Downfall

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 paired with the Intel Core i5-10400F produces a broad spread of frame rates in Downfall, ranging from a highly playable 210 FPS at 1080p Low to a marginal 39 FPS at 4K Ultra. The measured data reveals a system where the graphics card is the primary performance arbiter, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck at most settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows, contextualizes the combo's ranking, and examines the specific hardware traits that shape the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K has a dramatic and predictable impact on average frame rates, with the magnitude of the drop clearly indicating a GPU-bound workload. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 141 at 1920x1080 to 101 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 40 FPS, and then further down to 63 at 3840x2160. This scaling pattern shows that each step up in resolution exacts a significant toll, which is classic behavior when the graphics card is working at its limits.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with even steeper absolute declines. The average FPS goes from 210 at 1080p, down to 150 at 1440p, and finally to 93 at 4K. The 57 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p and the subsequent 57 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K highlight how the rendering load at 4K overwhelms the GPU's capabilities. The data suggests that the RX 9060 has ample power to saturate lower resolutions but runs out of headroom as pixel count increases.

The Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, offers insight into frame time consistency. At 1920x1080, the average is 172 FPS with a range from 146 to 198 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 123 FPS with a tighter range of 104 to 141 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average is 76 FPS with a range of 65 to 88 FPS. This data indicates that while frame rates decrease, the variance relative to the average remains somewhat consistent, suggesting a stable performance curve rather than erratic spikes or drops.

The 4K Ultra preset, with an average of only 39 FPS, demonstrates the extreme end of the scaling curve. This is a 44 FPS drop from the 4K High preset, showing that the jump from High to Ultra at 4K is exceedingly demanding. The data implies that for 4K gaming, only the Low and Medium presets deliver frame rates that would be considered fluid, while High is borderline and Ultra is not viable for smooth gameplay. The scaling analysis consistently points to the GPU as the limiting component, as the CPU's performance does not scale with resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 holds a combo rank of 1667 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the 57th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it performs better than a majority of combinations but is far from the top tier. The ranking suggests that while this setup is competent, there are many other hardware pairings that achieve higher frame rates in this title.

The rank of 1667 out of 2928 combos can be interpreted as a solid mid-range result. It implies that the system is capable of delivering a good gaming experience at lower resolutions and settings but will struggle to compete with high-end builds at 4K Ultra. The data does not specify which combos are above or below this rank, but the position suggests a balanced pairing where the GPU is not excessively bottlenecked by the CPU, yet the overall performance ceiling is limited by the hardware's individual capabilities.

Given the GPU's percentile of 59 against all GPUs and the CPU's percentile of 68 against all CPUs, the combo rank of 57% is coherent. The system's overall standing in Downfall is a reflection of both components working together, but the more significant performance swings observed in resolution scaling point to the GPU as the dominant factor in determining this rank. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the combo rank to be lower relative to the GPU's individual standing, but the data does not support that hypothesis.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a base clock of 1700 MHz. These specifications are crucial for understanding its performance in Downfall, a horror title that appears to be sensitive to raw rendering throughput.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at higher resolutions. While the data does not show VRAM usage, the performance drop from 4K High (63 FPS) to 4K Ultra (39 FPS) is substantial. This 24 FPS penalty for moving from High to Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset may be exceeding the comfortable working set of the GPU's memory, forcing additional data swapping or compression that hurts frame rates. The 128-bit memory bus, while paired with fast GDDR6, may limit the ability to feed the GPU at 4K resolutions.

The GPU's compute capabilities, measured at 21.43 TFLOPS for FP32, provide a baseline for its raw shader performance. In a game like Downfall, which is a horror title likely relying on lighting and shadow effects, the 28 RT cores could be utilized for ray-traced effects, though the data does not specify if they are active. The measured FPS values show that the GPU is capable of 210 FPS at 1080p Low, but this drops to 93 FPS at 4K Low, indicating a 55% reduction in performance when pixel count quadruples. This is consistent with a GPU that is fill-rate limited at higher resolutions.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 16014 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has an average score of 16129 and a deltaPct of -0.7. This proximity in synthetic benchmarks suggests that the RX 9060 should deliver similar performance in real-world gaming, which is corroborated by the measured FPS data. However, the 8 GB VRAM could be a differentiator in future titles or at higher settings, but within the scope of Downfall, the data shows it is a capable, mid-range performer.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Downfall?*

A: The highest average frame rate is 210 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo's performance rank against all other tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1667 out of 2928 total tested combos, placing it in the upper half of all systems tested.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between the Medium and High presets?

A: Yes, the data shows a consistent gap. At 1080p, the Medium preset averages 172 FPS while High averages 141 FPS, a 31 FPS difference. At 1440p, the difference is 22 FPS (123 vs. 101 FPS), and at 4K, it is 13 FPS (76 vs. 63 FPS).

Q: What are the minimum and maximum frame rates recorded for the Medium preset?

A: At 1920x1080, the min and max are 146 and 198 FPS. At 2560x1440, they are 104 and 141 FPS. At 3840x2160, they are 65 and 88 FPS.

Q: Which other GPUs are closest in performance to the Radeon RX 9060 based on average benchmark scores?

A: The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with a score of 16129, and the AMD Radeon R9 370X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 with scores of 15862 and 15852, respectively.

Q: Does the system achieve a playable frame rate at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 39, which is below the standard 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and is likely not considered playable for most users.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. This Comet Lake architecture processor has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory. In the context of Downfall, the CPU's role appears to be that of a stable foundation, ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data.

The CPU's benchmark results show a single-thread score of 688 in 3dmark and a multi-thread score of 4748 in the 16-thread test. These scores indicate a competent performer for gaming, where single-thread performance is often critical. The measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor, as frame rates scale down significantly with resolution, which is a GPU-bound characteristic. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see similar FPS numbers across different resolutions.

The CPU's 65W TDP and 14 nm process node suggest it is not a high-power part, but its performance is sufficient for this game. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system can reach 210 FPS, which is a high frame rate that demands good CPU performance to feed the GPU. The fact that these high frame rates are achieved indicates that the i5-10400F is keeping up with the RX 9060's demands at lower resolutions. The CPU's percentile of 68 against all CPUs further confirms that it is above average in performance, providing a solid base for the GPU.

The memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s for the CPU is a potential concern, but the data does not indicate that it is causing a bottleneck in Downfall. The combination's performance ranking, which is slightly below the CPU's individual percentile, suggests that while the CPU is capable, the overall system performance is more heavily influenced by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions and settings. The CPU is effectively a supporting player, enabling the GPU to perform at its best.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 88 FPS, which is playable, but the High preset at 141 FPS offers a significantly smoother experience with likely minimal visual difference. The Low preset at 210 FPS is excessive for most displays, so the High preset presents the best balance of visual fidelity and performance at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 101 FPS, which is a good target for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 123 FPS offers even more headroom, but the jump from High to Medium is a 22 FPS gain, which may be worth the visual sacrifice for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is borderline, and while it is playable, the High preset is a safer choice for consistent 100+ FPS performance.

For 3840x2160, the data clearly shows that the Ultra preset is not viable, with an average of only 39 FPS. The High preset at 63 FPS is the bare minimum for playable frame rates, but the Medium preset at 76 FPS provides a more comfortable margin. The Low preset at 93 FPS is the only option that offers a fluid 4K experience, but it comes with significant visual compromises. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the highest setting that can maintain a stable 60+ FPS average, making it the recommended choice.

The Medium preset stands out as a consistent performer across all resolutions, with average FPS of 172, 123, and 76 at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. This suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for this hardware combination, providing a good balance between visual quality and performance. The data shows that the difference between Medium and High is consistent, but the difference between High and Ultra is much larger, indicating that Ultra settings are disproportionately demanding.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following breakdown details the exact average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination, as measured by the benchmark.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 210 FPS. The Medium preset averages 172 FPS, with a minimum of 146 FPS and a maximum of 198 FPS. The High preset averages 141 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, averaging 88 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop accordingly. The Low preset averages 150 FPS. The Medium preset averages 123 FPS, with a minimum of 104 FPS and a maximum of 141 FPS. The High preset averages 101 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 63 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system is pushed to its limits. The Low preset averages 93 FPS. The Medium preset averages 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS. The High preset averages 63 FPS. The Ultra preset is the worst performer, averaging only 39 FPS.

The data shows a clear and consistent trend: as resolution increases, average FPS decreases, and as settings increase from Low to Ultra, average FPS also decreases. The Medium preset is the only setting that provides min and max FPS data across all three resolutions, offering a complete picture of frame time consistency. The performance difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 122 FPS (210 vs. 88), at 1440p it is 87 FPS (150 vs. 63), and at 4K it is 54 FPS (93 vs. 39). This diminishing gap at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the absolute performance ceiling is lowered.