Overpower

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 achieves a combo rank of 1007 out of 3713 tested combinations in Overpower, placing it in the top 27% of all tested setups. This ranking reflects a system where the legacy six-core processor from the Coffee Lake era is partnered with a current-generation Blackwell GPU, resulting in a configuration that is capable but demonstrably imbalanced. The data indicates that while the RTX 5070 provides substantial graphics horsepower, the i5-9400's processing capabilities prevent the combo from reaching the upper echelons of the performance charts. Benchmark results show the CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all tested processors, while the GPU commands an 82nd percentile position, highlighting the significant performance gap between the two components. Consequently, the combo's overall rank is pulled down by the processor, as the system's ability to feed the GPU with data becomes the primary constraint at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations in Overpower?

A: The combo ranks 1007th out of 3713 tested combinations, placing it in the upper 27% of all systems. This is a solid mid-to-high tier position, but the disparity between the CPU's 47th percentile and the GPU's 82nd percentile indicates that the processor is the limiting factor preventing a much higher rank.

Q: What is the performance difference between the i5-9400 and its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, which is a negligible 0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, trailing the i5-9400 by 0.4%. This shows the i5-9400 is effectively performance-equivalent to its direct competitors in general compute tasks.

Q: How does the RTX 5070's performance compare to its nearest competitor GPUs?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 is a close rival with a score of 40318, a 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063, which is 0.8% lower. These figures show the RTX 5070 sits in a competitive performance band, with no single rival having a significant advantage.

Q: What is the best-case performance scenario for this combo in Overpower?

A: The highest average FPS recorded for this combo is 160 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the maximum framerate the system can output, though it comes at the cost of visual fidelity.

Q: Is there a significant difference in performance between the Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows a clear step. At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce an average of 126 FPS, while High settings yield 117 FPS. This 9 FPS difference indicates that the step from Medium to High has a measurable impact on performance, but the system remains well within a playable range.

Q: Does the combo maintain high performance at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the combo achieves an average of 99 FPS on High settings and 82 FPS on Ultra. These results show that the system is capable of 4K gaming, but the framerate drops significantly at the highest settings, suggesting that the CPU may struggle to keep up with the GPU's demands at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average framerate drops from 160 FPS at 1080p to 154 FPS at 1440p, a modest decline of 3.75%. However, the drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with the average falling to 146 FPS, a further 5.2% decrease. This relatively flat scaling curve at Low settings suggests that the CPU is the primary limiter, as the GPU has ample headroom to render the scene quickly, but the processor cannot supply instructions fast enough to fully utilize it.

At High settings, the scaling is more linear. The average framerate is 130 FPS at 1080p, 117 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. This represents a 10% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 15.4% drop from 1440p to 4K. The increasing drop-off at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a factor, but the CPU still plays a significant role in capping performance. The transition from Medium to Ultra settings at 4K further illustrates this point: Medium averages 107 FPS, while Ultra drops to 82 FPS, a 23.4% penalty. This shows that as both resolution and settings increase, the load shifts towards the GPU, but the i5-9400's limited multi-threaded performance prevents the system from achieving the high framerates that the RTX 5070 is capable of delivering in isolation.

The data suggests that the system is CPU-bound at 1080p and becomes progressively more GPU-bound as resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU is working harder, but the CPU still cannot provide the data throughput needed to push framerates above the 146 FPS observed at Low settings. This indicates that for users seeking the highest possible framerates, the CPU will be the bottleneck in most scenarios, while the GPU will only become the limiting factor at the highest resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 160 FPS on Low, 134 FPS on Medium, 130 FPS on High, and 109 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS, indicating some variance in frame times. The gap between Low and Ultra is 51 FPS, a 31.9% reduction, showing that the settings preset has a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average framerates are 154 FPS on Low, 126 FPS on Medium, 117 FPS on High, and 97 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset again shows a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is relatively consistent, with Low settings losing 6 FPS Alarm, Medium losing 8 FPS, High losing 13 FPS, and Ultra losing 12 FPS. This pattern suggests that the system is still primarily CPU-limited at 1440p, as the framerate reductions are not proportional to the pixel count increase.

At 3840x2160, the average framerates are 146 FPS on Low, 107 FPS on Medium, 99 FPS on High, and 82 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a more significant drop for Medium settings, losing 19 FPS, while Low settings lose only 8 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor for the higher settings, as the increased pixel count demands more from the graphics card. However, the Low setting's relatively high framerate of 146 FPS confirms that the CPU is still a bottleneck, as even at 4K, the processor cannot push the framerate past this point.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's target resolution and framerate preference. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 130 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset drops to 109 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 16.2% reduction in performance for a marginal increase in visual quality. For most users at this resolution, the High preset offers the best balance, providing a high framerate without the performance penalty of Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 126 FPS, which is the highest framerate among the non-Low settings. The High preset drops to 117 FPS, a 7.1% decrease, while Ultra falls to 97 FPS. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for 1440p, as it maintains a high framerate while offering better visual fidelity than Low. Users prioritizing visual quality over framerate could opt for High, but the 9 FPS difference between Medium and High is relatively small compared to the 20 FPS drop from High to Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset delivers an average of 107 FPS, which is the recommended choice for 4K gaming. The High preset drops to 99 FPS, a 7.5% decrease, which is still acceptable for most users. The Ultra preset falls to 82 FPS, which may be below the target for users with high-refresh-rate displays. The Low preset achieves 146 FPS but sacrifices too much visual quality for most 4K displays. Therefore, the Medium preset at 4K provides the best combination of performance and visual quality, offering a playable framerate without the significant drops seen at High and Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features a 9 MB shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. These specifications are characteristic of a mid-range desktop processor from 2018, and its benchmark results reflect this positioning.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 scores are 6629 for multi-core and 935 for single-core, while Geekbench scores are 5141 for multi-core and 1389 for single-core. These results place the i5-9400 at the 47th percentile among all tested CPUs, indicating that it is an average performer in the current landscape. Its average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scoring 2259 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scoring 2246, showing differences of less than 0.5%.

In the context of Overpower, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS data shows that the i5-9400 becomes a bottleneck at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully utilized. For example, at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 160 FPS, which is likely close to the CPU's maximum throughput. Even at 4K Low settings, the framerate only drops to 146 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is still the limiting factor. The processor's six cores and six threads are adequate for modern games, but its older architecture and lower clock speeds compared to newer CPUs prevent it from maximizing the RTX 5070's potential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a current-generation graphics card based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The GPU has a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. This configuration gives the RTX 5070 a substantial performance advantage over its predecessors.

The GPU's benchmark results are impressive, with a Passmark G3D score of 29137 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 178923. Its average benchmark score of 40377 places it at the 82nd percentile among all tested GPUs, indicating that it is a high-end performer. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro 580 with a score of 40318, are within 0.1% of the RTX 5070's performance, showing that it is competitively positioned.

In Overpower, the GPU's role is to render the game's graphics, and its performance is evident in the measured FPS data. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized due to the CPU bottleneck, as evidenced by the small framerate differences between Low and High settings. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes more of a factor, with the framerate dropping from 146 FPS at Low to 82 FPS at Ultra. This shows that the RTX 5070 is capable of handling 4K gaming, but its performance is constrained by the i5-9400's inability to provide enough data at lower resolutions. The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the measured settings, and its 672.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor in this configuration.