Ready Or Not

Ready Or Not pairs a six-core Intel Core i5-10400F with the top-tier NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, and the measured results show a combination that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU becomes a more significant factor at 1080p. The data indicates this is a powerful setup for tactical shooters, delivering high frame rates across all presets, with the RTX 4090 providing the bulk of the performance headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Ready Or Not?

A: This specific pairing ranks 240th out of 3714 tested combinations in the game's database, placing it in the top 6.5% of all tested systems, which indicates a very high-performance tier.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-10400F compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 14185 places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6756E, scores 14163, which is a 0.2% delta, while the AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, a 0.5% delta. The Core i5-10400F is essentially tied with these processors in overall synthetic performance.

Q: What is the performance gap between the RTX 4090 and its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4090's average benchmark score is 60347, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. It is effectively matched by the Intel Arc Pro A60, which has a 0% delta, and is only 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48. The data shows it is 2.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M.

Q: What are the key specifications of the RTX 4090 that affect gaming performance?

A: The RTX 4090 features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. It has a boost clock of 2520 MHz and contains 16384 shading units, 128 RT cores, and 512 tensor cores, making it exceptionally powerful for both rasterization and ray tracing.

Q: What are the key specifications of the Core i5-10400F that affect gaming performance?

A: The Core i5-10400F has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It features 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which is standard for its generation.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 have a launch MSRP?

A: Yes, the launch MSRP for the RTX 4090 is 1,599 USD.

GPU Role

The RTX 4090 is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. Its massive 24 GB VRAM pool is far beyond what Ready Or Not requires at any of the tested settings, ensuring that texture memory is never a bottleneck. The 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth and 2520 MHz boost clock are the key specifications that allow for the extremely high frame rates observed in the measured data.

The GPU's dominance is clear when comparing its synthetic scores to the CPU. The RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60347 places it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, while the Core i5-10400F's 14185 score places it in the 68th percentile of CPUs. This disparity is reflected in the gaming results, where the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K resolution. The GPU's 16384 shading units and 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance provide the raw compute power necessary to push the high pixel counts of 4K, while its 128 RT cores provide ample headroom for any ray-traced effects if enabled.

At lower resolutions like 1080p, the GPU's workload is less demanding, which allows the CPU to become the primary bottleneck. This is a classic scenario where a high-end GPU is paired with a mid-range CPU. The RTX 4090 is so fast that it can render frames faster than the Core i5-10400F can feed it instructions, leading to a situation where the GPU is waiting on the CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions, which is typical for a system with an extremely fast GPU and a more modest CPU. The frame rate drops are most pronounced when moving from 1440p to 4K, where the GPU's rendering load increases significantly. However, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is smaller, indicating that the CPU is already starting to limit performance at 1080p.

Looking at the High preset, the average FPS drops from 351 at 1080p to 260 at 1440p, a 26% reduction. The drop from 1440p to 4K is larger, falling from 260 to 136 FPS, a 48% reduction. This pattern suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, and the GPU is not being fully utilized. As the resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and it becomes the limiting component.

The scaling for the Ultra preset is even more telling. At 1080p, the average is 289 FPS, which drops to 182 FPS at 1440p and then to 95 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 48%. This shows that the Ultra preset, with its higher graphical demands, is more heavily dependent on the GPU, but the CPU still plays a role at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1080p, the system delivers exceptionally high frame rates, with the Low preset averaging 381 FPS and the Medium preset averaging 363 FPS. The High preset averages 351 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 289 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 309 and a maximum of 418, indicating some variance but generally smooth performance.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain very high. The Low preset averages 327 FPS, followed by the Medium preset at 286 FPS and the High preset at 260 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 182 FPS. The Medium preset's min and max FPS are 243 and 328, respectively. This resolution is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, as the system can easily push over 240 FPS on lower presets.

At 4K, the performance is still strong, but the GPU is clearly working harder. The Low preset averages 171 FPS, the Medium preset averages 149 FPS, and the High preset averages 136 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, averaging only 95 FPS. The Medium preset has a min of 127 FPS and a max of 172 FPS. These numbers show that the RTX 4090 is capable of delivering a playable experience at 4K on all presets, but the Ultra preset will require a high-refresh-rate G-Sync display to feel smooth during intense firefights.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is a solid mid-range processor that performs well in gaming, but it is clearly the weaker component in this pairing. Its boost clock of 4.30 GHz and 12 MB of L3 cache are adequate for most game engines, but the data shows it is the limiting factor in Ready Or Not at 1080p.

Synthetic benchmarks show the CPU's capabilities. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 10283 and its single-core score is 1451. Its 3DMark 16-thread score is 4748, and its single-thread score is 688. These scores are respectable, but they are far below the GPU's performance level. The CPU's average benchmark score of 14185 is only 0.2% different from its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6756E, showing it is in a competitive tier.

In Ready Or Not, the CPU's impact is visible in the FPS scaling. At 1080p, the difference between the Low and Ultra presets is only 92 FPS (381 vs 289). This is because the CPU is the bottleneck, and lowering the graphical settings does not significantly reduce the CPU's workload. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is much larger (171 vs 95 FPS), because the GPU's workload is so high that it becomes the bottleneck, and reducing the settings directly impacts the GPU's rendering time.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for the best settings based on your display's resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users, the High preset is the optimal choice. It averages 351 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of even the fastest 360Hz monitors, and it offers significantly better visual fidelity than the Low or Medium presets. The Ultra preset, while still fast at 289 FPS, is not necessary unless you have a specific need for the highest visual quality over frame rate.

For 1440p, the High preset is again the best recommendation. It averages 260 FPS, which is enough to fully utilize a 240Hz monitor and provides excellent visual quality. The Medium preset is faster at 286 FPS, but the visual trade-off is not worth the small FPS gain. The Ultra preset at 182 FPS is also viable, especially on a 165Hz or 180Hz monitor, but the High preset offers a better balance of performance and image quality.

For 4K, the situation is different. The High preset averages 136 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz display. The Medium preset at 149 FPS is also a great option, offering a small FPS boost without a major visual impact. The Low preset at 171 FPS is the fastest, but it will look noticeably worse than the other options. The Ultra preset at 95 FPS is only suitable for a 120Hz display and is best used if you prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate. For most 4K users, the High or Medium presets provide the best experience.