Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a highly playable experience in Minimum, but the performance scaling across resolutions reveals a system that transitions from CPU-bound at 1080p to firmly GPU-bound at 4K. At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces 202 FPS, while the High preset drops to 130 FPS; this substantial gap indicates that the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU at lower settings, but the graphics workload is already beginning to dominate. Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 84 FPS, a reduction of 46 FPS from 1080p High, which is a sharper drop than the resolution increase alone would suggest, indicating that the GPU is taking on more responsibility. At 3840x2160, the High preset produces just 45 FPS, a 65% reduction from the 1080p High score, confirming that the RTX 4060 is the primary limiting factor at this resolution, as the data shows a clear and steep performance cliff.

The pattern across all settings is consistent: the delta between 1080p and 4K grows as the preset quality increases. For example, at Low settings, 4K performance is 70 FPS compared to 202 FPS at 1080p, a drop of 132 FPS; at Medium, the drop is 101 FPS (155 to 54); and at Ultra, the drop is 65 FPS (99 to 34). This scaling behavior suggests that at Low and Medium settings, the CPU is more involved in maintaining frame rates, as the GPU has more headroom, while at Ultra and High, the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capacity become the dominant constraints, leading to more pronounced resolution penalties. The 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS is the only configuration that falls below playable thresholds, indicating that the combo is most effective when targeting High or lower settings at 4K, or Ultra at 1440p and below.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 holds a rank of 2000 out of 3712 combos in Minimum. This places the system in the 54th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of the database's entries but is far from the top tier. The ranking is a reflection of the CPU's modest standing, as the Core i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4060 is stronger relative to its peers, ranking in the 61st percentile among all GPUs. The data suggests that the GPU is the more capable component in this pairing, and the overall combo rank is likely held back by the processor's older architecture and lower thread count.

Benchmark results for the CPU reinforce this assessment. The Core i5-9400 scores 6629 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 points in single-core, with an average benchmark score of 2254 across all tests. Its nearest rivals in the database, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (avg score 2259, deltaPct -0.2) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (avg score 2264, deltaPct -0.4), are within a fraction of a percent, indicating that the i5-9400 is competitively positioned within its immediate performance class but does not offer a significant advantage over alternatives. For the GPU, the RTX 4060's average benchmark score is 17639, with its closest rivals being the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (avg score 17666, deltaPct -0.2) and the AMD Radeon 780M (avg score 17588, deltaPct 0.3), showing that the GPU also sits in a tightly contested performance band.

The implication for Minimum is that while the combo rank is mid-pack, the actual in-game results are strong for the majority of settings and resolutions. The ranking is a statistical aggregate, but the measured FPS data indicates that this system can achieve smooth frame rates in most scenarios, with the primary caveat being the 4K Ultra preset, which falls below 40 FPS. The data shows that the combo's rank does not necessarily translate to a poor gaming experience, as the CPU's single-core performance (935 in R23) is sufficient for the game's logic, and the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is adequate for the measured settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the performance driver in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the observed frame rate patterns. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, which is a critical factor for the 4K results. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset only produces 34 FPS, while High produces 45 FPS; this steep drop suggests that the memory bandwidth and the 8 GB capacity are being stressed at higher resolutions and quality settings, as the GPU must handle larger textures and more complex shading operations. The boost clock of 2460 MHz and the base clock of 1830 MHz allow the 3072 shading units to process data efficiently, but the 128-bit memory interface is a known limitation for high-resolution gaming.

The RTX 4060's FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s provide ample compute for Minimum, which is a 2014 title with more modest demands than modern games. This is evident in the 1080p results, where the GPU achieves 202 FPS at Low and 155 FPS at Medium, indicating that the card is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions. The pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s also contributes to the ability to fill frames quickly at 1440p and below. However, at 4K, the GPU's compute and memory resources are stretched, as shown by the 70 FPS at Low (a 65% drop from 1080p Low) and the 54 FPS at Medium (with a min FPS of 46), which indicates that the GPU is reaching its limits for sustained 4K output.

The GPU's benchmark scores align with its in-game performance. The PassMark G3D score of 19545 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 reflect a mid-range card that performs well in synthetic tests but demonstrates clear scaling limits in real-world scenarios. The 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs supports the observation that the RTX 4060 is a competent but not high-end solution, and the nearest rival comparisons (e.g., AMD Radeon HD 7790 with a deltaPct of -0.2) show that its performance is tightly clustered with other options in the database. For Minimum, the GPU's role is to provide high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but users should temper expectations for 4K, where the card's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus become limiting factors.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS for this combo at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 130 at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is a smooth and playable result for a third-person shooter.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 34, which is below the typical 60 FPS target and indicates that the RTX 4060 is not sufficient for maximum quality at this resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 84, and the drop from 1080p High (130 FPS) is 46 FPS, which is a larger reduction than the resolution change alone, suggesting the GPU is becoming the primary constraint.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p to maintain high frame rates?

A: The Low preset at 1440p achieves 130 FPS, while Medium achieves 100 FPS with a min FPS of 85, making Medium a strong choice for a balance of quality and performance.

Q: How does the RTX 4060's VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is a limiting factor at 4K, as evidenced by the 45 FPS at High settings and the 54 FPS at Medium, indicating that the memory subsystem is stressed.

Q: What is the combo's rank out of all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2000 out of 3712 tested combinations in Minimum, placing it in the middle of the pack, with the CPU being the weaker component relative to the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides the processing foundation for this combo, and its capabilities directly influence the frame rates at lower resolutions and settings. The CPU has 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, which is adequate for Minimum's game logic and AI calculations. The single-core performance is particularly relevant for gaming, and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935 indicates that the CPU can handle the primary game thread without becoming a significant bottleneck at 1080p. This is supported by the 202 FPS result at 1080p Low, which suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at high frame rates.

However, the CPU's multi-core performance is less impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and an average benchmark score of 2254, placing it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs. The 6-thread configuration is a limitation in modern titles that utilize more threads, but for a 2014 game like Minimum, the 6 cores are sufficient. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-10710U (avg score 2248, deltaPct 0.3) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (avg score 2246, deltaPct 0.4), show that it is not a standout performer, but it is not underpowered either. The lack of hyper-threading is a notable gap, but it does not appear to hurt performance in this game, as the 1080p results show no signs of CPU-induced stuttering.

The CPU's role becomes more pronounced at 1080p, where the GPU has headroom. For example, the difference between 1080p Low (202 FPS) and 1080p High (130 FPS) is 72 FPS, which is a larger gap than at 1440p (130 FPS to 84 FPS, a difference of 46 FPS). This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is more involved in determining the maximum frame rate, while at higher resolutions, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor. The 6 MB of L3 cache (9 MB shared) and the dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's data requirements, but the CPU's overall performance ceiling is what prevents this combo from ranking higher, as it sits in the 47th percentile, dragging down the overall system ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 99 FPS and High achieving 130 FPS. The Medium preset offers 155 FPS with a min FPS of 131, providing a good balance for competitive play, while Low achieves 202 FPS for maximum responsiveness. For a smooth and visually pleasing experience, the High preset at 1080p is recommended, as it delivers 130 FPS without sacrificing too much visual quality.

For 2560x1440, the High preset yields 84 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset provides 100 FPS with a min FPS of 85, making it the best choice for a high refresh rate monitor at this resolution. The Low preset at 130 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset offers a better visual experience while maintaining a high frame rate. The Ultra preset at 64 FPS is playable but close to the 60 FPS threshold, so it is not recommended for sustained performance.

At 3840x2160, the options are more limited. The High preset produces 45 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and the Medium preset produces 54 FPS with a min FPS of 46, indicating potential dips. The Low preset at 70 FPS is the only 4K configuration that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, but it requires a significant reduction in visual quality. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the recommended choice to maintain smooth frame rates, while users who prioritize visuals over performance may accept the High preset's 45 FPS. The data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring compromises on settings to achieve playable frame rates.