Ready Or Not

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D lands at rank 392 out of 2,947 tested combos in Ready Or Not. That places this configuration in the top 13.3% of all tested systems for this tactical shooter, which is a strong showing, but the data reveals a significant imbalance between the two components. The RTX 5090 D is performing at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, while the i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs. This gap suggests the processor is the limiting factor in many scenarios, even though the overall frame rates remain exceptionally high.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 392 out of 2,947 tested combinations puts it in the upper echelon of systems tested for Ready Or Not. However, this ranking is likely buoyed by the sheer power of the RTX 5090 D rather than the i5-9400's contributions. The GPU's average benchmark score of 77,712 places it near the top of the database, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78,940 (a 1.6% difference), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 79,605 (a 2.4% difference). In contrast, the CPU's average benchmark score of 2,254 puts it in a much more modest position, with its nearest rival being the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2,259 (a 0.2% difference).

The data indicates that the i5-9400's performance is essentially equivalent to several other mid-range processors from its era. It trails the Intel Core i3-10305 by 0.4% and beats the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 by 0.4%. These are negligible differences, showing that the CPU is squarely in the middle of the pack for its generation. When paired with the RTX 5090 D, the result is a system that can achieve very high frame rates in Ready Or Not, but the CPU's relative weakness means it cannot fully exploit the GPU's potential at lower resolutions.

The rank of 392 out of 2,947 is respectable, but it is important to contextualize it. Many of the combos ranked above this one likely feature more balanced pairings with newer, higher-end CPUs. The measured FPS data supports this interpretation: at 1080p, the average frame rates are extremely high, but they do not scale proportionally with the GPU's massive compute capabilities. The combo's performance is ultimately constrained by the 6-core, 6-thread i5-9400, which was released in 2018 and is now considered end-of-life.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, offering 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth. It has 9 MB of shared L3 cache, with 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core. The processor is not multiplier-unlocked, meaning overclocking is not officially supported.

In Ready Or Not, a game that relies heavily on CPU performance for AI calculations and game logic, the i5-9400's 6 cores and 6 threads are a limiting factor. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range standing: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6,629 and a single-core score of 935. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 5,141, with a single-core score of 1,389. These numbers indicate that while the CPU is capable of handling the game's demands, it lacks the headroom that newer processors with more threads or higher single-core performance would provide.

The data shows that the CPU's performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with deltas of less than 0.5% in either direction. This suggests that the i5-9400 is not a bottleneck in the traditional sense of being significantly slower than other CPUs of its class, but rather that it is simply not in the same performance tier as the RTX 5090 D. The GPU's massive 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory are far beyond what this CPU can feed at lower resolutions. The result is a system where the GPU is often waiting on the CPU to deliver draw calls and physics calculations.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in Ready Or Not?

A: The data suggests yes, particularly at lower resolutions. The CPU's average benchmark score of 2,254 places it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 92nd percentile. At 1080p, the average FPS at High settings is 287, which is high, but the jump to 1440p only yields 246 FPS at High settings, indicating the GPU is not being fully utilized at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 392 out of 2,947 tested combinations. This places it in the top 13.3% of all tested systems, which is a strong result, but it is not near the top. The rank reflects the imbalance between the high-end GPU and the mid-range CPU.

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p at High settings provides the best balance, with an average of 246 FPS. At 1080p, the average is 287 FPS at High, but the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor. At 4K, the average drops to 148 FPS at High, which is still very playable.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2,254 is within 0.4% of its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2,259), Intel Core i7-10710U (2,248), and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2,246). These differences are negligible, showing that the CPU is performance-par with its direct competitors.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 311 at 1080p with Low settings. At 1080p with Medium settings, the average is 297 FPS. The lowest average FPS is 104 at 4K with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D's performance consistent with its benchmark scores?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 77,712 and its 92nd percentile ranking are very high. However, in Ready Or Not, the measured FPS at 1080p with Low settings (311 FPS) is impressive, but the CPU's limitations prevent it from reaching even higher frame rates that the GPU might be capable of.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Ready Or Not spans three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 311 FPS, Medium settings produce 297 FPS (with a minimum of 252 and a maximum of 341), High settings produce 287 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 252 FPS. These numbers are all exceptionally high, indicating that even at Ultra settings, the game is very playable at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates remain high but show a noticeable drop. Low settings yield 267 FPS, Medium settings yield 254 FPS (with a minimum of 216 and a maximum of 293), High settings yield 246 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 199 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, but the frame rates are still well above 144 Hz for most settings, making this a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates take a more substantial hit. Low settings produce 187 FPS, Medium settings produce 163 FPS (with a minimum of 139 and a maximum of 187), High settings produce 148 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 104 FPS. These numbers show that the RTX 5090 D is capable of handling 4K gaming, but the CPU's limitations become more apparent as the resolution increases and the GPU has to work harder.

The data reveals an interesting pattern: the difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution is significant. At 1080p, the gap between Low (311 FPS) and Ultra (252 FPS) is 59 FPS (19%). At 1440p, the gap is 68 FPS (25%). At 4K, the gap is 83 FPS (44%). This suggests that the CPU is less of a bottleneck at higher resolutions where the GPU is more heavily utilized, allowing the settings to have a greater impact on performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is telling about which component is the limiting factor. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 287 at 1080p to 246 at 1440p (a 14.3% drop) and then to 148 at 4K (a 39.8% drop from 1440p). This scaling pattern is typical of a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, but the CPU is still holding back performance at lower resolutions.

At Low settings, the scaling is different. The average FPS goes from 311 at 1080p to 267 at 1440p (a 14.1% drop) and then to 187 at 4K (a 30.0% drop from 1440p). The relatively smaller drop from 1440p to 4K at Low settings suggests that the CPU is more of a limiting factor at lower resolutions, as the GPU is not being pushed as hard. When the resolution increases, the GPU has more work to do, which alleviates some of the CPU bottleneck.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. The average FPS goes from 252 at 1080p to 199 at 1440p (a 21.0% drop) and then to 104 at 4K (a 47.7% drop from 1440p). The large drop at 4K Ultra indicates that the GPU is now the clear bottleneck, as the combination of high resolution and demanding settings overwhelms the RTX 5090 D's capabilities, despite its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth.

The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the i5-9400 is the limiting component, as the GPU is capable of delivering much higher frame rates than the CPU can feed. This is evidenced by the relatively small differences between Low and High settings at these resolutions. At 4K, however, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as the frame rates drop more significantly and the settings have a larger impact.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo depends on the resolution and the desired frame rate. At 1080p, the High preset offers 287 FPS on average, which is an excellent experience for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 252 FPS is also highly playable, but the visual gains over High are likely minimal. For players with a 144 Hz monitor, Medium at 297 FPS is also a strong option, but the difference between Medium and High is only 10 FPS, so High is the recommended choice for better visuals without sacrificing performance.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 246 FPS, which is still well above 144 Hz. The Medium preset at 254 FPS is slightly faster, but the visual quality reduction is not worth the 8 FPS gain. The Ultra preset at 199 FPS is also playable, but it represents a significant drop from High. For most players, High at 1440p is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, providing a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 4K, the High preset at 148 FPS is the most balanced option, offering a high frame rate with good visuals. The Medium preset at 163 FPS is also a viable choice, but the visual difference between Medium and High is noticeable in a game like Ready Or Not, where lighting and shadows are important. The Ultra preset at 104 FPS is playable but pushes the system to its limits, and the Low preset at 187 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for a marginal FPS gain.

Overall, the data recommends using the High preset at any resolution. It provides a consistent experience that scales well: 287 FPS at 1080p, 246 FPS at 1440p, and 148 FPS at 4K. This preset takes advantage of the RTX 5090 D's power while avoiding the CPU bottleneck that is more apparent at lower settings. For players with a 144 Hz monitor, High at 1440p is the optimal choice, as it delivers near-maximum refresh rates with excellent visual quality. For 4K gaming, High is the only preset that keeps the frame rate above 144 FPS, making it the clear recommendation.