Ready Or Not

Ready Or Not, a tactical shooter known for demanding squad-based firefights, presents a fascinating case study for the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 pairing. The measured data reveals a combination that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but shows surprising headroom at 1080p where the CPU begins to assert its influence. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the combo's ranking among 2,947 tested combinations, and explores the specific roles the processor and graphics card play in delivering these results.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K shows a classic pattern of GPU saturation, but the degree of the drop is particularly steep for this title. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 224 FPS at 1920x1080 to 141 FPS at 2560x1440, a 37% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 74 FPS, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This dramatic scaling indicates that the Radeon RX 7700 is the primary limiting component as resolution increases, with the pixel throughput demands of 4K overwhelming its capabilities.

The scaling behavior across all settings presets tells a consistent story. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 282 FPS at 1080p to 178 FPS at 1440p (a 37% decrease) and then to 93 FPS at 4K (a 67% decrease from 1080p). Medium settings follow the same curve, going from 246 FPS at 1080p to 155 FPS at 1440p and 81 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most severe constraint, with 157 FPS at 1080p dropping to 99 FPS at 1440p and finally 52 FPS at 4K. The consistent proportional drops across all settings suggest that the bottleneck is purely resolution-driven, not settings-driven.

The data implies that for 4K gaming, this combo is not viable for smooth gameplay at Ultra settings, where the average of 52 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold many players consider acceptable. However, the 4K High settings result of 74 FPS is playable, and the 4K Low settings result of 93 FPS offers a more comfortable margin. The steepness of the scaling curve suggests that Ready Or Not's engine has significant pixel-processing demands that scale almost linearly with resolution, making the RX 7700's 16 GB frame buffer less relevant than its raw compute throughput at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a high refresh rate experience?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot for high refresh rate play. At High settings, the combo produces 141 FPS, and at Medium settings it reaches 155 FPS with a minimum of 132 FPS. This allows for smooth gameplay on 144Hz monitors without needing to compromise heavily on visual quality.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Ready Or Not?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 74, which is playable. At 4K Low settings, it improves to 93 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra settings, the average drops to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard and likely to feel stuttery in intense firefights.

Q: How does the CPU's core configuration impact performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The benchmark results show that single-threaded performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 868) is solid, but the game appears well-optimized for multi-threading, as the 3dmark_16_threads score of 5619 closely matches the max threads score of 5652, indicating the extra threads are being utilized effectively.

Q: Is the GPU's 16 GB VRAM necessary for this game?

A: At the tested settings, the 16 GB VRAM on the RX 7700 is more than sufficient. The game's VRAM usage is not reported in the data, but the fact that the GPU maintains consistent frame times across settings suggests that VRAM capacity is not a bottleneck, even at 4K Ultra where texture demands are highest.

Q: What settings preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset appears to be optimal, offering 155 FPS on average with a minimum of 132 FPS. This ensures that even in the most chaotic scenes, the frame rate stays well above 60 FPS. At 1080p, the High preset at 224 FPS is excellent, but the Ultra preset at 157 FPS still provides a very playable experience.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested combinations in the database?

A: The combo ranks 1336 out of 2947 tested combinations for Ready Or Not, placing it in the 55th percentile. This means it outperforms a majority of systems, but there are many higher-end configurations that deliver better absolute frame rates, particularly at 4K resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination achieves a rank of 1336 out of 2947 tested combos in Ready Or Not. This places it in the upper half of all systems tested, specifically in the 55th percentile. The ranking reflects a balance between the CPU's 71st percentile standing among all processors and the GPU's 58th percentile among all graphics cards. The combo's performance is not exceptional, but it is respectable for a mid-range pairing.

The data suggests that the ranking is primarily held back by the GPU's performance at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combo's frame rates are competitive with much more expensive systems, but the RX 7700's 58th percentile ranking indicates it is not a top-tier card. The CPU, on the other hand, scores well in multi-threaded benchmarks, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14,340, which helps maintain high minimum frame rates when the GPU is not the limiting factor.

The nearest rivals for the CPU include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% higher average score) and the Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% lower), showing that the i5-11400F is well-positioned in its class. The GPU's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R9 370X (-0.1% lower), which is an older card, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (-1.7% lower), indicating the RX 7700 holds its own against that popular option. This combination of a strong CPU and a mid-pack GPU results in a system that excels at lower resolutions but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates across the board. The Low preset averages 282 FPS, while Medium averages 246 FPS with a minimum of 209 FPS and a maximum of 283 FPS. High settings average 224 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 157 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is rarely stressed, and the CPU's 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU without creating a bottleneck.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected drop. Low settings average 178 FPS, while Medium averages 155 FPS with a minimum of 132 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS. High settings produce 141 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 99 FPS. The minimum FPS of 132 FPS at Medium settings is particularly noteworthy, as it ensures that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate stays high enough for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 93 FPS, Medium averages 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, and High settings drop to 74 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of just 52 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 41 FPS, compared to a 125 FPS gap at 1080p, further confirming that the GPU's raw compute power is the primary constraint at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gamers with high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or 240Hz), the High preset is recommended. It delivers 224 FPS on average, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors, and the visual quality is significantly better than Low or Medium. The Ultra preset at 157 FPS is also viable for 144Hz displays, but the drop from High to Ultra is substantial and may not be worth the visual gain.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It offers 155 FPS on average with a minimum of 132 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay on 144Hz monitors. The High preset at 141 FPS is also playable, but the minimum frame rate is not reported, which introduces a slight risk of dips below 60 FPS in intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 99 FPS is acceptable for 60Hz displays but does not take full advantage of higher refresh rates.

For 4K, the options are more limited. The High preset at 74 FPS is the best balance of quality and performance, providing a playable experience on 60Hz displays. The Medium preset at 81 FPS is slightly faster but may show more visual artifacts. The Low preset at 93 FPS is the fastest option, but the visual compromises are significant. The Ultra preset at 52 FPS is not recommended for serious play, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and will likely result in noticeable stuttering.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F plays a crucial role in ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data, particularly at lower resolutions. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the processor handles the game's AI, physics, and logic calculations effectively. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides strong single-threaded performance, as evidenced by the 3dmark_single_thread score of 868 and the Passmark single-thread score of 2,981. This is critical for Ready Or Not, which relies on fast decision-making for enemy AI and squad commands.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also well-suited for this game. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14,340 and the Passmark multithread score of 16,908 indicate that the processor can handle the parallel workloads that modern games present. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 5,619 is nearly identical to the max threads score of 5,652, suggesting that the game is able to utilize all 12 threads effectively without hitting a scaling wall.

The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 512 KB per core L2 cache provide fast access to frequently used data, reducing latency in gameplay. The 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth, while not exceptional, is sufficient to feed both the CPU and GPU without creating a bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of pushing frame rates well above 200 FPS, indicating that it is not the limiting factor at this resolution. However, at 4K, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU's pixel processing becomes the dominant constraint.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the primary driver of frame rates at higher resolutions, and its performance characteristics are clearly visible in the data. With a boost clock of 2459 MHz and 2,560 shading units, the card is capable of substantial compute throughput, as evidenced by its FP32 performance of 25.18 TFLOPS. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the texture and geometry data in Ready Or Not.

The GPU's 40 ray tracing cores and RDNA 3.0 architecture support DirectX 12 Ultimate, allowing for advanced visual effects. However, the measured data does not include ray tracing benchmarks, so the impact of this feature is not directly quantified. The Passmark G3D score of 20,974 and the 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,865 indicate that the card is solidly mid-range, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's performance scaling with resolution is the most telling aspect of its role. At 1080p, the card is often underutilized, as frame rates exceed 280 FPS at Low settings. At 1440p, the card is more heavily loaded but still delivers excellent results. At 4K, the card becomes the clear bottleneck, with frame rates dropping by over 50% compared to 1080p. This suggests that the RX 7700 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high refresh rates without compromising on visual quality. The 16 GB VRAM is future-proofing for higher resolution textures, but the card's compute power limits its 4K potential.