Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a deeply unbalanced configuration for running Downfall, a 2016 horror title. The recorded data shows that the Arc B390 becomes the decisive bottleneck across all tested settings, while the 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X provides ample headroom that the integrated-class GPU cannot exploit. The verdict is clear: this combo can play Downfall at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 with specific presets, but it fails entirely at 3840x2160, where no settings reach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its strongest results. The Low preset averages 106 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset drops to 87 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. The High preset averages 71 FPS, still playable, though the database does not list minimum or maximum values for this setting. The Ultra preset falls to 44 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, making it unplayable by the database standard. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop of 62 FPS, from 106 down to 44, indicating that the GPU struggles significantly as graphical load increases.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results show a clear step down. The Low preset averages 76 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution that comfortably clears the threshold. The Medium preset averages 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. The High preset averages 51 FPS, below the threshold, and the Ultra preset averages only 32 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 44 FPS, from 76 down to 32. Compared to 1080p, the same settings produce lower averages: Low drops from 106 to 76 FPS, Medium from 87 to 62 FPS, High from 71 to 51 FPS, and Ultra from 44 to 32 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the configuration falls apart. The Low preset averages 47 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution but still below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. The High preset averages 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages only 20 FPS. None of these settings reach playable levels. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 27 FPS, from 47 down to 20. Comparing across resolutions, the same preset shows consistent degradation: Low goes from 106 FPS at 1080p to 76 FPS at 1440p to 47 FPS at 4K; Medium goes from 87 to 62 to 39; High goes from 71 to 51 to 32; Ultra goes from 44 to 32 to 20.

The recorded minimum and maximum values are sparse, but the Medium preset at each resolution provides the only complete data. At 1080p Medium, the range is 74 to 100 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 53 to 71 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 33 to 44 FPS. These ranges indicate that frame pacing becomes more erratic as resolution increases, with the 4K Medium range spanning 11 FPS, which is proportionally larger relative to its average.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 1920x1080 with the High preset?

A: Yes. The recorded average FPS at 1920x1080 High is 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The database lists High as one of the playable settings at this resolution, along with Low and Medium.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset is the best playable option at 1440p, with an average of 62 FPS and a recorded minimum of 53 FPS. The Low preset also clears the threshold with 76 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still averaging above 60 FPS.

Q: Is 3840x2160 playable at any setting?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 4K is 47 FPS on the Low preset, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages only 20 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS. The database lists no playable settings at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: The loss varies by preset. The Low preset drops from 106 FPS to 76 FPS, a reduction of 30 FPS. The Medium preset drops from 87 to 62, a reduction of 25 FPS. The High preset drops from 71 to 51, a reduction of 20 FPS. The Ultra preset drops from 44 to 32, a reduction of 12 FPS.

Q: Does the Ultra preset ever reach 60 FPS?

A: No. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 44 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 32 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average is 20 FPS. The Ultra preset is below the playable threshold at every resolution tested.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded across all tests?

A: The highest average FPS is 106 FPS, recorded at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only test that exceeds 100 FPS in the dataset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor in this combination. The Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz and a large 64 MB L3 cache. Its benchmark scores are strong: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26017, a Geekbench multi-core score of 15233, and a Passmark multi-thread score of 45424. The GPU, by contrast, sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 and GT 625 OEM, which are entry-level parts from previous generations.

The scaling between resolutions reveals the GPU bottleneck. When moving from 1080p to 4K on the same preset, the FPS drops dramatically. For example, the Low preset drops from 106 FPS at 1080p to 76 FPS at 1440p to 47 FPS at 4K. This pattern is expected when a GPU is overburdened by pixel count; the CPU has far more capacity than the GPU can use. The Ryzen 9 5950X would likely show minimal utilization differences across these resolutions, but the Arc B390 clearly saturates as resolution increases.

The preset scaling within a resolution also points to the GPU as the constraint. At 1080p, the Low preset averages 106 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 44 FPS, a drop of 62 FPS. This reduction is driven by increased shading, texture, and post-processing loads, which are primarily handled by the GPU. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is unlikely to be the cause of such a steep decline. The Ultra preset at 1080p is the only setting at that resolution that falls below 60 FPS, which further suggests that the GPU hits a hard ceiling when all features are enabled.

The database ranking reinforces this interpretation. This combo ranks 3303 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 11 percent of all systems. A CPU with this level of compute performance, ranking in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, would normally push a combo much higher in the rankings. The GPU, however, ranks in the 9th percentile, which drags the overall result down. The combination is fundamentally mismatched: the CPU is a high-end desktop part, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution with a 80 W TDP, 1536 shading units, and a boost clock of 2500 MHz.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the best playable setting, averaging 62 FPS. This suggests that the GPU can handle moderate loads at this resolution, but the High and Ultra presets exceed its capabilities. At 1080p, the High preset is the best playable setting, averaging 71 FPS, which indicates that the GPU has enough headroom for higher settings only when the resolution is lower. The pattern is consistent: the GPU determines the playable envelope, while the CPU remains largely idle relative to its potential.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's ranking for Downfall, this AMD Ryzen 9 5950X plus Intel Arc B390 combination sits at rank 3303 out of 3716 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 13.7 percent of all systems tested for this game. The rank reflects the GPU's limited performance; the CPU's 91st percentile standing among all CPUs cannot compensate for the GPU's 9th percentile standing among all GPUs.

The combo's rank suggests that most other tested systems outperform it in Downfall. Only 413 combos rank below it. To put this in perspective, the GPU's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1463, the GeForce 800M with a score of 1460, the GT 625 OEM with a score of 1446, and the GT 710 with a score of 1443. The Arc B390's score of 1482 is only 1.3 percent higher than the GT 520MX and 2.7 percent higher than the GT 710. These are all low-end GPUs, and the ranking reflects that reality.

The CPU, by contrast, has nearest rivals that are far more powerful in overall terms. The Intel Core i9-13900F has an average benchmark score of 51730, which is 0.4 percent lower than the Ryzen 9 5950X's 51947. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX scores 52073, which is 0.2 percent higher. The AMD EPYC 8124P scores 52121, which is 0.3 percent higher. The Intel Core i7-14700 scores 52301, which is 0.7 percent higher. These deltas are tiny, meaning the CPU is competitive with modern high-end parts. Yet the combo rank remains low because the GPU cannot deliver playable frame rates at higher resolutions or presets.

The rank of 3303 out of 3716 is a clear signal that this pairing is not optimized for gaming. A user who owns a Ryzen 9 5950X and wants to play Downfall would see far better results with a discrete GPU, even a modest one. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU is.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are all comparable in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i9-13900F scores 51730, which is 0.4 percent lower than the Ryzen 9 5950X. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX scores 52073, which is 0.2 percent higher. The AMD EPYC 8124P scores 52121, which is 0.3 percent higher. The Intel Core i7-14700 scores 52301, which is 0.7 percent higher. None of these CPUs would change the gaming outcome for Downfall, because the GPU remains the bottleneck. If a user swapped the Ryzen 9 5950X for any of these parts, the measured FPS would remain essentially identical, as the GPU would still cap performance at the same levels.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are all entry-level NVIDIA parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3 percent lower than the Arc B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, which is 1.5 percent lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, which is 2.5 percent lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, which is 2.7 percent lower. These GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Downfall. A system with a GT 710 would likely see averages within a few FPS of the Arc B390's results, meaning it would also fail to hit 60 FPS at 4K and would struggle with Ultra presets at lower resolutions.

The delta percentages are small across the board. The largest gap among the GPU rivals is 2.7 percent, which translates to roughly 1 to 2 FPS at the frame rates observed in this game. This means that choosing any of these GPUs would yield a nearly identical experience. The Arc B390 is not meaningfully faster than its closest rivals, and it is not slower by a large margin either. The practical takeaway is that this entire class of GPUs is unsuitable for demanding settings in Downfall, and users should expect similar performance regardless of which one they have.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Downfall? The answer depends on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is playable on the Low, Medium, and High presets, with the best playable option being High at 71 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 1080p is not playable, averaging 44 FPS. At 2560x1440, the system is playable on Low and Medium, with Medium being the best playable option at 62 FPS average and a minimum of 53 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not playable, averaging 51 and 32 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. The Low preset comes closest at 47 FPS, but it falls short of the 60 FPS threshold.

The database's verdict lists no playable settings at 4K, which means users with a 4K display should not attempt to run this game with this hardware. At 1440p, the best playable setting is Medium, which offers a balanced experience. At 1080p, the High preset is the best playable option, delivering 71 FPS. The Ultra preset is not viable at any resolution, as it fails to reach 60 FPS even at 1080p.

The core issue is the GPU. The Ryzen 9 5950X is capable of far more than this game requires, but the Intel Arc B390, an integrated graphics part with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, cannot keep up. Users who want to play Downfall at higher settings or resolutions should consider a different GPU. The CPU is not the problem; it is more than adequate for this title. The recorded data shows a clear path to playability: stick to 1080p or 1440p with Low to High presets, and avoid Ultra and 4K entirely.