High On Life

The benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 in High On Life reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by its processor at lower resolutions, though it still delivers playable frame rates across the board. The measured results show that the RTX 4070’s raw power is often left on the table, particularly at 1080p, where the CPU becomes the definitive bottleneck. However, the combination still ranks in the top 40% of all tested combos, making it a viable, if not perfectly balanced, option for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shift in system bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 121.7 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average only drops to 103.9 FPS, a relatively modest decrease of about 17% despite a 78% increase in pixel count. This indicates that at 1080p, the system is not fully utilizing the GPU’s potential; the Intel Core i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost of 4.10 GHz, is likely the limiting factor, preventing the frame rate from climbing higher.

The trend becomes more pronounced at 4K. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS falls to 62. This represents a 49% drop from the 1440p result, showing that the GPU’s rendering load has finally become the primary constraint. The transition from 1440p to 4K highlights the RTX 4070’s capabilities being taxed, as the pixel throughput demand quadruples from 1080p. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings results in a 49% performance decrease, which is significant but expected for a high-resolution workload. The data suggests that users aiming for maximum refresh rates should stick to 1080p or 1440p, while 4K is reserved for those who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, as the system still manages to stay above the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the i5-9400 and RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 708 out of 1732 combos. This places it in the 59th percentile of all systems tested in High On Life, meaning it outperforms the majority of other configurations. While this is a respectable position, it is not near the top, which is a direct consequence of the CPU’s limitations.

The CPU’s own benchmark percentile is 50, indicating it is an average performer compared to all other processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4, which have nearly identical average benchmark scores (2300 and 2299, respectively) and are within 0.2% of the i5-9400’s score. This suggests that the i5-9400 is functionally equivalent to these more modern i3 parts in compute tasks. The GPU, on the other hand, is much stronger, sitting in the 81st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, has a slightly higher average score but is only 0.6% faster, showing that the RTX 4070 is at the upper end of the performance spectrum. The combination of a mid-tier CPU and a high-tier GPU results in a system that ranks well overall but is held back from its full potential by the processor.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 108.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 (score of 2300) and 0.4% higher than the Intel Xeon E-2134 (score of 2295).

Q: Is the GPU considered a high performer in this database?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 26927.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS on Low settings is 99.6, while on Ultra it drops to 45.4. This is a reduction of 54.2 FPS.

Q: What is the boost clock of the processor in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz.

Q: Does the system achieve 60 FPS at 4K on High settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 62, which is just above the 60 FPS target.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a clear picture of the system’s capabilities across different resolutions and quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the performance is consistently high. The Low preset yields an average of 140.8 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. Moving up the quality scale, Medium produces 125.6 FPS, High delivers 121.7 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 108 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 32.8 FPS, indicating that the CPU is able to feed the GPU adequately even at the highest settings, though the gap suggests some CPU limitation at the lower presets.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. The Low preset drops to 124.4 FPS, a 12% decrease from the 1080p Low result. Medium follows at 112.5 FPS, and High is close behind at 103.9 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, takes a more significant hit, falling to 79.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 44.7 FPS, showing that the GPU’s workload is becoming more significant.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The Low preset still manages an average of 99.6 FPS, which is excellent for 4K. Medium drops to 76.4 FPS, and High falls to 62 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, is the most demanding, resulting in an average of only 45.4 FPS. This is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the combination is not suited for maxed-out 4K gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is achieved with the High preset. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 121.7 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p, it maintains 103.9 FPS, also an excellent result. Even at 4K, the High preset achieves 62 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability for a smooth experience.

The Ultra preset is only recommended for users at 1080p, where it still provides 108 FPS. At 1440p, the 79.7 FPS average is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset offers a marginal performance gain over High at 1440p (112.5 vs 103.9 FPS) but at a noticeable cost to visual fidelity. The Low preset is unnecessary for most users, as even High settings provide well over 60 FPS at all resolutions tested, except for 4K Ultra. For the best experience, High settings at 1440p or 1080p are the clear choice, offering a strong balance of image quality and speed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 9 MB shared L3 cache. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 7969, and its single-core score is 1125. These numbers place it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a middle-of-the-road performer.

In High On Life, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound. For example, the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is just 32.8 FPS (from 140.8 to 108), which is a relatively small gap. This suggests that even at Low settings, the CPU cannot push the frame rate much higher than 140 FPS, leaving the RTX 4070 underutilized. The CPU’s 6 threads are sufficient for the game, but they are not so powerful that they can fully saturate a high-end GPU like the RTX 4070 at lower resolutions. At 4K, the CPU’s limitation is less apparent, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck, but the 62 FPS average on High settings shows that the system as a whole is not able to deliver the frame rates that a more powerful CPU might unlock.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a high-end GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It features 5888 shading units, 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, and a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2475 MHz, and it offers a Passmark G3D score of 26927, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU is clearly the star of this combo. Its performance is demonstrated by the fact that at 4K with Low settings, it still manages 99.6 FPS. The RTX 4070’s strength is in its raw rasterization power, which allows it to handle the demanding pixel counts of 4K. However, its potential is not fully realized at lower resolutions due to the CPU bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is capable of much more than the 140.8 FPS achieved at Low settings, but the CPU cannot keep up. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is finally pushed to its limits, resulting in 45.4 FPS, which indicates that even this powerful card has its limits with fully maxed-out settings. The 12 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, and the high memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is not a bottleneck. The RTX 4070 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its performance is the primary reason the combo ranks as well as it does.