Ready Or Not

Ready Or Not is a demanding tactical shooter, and the data for the Intel Core i5-9400 + Intel Arc B390 combo shows a system that is firmly anchored by its graphics processor. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it delivers playable frame rates, but it struggles to maintain acceptable performance at higher resolutions. The Intel Arc B390, with its integrated design and limited benchmark standing, is the primary bottleneck, while the six-core i5-9400 provides sufficient processing power to avoid being the main constraint in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and steep performance decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 99 FPS at 1080p to 62 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 33 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% drop when moving from 1440p to 4K. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited, as the rendering workload at higher resolutions outpaces the capabilities of the Intel Arc B390.

The trend is consistent across all quality presets. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 125 at 1080p to 79 at 1440p and 41 at 4K. Even at the Medium preset, which provides the only complete data with minimum and maximum frame rates, the average drops from 109 FPS at 1080p to 69 FPS at 1440p and 36 FPS at 4K. The data shows that the gap between 1080p and 1440p performance is substantial, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more severe, indicating that the GPU is hitting a performance wall as pixel count increases.

The frame rate differences between presets at the same resolution are also telling. At 1080p, the difference between Low (125 FPS) and Ultra (69 FPS) is 56 FPS, showing that the GPU can handle the extra workload at this resolution. However, at 4K, the difference between Low (41 FPS) and Ultra (23 FPS) is only 18 FPS, and both are below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This compression of the performance envelope at high resolutions confirms that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component, as its raw throughput is insufficient to maintain high frame rates regardless of the graphical load. The 4K Ultra result of 23 FPS is particularly poor, making that resolution and preset combination unplayable for a tactical shooter requiring precision and reaction time.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Ready Or Not, this pairing ranks 2611 out of 2947 combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a low-performance configuration for this specific game. The percentile ranking underscores that while the combo is functional, it is not competitive with the vast majority of other systems that have been benchmarked, making it a poor choice for gamers seeking high-refresh-rate or high-resolution experiences.

The rank is a direct reflection of the components' individual standings. The Intel Core i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, a mid-pack position that shows it is an average processor. However, the Intel Arc B390 is at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, which is a very low standing. The combination of an average CPU with a severely underperforming GPU results in a system that is dragged down by its graphics solution. The data suggests that the combo's rank is not a balanced reflection of its parts but rather is dominated by the GPU's limitations.

Relative to its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmarks, the Arc B390 is only 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M. It is also just 2.5% faster than the GeForce GT 625 OEM and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710. These are all legacy, low-end graphics solutions, which puts the Arc B390's performance into perspective. It is competing with hardware from a bygone era, which explains why the combo ranks so poorly in a modern game like Ready Or Not. The overall combo rank is a function of this weak GPU performance, and no amount of CPU potential can compensate for it.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this combo's performance, and the data indicates it is a significant limiting component. The GPU's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, which places it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This score is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, being just 1.3% ahead of the GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710. These are not modern gaming parts, and the Arc B390's performance is aligned with them, explaining the low FPS figures in Ready Or Not.

The GPU's specifications reveal its integrated nature. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with system-shared memory. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," and the memory type is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's DDR4 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. This architecture is a major drawback for gaming, as it creates a bottleneck in memory bandwidth and can cause stuttering in texture-heavy scenes. The GPU's pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, figures that are simply too low for demanding titles at high resolutions.

With 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, the Arc B390 has a limited amount of processing resources. Its FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, which is low for a modern GPU. The presence of 12 ray tracing cores is noted, but given the overall weak performance, ray tracing is not a practical feature for this game. The GPU's performance in the measured FPS data is consistent with these specifications. At 4K, it cannot break 41 FPS even on Low settings, and at 1440p, it only achieves 79 FPS on Low. The evidence is clear: the Arc B390 is a low-end part that is not designed for high-fidelity gaming, and it is the primary reason this combo ranks so low.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Ready Or Not?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 125 on Low to 69 on Ultra, while at 1440p, the average drops to between 79 and 44 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to between 41 and 23 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's benchmark score is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M. It is also 2.5% faster than the GeForce GT 625 OEM and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710, placing it in the same performance class as these older, low-end GPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 99 FPS, and at Low it reaches 125 FPS, which indicates the GPU is still able to push frames within its limits. The CPU's performance is in the 47th percentile, which is average, but the GPU's 9th percentile ranking is far more restrictive.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 23 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset. This is the most demanding configuration tested and is far below the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay.

Q: Does the combo's rank in the game improve at lower settings?

A: While lower settings like Low and Medium do provide higher frame rates than High and Ultra at the same resolution, the overall combo rank is a fixed statistic. The rank of 2611 out of 2947 is based on the hardware's overall performance and does not change with in-game settings.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 125 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This is the only configuration where the combo approaches high-refresh-rate territory, though it requires the lowest graphical quality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400's role in this combo is to provide adequate processing power without being the primary source of performance issues. The CPU has 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It is based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process, and has a 9 MB shared L3 cache. This is a standard mid-range desktop processor from its generation, and its benchmark scores reflect that.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-9400 scores 6629 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 points in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. These results place it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs, which is a solid, if unremarkable, standing. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, has an average score that is only 0.2% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is 0.4% lower, indicating that the i5-9400 is in a tight cluster of similarly performing processors.

In the context of Ready Or Not, the CPU's impact is secondary to the GPU. The evidence for this is that frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, which is a GPU-centric workload. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less variation between resolutions, as the CPU would be maxed out even at 1080p. Instead, the i5-9400 is able to feed the GPU enough data to reach 125 FPS at 1080p Low, suggesting it has headroom left. The CPU's 65W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are adequate for this task, and the data does not indicate that the processor is holding the system back in a meaningful way.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear guide for the optimal settings to use with this combo. For a balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. This is the only preset at 1080p that provides a minimum frame rate above 60 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience even in intense firefights.

The High preset at 1080p is also a viable option, with an average of 99 FPS. While this is slightly lower than Medium, it still offers a very playable experience. The trade-off between the two is minor, and users can choose based on visual preference. The Low preset at 1080p achieves 125 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but it requires sacrificing significant visual fidelity in a game that relies on atmosphere and clarity for situational awareness.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only option that approaches playability, with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS. The minimum frame rate dipping below 60 FPS is a concern, but it is a better experience than the High preset's 62 FPS average or the Low preset's 79 FPS. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely. The best average at 4K is 41 FPS on Low, which is too low for a tactical shooter. The data strongly suggests that users should stick to 1080p for the best experience, with the Medium preset being the sweet spot for consistent performance. The Ultra preset, which yields 69 FPS at 1080p, is not recommended as it offers marginal visual gains over High for a substantial performance cost.