Ready Or Not

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a combination that pits a strong modern CPU against an older entry-level GPU. In Ready Or Not, a tactical shooter that can be demanding on both CPU and GPU, this pairing produces playable frame rates at 1080p but struggles at higher resolutions. The measured data shows a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU's headroom is never fully taxed.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS across resolutions reveals a steep drop as pixel count rises. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 83.7 at 1920x1080 to 55.6 at 2560x1440 and then to 28.3 at 3840x2160. This is a substantial decline, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The same pattern holds for every preset. At Low settings, the averages are 107.3 at 1080p, 66.7 at 1440p, and 34.3 at 4K. At Medium, they are 95.7, 57.6, and 31.4 respectively. Even the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, shows a drop from 58 at 1080p to 35.7 at 1440p and finally to 18.8 at 4K.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is particularly harsh. For example, the 4K High average of 28.3 is less than a third of the 1080p High value of 83.7. The 4K Ultra result of 18.8 is unplayable for a tactical shooter, where quick reactions and clear visibility are essential. The data suggests that the GTX 1650's limited memory bandwidth and 4 GB VRAM are insufficient for the higher resolution and texture loads. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution also widens as resolution increases, further confirming that the GPU is the bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. Its benchmark results are strong: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093, a Geekbench multicore score of 11209 and single-core of 2333, and a Passmark multithread score of 25783 with a single-thread score of 3723. The CPU sits in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32508. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-12800H with a delta of 0%, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 with a delta of 0.2%, and the AMD Ryzen 7 250 with a delta of -0.2%. The launch MSRP is $196.

In Ready Or Not, the CPU's capabilities are more than sufficient. At 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 107.3, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. Even at 1080p Ultra, the CPU manages to feed the GPU enough to produce 58 FPS. The high single-thread performance, as indicated by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3093, helps with game logic and AI. The 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks and streaming. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combination; the GPU is.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a Turing-architecture GPU with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s. Its base clock is 1485 MHz and boost clock is 1665 MHz, with a memory clock of 2001 MHz. The GPU has 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Its benchmark scores are modest: a Passmark G3D score of 7880 and a Passmark GPU compute score of 3048. The GPU sits in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 8713. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile with a delta of -0.4%, the AMD Radeon 550X with a delta of -0.4%, and the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 with a delta of 0.5%. The launch MSRP is 149 USD.

The GTX 1650's limitations are evident in the measured FPS. At 4K, even the Low preset only achieves 34.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 18.8. The 4 GB VRAM is likely a major constraint, as modern games at 4K often require more memory for textures and geometry. The 128-bit memory bus and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth also limit the data throughput needed for high-resolution rendering. The GPU's low percentile ranking of 43 reflects its position as an entry-level part. In this combo, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the CPU's performance is far above what the GPU can utilize.

How This Combo Ranks

In Ready Or Not, this combination ranks 1710 out of 1748 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 2% of results. This is unsurprising given the GPU's low percentile ranking of 43, while the CPU ranks in the 88th percentile. The rank is based on measured FPS across all settings and resolutions. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU's weak performance drags the overall result down. For comparison, the CPU's average benchmark score of 32508 is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, but the GPU's score of 8713 is only slightly above the AMD Radeon 550X. The combination's rank reflects the GPU's inability to keep up with the CPU's potential, especially at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists all measured average FPS values from the data:

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 28.3 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 34.3 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 31.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 18.8 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 55.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 66.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 57.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 35.7 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 83.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 107.3 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 95.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 58 |

The highest average FPS is 107.3 at 1080p Low, while the lowest is 18.8 at 4K Ultra. At 1440p, the best result is 66.7 at Low, and at 4K, the best is 34.3 at Low. The data shows a consistent pattern: lower settings and lower resolutions yield higher frame rates, but the GPU's limitations become more pronounced as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p. The Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 107.3, which is ideal for competitive play. Medium still provides a high 95.7 FPS, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance. High at 83.7 is also playable, but Ultra drops to 58, which may be acceptable for some but is below the smoothness of the lower presets. At 1440p, only Low exceeds 60 FPS with 66.7; Medium and High are in the mid-50s, and Ultra falls to 35.7. At 4K, all presets are below 35 FPS, making it unsuitable for a tactical shooter where reaction time matters.

For a smooth and responsive experience, the 1080p Low or Medium presets are recommended. Low gives the highest frame rate, while Medium offers a modest visual upgrade without a significant FPS penalty. If the user prefers higher visual fidelity, 1080p High is still playable, but Ultra should be avoided due to the 58 FPS average. At higher resolutions, the GPU is simply not capable of delivering playable frame rates, so sticking to 1080p is the practical choice. The data clearly indicates that this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming, with the CPU providing ample headroom and the GPU being the limiting factor.