Downfall

CPU and GPU Roles

For Downfall, the data clearly indicates that the GPU is the dominant component at every resolution tested. The AMD Radeon RX 7700, with its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and RDNA 3.0 architecture, drives frame rates that far exceed what the Intel Core i5-9400 would bottleneck at most settings. The CPU, a 6-core, 6-thread Coffee Lake part from 2018, holds up its end well enough that it does not prevent the GPU from reaching high output, but the scaling between resolutions tells the story.

At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is 139 FPS (240 down to 101). That is a massive spread, and it is almost entirely attributable to the GPU’s workload. The CPU’s role at this resolution is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the i5-9400’s 6 threads are sufficient for that task in this title. The GPU’s percentile rank of 58 among all GPUs, combined with its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865, shows it has headroom even at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling tightens compared to 1080p. Low runs at 171 FPS, Medium at 140, High at 115, and Ultra at 72. The gap from Low to Ultra is 99 FPS, which is still large but proportionally smaller than at 1080p. This indicates that as pixel count rises, the GPU is doing relatively more of the work, while the CPU’s contribution becomes a smaller share of the total frame time. The i5-9400’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 suggest it can maintain a steady stream of frames even when the GPU is under heavier load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unquestionably the limiting factor. Ultra drops to 45 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. High manages 72 FPS, Medium 87, and Low 107. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 62 FPS, the smallest spread of any resolution. This is classic GPU-bound behavior: the CPU has enough capacity to keep up, and the GPU’s fill rate, pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s, and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s become the constraining factors. The RX 7700’s 96 ROPs and 160 TMUs are simply not enough to push Ultra at 4K, regardless of what the CPU does.

The CPU’s role, as measured by its benchmark scores, is secondary. The i5-9400 falls in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i7-10710U (delta 0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (delta 0.4%). None of these are exceptionally fast parts, and the i5-9400 sits comfortably in the mid-range. For Downfall, a horror title that does not demand extreme multi-threading, the 6-core design is adequate.

In practical terms, the data shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, with the CPU providing a stable platform. At 4K, the GPU is the sole bottleneck. Users should focus on GPU settings rather than CPU upgrades to improve frame rates at higher resolutions. The RX 7700’s 3DMark scores, particularly the Passmark G3D score of 20974 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 106028, confirm it is a mid-range performer that pairs well with this older CPU in this specific game.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-9400 with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 can run Downfall at all three tested resolutions, but not at every preset. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the verdict by resolution is clear.

At 3840x2160, the system achieves playable frame rates on High, Medium, and Low presets. High is the best playable setting, with an average of 72 FPS. Medium runs at 87 FPS, and Low at 107 FPS. Ultra is not playable, as it drops to 45 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that High is the sweet spot for 4K, offering a solid margin above the minimum requirement without sacrificing image quality.

At 2560x1440, every preset is playable. Ultra runs at 72 FPS, High at 115, Medium at 140, and Low at 171. This resolution offers the most flexibility, as even the most demanding setting clears 60 FPS comfortably. The system is not stressed at 1440p, and users can push the graphics to maximum without worrying about frame rate drops.

At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally capable. Ultra runs at 101 FPS, High at 161, Medium at 196, and Low at 240. All presets are playable, and the system has enough headroom to handle any combination of settings. This is the resolution where the RX 7700 shines brightest, delivering frame rates that are smooth even on the most demanding preset.

The overall combo rank in the database is 1735 out of 3716 combinations, placing this system in the upper half of all tested hardware configurations. The data confirms that the i5-9400 does not hold back the RX 7700 in this title, and the system is a viable choice for Downfall at 1080p and 1440p, with a single caveat at 4K Ultra.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is as follows:

At 3840x2160, the best setting is High, with an average FPS of 72. This preset provides a 20% margin above the 60 FPS threshold (the exact percentage is not in the data, but the 72 FPS figure speaks for itself). Medium runs at 87 FPS, but High offers better visual fidelity. Ultra is not viable at 45 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is Ultra, with an average FPS of 72. This is the highest quality preset available, and it still clears the 60 FPS mark. High runs at 115 FPS, Medium at 140, and Low at 171, but Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum visual impact.

At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, with an average FPS of 101. This is a strong result, as it exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin. High runs at 161 FPS, Medium at 196, and Low at 240, but Ultra is the clear winner for those who prioritize graphics over raw frame rate.

The recorded data shows that the system is most balanced at 1440p, where Ultra is playable, and 4K, where High is the ceiling. Users at 1080p have no reason to compromise on settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide useful context for what other hardware would behave similarly in this system.

For the Intel Core i5-9400, the database lists four comparable CPUs. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-9400’s 2254. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% lower. These deltas are all within 0.4%, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Downfall. The i5-9400’s 6-core, 6-thread configuration is the baseline, and these alternatives offer no meaningful advantage or disadvantage.

For the AMD Radeon RX 7700, the nearest rivals are more varied. The AMD Radeon R9 370X has an average score of 15862, which is 0.1% lower than the RX 7700’s 15852. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, 1% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, 1.1% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, 1.7% higher. These deltas are small, but the RTX 3060 Ti is the closest competitor in terms of actual performance, being less than 2% faster on average. Users with an RTX 3060 Ti would see nearly identical FPS numbers in Downfall, within the margin of measurement error.

The RX 7700’s nearest rivals span multiple generations, from the older R9 370X to the newer RX 9060. This suggests that the RX 7700 sits in a stable performance tier, and swapping to any of these alternatives would not change the verdict for Downfall. The CPU alternatives are all mid-range parts, reinforcing that the i5-9400 is not a weak link in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides exact average FPS for each resolution and preset combination, with min and max values available for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 3840x2160, the measurements are as follows: Low runs at 107 FPS average. Medium runs at 87 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100. High runs at 72 FPS average. Ultra runs at 45 FPS average. The min and max values for Medium show a spread of 26 FPS, indicating some frame time variance, but the average remains well above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the measurements are: Low at 171 FPS average. Medium at 140 FPS average, with a minimum of 119 and a maximum of 161. High at 115 FPS average. Ultra at 72 FPS average. The Medium preset shows a 42 FPS spread between min and max, which is larger than at 4K, but the average is still very high.

At 1920x1080, the measurements are: Low at 240 FPS average. Medium at 196 FPS average, with a minimum of 167 and a maximum of 226. High at 161 FPS average. Ultra at 101 FPS average. The Medium preset shows a 59 FPS spread, the largest of any resolution, but the minimum of 167 FPS is still far above the 60 FPS threshold.

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: the RX 7700 delivers its best results at 1080p, with frame rates that exceed 100 FPS even on Ultra. At 1440p, the system remains highly capable, with Ultra hitting 72 FPS. At 4K, the system drops below the playable threshold only on Ultra, which is the only preset that fails the 60 FPS test.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 4K with the highest settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 45, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at 4K is High, which runs at 72 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system in Downfall?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance. At this resolution, the Ultra preset runs at 72 FPS, and every other preset (Low at 171, Medium at 140, High at 115) is also playable. It provides a higher pixel count than 1080p while maintaining frame rates above the threshold.

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

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259), Intel Core i7-10710U (2248), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246), and Intel Core i3-10305 (2264), are all within 0.4% of its score. Any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical performance in Downfall.

Q: What GPU would perform similarly to the AMD Radeon RX 7700?

A: The nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862, 0.1% slower), AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16014, 1% faster), AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15679, 1.1% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129, 1.7% faster). The RTX 3060 Ti is the closest in real-world performance, being less than 2% faster.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at any resolution?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, Ultra runs at 72 FPS, and at 1920x1080, Ultra runs at 101 FPS. Both are above the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, Ultra is not playable at 45 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded for this system in Downfall?

A: The lowest average FPS is 45, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 74, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Medium preset. All other preset and resolution combinations have averages above 60 FPS.