Minimum

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 pairing in Minimum is a study in imbalance, where the GPU’s raw power is repeatedly checked by a six-threaded CPU that launched in 2018. The data shows a combo that ranks 395th out of 1733 tested configurations, placing it in the top quarter of all systems but far from the top tier, and the performance gap between settings reveals exactly where the bottleneck lives. At 1080p, the CPU is the clear limiter; at 4K, the GPU finally takes over, but the overall experience remains strong for a game of this era.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Core i5-9400 brings six cores and six threads, a configuration that was already showing its age in 2018 and is now firmly a mid-range part. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz are modest by modern standards, and the 65 W TDP reflects a power-efficient but not performance-focused design. The processor’s benchmark data confirms its position: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 places it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, meaning half of all tested processors are faster. Its single-core R23 score of 1125 is similarly unremarkable.

In Minimum, this CPU becomes the primary constraint at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 260.7 FPS, but the difference between Low and Ultra at that resolution is only 112.2 FPS, suggesting the CPU is saturating before the GPU can flex. The nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks — the Core i3-10305 and Core i3-1125G4, both within 0.2% of the i5-9400’s average score — reinforce the idea that this is a budget-tier processing unit. The 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are adequate, but the lack of hyper-threading means the six cores handle six threads and nothing more, which limits performance in any scenario where more than six threads are active.

The data indicates that the CPU’s 50th percentile ranking is the ceiling for this combo in CPU-bound situations. At 1440p Low, the frame rate jumps to 191.3 FPS, which is still high but notably lower than the 260.7 FPS at 1080p Low, showing that the CPU is not the only factor — the GPU is starting to matter more. Yet the fact that 1080p Ultra (148.5 FPS) runs slower than 1440p Low (191.3 FPS) proves that the i5-9400’s thread count and clock speed are the limiting factor when the GPU has headroom.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The RTX 5070 is a vastly more capable component, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture at a 5 nm process node. It packs 6144 shading units, 192 texture units, and 80 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2512 MHz. The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory across a 192-bit bus delivers 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than enough for a 2014 third-person shooter. Its synthetic benchmark scores are dominant: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 and a Passmark G3D score of 29137 put it at the 83rd percentile of all GPUs.

In Minimum, the GPU’s role becomes more apparent as resolution climbs. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 51 FPS, a 70.5 FPS reduction from 4K High (68.3 FPS), which shows the GPU struggling with the highest settings at the highest resolution. The RTX 5070’s nearest rivals in synthetic scores — the RTX 3090 (0.6% slower) and the Radeon Pro 5300 (0.2% slower) — are all last-generation or workstation parts, but the data shows this GPU is clearly not the weak link at 1080p or 1440p. The 12 GB VRAM is ample for Minimum’s textures, and the 28 Gbps effective memory speed ensures no bandwidth starvation.

The GPU’s 83rd percentile ranking means it can push well over 200 FPS at 1080p when the CPU allows it, as seen with the 260.7 FPS Low result. But the moment the CPU is freed from heavy geometry work at higher resolutions, the GPU takes over and the frame rates become more consistent with its raw power. The 4K Low result of 106 FPS is a strong indicator that the RTX 5070 has plenty of headroom, and the bottleneck at lower resolutions is almost entirely the i5-9400.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions tells a clear story of a shifting bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 260.7 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 191.3 FPS (a 69.4 FPS decrease); and at 4K Low, it falls to 106 FPS (a further 85.3 FPS drop). This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, but the 1080p to 1440p drop is steeper than expected for a GPU this powerful, which suggests the CPU is still holding things back at 1440p.

The High settings show a different pattern. At 1080p High, the combo hits 192.1 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 122.5 FPS (a 69.6 FPS decrease); and at 4K High, it falls to 68.3 FPS (a 54.2 FPS drop). The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 36%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 44%, indicating that the GPU is becoming the primary limiter only at 4K. At 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is still influencing the results, as evidenced by the fact that the 1440p High result (122.5 FPS) is lower than the 1080p Ultra result (148.5 FPS), even though Ultra settings should be more demanding.

The Ultra settings reinforce this. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 148.5 FPS; at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 97.2 FPS (a 51.3 FPS decrease); and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 51 FPS (a 46.2 FPS drop). The consistent ~50 FPS drops across each resolution step at Ultra suggest the GPU is now the limiting factor, but the absolute numbers are still low for an RTX 5070, pointing back to the CPU’s inability to feed frames fast enough at lower resolutions. The data shows that 4K is the only resolution where the GPU is fully utilized, and even then, the 51 FPS at Ultra is a playable but not smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy: Medium settings offer the best balance between visual quality and frame rate across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 231.9 FPS, which is only 28.8 FPS less than Low but 83.4 FPS more than Ultra. This is a massive margin that makes Medium the obvious choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p Medium, the result is 148 FPS, which is still well above the 144 Hz threshold and 50.8 FPS higher than Ultra.

At 4K, the recommendation shifts slightly. Medium delivers 81.8 FPS, which is smooth and playable, while High drops to 68.3 FPS and Ultra falls to 51 FPS. The 4K Medium result is 24.8 FPS higher than High and 30.8 FPS higher than Ultra, making it the best option for a 60 Hz display. Low at 4K (106 FPS) is technically faster, but the visual degradation is not worth the extra 24.2 FPS over Medium, especially since Medium already clears the 60 FPS mark comfortably.

For competitive play at 1080p, Low (260.7 FPS) is the only preset that maximizes the frame rate, but Medium (231.9 FPS) is close enough that the visual upgrade is worth the 28.8 FPS sacrifice. The data shows that Ultra is never a good choice with this combo, as it consistently drops below the refresh rate targets at every resolution, and the CPU bottleneck at 1080p means the GPU cannot compensate for the added load.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 395th out of 1733 tested configurations in Minimum, placing it in the top 22.8% of all systems. This is a respectable position, but it is lower than the RTX 5070’s GPU percentile (83rd) or the i5-9400’s CPU percentile (50th) would suggest individually. The rank is heavily influenced by the CPU’s age, as many combos with newer six-core or eight-core processors will outpace this pairing despite having weaker GPUs.

The rank of 395 means there are 394 combos that perform better, and the vast majority of those will have more modern CPUs. The data indicates that this combo is a classic case of a high-end GPU paired with a mid-range CPU, and the result is a system that is excellent at 4K but leaves performance on the table at 1080p and 1440p. In comparison to other tested combos, this pairing is better than the bottom 1338 configurations, but it is not competitive with top-tier systems that pair the RTX 5070 with a stronger processor. The ranking is a fair reflection of the overall experience: good, but not great, and the CPU is the reason why.

FAQ

*Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 in Minimum?*

A: Yes, at 1080p and 1440p. The 1080p Low result (260.7 FPS) is only 28.8 FPS higher than 1080p Medium (231.9 FPS), and the CPU’s six threads limit performance, as shown by the 1080p Ultra result (148.5 FPS) being lower than the 1440p Low result (191.3 FPS).

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1440p with Medium settings (148 FPS) offers the best balance. At 4K, Medium (81.8 FPS) is the best playable option, while 1080p Medium (231.9 FPS) is ideal for high refresh rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070’s average benchmark score is 41687, which is 0.6% faster than the RTX 3090 (41441) and 0.2% faster than the Radeon Pro 5300 (41610), but 0.5% slower than the Tesla M40 (41897).

*Q: Can this combo run Minimum at 4K Ultra?*

A: Yes, but at 51 FPS. This is playable but not smooth, and the 4K Medium preset (81.8 FPS) is a better choice for a consistent experience.

Q: How does the i5-9400 rank against other CPUs?

A: It sits at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 is nearly identical to the Core i3-10305 (within 0.2%), making it a mid-range processor by modern standards.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The difference is 112.2 FPS, with Low at 260.7 FPS and Ultra at 148.5 FPS. This large gap indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, as the GPU cannot stretch its legs.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 260.7 FPS, Medium produces 231.9 FPS, High produces 192.1 FPS, and Ultra produces 148.5 FPS. The scaling is consistent, with each step up in settings costing roughly 40 FPS, but the CPU bottleneck is evident in the fact that even Ultra exceeds 144 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show GPU influence. Low settings drop to 191.3 FPS, Medium drops to 148 FPS, High drops to 122.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 97.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 94.1 FPS, slightly smaller than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is taking on more load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiter. Low settings produce 106 FPS, Medium produces 81.8 FPS, High produces 68.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 51 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 55 FPS, and the 4K Ultra result is the only measured frame rate below 60 FPS across all resolutions and settings. The data shows that 4K is the only resolution where the RTX 5070 is fully exercised, and even then, Medium settings are required for a smooth experience.