Downfall

FAQ

Q: What is the highest quality preset this PC can run at 3840x2160 while maintaining at least 60 FPS?

A: The data shows the High preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 63 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 39 FPS, so it is not playable at 4K.

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

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, placing it 47th percentile among all CPUs. It is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, 0.2% faster) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, 0.4% slower than the rival). The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246) is 0.4% behind.

Q: Which GPU rival is closest in performance to the AMD Radeon RX 9060?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has an average score of 16129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16014. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852) is 1% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15679) is 2.1% lower.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 9060 a strong performer overall in the database?

A: The RX 9060 sits at the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. Its PassMark G3D score is 17631, while its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3322.

Q: What resolution and settings yield the highest average FPS for this combination?

A: The highest recorded average is 210 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At Medium settings it averages 172 FPS, at High it averages 141 FPS, and at Ultra it averages 88 FPS.

Q: How many total PC combinations does this setup rank among in Downfall?

A: This combo ranks 2185 out of 3716 tested combinations in the database for Downfall, placing it in the lower-middle portion of all tested systems.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the dominant factor in Downfall's performance, while the Intel Core i5-9400 provides sufficient headroom at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high across all presets: 210 FPS at Low, 172 FPS at Medium, 141 FPS at High, and 88 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 122 FPS, indicating that the GPU is scaling heavily with graphical load. At this resolution, the CPU keeps up easily, and the bottleneck shifts entirely to the graphics card as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with tighter margins. Low averages 150 FPS, Medium 123 FPS, High 101 FPS, and Ultra 63 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is 25 FPS, while the drop at Low is 60 FPS. This suggests that at lower presets, the resolution increase exposes more GPU workload, but the CPU still manages to feed frames adequately. The 1440p Ultra result of 63 FPS is exactly at the playable threshold, showing that the GPU is nearing its limit but the CPU is not yet the primary constraint.

At 3840x2160, the role of the GPU becomes even more pronounced. Low averages 93 FPS, Medium 76 FPS, High 63 FPS, and Ultra drops to 39 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 54 FPS reduction, and the Ultra preset falls well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The CPU's role at 4K is minimal: with a 6-core, 6-thread configuration and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, it has enough compute power to keep up with the GPU's output at High and below. The data indicates that Downfall is a GPU-bound title at 4K, especially at Ultra settings, where the RX 9060 simply cannot maintain fluid frame rates.

The resolution scaling data also shows that the CPU matters more at 1080p. The jump from 1080p Low (210 FPS) to 1440p Low (150 FPS) is a 60 FPS reduction, while the jump from 1440p Low to 4K Low (93 FPS) is another 57 FPS reduction. This linear degradation suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor across all resolutions, and the i5-9400's performance is sufficient for this horror title. In summary, the RX 9060 is the component that determines playability, particularly at 4K Ultra, while the i5-9400 provides a stable foundation without becoming a bottleneck in the tested scenarios.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which averages 63 FPS. The Medium preset averages 76 FPS and Low averages 93 FPS, but High is the best visual quality option that still clears the playable threshold. The Ultra preset falls to 39 FPS, so it is not recommended at 4K.

At 2560x1440, all four presets clear 60 FPS. The most demanding playable preset is Ultra, which averages 63 FPS. High averages 101 FPS, Medium 123 FPS, and Low 150 FPS. The Ultra preset is right at the edge of the playable threshold, but it remains viable for players who prioritize visual fidelity.

At 1920x1080, every preset is playable, and the most demanding option is Ultra at 88 FPS. High averages 141 FPS, Medium 172 FPS, and Low 210 FPS. The 88 FPS average at Ultra provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p the only resolution where the full Ultra experience is fully fluid.

The Verdict

This PC can run Downfall, but the experience depends heavily on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS at all four presets, including Ultra with an average of 88 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 63 FPS. At 3840x2160, High, Medium, and Low clear the threshold, with High averaging 63 FPS, but Ultra drops to 39 FPS and is not playable.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p are fully playable at every preset, while 4K is playable up to High settings. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that fails the 60 FPS test. For players with a 4K display, High settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance, while those on 1440p or 1080p can push to Ultra without concern.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160:

• Low: average 93 FPS
• Medium: average 76 FPS, minimum 65 FPS, maximum 88 FPS
• High: average 63 FPS
• Ultra: average 39 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: average 150 FPS
• Medium: average 123 FPS, minimum 104 FPS, maximum 141 FPS
• High: average 101 FPS
• Ultra: average 63 FPS

1920x1080:

• Low: average 210 FPS
• Medium: average 172 FPS, minimum 146 FPS, maximum 198 FPS
• High: average 141 FPS
• Ultra: average 88 FPS

The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, and those show a consistent frame delivery pattern. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 65 FPS stays above the playable threshold, while the maximum reaches 88 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 104 FPS and the maximum is 141 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 146 FPS and the maximum is 198 FPS. These ranges indicate that frame pacing is stable, with no severe dips below the average.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Downfall, this Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 2185 out of 3716 tested combos. This places the system in the lower 41% of all tested configurations. The rank reflects the overall performance across all resolutions and settings, and it is consistent with the GPU's 59th percentile standing among all GPUs. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking is also a contributing factor to the mid-pack placement.

The combination performs best at 1080p, where it delivers some of the highest frame rates in the database for this game, but the 4K Ultra result pulls the overall rank down. The rank of 2185 suggests that many other tested combos achieve better 4K performance, likely due to more powerful GPUs. However, the system is far from the bottom of the list, and it offers solid playable performance at 1080p and 1440p across all presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400's nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% faster), the Intel Core i7-10710U (0.3% slower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% slower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 (0.4% faster). These processors would perform nearly identically in Downfall, meaning any of them paired with the RX 9060 would produce similar frame rates. The delta percentages are all within a fraction of a percent, so swapping the i5-9400 for any of these rivals would not meaningfully change the gaming experience.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 9060's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (0.7% faster), the AMD Radeon R9 370X (1% slower), the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (1% slower), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (2.1% slower). The RTX 3060 Ti would provide a marginal improvement in frame rates, while the RX 7700 and R9 370X would be slightly slower. The Pro W5500 is the most distant rival but still within 2.1% of the RX 9060's average score. In practice, any of these GPUs paired with the i5-9400 would deliver a very similar experience in Downfall, with differences of only a few frames per second at each resolution and preset.