4K would require Low settings or lowering resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate play?

A: At 1080p, the system delivers 120.3 FPS on High and 97.1 FPS on Ultra, which are suitable for 100 Hz displays. The Low preset at 192.3 FPS can drive 144 Hz monitors. 1440p High at 82.2 FPS is also viable for 75-80 Hz displays.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2305 is within 0.6% of the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300), Intel Core i3-1125G4 (2299), and Intel Xeon E-2134 (2295). The Intel Core i7-8809G (2319) is the only rival that scores higher, by 0.6%.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Fivem?

A: The data shows that 8 GB is adequate for 1080p and 1440p across all settings, with the worst case being 1440p Ultra at 64 FPS. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 32.7 FPS, suggesting VRAM limitations or GPU compute constraints at that resolution.

Q: What performance uplift comes from lowering settings at 4K?

A: Moving from 4K Ultra (32.7 FPS) to 4K High (46.8 FPS) provides a 43% improvement. Dropping to Medium yields 53.8 FPS (64% over Ultra), and Low reaches 71.4 FPS (118% over Ultra). The largest single step is from High to Medium, adding 7 FPS.

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

A: The combination ranks 948 out of 1792 tested combos, placing it in the 53rd percentile. This means slightly more than half of tested systems perform better in Fivem.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves 192.3 FPS, which is the maximum measured across all resolutions and settings. Medium follows at 151.4 FPS, High at 120.3 FPS, and Ultra at 97.1 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 95.2 FPS, showing that settings have a dramatic impact at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down proportionally. Low delivers 129.1 FPS, Medium 100.3 FPS, High 82.2 FPS, and Ultra 64 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 65.1 FPS. All presets exceed 60 FPS, making 1440p a viable resolution for this system.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles with higher presets. Low achieves 71.4 FPS, Medium 53.8 FPS, High 46.8 FPS, and Ultra 32.7 FPS. Only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls below 40 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming is only feasible with reduced settings. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a 62.9% reduction at Low settings (192.3 to 71.4 FPS), a 61.1% reduction at High (120.3 to 46.8 FPS), and a 66.3% reduction at Ultra (97.1 to 32.7 FPS).

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing high frame rates at 1080p, the High preset at 120.3 FPS provides an excellent balance of visual quality and smoothness, more than doubling the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 97.1 FPS remains above 90 FPS and offers the best visuals available at this resolution, making it the recommended choice for those with 100 Hz displays who want maximum fidelity.

At 1440p, the High preset at 82.2 FPS is the standout recommendation, offering a smooth experience on 75 Hz monitors while retaining substantial visual quality. The Medium preset at 100.3 FPS is better suited for 100 Hz displays, and the Low preset at 129.1 FPS can drive 120 Hz panels, though with reduced graphical fidelity. The Ultra preset at 64 FPS is borderline for 60 Hz displays but may cause noticeable frame pacing issues on higher refresh screens.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 71.4 FPS is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the default choice for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 53.8 FPS is playable on 60 Hz displays with some judder, while High at 46.8 FPS is borderline and Ultra at 32.7 FPS should be avoided for any competitive play. The 4K Ultra result of 32.7 FPS is the weakest measured performance, suggesting that this system is not suited for maximum settings at 4K in Fivem.

The best overall experience is likely at 1440p with High settings, delivering 82.2 FPS while maintaining a reasonable balance between CPU and GPU utilization. This configuration avoids the CPU bottleneck seen at 1080p and the GPU limitations at 4K, providing a consistently smooth frame rate with good visual quality.