Ready Or Not

The data for Ready Or Not with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by resolution, with the GPU acting as the primary scaling factor. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the three tested resolutions provide a clear picture of where this combo excels and where it begins to struggle, particularly with the most demanding visual presets.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a dramatic and expected decline in average FPS, but the rate of that decline is telling. At the High preset, the system delivers 177 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 112.3 FPS at 2560x1440, and further down to 58.9 FPS at 4K. This represents a reduction of approximately 36.5% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47.5% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the rendering load increases disproportionately with pixel count, which is typical for a game that stresses the GPU heavily.

Looking at the Low preset, the pattern is similar but with higher absolute numbers: 222.6 FPS at 1080p, 141.3 FPS at 1440p, and 74.4 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops here are 36.5% and 47.3%, respectively, which are nearly identical to the High preset's scaling. This consistency suggests that the resolution scaling factor is independent of the quality settings, pointing to a uniform increase in pixel shading and fill-rate demands as resolution climbs. The fact that the 4K numbers are roughly half of the 1080p numbers across all presets strongly implies that the RTX 2060 SUPER's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at higher resolutions, rather than the CPU.

The data implies that at 1080p, the system has ample headroom, with even the Ultra preset achieving 125.9 FPS. However, the 4K Ultra result of 43.4 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that this resolution and preset combination is too demanding for the hardware. The scaling curve suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo if aiming for high refresh rates, while 4K is only viable with lower settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for Ready Or Not. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is crucial for handling the high-resolution textures and complex scenes typical of a tactical shooter. The GPU's boost clock of 1650 MHz and its 2176 shading units are the primary drivers of the frame rate, and the benchmark results show that the GPU's capability is the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as the Passmark G3D score of 16462, places it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. This indicates that it is a mid-to-upper tier card, but not a top-tier performer. The measured FPS in Ready Or Not reflects this positioning: it can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease, but 4K pushes it to its limits. The GPU's memory configuration is particularly relevant here, as the 8 GB capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K with Ultra settings, the game likely approaches or exceeds this capacity, leading to the significant frame rate drop to 43.4 FPS.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's architecture, based on the TU106 chip on a 12 nm process, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is beneficial for modern game features. However, the data shows that raw rasterization performance, not advanced features, is what dictates the frame rates in this title. The GPU's 64 ROPs and 136 TMUs are responsible for the pixel and texture processing rates, and the 4K results suggest that these units are saturated when the resolution and settings are maximized.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks at 1240 out of 1748 tested combos for Ready Or Not. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all possible system configurations, which is a logical outcome given the individual component specifications. The CPU is a 6-core, 6-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, and its benchmark scores place it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU, while stronger in its relative percentile at 63, is still not a high-end part by today's standards.

The rank of 1240 out of 1748 suggests that while this combo is perfectly playable at lower resolutions, it is outclassed by many other pairings that feature more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher thread counts. The data indicates that the system is not a top performer, but it is also not a weak one, as it sits comfortably above the median. The ranking implies that for this game, the combination is balanced in the sense that neither component is severely holding back the other, but the overall performance ceiling is set by the GPU.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER is only 0.5% ahead of the RTX 2070 in average benchmark scores, which is a negligible difference. This suggests that in real-world gaming, the performance between these two cards would be nearly identical. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, is only 0.2% faster in average score, indicating that the i5-9400 is performing as expected for its class. These marginal differences confirm that the combo's rank is not due to an outlier underperformance but rather the inherent capability of the hardware.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with the Low preset hitting 222.6 FPS and the High preset at 177 FPS. The Ultra preset at 125.9 FPS is also smooth, making 1080p the resolution where the user has the most flexibility. For a balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 1080p is the recommended choice, as it provides a high frame rate while likely delivering a significantly better visual experience than Low or Medium.

Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 112.3 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. The Medium preset at 123.4 FPS offers a slight performance boost, but the visual fidelity difference between Medium and High is often worth the minor frame rate cost. The Ultra preset at 82.1 FPS is still playable but starts to dip below the high refresh rate threshold. For 1440p, the High preset is the optimal choice, as it maintains a high frame rate while maximizing visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Low preset at 74.4 FPS is the only option that provides a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 64 FPS is borderline, and the High preset at 58.9 FPS is on the edge of playability. The Ultra preset at 43.4 FPS is not recommended for any serious gameplay. Therefore, for 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for maintaining a playable frame rate, and even then, it may require some compromise on visual settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows its peak performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 222.6 FPS, which is the highest score recorded for this resolution. The Medium preset follows at 198.9 FPS, and the High preset at 177 FPS. The Ultra preset, while still high, drops to 125.9 FPS, showing a significant gap from High, likely due to the increased rendering demands of ultra-quality shadows and effects.

For 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset yields 141.3 FPS, the Medium preset 123.4 FPS, and the High preset 112.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 82.1 FPS is the lowest at this resolution, but it still exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making it a viable option for players who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are considerably lower. The Low preset produces 74.4 FPS, which is the only result above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 64 FPS, and the High preset drops to 58.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 43.4 FPS is the worst result in the entire dataset, confirming that this combination is not suited for 4K Ultra gaming. The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the difference between Low and Medium is generally smaller than the difference between High and Ultra, indicating that the Ultra preset has a disproportionately high performance cost.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Ready Or Not at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only with the Low preset, which achieves an average of 74.4 FPS. The Medium preset at 64 FPS is borderline, while the High and Ultra presets at 58.9 and 43.4 FPS respectively are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate monitors?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 177 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 222.6 FPS. For 1440p, the High preset at 112.3 FPS is also suitable for high refresh rate displays, but 1080p offers the highest frame rates.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. The FPS drops significantly with resolution, which is a sign of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's performance is sufficient for the frame rates observed, especially at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1240 out of 1748 tested combos for Ready Or Not. This places it in the lower-middle range, indicating that while it is capable, many other systems offer higher performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The Low preset averages 222.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 125.9 FPS. This represents a difference of 96.7 FPS, or approximately 43.4% lower performance on Ultra compared to Low.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER significantly faster than its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER is only 0.5% faster in average benchmark scores than the RTX 2070. This is a marginal difference, suggesting near-identical real-world performance in most games.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 plays a supporting role in this configuration. With 6 cores and 6 threads, it lacks the multi-threading capabilities of higher-end CPUs, which can be a limitation in CPU-intensive scenes. However, its boost clock of 4.10 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is often more critical in games like Ready Or Not that rely on a few primary threads. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969, place it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is an average performer.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate for feeding the GPU data, but they do not provide a significant advantage. The data from the measured FPS suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution and settings, which are GPU-dependent factors. At 1080p, the system achieves over 200 FPS on Low settings, which indicates the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output at that level.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-10305, are within 0.2% of its average benchmark score, showing that the i5-9400 is performing exactly as expected for its class. This means that in Ready Or Not, the CPU is providing a stable foundation, but it is not contributing to any exceptional performance gains. The limitation of 6 threads might become more apparent in future titles or in specific scenarios with many AI characters, but for the measured settings in this game, the CPU's role is to ensure the GPU is not starved of data, a task it handles adequately.