Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core i5-9400 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT

The Intel Core i5-9400 pairs with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT to deliver a playable but uneven experience in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. The combo ranks 2760 out of 3716 tested configurations, placing it in the lower half of all systems, yet the measured frame rates tell a more nuanced story across resolutions and settings. The data reveals a system that can handle 1080p easily, struggles at 4K Ultra, and shows a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution climbs.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor built on the Coffee Lake architecture using a 14 nm process. Its base clock sits at 2.90 GHz with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, and it carries 9 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor draws 65 W TDP and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core, while Geekbench results show 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. These numbers place the CPU at the 47th percentile among all processors, meaning it sits slightly below the midpoint of the distribution.

The nearest rivals to the i5-9400 in aggregate benchmark score include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (avg 2259, delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i7-10710U (avg 2248, delta 0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (avg 2246, delta 0.4%), and the Intel Core i3-10305 (avg 2264, delta -0.4%). The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254 places it within a tight cluster where no rival exceeds a 0.4% difference, indicating that the CPU's raw compute capability is essentially interchangeable with these contemporaries for most workloads.

In Downfall, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining frame rates at 1080p, where the processor is more likely to be the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 187 FPS average, but this drops to 133 FPS at 1440p and 83 FPS at 4K — a scaling pattern that suggests the GPU begins to take over as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The 6-core, 6-thread configuration lacks hyper-threading, which could matter in a horror game that may spawn background processes, but the measured data shows that even at 1080p Ultra, the system still delivers 78 FPS, indicating the CPU is not a severe bottleneck at this resolution. The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 2784 and single-core of 392 reinforce that the i5-9400 is a mid-range part capable of feeding the GPU adequately at lower resolutions, but its 47th percentile ranking hints that it may hold back performance in CPU-intensive scenes.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture using a 7 nm process with the Navi 10 chip. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1905 MHz and a game clock of 1755 MHz. Memory runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective. The card has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, delivering a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is rated at 9.754 TFLOPS.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark results show a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2134, a Passmark G3D score of 16277, and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 9524. These place the RX 5700 XT at the 59th percentile among all GPUs — notably higher than the CPU's 47th percentile. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (avg 16351, delta 0.1%), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (avg 16408, delta -0.3%), the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (avg 16415, delta -0.3%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 (avg 16504, delta -0.9%). The RX 5700 XT's average benchmark score of 16361 means it sits within 0.9% of these competitors, though the presence of much newer and more expensive cards in this comparison is notable.

In Downfall, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for all tested resolutions, as no measurement shows a VRAM-related failure. The 4K Ultra setting produces an average of 35 FPS, which is the lowest measured result and likely reflects the GPU's compute limits rather than memory capacity. The 4K High setting yields 56 FPS, while 4K Medium achieves 68 FPS — a pattern where the GPU's raw throughput, not memory, determines performance. The boost clock of 1905 MHz provides the headroom needed for the significant FPS jumps between Low and Medium settings at each resolution, suggesting that the card scales well with increasing graphical load until it hits the Ultra ceiling.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear resolution scaling pattern that shifts the bottleneck from CPU at 1080p to GPU at 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 187 at 1080p to 133 at 1440p (a 29% decrease) and then to 83 at 4K (a 38% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline at higher resolutions indicates the GPU is becoming the primary constraint — the CPU can feed frames quickly at 1080p, but the RX 5700 XT cannot maintain that throughput as pixel count increases.

The Medium settings tell a similar story: 153 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The frame time data for Medium settings shows minimums of 130 FPS at 1080p, 93 FPS at 1440p, and 58 FPS at 4K, with maximums of 176, 126, and 78 respectively. The gap between min and max at 4K Medium (58 to 78 FPS) is 20 FPS, suggesting some scene-to-scene variability that could be GPU-driven. At High settings, the pattern continues: 125 FPS at 1080p, 89 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K.

Ultra settings produce the most dramatic scaling: 78 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K on Ultra is 43 FPS (a 55% reduction), which is larger than the corresponding drops on Low (104 FPS, 56% reduction) and Medium (85 FPS, 56% reduction). This consistent proportional decline across all settings strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions, while the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p Low where the 187 FPS result exceeds what the GPU can sustain at higher pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-9400 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination ranks 2760 out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the 74th percentile of the ranking — meaning roughly 26% of tested configurations perform worse. This rank is lower than the GPU's individual 59th percentile and higher than the CPU's 47th percentile, suggesting the pairing produces a result that falls between the two components' standalone positions.

The rank indicates that despite the GPU being moderately above-average, the CPU's below-average standing drags the overall combo down. In practical terms, this means the system is better suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming than 4K, where the GPU's limitations become more apparent. The combo's rank of 2760 out of 3716 means it outperforms 956 other configurations, but it also means 2759 systems achieve better results in Downfall. Given that the measured FPS at 1080p High (125 FPS) and 1440p High (89 FPS) are solidly playable, the low rank may reflect the system's inability to handle 4K Ultra (35 FPS) rather than poor performance at mainstream resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers 109 FPS average with a minimum of 93 FPS and maximum of 126 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the frame time consistency (93-126 FPS range) suggests minimal stuttering. The 4K Medium setting achieves 68 FPS average with a minimum of 58 FPS, which is borderline playable but risky for a horror game where frame drops can hurt immersion.

For users prioritizing 4K, the Low preset at 83 FPS average is the safest choice, though it sacrifices visual fidelity. The High preset at 4K (56 FPS) is technically playable but sits close to the 60 FPS mark, making it vulnerable to dips. At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 78 FPS average is the best option for maximum quality without sacrificing playability — the frame rate stays above 60 FPS, and the system has enough headroom to avoid noticeable drops. The Medium preset at 1080p (153 FPS) is overkill for most displays, but it demonstrates the system's capability at lower resolutions. Overall, the data suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot, offering a 109 FPS average that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS while maintaining reasonable visual quality.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 1440p Medium delivers 109 FPS average with a minimum of 93 FPS, making it the best balance of quality and performance. At 1080p, all settings exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra at 78 FPS being the highest quality option that remains playable.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Downfall?*

A: Yes, but with limitations. The 4K Low setting achieves 83 FPS average, while 4K Medium hits 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS. The 4K High setting drops to 56 FPS, and 4K Ultra falls to 35 FPS, which is not smooth enough for comfortable play.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16361, placing it 0.1% above the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16351), 0.3% below the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (16408), 0.3% below the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (16415), and 0.9% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 (16504).

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Downfall?*

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 187 FPS, but this drops to 83 FPS at 4K Low — a 56% reduction. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking suggests it may limit performance at 1080p, but the GPU's 59th percentile and the steep resolution scaling point to the GPU as the primary constraint at 1440p and above.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with this combo?

A: The measured results show 187 FPS at Low, 153 FPS at Medium (minimum 130, maximum 176), 125 FPS at High, and 78 FPS at Ultra. All settings exceed 60 FPS, making 1080p the most comfortable resolution for this system.

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

A: The combo ranks 2760 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the lower 74% of all systems. This rank reflects the CPU's below-average standing, as the GPU alone sits at the 59th percentile.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 187 FPS average
• Medium: 153 FPS average, 130 FPS minimum, 176 FPS maximum
• High: 125 FPS average
• Ultra: 78 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 133 FPS average
• Medium: 109 FPS average, 93 FPS minimum, 126 FPS maximum
• High: 89 FPS average
• Ultra: 56 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 83 FPS average
• Medium: 68 FPS average, 58 FPS minimum, 78 FPS maximum
• High: 56 FPS average
• Ultra: 35 FPS average

The full data set shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution reduces FPS by roughly 30-40% across all settings, while each step up in settings (from Low to Medium to High to Ultra) reduces FPS by a similar proportion. The only exception is the 4K Ultra setting, which drops to 35 FPS — a 48% reduction from 4K High's 56 FPS, indicating a particularly heavy load at the highest quality tier. The minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings, showing a 130-176 FPS range at 1080p, 93-126 FPS at 1440p, and 58-78 FPS at 4K, which suggests that Medium is the only preset where frame time variability was measured and reported.