Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination delivers a playable experience in Minimum, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by graphics load at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the pairing shows its strength, with the Low preset achieving 168.9 FPS and even the demanding Ultra preset hitting 83.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p, the performance curve remains steep but manageable; High settings produce 67.7 FPS, while Low jumps to 111.3 FPS. The situation changes dramatically at 4K, where the Ultra preset drops to 29.6 FPS, and High settings barely clear the playability threshold at 37.3 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that while the CPU has enough headroom for high refresh rates at lower resolutions, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the RTX 2060 SUPER’s workload. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 168.9 FPS, which is more than double the 83.3 FPS seen at Ultra. When resolution jumps to 1440p, the Low preset retains strong performance at 111.3 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 51.8 FPS. The 4K results show a stark drop-off: Low settings yield 56.7 FPS, Medium drops to 45.7 FPS, High falls to 37.3 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 29.6 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 4K at the same settings is substantial—for High, the drop is from 106.9 FPS to 37.3 FPS, a 65% reduction. This behavior suggests the game’s rendering load scales aggressively with pixel count, and the 8 GB GDDR6 frame buffer on the RTX 2060 SUPER becomes a limiting factor at 4K, particularly with higher quality textures and effects.

The data shows that the transition from 1440p to 4K is the most punishing. At Medium settings, moving from 1440p (84.9 FPS) to 4K (45.7 FPS) cuts performance nearly in half. The same pattern holds for Low, which drops from 111.3 FPS to 56.7 FPS. This suggests that the GPU’s 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are insufficient to feed the pixel throughput required at 3840x2160. Conversely, the 1080p results indicate that the i5-9400’s six cores are not the primary constraint, as even the most demanding preset at that resolution exceeds 60 FPS. The limiting component is clearly the GPU, with the CPU providing adequate support across all tested settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 brings six cores and six threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This Coffee Lake processor sits at the 50th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2305. In synthetic tests, it scores 803 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 113 in single-core, while Cinebench R23 yields 7969 multi-core and 1125 single-core. These numbers position the i5-9400 as a mid-pack performer, but the game’s results suggest that Minimum does not heavily tax the CPU. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 168.9 FPS, indicating that the processor can feed the GPU efficiently at high frame rates. The CPU’s single-core performance, evidenced by the 1125 score in Cinebench R23 single-core, is likely sufficient for this title’s game logic and draw calls.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-9400’s average benchmark score of 2305 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300, 0.2% delta) and the Intel Core i3-1125G4 (2299, 0.2% delta). It is also within 0.4% of the Intel Xeon E-2134 (2295) and 0.6% of the Intel Core i7-8809G (2319). This indicates that the CPU is not a differentiator in this system; its performance is on par with several other mid-range options. The fact that the 1080p Ultra preset still manages 83.3 FPS suggests that even at higher quality settings, the CPU is not the bottleneck—the GPU handles the increased shading load without requiring more processor throughput. The L3 cache is 9 MB shared, which is modest by modern standards, but the game’s results show no signs of CPU-bound stuttering or frame drops, as all measured rows report consistent average FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the scaling behavior observed. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost of 1650 MHz, and it packs 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The architecture is Turing on a 12 nm process, with 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die. The GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 105.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are directly relevant to the game’s resolution scaling. The GPU sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19774, placing it slightly above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (19706, 0.3% delta) and just below the RTX 2070 (19680, 0.5% delta).

The benchmark results for the RTX 2060 SUPER show a Passmark G3D score of 16462 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011, indicating solid DirectX 12 performance. The 4K results, however, reveal the GPU’s limitations. At Ultra settings, the 29.6 FPS average is below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider a minimum for playability. This is not surprising given the GPU’s position relative to the RTX 2070, which is only 0.5% faster on average. The 4K High result of 37.3 FPS is playable but not smooth, and the data suggests that users seeking 4K experiences should stick to Medium (45.7 FPS) or Low (56.7 FPS) presets. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game’s textures at 4K, but the bandwidth and compute limits become apparent when comparing the 1080p Ultra (83.3 FPS) to the 4K Ultra (29.6 FPS), a drop of 64.5%.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings based on resolution. At 1080p, the High preset (106.9 FPS) offers an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, but the Ultra preset (83.3 FPS) is also viable for users prioritizing image quality. For competitive play, the Low preset (168.9 FPS) exceeds 160 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p, the Medium preset (84.9 FPS) is the sweet spot, delivering smooth gameplay while maintaining better visuals than Low (111.3 FPS). The High preset (67.7 FPS) is still acceptable, but the Ultra preset (51.8 FPS) begins to show strain, suggesting users should avoid it unless they prefer visual fidelity over frame rate consistency.

At 4K, the recommendation is straightforward: the Low preset (56.7 FPS) is the only option that provides a comfortable margin above 50 FPS. The Medium preset (45.7 FPS) is playable but may feel less responsive, while High (37.3 FPS) and Ultra (29.6 FPS) fall below ideal thresholds. The data indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is not suited for 4K Ultra in this title, and users should either reduce resolution or lower settings to achieve smooth gameplay. Given the GPU’s 63rd percentile ranking and its proximity to the RTX 2070 (0.5% delta), this is expected behavior. For the best experience, the data suggests prioritizing the Medium preset at 1440p or the High preset at 1080p, as these configurations offer the most balanced trade-off between visual quality and frame rate based on the measured rows.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Minimum?*

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1080p is the most optimal, with all presets exceeding 83 FPS. The High preset at 1080p yields 106.9 FPS, providing a good balance of quality and performance.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The Low preset at 4K produces 56.7 FPS, while the Medium preset drops to 45.7 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall below 40 FPS, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in performance?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774, which is 0.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (19680) and 0.3% higher than the GTX TITAN (19706). This indicates nearly identical performance among these GPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 168.9 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra it still achieves 83.3 FPS, indicating the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output.

Q: What settings should I use at 1440p for the smoothest experience?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p provides 84.9 FPS, which is the highest frame rate above 80 FPS. The Low preset offers 111.3 FPS but with reduced visual quality, so Medium is recommended for balanced performance.

Q: How does the i5-9400’s single-core performance affect this game?

A: The CPU scores 1125 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is sufficient for this title. The game’s results show no CPU-related performance dips, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU load across resolutions.