Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + Intel Arc B390

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a striking performance profile in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that remains demanding enough to expose every bottleneck in this combination. The measured results show a system that can deliver playable frame rates at lower resolutions and settings, but struggles significantly as resolution increases and graphical fidelity climbs. The combo ranks 2589 out of 2928 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, which signals fundamental limitations that become more apparent under heavier loads. The Arc B390’s integrated graphics architecture, built on the Xe3-LPG design with a 3 nm process, operates with system-shared memory, and this configuration appears to constrain performance substantially in ways that the CPU alone cannot compensate for.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K in Downfall reveals a system where the graphics component becomes the dominant limiting factor as pixel count rises. At Low settings, the jump from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 reduces average FPS from 106 to 76, a 28% decrease, and then further to 47 at 3840x2160, representing a 56% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that the Intel Arc B390, with its system-shared memory and 1536 shading units, cannot maintain throughput when pixel fill requirements grow exponentially. The 4K Low result of 47 FPS remains technically playable, but the trend suggests that any increase in resolution beyond 1080p exacts a heavy toll on frame delivery.

At Medium settings, the scaling follows a similar trajectory: 87 FPS at 1080p falls to 62 FPS at 1440p (a 29% drop) and then to 39 FPS at 4K (a 55% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage reductions across different settings levels points to a resolution-bound limitation rather than a settings-bound one. The GPU’s pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, while specified in the hardware, translate into practical limits that become apparent when 4K resolution demands four times the pixel throughput of 1080p. The system-shared memory bandwidth, listed as "System Dependent," likely compounds this issue, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for the same memory resources.

High settings show the most dramatic degradation at 4K, where the average FPS drops to 32 compared to 71 at 1080p, a 55% reduction. Ultra settings present an even starker picture: 44 FPS at 1080p falls to 32 FPS at 1440p and then collapses to 20 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 20 FPS is barely interactive, suggesting that the combination of high resolution and maximum settings overwhelms the Arc B390’s capabilities. The data implies that Downfall at 4K, regardless of settings, pushes this combo to its breaking point, with only the Low preset approaching acceptable frame rates. The CPU’s role in this scaling appears secondary; the Ryzen 5 2600’s six cores and twelve threads, clocked at 3.40 GHz base and 3.90 GHz boost, provide sufficient processing headroom that the graphics subsystem becomes the clear constraining component at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Downfall with this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 produces the highest frame rates across all settings, ranging from 44 FPS at Ultra to 106 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, only Low (76 FPS) and Medium (62 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, while 3840x2160 never reaches 60 FPS even at Low settings (47 FPS). For consistently smooth gameplay, 1080p is the recommended resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 perform relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390’s average benchmark score of 1482 places it just above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 (1.3% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% lower). It is also ahead of the GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% lower) and GT 710 (1443, 2.7% lower). These comparisons indicate the Arc B390 sits at the very low end of GPU performance, ranking in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Can this system run Downfall at Ultra settings smoothly?

A: No. The Ultra preset yields 44 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. Only the 1080p result approaches playability, but it still falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The measured minimum FPS values are only available for Medium settings, where 1080p shows a minimum of 74 FPS, suggesting Ultra would have lower minimums that could cause stuttering.

Q: What settings preset provides the best balance of quality and performance?

A: Medium at 1080p delivers 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, making it the highest quality preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. High at 1080p also works at 71 FPS but lacks the minimum FPS data, so Medium’s documented floor of 74 FPS makes it the safer choice.

Q: How significant is the CPU’s performance relative to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 scores 21484 on average benchmarks, placing it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. It is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (21440), 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900H (21367), 1.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9454 (21223), but 0.7% behind the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (21635). This indicates the CPU is competitive with modern processors despite its 2018 release.

Q: Does the Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The memory configuration is listed as "System Shared" for both size and type, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies entirely on the system’s main memory, which for this CPU is DDR4 with dual-channel support and 46.9 GB/s bandwidth. This shared arrangement likely contributes to the performance limitations observed at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and Intel Arc B390 achieves a rank of 2589 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 11.6% of all systems tested. This ranking reflects the severe graphics bottleneck created by the Arc B390, which sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 1482. The CPU, by contrast, performs admirably in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, creating a stark imbalance where the processor’s capabilities far exceed what the graphics solution can utilize in this game.

The disparity between CPU and GPU percentiles explains much of the observed behavior. The Ryzen 5 2600’s nearest rivals include processors like the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (0.2% lower score) and Intel Core i9-11900H (0.5% lower), showing that this older CPU remains competitive in raw compute benchmarks. However, the Arc B390’s nearest rivals are legacy NVIDIA parts like the GT 520MX and GT 710, which are entry-level GPUs from over a decade ago. This pairing creates a situation where the system’s gaming performance is dictated almost entirely by the GPU, and the CPU’s considerable headroom goes largely unused in Downfall’s rendering pipeline.

The 2589th rank out of 2928 combos indicates that most other tested systems outperform this configuration in Downfall. Given the game’s 2016 release date and horror genre, which often relies on atmospheric lighting and shadow effects that stress GPU resources, the Arc B390’s 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs become limiting factors. The data suggests that even modest GPU upgrades would dramatically improve this combo’s ranking, whereas CPU upgrades would yield minimal gains in this specific title. The combination’s performance is ultimately constrained by the weakest link, and in Downfall, that link is unequivocally the integrated graphics solution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the resolution that yields the best overall results, the measured frame rates show a clear progression across settings. Low produces 106 FPS average, which is the highest of any configuration tested. Medium delivers 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, providing a documented performance envelope that suggests stability. High achieves 71 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold but with no minimum or maximum data recorded. Ultra drops to 44 FPS, which may be playable but leaves little margin for demanding scenes. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 62 FPS, representing a 58% reduction when maximizing visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the performance envelope narrows considerably. Low settings produce 76 FPS, which remains above 60 FPS, while Medium yields 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and maximum of 71 FPS. The Medium minimum of 53 FPS indicates that even this mid-tier preset can dip below the smoothness threshold during intense moments. High settings drop to 51 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS, which represents a 58% reduction from Low at the same resolution. Compared to 1080p, every settings level at 1440p shows a 27-31% reduction in average FPS, demonstrating the uniform impact of increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across all settings. Low achieves 47 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 40 FPS. Medium produces 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS and maximum of 44 FPS, showing that even the best-case scenarios remain below playable thresholds. High drops to 32 FPS, and Ultra falls to 20 FPS, which is effectively unplayable for a horror game requiring responsive controls. The Medium preset’s minimum of 33 FPS highlights the variability at 4K, where frame times could become erratic. From 1080p Low to 4K Low, the reduction is 56%, while from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra, the reduction is 55%, indicating that resolution scaling impacts all settings equally.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 serves as the primary bottleneck in this configuration, and its specifications explain why. With 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, the GPU offers modest compute resources that are further constrained by its system-shared memory architecture. The base clock of 300 MHz and boost clock of 2500 MHz provide a wide dynamic range, but the memory bandwidth being "System Dependent" means the GPU’s performance hinges on the CPU’s DDR4 memory subsystem, which operates at 46.9 GB/s in dual-channel mode. This shared arrangement creates contention between CPU and GPU memory access, particularly at higher resolutions where texture and framebuffer demands increase.

The GPU’s benchmark performance, measured via 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 at a score of 1482, places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% lower), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% lower), GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% lower), and GT 710 (1443, 2.7% lower). These comparisons illustrate that the Arc B390 performs at the level of ancient entry-level discrete GPUs, despite its modern 3 nm process and Xe3-LPG architecture. The 12 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 indicate feature completeness, but raw throughput remains severely limited.

In Downfall, the GPU’s limitations manifest most clearly at 4K resolution, where even Low settings cannot reach 60 FPS. The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s suggest theoretical capabilities that should handle older games, yet the system-shared memory creates a practical ceiling. The 80 W TDP and integrated form factor (IGP slot width, no power connectors) indicate that this GPU is designed for lightweight portable devices, not demanding gaming workloads. The release date of 2026-01-26 and production status of Active suggest this is a recent integrated solution, but its performance class aligns with the lowest tier of the GPU market. For Downfall, the data shows that any settings preset above Low at 1440p, or any preset above Medium at 1080p, will struggle to maintain smooth frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combo in Downfall is Medium at 1920x1080. This configuration delivers 87 FPS average, with a documented minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, making it the only preset that combines above-60 FPS averages with a confirmed minimum above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a 13 FPS advantage over High (71 FPS) and a 43 FPS advantage over Ultra (44 FPS), while offering better visual quality than Low (106 FPS). The trade-off between visual fidelity and performance at Medium seems well-balanced, as the minimum FPS of 74 ensures that even demanding scenes maintain smoothness.

For users willing to sacrifice visual quality for maximum frame rates, Low at 1920x1080 provides 106 FPS, which is 19 FPS higher than Medium. This preset would be suitable for competitive play or for users sensitive to frame pacing, though the visual downgrade may detract from the horror atmosphere that Downfall aims to create. The Low preset at 1440p (76 FPS) also remains above 60 FPS, making it a viable alternative for users with 1440p displays who prioritize smoothness over resolution-appropriate settings.

The High preset at 1080p (71 FPS) is acceptable but offers no documented minimum FPS, creating uncertainty about potential dips. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended: 44 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K all fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with 4K Ultra being effectively unplayable. For 1440p displays, Medium (62 FPS) is the highest preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, though its minimum of 53 FPS indicates occasional stutter. At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS, with Low (47 FPS) being the only option that approaches playability, though the Medium preset’s minimum of 33 FPS suggests that even it may cause frustration during intense scenes. The recommendation is clear: 1080p Medium offers the best combination of performance and visual quality, with 1080p Low as a fallback for users prioritizing frame rate above all else.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 provides substantial processing power that remains underutilized in Downfall due to the GPU bottleneck. With 6 cores and 12 threads, base clock of 3.40 GHz, and boost clock of 3.90 GHz, this CPU offers ample multi-threading capability for modern games. The Zen architecture, built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, includes 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache, providing a total cache hierarchy that supports efficient data access for game logic and physics calculations. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 21484 places it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, with scores of 1248 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 157.3 in single-core, demonstrating solid performance for its generation.

The CPU’s nearest rivals show that it remains competitive with much newer processors. The Intel Core Ultra 5 228V scores 21440 (0.2% lower), the Intel Core i9-11900H scores 21367 (0.5% lower), and the AMD EPYC 9454 scores 21223 (1.2% lower). Only the Intel Xeon D-1746TER edges it out at 21635 (0.7% higher). These results indicate that the Ryzen 5 2600’s processing capability is not the limiting factor in this combo’s Downfall performance. The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 46.9 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate data throughput, though this bandwidth is shared with the GPU’s system-shared memory, potentially causing contention.

In Downfall, the CPU’s role appears secondary to the GPU’s limitations. The measured FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows consistent reductions across all settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to remain more stable across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload (game logic, physics, AI) does not scale with pixel count. Instead, the substantial FPS drops at higher resolutions confirm that the Arc B390 cannot keep pace with the CPU’s output. The CPU’s boost clock of 3.90 GHz across its six cores should handle Downfall’s single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks effectively, and its percentile ranking suggests no deficiency in processing power. The 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier offer headroom for users who might want to overclock, though such gains would not address the GPU bottleneck. The data makes clear that any upgrade to this system’s Downfall performance should focus on replacing or supplementing the Arc B390, not the Ryzen 5 2600.