Ready Or Not

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 lands at rank 1434 out of 1748 tested combinations for Ready Or Not. That places this setup in the bottom 18% of all combos tracked in our database, which is a striking position for a system built around a dedicated GPU with ray tracing hardware. The data suggests this pairing is far from optimal for a tactical shooter where frame timing and consistency matter as much as raw averages.

What makes this rank particularly telling is the gap between the components' individual standings. The RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, while the i5-9400 reaches only the 50th percentile among CPUs. Neither component is a standout, but the GPU is clearly the stronger half of this duo. Yet the combo rank indicates that the whole is less than the sum of its parts, hinting that the CPU may be holding back the GPU in a way that drags the overall experience down. When benchmark results place this combo in the lower fifth of all tested configurations, it signals that users should temper expectations for high-refresh-rate play at demanding settings.

# GPU Role

The RTX 2060 brings 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1365 MHz with a boost up to 1680 MHz, and the memory operates at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). These specifications matter for Ready Or Not because the game's environments are dense with objects, lighting effects, and destructible elements that tax both memory capacity and bandwidth.

At 1080p, the GPU's 6 GB frame buffer is generally sufficient, allowing the card to stretch its legs. The measured results show the RTX 2060 producing 207.3 FPS at Low settings in 1080p, which indicates the GPU has headroom when the visual load is light. However, the picture changes dramatically at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate collapses to 38.7 FPS, a drop that points to the GPU being overwhelmed by the combination of resolution and settings. The 1920 shading units and 48 ROPs are simply not enough to maintain fluid performance when pixel count quadruples from 1080p.

The RTX 2060's ray tracing cores (30 of them) and tensor cores (240) are present, but the data shows they do not rescue the card at 4K. The benchmark results suggest that this GPU is best treated as a 1080p-class performer for Ready Or Not, with 1440p being a stretch that requires careful settings management. The 6 GB memory capacity also becomes a concern at 4K, where texture-heavy scenes can exceed that allocation, causing stutter or texture pop-in that the average FPS numbers do not fully capture.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 160.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 102.9 FPS, a 35.8% reduction. Jumping to 4K High yields 53.4 FPS, which is 66.7% lower than the 1080p result. This scaling curve is steep, and it tells a story about which component is the bottleneck.

At 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor. The i5-9400's 6 cores and 6 threads, running at a base of 2.90 GHz and boost of 4.10 GHz, can feed the GPU enough data to hit 207.3 FPS at Low settings. But the fact that Low settings at 1080p only reaches 207.3 FPS, rather than pushing toward 300 FPS or beyond, suggests the CPU is capping performance. The GPU has more to give, but the processor cannot keep up with the draw calls and game logic at those frame rates.

By 1440p, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The RTX 2060's bandwidth and compute are now the primary constraints, as evidenced by the 127.1 FPS at Low settings versus 73.1 FPS at Ultra. At 4K, the GPU is fully saturated. The gap between Low (69.4 FPS) and Ultra (38.7 FPS) narrows in percentage terms, but the absolute numbers are all below 70 FPS, making 4K a poor choice for this combo. The data implies that 1440p is the sweet spot where neither component is completely overwhelmed, but 1080p is where the CPU becomes the ceiling.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of playable settings for this combo. At 1080p, Medium settings deliver 178.2 FPS, which is a strong result for a tactical shooter where quick target acquisition benefits from high frame rates. High settings at 1080p still produce 160.3 FPS, so users have headroom to increase visual fidelity without sacrificing competitive performance. Ultra at 1080p drops to 112.8 FPS, which is still playable but begins to approach the threshold where frame pacing issues may become noticeable in fast-paced firefights.

For 1440p, the recommendation shifts. Medium settings at 115.7 FPS offer the best balance, keeping the experience smooth while maintaining acceptable visual quality. High settings at 102.9 FPS are also viable, but the drop below 100 FPS at Ultra (73.1 FPS) makes that setting less attractive. The data suggests that 1440p Medium or High is the optimal zone for this combo, as it stays above the 100 FPS mark while providing a sharper image than 1080p.

At 4K, no setting provides a consistently smooth experience. Ultra at 38.7 FPS is clearly unplayable for a shooter, and even Low at 69.4 FPS is borderline. The benchmark results indicate that 4K should be avoided entirely with this hardware, as the GPU simply lacks the bandwidth and compute to maintain adequate frame rates. The practical recommendation is to play at 1080p Medium or High, or 1440p Medium, depending on whether the user prioritizes frame rate or resolution.

# FAQ

Q: Is the RTX 2060 strong enough for 4K gaming in Ready Or Not?

A: No. The measured data shows 4K performance ranges from 38.7 FPS at Ultra to 69.4 FPS at Low, all below the 70 FPS threshold that most players would consider smooth for a tactical shooter.

Q: Which resolution offers the best balance of performance and visual quality?

A: 1440p Medium delivers 115.7 FPS and 1440p High delivers 102.9 FPS, making either a reasonable choice. The 1080p Medium result of 178.2 FPS is better for competitive play but sacrifices image sharpness.

Q: How much does the CPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: The i5-9400's 6 cores and 6 threads appear to cap the frame rate around 207.3 FPS at Low settings. The fact that the GPU cannot push higher at 1080p suggests the processor is the bottleneck at that resolution.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: Low settings produce 127.1 FPS, while Ultra produces 73.1 FPS. That is a 54.0 FPS difference, indicating that settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

Q: Does the 6 GB VRAM cause problems at higher resolutions?

A: The data shows a steep performance cliff between 1440p and 4K, which is consistent with the 6 GB frame buffer being insufficient for 4K textures. The 4K results all fall below 70 FPS regardless of settings.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 2060's nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 16074 is 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S and 1.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, but 1.7% lower than both the Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor built on the Coffee Lake architecture using a 14 nm process. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz boosts to 4.10 GHz, and it accesses 9 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores are modest: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125. These numbers place it at the 50th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2305.

The nearest rivals in the database are instructive. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2300 (0.2% lower), the Intel Core i3-1125G4 scores 2299 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Xeon E-2134 scores 2295 (0.4% lower). Meanwhile, the Intel Core i7-8809G scores 2319 (0.6% higher). This clustering shows that the i5-9400 sits in a crowded mid-range segment where performance differences are minimal. For Ready Or Not, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics while feeding the GPU. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (207.3 FPS) suggests the CPU is doing its job, but the lack of hyper-threading (only 6 threads) may cause occasional frame hitches in scenes with many AI enemies or complex scripted events.

The single-core performance is particularly relevant for a tactical shooter, where the main game thread often becomes the bottleneck. A Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1125 is adequate but not exceptional, and it explains why the combo cannot push beyond the 207 FPS ceiling at 1080p. The CPU's 65 W TDP indicates it runs cool and efficient, but that efficiency comes at the cost of raw throughput compared to higher-tier processors.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data spans three resolutions and four settings tiers, providing a comprehensive picture of this combo's capabilities.

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its best results. Low settings produce an average of 207.3 FPS, Medium delivers 178.2 FPS, High reaches 160.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 112.8 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 94.5 FPS, showing that settings have a massive impact at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably. Low settings yield 127.1 FPS, Medium drops to 115.7 FPS, High reaches 102.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 73.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 54.0 FPS, narrower than at 1080p but still significant. Notably, the transition from Medium to High at 1440p costs only 12.8 FPS, making High a reasonable choice for those wanting better visuals.

At 3840x2160, the results are sobering. Low settings produce 69.4 FPS, Medium drops to 56.4 FPS, High reaches 53.4 FPS, and Ultra falls to 38.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 30.7 FPS, but all values are below the 70 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The 4K data confirms that this combo is not viable at that resolution, with even the lowest settings failing to maintain a comfortable frame rate.

The data also reveals interesting scaling patterns. At 1080p, dropping from High to Low gains 47.0 FPS, while at 1440p the same drop gains 24.2 FPS, and at 4K it gains 16.0 FPS. This diminishing return indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly saturated as resolution rises, making settings adjustments less effective at higher pixel counts. The overall picture is a combo that excels at 1080p, performs adequately at 1440p with tuned settings, and struggles at 4K across the board.