Fivem

The Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2656th out of 3005 tested combos in Fivem, placing it in the bottom 12% of systems. This is a low-tier pairing that struggles to deliver smooth gameplay at higher resolutions, though it can hit playable frame rates at 1080p with reduced settings. The data shows a system that is fundamentally GPU-limited, with the integrated-class Arc B390 acting as the primary bottleneck across all tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

At position 2656 out of 3005 combos, this setup sits firmly in the lower quartile of tested hardware configurations for Fivem. The ranking reflects a combination that is usable for basic play but far from competitive with modern gaming systems. The CPU itself sits at the 47th percentile among all processors, which is a middling result for a six-core part from 2018. The GPU, however, is the real drag: the Arc B390 lands at just the 9th percentile among all graphics cards, placing it in the bottom tenth of the GPU landscape.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU percentiles tells a clear story. The i5-9400 is a modest but functional processor, while the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution that performs closer to entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago. In the nearestRivals data, the Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 puts it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are not modern gaming cards; they are legacy parts that were low-end even in their prime.

For Fivem specifically, this combo's rank means most other tested systems will outperform it. The measured frame rates confirm this: at 1080p Ultra, the system manages only 43 FPS average, which is below the threshold most players consider acceptable for a smooth experience. The combination of an aging six-core CPU and a very weak GPU creates a system that can run the game, but only with significant compromises in both resolution and visual quality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides six cores and six threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This is a Coffee Lake Refresh part built on Intel's 14 nm process, and it supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU has 9 MB of shared L3 cache, plus 256 KB of L2 and 64 KB of L1 per core.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core. Those numbers place it in the middle of the pack for its era, but the nearestRivals data shows it is closely matched with several other processors. The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254 is within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 and within 0.3% of the Intel Core i7-10710U. This indicates the CPU is not a standout performer, but it is also not a severe liability.

For Fivem, the CPU's role is complicated by the fact that the game is heavily multiplayer-oriented. Multiplayer modes often place additional load on the CPU due to network processing and entity management. The six cores and six threads are adequate for this workload, but the lack of hyper-threading means the CPU cannot handle as many concurrent threads as some rivals. The 4.10 GHz boost clock helps with single-threaded performance, which Fivem relies on for core game logic.

However, the benchmark results suggest the CPU is not the primary constraint in this system. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 88 FPS average, which is the highest result across all tested settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau regardless of resolution or graphics settings. Instead, the frame rates drop dramatically as resolution increases, which points to the GPU as the limiting factor. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with data at 1080p, but the integrated graphics simply cannot keep up at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU runs at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts to 2500 MHz, with a TDP of 80 W. Memory is system-shared, meaning the GPU uses the same DDR4 memory as the CPU, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

The Arc B390's benchmark results are poor. It scores just 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The nearestRivals list includes the GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710 — all of which are ancient, low-end parts. The Arc B390 is only 1.3% to 2.7% faster than these GPUs, which means it performs at a level comparable to entry-level discrete graphics from roughly a decade ago.

In Fivem, this GPU limitation is stark. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages just 16 FPS average, which is unplayable. Even at 4K Low, the frame rate only reaches 32 FPS, still below playable thresholds for most users. The GPU simply does not have the raw throughput to handle Fivem's rendering demands at high resolutions, regardless of the settings preset used.

The system-shared memory is a notable constraint. Since the GPU has no dedicated VRAM, it must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth. This is particularly problematic in a game like Fivem, which can have large, detailed environments with many other players. The lack of dedicated VRAM likely contributes to the low frame rates, as the GPU cannot efficiently access the data it needs to render frames.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Fivem?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves playable frame rates. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 88, and at 1080p Medium it is 70. At 1440p, the best result is 58 FPS on Low settings, while at 4K, even Low settings only produce 32 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are all very old, low-end GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is clearly the main bottleneck. Frame rates drop from 88 FPS at 1080p Low to 58 FPS at 1440p Low and 32 FPS at 4K Low, showing a strong resolution dependence. The CPU's performance is relatively consistent with its rivals, while the GPU sits at the 9th percentile.

Q: What settings preset should I use for the best experience?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset offers the highest average FPS at 88, while Medium drops to 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS. The Medium preset provides a better balance between visual quality and performance, but Low is the safest choice for maintaining a high frame rate.

Q: Can this combo handle 1440p gaming in Fivem?

A: Borderline. At 1440p Low, the average FPS is 58, which is playable but not smooth by modern standards. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 29 FPS, which is not recommended.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower). The differences are minimal.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a system that degrades quickly as pixel count increases. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 88 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 58 FPS, a 34% reduction. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 32 FPS, which is a 64% reduction from the 1080p result. This pattern is consistent with a GPU-limited system, as the CPU's workload does not scale with resolution.

The same trend appears across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the frame rates are 70 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K. At High settings, the numbers are 56 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. At Ultra settings, the results are 43 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. The proportional drops are similar across presets, confirming that resolution is the dominant factor.

The 1080p to 4K scaling shows a roughly 73% reduction in frame rates across all settings. For example, at Low settings, the drop is from 88 FPS to 32 FPS, a 64% decrease. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 43 FPS to 16 FPS, a 63% decrease. This consistency indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, as the rendering workload at 4K is far beyond what this integrated GPU can handle.

For comparison, a CPU-limited system would show less variation between resolutions. The fact that the frame rates at 1080p are much higher than at 4K strongly suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint. The i5-9400 can deliver enough data at 1080p to feed the GPU, but the GPU cannot process the larger frame buffers at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for settings selection. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 88 FPS average, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset offers 70 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. The High preset drops to 56 FPS, and Ultra falls to 43 FPS. For players who prioritize smooth gameplay, 1080p Low is the best choice, as it provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

However, the Medium preset at 1080p is a strong alternative. The 70 FPS average is still well above playable, and the minimum of 59 FPS means the frame rate rarely dips below 60. This preset likely provides noticeably better visual quality than Low while maintaining a smooth experience. The data shows only a 20% performance cost from Low to Medium (88 to 70 FPS), which is a reasonable trade-off for improved visuals.

At 1440p, the situation is less favorable. The Low preset produces 58 FPS average, which is technically playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 46 FPS average with a minimum of 39 FPS, which may feel inconsistent. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p produce 37 FPS and 29 FPS respectively, which are below playable thresholds for most users. If playing at 1440p, Low settings are the only reasonable option.

At 4K, none of the presets are playable. The best result is 32 FPS at Low settings, which is below the minimum acceptable frame rate for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 4K produces 25 FPS, and Ultra produces just 16 FPS. Users with a 4K display should avoid running Fivem at native resolution with this combo, as even the lowest settings cannot deliver a playable experience.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium. This preset balances the 70 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS, ensuring relatively consistent performance. The 1080p Low preset offers higher raw frame rates at 88 FPS, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the extra 18 FPS. For players who demand the highest frame rates possible, 1080p Low is the clear winner; for those who want a mix of quality and performance, 1080p Medium is the recommended choice.