Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + Intel Arc B370

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a striking performance profile in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that clearly stresses the GPU far more than the CPU. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that can handle 1080p gaming reasonably well at lower presets, but collapses under the weight of 4K Ultra demands. With the combo ranking 2688 out of 2928 tested combinations, this pairing sits in the lower percentile of all tested systems, yet the data suggests the bottleneck is almost entirely on the graphics side, not the processor.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about where the limiting component lies. At Low settings, the system delivers 96 FPS at 1920x1080, drops to 68 FPS at 2560x1440, and falls to 43 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K — a steep decline that points directly at the GPU struggling with pixel throughput. The Arc B370, with its 20 ROPs and 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance, simply lacks the raw fill rate and compute power to maintain high frame rates as pixel count quadruples.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling at higher settings. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 64 FPS at 1080p to 46 FPS at 1440p, then to 29 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is barely playable, sitting just below the 30 FPS threshold that most horror games need for smooth, immersive gameplay. At Ultra settings, the situation worsens: 40 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and a slideshow-like 18 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset at 4K represents a 55% drop from 1080p Ultra, showing that the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and demanding graphical effects.

What makes this scaling particularly interesting is the comparison between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (96 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) is 56 FPS, while at 4K, the gap narrows to 25 FPS (43 vs 18). This compression at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is so saturated at 4K that even reducing settings cannot fully compensate for the pixel-count penalty. The data implies that Downfall's rendering engine at 4K demands more from the graphics pipeline than this iGPU-class part can deliver, regardless of quality presets.

The Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 78 FPS with a range of 67-90 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 56 FPS with a 48-64 FPS range. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 35 FPS with a 30-40 FPS range. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is exactly 30, meaning the system occasionally dips below playable levels even at medium quality. This consistent degradation across the resolution spectrum reinforces the conclusion that the Arc B370's 3 nm architecture, while efficient, cannot overcome its modest 1280 shading units and 40 TMUs when faced with 8.3 million pixels.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Downfall at 4K?*

A: At 4K, the system achieves 43 FPS on Low settings, 35 FPS on Medium, 29 FPS on High, and 18 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low preset approaches playable territory, while Medium dips to a 30 FPS minimum. The Ultra preset at 4K is effectively unplayable.

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay?

A: At 1920x1080, the system delivers 96 FPS on Low, 78 FPS on Medium, 64 FPS on High, and 40 FPS on Ultra. The 1080p resolution is the only tier where all presets exceed 30 FPS, making it the viable choice for this hardware combination.

Q: How does the CPU compare to similar processors?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 21484, placing it at the 75th percentile of all CPUs. It is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900H, and 1.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9454, while trailing the Intel Xeon D-1746TER by 0.7%.

Q: Is the GPU competitive with other graphics cards?

A: The Intel Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186 (0.2% higher), while the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% lower).

Q: What settings preset provides the most consistent frame times?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the range is 67-90 FPS; at 1440p Medium, 48-64 FPS; at 4K Medium, 30-40 FPS. The consistency of these ranges suggests Medium offers the most predictable performance.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This specific combination ranks 2688 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems. The ranking reflects the GPU's low percentile position (5th) dragging down an otherwise mid-tier CPU.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. With a boost clock of 2400 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz, the GPU's dynamic range is enormous, but its 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs represent a very small graphics processor. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are modest figures that explain why Downfall's frame rates degrade so quickly as resolution increases.

The memory configuration is particularly unusual: the Arc B370 uses System Shared memory, with system-dependent bandwidth and no dedicated VRAM. This means the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, sharing the Ryzen 5 2600's dual-channel DDR4 interface and its 46.9 GB/s theoretical bandwidth. In a game like Downfall, which likely relies on texture streaming and frequent memory access, sharing bandwidth with the CPU could exacerbate the GPU's limitations, especially at higher resolutions where larger textures and more geometry data need to be fetched.

The GPU's 10 ray tracing cores and 12 Ultimate (12_2) DirectX support suggest modern rendering features, but the FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS is the key metric for traditional rasterization. At 4K Ultra, the system produces just 18 FPS, indicating that the GPU is completely saturated by the combination of high pixel count and demanding shader work. The 25 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm this is a low-power integrated-class part, likely designed for thin-and-light laptops, not desktop gaming.

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 5th places it among the weakest graphics solutions ever tested. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher) — both parts are over a decade old. This comparison underscores the Arc B370's position as an entry-level, efficiency-focused GPU rather than a gaming powerhouse. The measured FPS data in Downfall reflects this: even at 1080p Low, the system cannot reach 100 FPS, and the 96 FPS result suggests the GPU is already near its practical ceiling at that modest resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. Low settings produce 96 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. Medium settings yield 78 FPS with a minimum of 67 and maximum of 90, showing a tight frame time distribution. High settings drop to 64 FPS, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS. The 56 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p indicates that Downfall's quality presets have a substantial impact on GPU load, with Ultra likely enabling advanced lighting and post-processing effects that tax the Arc B370's limited shading resources.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably across all presets. Low settings produce 68 FPS, which is a 29% reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 56 FPS with a 48-64 FPS range, while High drops to 46 FPS. Ultra falls to 29 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS playability threshold. The 1440p results suggest that 1440p gaming is only viable at Low or Medium settings, and even Medium can dip below 50 FPS during intense scenes.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across the board. Low settings produce 43 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that exceeds 40 FPS. Medium averages 35 FPS with a tight 30-40 FPS range, but the 30 FPS minimum means the system will occasionally stutter. High settings drop to 29 FPS, and Ultra produces just 18 FPS — a frame rate that would be nearly unplayable in a horror game where smooth movement is essential for atmosphere. The 4K Ultra result represents a 55% drop from 1080p Ultra (40 FPS to 18 FPS), highlighting the GPU's inability to handle the pixel count.

The data reveals a clear pattern: each resolution step (1080p to 1440p to 4K) costs roughly 30-35% of the frame rate at any given setting. This consistent scaling suggests the bottleneck is purely pixel-throughput related, pointing to the GPU's 20 ROPs as the limiting factor. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, has enough headroom to feed the GPU even at lower resolutions, but the Arc B370 simply cannot render pixels fast enough at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 2018-era desktop processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boosting to 3.90 GHz. The 12 nm Zen+ architecture, built by GlobalFoundries, includes 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die. With 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 512 KB of L2 per core, the CPU provides solid multi-threaded performance for its generation, but its single-thread performance is modest by modern standards — the Geekbench single-core score of 1154 and Cinebench R15 single-core score of 157.3 reflect this.

The CPU's benchmark results show it as a capable mid-range part. The Cinebench R15 multicore score of 1248 and Geekbench multicore score of 5648 indicate strong parallel performance for a 6-core part. The Passmark multithread score of 13160 and integer math score of 44518 confirm that the CPU can handle multi-threaded workloads effectively. The 75th percentile ranking against all CPUs places it above the majority of processors, and its average benchmark score of 21484 is remarkably close to much newer parts — the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V scores 21440 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core i9-11900H scores 21367 (0.5% lower).

In Downfall, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The fact that the system can achieve 96 FPS at 1080p Low suggests the Ryzen 5 2600 is not a significant bottleneck at lower settings. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU produces 40 FPS, there is no indication that CPU limits are preventing higher frame rates. The horror genre typically involves relatively simple scenes with limited NPC counts, which plays to the CPU's strengths. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration provides enough processing power for the game's physics and AI demands, while the 16 MB L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores.

The memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s, however, could be a limiting factor when combined with the GPU's System Shared memory. In a scenario where both the CPU and GPU need to access the same DDR4 memory pool, the dual-channel interface might become a bottleneck for texture streaming and data transfer. This is particularly relevant at higher resolutions, where the GPU needs more memory bandwidth to keep up with increased pixel and texture demands. The data suggests that while the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, its memory subsystem could indirectly limit performance at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and quality. The 78 FPS average with a 67-90 FPS range provides smooth gameplay well above the 60 FPS threshold, while the visual quality improvement over Low is likely noticeable. The High preset at 64 FPS is also viable, but the drop from 78 to 64 FPS may not justify the visual gains. Ultra at 40 FPS is playable but sits below the 60 FPS ideal for a horror game where smooth motion enhances immersion.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset at 68 FPS is the safest choice for consistent performance. Medium at 56 FPS is acceptable, but the 48 FPS minimum could cause noticeable stutters during intense scenes. High at 46 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 29 FPS should be avoided. For 1440p users, Medium offers the best visual quality while maintaining a playable frame rate, but those who prioritize smoothness should stick with Low.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 43 FPS is the only viable option for anything resembling playable performance. Medium at 35 FPS with a 30 FPS minimum is risky, as the game may drop to unplayable frame rates during action sequences. High and Ultra at 29 FPS and 18 FPS, respectively, are not recommended. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises, and even Low settings may not provide a consistently smooth experience.

The Medium preset is the only setting tier with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, which provides insight into frame time consistency. The 1080p Medium range of 67-90 FPS shows a 23 FPS spread, while the 4K Medium range of 30-40 FPS shows a tighter 10 FPS spread. This suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so saturated that frame rates become more consistent but lower, whereas at lower resolutions, there is more headroom for variation. For the best overall experience, 1080p Medium delivers the highest quality with acceptable consistency, while 1440p Low offers a middle ground for users with higher-resolution displays.

How This Combo Ranks

This AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2688 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested. This low ranking is directly attributable to the GPU's performance — the Arc B370 sits at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU ranks at the 75th percentile. The stark contrast between the two components' percentile positions highlights the severe imbalance in this pairing.

The CPU's benchmark performance relative to rivals shows it is not the weak link. The Ryzen 5 2600's average score of 21484 is within 1.2% of the AMD EPYC 9454 (21223) and 0.7% of the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (21635). This places the CPU in a competitive position against much newer processors, suggesting that in a system with a more powerful GPU, this combo could rank significantly higher. The bottleneck is unambiguous: the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it alongside GPUs from over a decade ago, and the measured FPS data confirms this.

The ranking of 2688 out of 2928 means that 240 other combos perform worse, but the vast majority of systems tested (over 91%) outperform this pairing. For a 2018 CPU paired with a 2026 GPU, the expectation would be for the newer GPU to compensate for the older CPU's limitations. Instead, the Arc B370's low power design and integrated-class performance hold the system back. The data indicates that this combo is suitable only for 1080p gaming at modest settings, and even then, it cannot achieve high refresh rates. Users seeking better Downfall performance would need to consider a more powerful discrete GPU, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a significantly faster graphics card.