Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a playable but constrained experience in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. The data shows a combination where CPU headroom is abundant, but the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions and presets. This analysis breaks down the measured results to explain what this hardware pairing can realistically deliver.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently achieves high frame rates. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average is 106 FPS, and even at High settings it maintains a 71 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 51 FPS on High, and at 3840x2160 it falls to 32 FPS on High, making higher resolutions less viable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals in raw GPU performance?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. This places it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463) and 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460). It is 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446) and 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443). This indicates entry-level performance.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 a strong processor in general?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 5 5600 is a solid performer. It has a 74th percentile ranking among all CPUs, indicating it outperforms most processors on the market. Its average benchmark score is 20468, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (score 20454, 0.1% slower) and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G (score 20425, 0.2% slower).

Q: What is the most demanding settings preset for this combo?

A: The Ultra preset is by far the most demanding. At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops to 44, and at 2560x1440 it falls to 32 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset yields an average of only 20 FPS, which is the lowest score recorded in the measured data.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 5600 has 6 cores and 12 threads, and its benchmark scores (e.g., 18309 in Cinebench R23 multicore) suggest ample processing power for a 2016 title. The Intel Arc B390, however, ranks in the 9th percentile for all GPUs, and its performance is close to decade-old entry-level graphics cards, making it the clear performance ceiling in this pairing.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth experience at 1920x1080?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080 offers a good balance, with a 71 FPS average. However, if you have a higher refresh rate monitor, the Low preset provides a 106 FPS average. The Medium preset is also smooth at 87 FPS, but the High preset offers a better visual experience while still maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer). It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This CPU is built on a 7 nm process and supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. These specifications are more than adequate for a game released in 2016.

The CPU’s synthetic benchmark scores reinforce its capability. It scores 18309 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2584 in single-core, with a Geekbench multicore score of 9158. Its Passmark multithread score is 21541. The Ryzen 5 5600 sits in the 74th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is more powerful than the vast majority of processors tested. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, has an average score of 20454, which is a negligible 0.1% difference.

In the context of Downfall, the CPU is unlikely to be the source of frame rate drops. The 6-core/12-thread configuration provides plenty of headroom for the game’s logic and physics. The data suggests that as settings are lowered and resolutions are decreased, the frame rate scales significantly, which is typical when a system is not CPU-bound. For example, moving from High to Low at 1920x1080 improves the average FPS from 71 to 106, a jump that is more characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario where lowering the load on the graphics card yields immediate dividends. The CPU is a stable, high-performance foundation; the GPU is what holds this combo back.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Downfall, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B390 is ranked 2589 out of 2928 total combos. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, indicating that while it is capable of running the game, it does so at a level well below the majority of other configurations.

This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU’s performance is strong, ranking in the 74th percentile across all CPUs. The GPU, however, ranks in the 9th percentile for all GPUs. This massive disparity between the CPU’s high standing and the GPU’s low standing means the system's overall gaming performance is dragged down to a level consistent with the weakest component. The combo ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's limited capabilities, suggesting that the Ryzen 5 5600 is a powerful partner that is underutilized by the Arc B390.

The data indicates this is a heavily bottlenecked system. The CPU is capable of much more, but the GPU cannot feed it enough frames to keep it busy. While the CPU can handle the game’s instructions with ease, the GPU struggles to render frames quickly enough. This results in a system that performs far below what the CPU alone would suggest, and the overall rank of 2589 out of 2928 combos confirms the performance ceiling imposed by the Intel graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the performance scaling across different settings and resolutions.

3840x2160 (4K): The Ultra preset is essentially unplayable, with an average of just 20 FPS. High settings are not much better, yielding an average of 32 FPS. The game becomes more fluid at Medium settings with a 39 FPS average and a minimum of 33 FPS. To achieve a playable frame rate at this resolution, you must use Low settings, which produce an average of 47 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p): This resolution is more manageable but still challenging for the GPU. The Ultra preset drops to a 32 FPS average. High settings provide a smoother 51 FPS average. The Medium preset is the most balanced here, delivering a 62 FPS average with a minimum of 53 FPS. Low settings push the average up to 76 FPS, which is a significant improvement.

1920x1080 (1080p): This is the resolution where the combo performs best. The Ultra preset is still demanding, producing a 44 FPS average. However, High settings are a sweet spot, providing a 71 FPS average. Medium settings yield an even higher 87 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 FPS. Low settings are the best for maximum performance, reaching a 106 FPS average.

The scaling is consistent: lowering the resolution and settings has a dramatic positive impact on frame rate. The jump from 3840x2160 to 1920x1080 at High settings improves the average from 32 FPS to 71 FPS, more than doubling the performance. Similarly, at 1920x1080, going from Ultra to Low increases the frame rate from 44 to 106 FPS. The system's performance is highly sensitive to the graphical load, confirming that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is a graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and is built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster operation units (ROPs). It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. Its compute power is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

A critical detail is that the Arc B390 has "System Shared" memory. This means it relies on system RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively. This architecture is a significant factor in its performance, as it shares the memory controller and bandwidth with the CPU.

The GPU’s benchmark performance is quite low. It has a score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This performance puts it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals are very old, low-end cards. The data shows it is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M. It also edges out the GT 625 OEM by 2.5% and the GT 710 by 2.7%.

This context is crucial for understanding the FPS results. The Arc B390 is not a high-performance gaming GPU. Its performance is comparable to entry-level graphics cards from over a decade ago. This explains why it struggles to maintain high frame rates in Downfall, especially at higher resolutions. The 32 FPS average at 4K High and the 20 FPS at 4K Ultra are a direct result of this limited processing power. The GPU is the bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo is found at 1920x1080 resolution.

For a smooth and visually pleasing experience, the High preset is the recommended starting point. It delivers an average of 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target for most monitors. This setting provides a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, ensuring the game is responsive and fluid.

If you have a high refresh rate monitor (e.g., 144Hz), the Low preset is the best choice. It produces an average of 106 FPS, which is a substantial boost over High. While you lose some graphical quality, the increase in frame rate will make the game feel much smoother.

The Medium preset is a viable middle ground, offering an 87 FPS average. This is a great option if you want a bit more visual quality than Low but don't want the performance hit of High.

The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions. At 1920x1080, it only manages a 44 FPS average, which can feel choppy. At 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, it drops to 32 and 20 FPS, respectively, which is unplayable.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only recommended option, yielding a 62 FPS average. High settings are borderline at 51 FPS, but Medium provides a safer margin.

3840x2160 is not recommended for this combination. Even at Low settings, the average FPS is only 47, which is not ideal for a smooth experience. If you must play at 4K, Low settings are your only option, but you will be compromising on both frame rate and visual quality. The best path for this hardware is to stick to 1920x1080 and use the High or Low presets.