Downfall

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Downfall with the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and presets. All measurements are average FPS values, as no minimum or maximum frame data was captured in the database.

At 1920x1080, the combination is overwhelmingly strong. Low settings deliver 197.8 FPS, Medium drops to 164.6 FPS, and High maintains 132.2 FPS. Even at Ultra, the average remains at 82.9 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra is 114.9 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution and the settings slider has a meaningful impact on frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains robust but the scaling tightens. Low settings produce 140.7 FPS, Medium yields 117.4 FPS, and High lands at 96.7 FPS. Ultra is the only preset that approaches the threshold, with 61.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 79.3 FPS, showing that resolution pressure reduces the absolute spread but still leaves Ultra playable.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. Low settings still deliver 89.2 FPS, which is playable, and Medium follows at 72.3 FPS. High drops to 57.6 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra falls to 40 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 49.2 FPS, and the data clearly shows that this CPU/GPU pairing cannot sustain 60 FPS at High or Ultra in 4K. The database ranks this combo at 2386 out of 3716 tested combinations for Downfall, placing it in the upper-middle tier.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Downfall at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 82.9 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets at 1080p are playable, with Low at 197.8 FPS, Medium at 164.6 FPS, and High at 132.2 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: Ultra is playable at 2560x1440, with an average of 61.4 FPS. This is marginally above the 60 FPS threshold, so it qualifies. High, Medium, and Low are also playable, with 96.7 FPS, 117.4 FPS, and 140.7 FPS respectively.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: Only partially. At 3840x2160, Low and Medium presets are playable, with 89.2 FPS and 72.3 FPS. High at 57.6 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS fall below the 60 FPS threshold, so those settings are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% higher. In practical terms, these CPUs are statistically interchangeable for gaming workloads.

Q: What GPU performance tier does the RX 7600 XT occupy?

A: The GPU sits at the 60th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 17083. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, scores 17208, which is 0.7% higher. The GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, 0.3% lower, and the Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, 0.4% lower. The Tesla M4 scores 16932, 0.9% lower.

Q: Does the game favor the CPU or GPU at higher resolutions?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU can feed the GPU enough frames to reach 197.8 FPS on Low, but at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 40 FPS, a 79.5% reduction from 1080p Low. The CPU's synthetic scores (47th percentile among all CPUs) are modest, but the GPU's 60th percentile ranking suggests it is the primary constraint at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its synthetic performance places it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6629 multi-core and 935 single-core. These numbers indicate a mid-range CPU that can handle modern games without bottlenecking at lower resolutions, but it is not a high-end part.

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is a RDNA 3.0 GPU with 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its FP32 throughput is 22.57 TFLOPS. The GPU sits at the 60th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17083. This is a solid mid-range card, and its 16 GB memory capacity gives it headroom for high-resolution textures.

The measured FPS data reveals how the balance shifts. At 1920x1080, the CPU and GPU both have enough capacity to produce high frame rates. The jump from Low to Ultra costs 114.9 FPS, suggesting the GPU is still the dominant factor, but the CPU is not holding it back. At 2560x1440, the gap narrows to 79.3 FPS, indicating the GPU is starting to work harder relative to the CPU. At 3840x2160, the gap shrinks to 49.2 FPS, and more importantly, High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS. This is a classic sign of GPU saturation: the RX 7600 XT simply cannot render 4K at high preset levels fast enough, regardless of what the CPU can deliver.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 197.8 FPS, which is close to the practical limit for many games. The CPU's 6 threads and 2.90 GHz base clock are sufficient for this workload. At 4K, the CPU's contribution is negligible because the GPU is the bottleneck. The benchmark data from the CPU, such as the 2784 Cinebench R20 multi-core score, suggests it is comparable to modern 6-core parts, but it lacks the thread count of higher-end CPUs, which could matter in CPU-heavy scenes. However, for Downfall, a horror game that likely does not stress the CPU heavily, the recorded FPS indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at 1440p and above.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is straightforward. At 1920x1080, this system runs Downfall flawlessly. All four presets clear the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Ultra at 82.9 FPS, High at 132.2 FPS, Medium at 164.6 FPS, and Low at 197.8 FPS. This is a comfortable experience for any display, including high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the system also clears 60 FPS at every preset. Ultra averages 61.4 FPS, which is technically playable but leaves little headroom for frame dips in intense scenes. High at 96.7 FPS is the safer choice for consistent smoothness. Medium and Low are far above the threshold, so users with 144Hz monitors can still benefit.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more restricted. Low and Medium are playable, with 89.2 FPS and 72.3 FPS respectively. High at 57.6 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are not playable. For 4K gaming, users must accept Medium as the maximum preset, and even then, the 72.3 FPS average provides only modest headroom above 60 FPS.

The database ranks this combination at 2386 out of 3716, which places it in the upper half of tested systems. This is not a top-tier rig, but it is more than capable for mainstream gaming. The verdict is clear: this PC can run Downfall at 1080p and 1440p with max settings, and at 4K with medium settings. Users with 4K displays should target Medium, while 1440p users can enjoy Ultra.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, Intel Core i7-10710U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, and Intel Core i3-10305. All of these score within 0.4% of the Core i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254. In gaming, the difference between these parts is negligible. The Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is a 4-core, 8-thread part, while the i3-10305 is a 4-core, 8-thread part, but their synthetic scores are nearly identical to the 6-core i5-9400. For Downfall, any of these CPUs would produce essentially the same FPS as the i5-9400, assuming the same GPU.

The GPU's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, GeForce GTX 690, Radeon HD 7970M, and Tesla M4. The RTX 3070 scores 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 7600 XT's 17083. In practice, the RTX 3070 would deliver nearly identical FPS in Downfall. The GTX 690 and HD 7970M are older parts, but their scores are within 0.4% of the RX 7600 XT, meaning they would also produce similar frame rates at the same settings. The Tesla M4 is a compute-oriented card, so its gaming performance may not match its benchmark score, but the data suggests it is in the same ballpark.

For users considering alternative builds, the takeaway is that this system's performance is representative of a broad class of mid-range hardware. Swapping the CPU for any of its rivals would not change the FPS numbers meaningfully, and swapping the GPU for an RTX 3070 would yield a negligible improvement. The RX 7600 XT's 16 GB memory is an advantage over older cards, but for Downfall, the recorded FPS shows the card is already sufficient.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best playable preset is Medium, with an average of 72.3 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays at or above 60 FPS. Low also works at 89.2 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while still maintaining a comfortable margin above the threshold. High at 57.6 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are not viable for smooth play.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Ultra, with an average of 61.4 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS threshold, so it qualifies, but users who prefer a more stable frame rate should consider High at 96.7 FPS. The data shows Ultra is playable, but the margin is thin. For a horror game where sudden frame drops can be jarring, High is the safer recommendation, but Ultra is technically within the playable range.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, with an average of 82.9 FPS. This leaves 22.9 FPS of headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a solid choice. High at 132.2 FPS is even smoother, but Ultra maximizes visual quality without sacrificing playability. Since all presets at 1080p are playable, users can choose based on their preference for visuals versus frame rate.

In summary, the recommended settings are Medium at 4K, Ultra at 1440p (with High as a safer alternative), and Ultra at 1080p. These settings provide the best balance of visual fidelity and playable performance based on the measured data.