Minecraft: Java Edition

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER produces exceptionally high frame rates in Minecraft: Java Edition, with the data indicating that the CPU, not the GPU, is the primary factor limiting performance at lower resolutions. The RTX 4070 SUPER, which sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs and averages a benchmark score of 42576, provides ample rendering power. However, the i5-9400, a six-core Coffee Lake processor with a 2.90 GHz base clock and 4.10 GHz boost clock, becomes the bottleneck as resolution drops. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows significantly at 1080p compared to 4K, which points to the CPU's limits in feeding frames to the GPU. This analysis breaks down the specific performance metrics, the role of each component, and offers practical settings guidance based on the measured results.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4070 SUPER than its closest rival in the benchmark data?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER’s average benchmark score is 42576, which is only 0.2% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A6000’s score of 42653. It is 1.4% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580X, which scores 41991.

Q: What is the performance difference between the i5-9400 and the Intel Core i3-10305?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is 0.2% higher than the Core i3-10305’s score of 2300. This places the two processors statistically on par with each other in synthetic workloads.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 452.7, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is more than double the frame rate seen at 4K Ultra, which averages 91 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 SUPER have a significant advantage over the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE?

A: No, the performance is very close. The RTX 4070 SUPER scores 42576, which is 0.3% lower than the RX 7650 GRE’s score of 42723. The delta is minimal, making them near-identical in average benchmark performance.

Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R23, the i5-9400 scores 1125 in single-core and 7969 in multi-core. The multi-core score is roughly seven times higher, which is typical for a 6-core, 6-thread processor.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 385.2, which drops to 146.4 at 4K High. This represents a significant 62% reduction in frame rate when moving to the higher resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock reaches 2475 MHz, and it contains 7168 shading units. In Minecraft: Java Edition, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings, where the rendering load increases. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 91, indicating that the GPU is being pushed harder, though it still maintains a playable frame rate. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the average FPS spikes to 452.7, a figure that far exceeds what the GPU alone can typically deliver, suggesting that the CPU is capping the output.

The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 4070 SUPER is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. Its 84th percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average score of 42576 confirm its high-end status. However, the game's engine, which is more dependent on single-threaded CPU performance, creates a situation where the GPU often waits for the processor. This is evident in the frame rate scaling: from 1080p High (385.2 FPS) to 4K High (146.4 FPS), the drop is substantial, but even at 4K, the GPU is still producing high frame rates. The GPU's VRAM capacity of 12 GB is more than sufficient for the game, as the data does not indicate any memory-related bottlenecks at any tested resolution. The GPU’s role is to handle the visual fidelity, and it does so without becoming a limiting factor until the Ultra preset at 4K, where the frame rate drops below 100 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 452.7 FPS, but this only drops to 415.6 FPS at Medium and 385.2 FPS at High. The gap between Low and High at 1080p is just 67.5 FPS, indicating that the CPU is struggling to keep up with the frame generation demands, regardless of the graphical load. This is further supported by the 4K results, where the scaling is much more dramatic. At 3840x2160, the FPS ranges from 231.4 at Low to 182.6 at Medium and 146.4 at High, showing a steeper decline as settings increase. The 4K Ultra preset, however, sees a massive drop to 91 FPS, suggesting that at this extreme setting, the GPU finally becomes the limiting factor.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a moderate performance hit, but the system remains well above 170 FPS in all settings except Ultra. Specifically, at 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 389.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 177.1 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is beginning to take on more work, but the CPU is still providing a high baseline. The most telling comparison is the Ultra preset across resolutions: 280.3 FPS at 1080p, 177.1 FPS at 1440p, and 91 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern is typical for a system where the CPU is the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions, and the GPU becomes more relevant as the pixel count increases. The data suggests that users on 1080p or 1440p displays will be heavily CPU-limited, while 4K users will see a more balanced workload, though still with high overall performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results are consistently high, with the Low preset delivering the best average at 452.7 FPS. The Medium preset follows closely at 415.6 FPS, and High averages 385.2 FPS. The Ultra preset, while still impressive, drops to 280.3 FPS, which is a 38% reduction compared to Low. These figures show that the i5-9400 is the bottleneck, as the differences between presets are relatively small, particularly between Medium and High.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows a clearer separation between presets. The Low preset averages 389.6 FPS, which is still very high. The Medium preset averages 352.5 FPS, and High is not far behind at 279.5 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 177.1 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 1080p Ultra figure of 280.3 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is starting to contribute more to the overall frame time at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the scaling is more pronounced. The Low preset averages 231.4 FPS, which is still a solid performance. The Medium preset averages 182.6 FPS, and High averages 146.4 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that falls below the 100 FPS mark, averaging 91 FPS. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the delta between Low and Ultra grows, confirming that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint. The overall combo rank in the game database is 483 out of 1727, placing this pairing in the top 28% of tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 provides the best measured result at 452.7 FPS. However, the performance difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is just 37.1 FPS, making Medium a more balanced choice for those who want better visuals without sacrificing much speed. The High preset at 1080p still offers 385.2 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors, so it is a viable option for competitive play.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, delivering 352.5 FPS. The High preset at 279.5 FPS is also excellent, providing a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 177.1 FPS is still playable, but the drop from High is significant, suggesting that users should stick to High for a smoother experience unless they prefer maximum graphical fidelity.

For 4K users, the Low preset at 231.4 FPS is the only one that ensures a very high refresh rate experience. The Medium preset at 182.6 FPS is also strong, but the High preset at 146.4 FPS is more typical for a demanding game. The Ultra preset at 91 FPS is the only one that falls below 100 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced gameplay but is not ideal for fast action. Based on the data, the High preset at 1080p or 1440p offers the best overall experience, balancing the high frame rates with improved visual settings, while 4K users should consider the Medium preset for the optimal combination of speed and quality.