Downfall

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 produces a broad performance envelope in Downfall, with average frame rates ranging from 39 FPS at 4K Ultra to 210 FPS at 1080p Low. The benchmark data indicates that resolution scaling has a nonlinear impact on performance, with the most significant frame rate drops occurring when transitioning from 1440p to 4K at higher settings presets. Specifically, moving from 2560x1440 High (101 FPS) to 3840x2160 High (63 FPS) represents a 37.6% reduction in average frame rate, while the same resolution step at Ultra settings yields a 38.1% drop from 63 FPS to 39 FPS. This pattern suggests that at 4K resolution, the Radeon RX 9060 becomes the limiting factor, as its 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are increasingly taxed by the pixel throughput demands of the horror title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear hierarchy in how Downfall responds to resolution changes across the four settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate scales from 210 FPS at 1920x1080 to 150 FPS at 2560x1440, a 28.6% decrease, and then to 93 FPS at 3840x2160, another 38% reduction from the 1440p figure. This indicates that even at the lowest visual fidelity, the GPU's rendering workload grows substantially with pixel count, although the absolute values remain high enough to suggest the CPU still has headroom to feed the graphics card at 1080p.

For Medium settings, the data includes minimum and maximum frame rates, providing additional insight into frame time consistency. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 172 FPS with a minimum of 146 FPS and a maximum of 198 FPS, showing a tight 52 FPS spread. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 123 FPS with min/max of 104/141 FPS, maintaining a similar 37 FPS spread. However, at 3840x2160 Medium, the average falls to 76 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS, where the 23 FPS spread indicates that the GPU is now operating closer to its limits, as frame pacing becomes more erratic under higher pixel load.

The High preset shows a steeper degradation curve, with 141 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28.4%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 37.6%, suggesting that the scaling penalty intensifies as resolution increases. Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic falloff, starting at 88 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 63 FPS at 1440p, and finally reaching 39 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration below 60 FPS, highlighting that this combination struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at maximum fidelity and native 4K resolution.

The data collectively indicates that the Radeon RX 9060 is the primary performance bottleneck at 4K resolution across all settings, as the frame rate differences between Low (93 FPS) and Ultra (39 FPS) at that resolution are more pronounced than at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU's 6 cores and 6 threads provide sufficient processing power to keep the GPU fed, as evidenced by the 210 FPS Low result, but the scaling pattern suggests that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates when pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combination in Downfall?*

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with 101 FPS at High settings and 150 FPS at Low settings. The 4K results show that only Low (93 FPS) and Medium (76 FPS) presets maintain playable frame rates, while Ultra drops to 39 FPS.

Q: How does the Radeon RX 9060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 16014, which places it 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129), 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862), and 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852). The Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 2.1% with a score of 15679.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a limiting factor for the RX 9060 at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1080p, as the frame rates reach 210 FPS at Low settings. The processor's single-core and multi-core performance (Cinebench R23 scores of 935 and 6629 respectively) appears adequate for feeding the GPU at this resolution, though the scaling to 1440p and 4K shows GPU-bound behavior.

Q: What settings preset provides the most consistent frame pacing at 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 shows an average of 123 FPS with a minimum of 104 FPS and maximum of 141 FPS, resulting in a 37 FPS spread. This is tighter than the 52 FPS spread at 1080p Medium, indicating more consistent frame delivery at the higher resolution.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Downfall?*

A: The combination ranks 1667 out of 2928 tested combos, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all configurations. This mid-tier ranking reflects the balanced but not exceptional performance of the i5-9400 and RX 9060 pairing.

Q: Does the GPU's VRAM capacity affect performance at 4K?

A: With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, the data shows a significant frame rate drop at 4K Ultra (39 FPS) compared to 4K Low (93 FPS). The 54 FPS difference suggests that the memory subsystem is strained at higher settings, where texture and geometry data exceed comfortable capacity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides 6 cores and 6 threads, operating at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This Coffee Lake architecture processor, built on Intel's 14 nm process, offers 9 MB of shared L3 cache and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The processor's benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, while Geekbench results indicate 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core scores. The average benchmark score of 2254 places the i5-9400 at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with its nearest rivals being the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, -0.2% delta), Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, +0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, +0.4%).

In Downfall, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the 210 FPS result indicates that the 6-core processor can maintain high instruction throughput for the game's horror genre mechanics, which often involve scripted events and AI-driven enemy behavior. The jump to 1440p Low (150 FPS) shows a 28.6% reduction, which is consistent with GPU-bound rendering rather than CPU limitations. The processor's 6 threads are fully utilized in modern games, and the data suggests that the i5-9400 provides enough processing headroom to avoid bottlenecking the RX 9060 at lower resolutions.

The single-core performance, reflected in the Cinebench R23 score of 935, is adequate for Downfall's main game thread, which typically handles player input, physics calculations, and scene management. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz allows the processor to reach higher frequencies when fewer cores are active, which benefits the latency-sensitive aspects of horror game rendering. However, the processor's 65W TDP and end-of-life production status indicate it is a mid-range part from 2018, and the 47th percentile ranking suggests it is not a high-end solution for CPU-intensive titles. The benchmark data shows that at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as the CPU's frame rate contribution diminishes with increasing pixel workload.

The memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s from dual-channel DDR4 support is sufficient for the i5-9400's 6-core architecture, and the PCIe Gen 3 interface with 16 lanes provides adequate bandwidth for the RX 9060's PCIe 5.0 x16 connection, though the older standard may slightly limit data transfer rates in theory. The processor's L3 cache of 9 MB shared across all cores is modest by modern standards, but it does not appear to create a significant bottleneck in Downfall, as frame rates remain high at 1080p and 1440p across all settings presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 achieves a rank of 1667 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all configurations. This ranking reflects the balanced nature of the pairing, where neither component is severely mismatched relative to the other. The GPU's percentile ranking of 59% among all GPUs is notably higher than the CPU's 47th percentile, suggesting that the graphics card provides more relative performance headroom than the processor.

In the context of the full combo rankings, this position means that 1261 tested combinations performed worse, while 1666 performed better. The mid-tier placement is consistent with the measured frame rates, which show the combo can handle 1080p at high frame rates and 1440p at playable levels, but struggles at 4K Ultra. The rank suggests that users seeking a high-refresh-rate 1080p experience or a solid 1440p setup would find this combo adequate, while those targeting 4K gaming would need to look at higher-ranked configurations.

The data shows that the CPU's average benchmark score of 2254 places it slightly below its nearest rival in the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259), while the GPU's average score of 16014 is nearly identical to the RTX 3060 Ti (16129). This near-parity in synthetic benchmarks translates to the observed in-game performance, where the combo delivers consistent results across different resolution and settings combinations. The rank of 1667 out of 2928 indicates that this is a common mid-range pairing that offers reasonable performance for its class, with the 43rd percentile position reflecting the balance of CPU and GPU capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 141 FPS provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, while the Ultra preset at 88 FPS is still above 60 FPS and offers maximum fidelity. The Low preset at 210 FPS is beneficial for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, but the Medium preset at 172 FPS with a minimum of 146 FPS offers the most consistent frame pacing for standard 144Hz displays.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 101 FPS is the recommended choice for most users, as it maintains above 60 FPS with good visual detail. The Medium preset at 123 FPS with a minimum of 104 FPS provides higher average performance and a tighter frame time spread, making it suitable for 120Hz or 144Hz monitors. The Low preset at 150 FPS is viable for those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, while the Ultra preset at 63 FPS barely maintains 60 FPS and may experience occasional dips below that threshold in demanding scenes.

For 3840x2160, only the Low (93 FPS) and Medium (76 FPS) presets are recommended for playable performance. The Medium preset at 76 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS is the best choice for 4K, as it provides a balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. The High preset at 63 FPS is borderline, while the Ultra preset at 39 FPS should be avoided due to its sub-60 FPS performance. Users with 4K displays should prioritize the Low or Medium presets to maintain responsive gameplay in Downfall's horror sequences, where frame rate consistency is critical for immersion.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination in Downfall is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K):

• High: 63 FPS average
• Low: 93 FPS average
• Medium: 76 FPS average (minimum 65 FPS, maximum 88 FPS)
• Ultra: 39 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• High: 101 FPS average
• Low: 150 FPS average
• Medium: 123 FPS average (minimum 104 FPS, maximum 141 FPS)
• Ultra: 63 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• High: 141 FPS average
• Low: 210 FPS average
• Medium: 172 FPS average (minimum 146 FPS, maximum 198 FPS)
• Ultra: 88 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern where the Medium preset provides the most detailed frame rate statistics, with minimum and maximum values available for all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the 146 FPS minimum ensures that even the most demanding scenes remain above 144 FPS, while the 198 FPS maximum demonstrates that the GPU has headroom to spare. At 1440p Medium, the 104 FPS minimum stays above 100 FPS, and at 4K Medium, the 65 FPS minimum is just above the 60 FPS threshold.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p at each settings preset shows a consistent reduction in average FPS: High drops from 141 to 101 (28.4% decrease), Low from 210 to 150 (28.6%), Medium from 172 to 123 (28.5%), and Ultra from 88 to 63 (28.4%). The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a larger reduction: High drops from 101 to 63 (37.6%), Low from 150 to 93 (38.0%), Medium from 123 to 76 (38.2%), and Ultra from 63 to 39 (38.1%). This consistent scaling pattern indicates that the GPU's rendering workload scales predictably with pixel count, with the 4K resolution imposing a significantly higher burden on the memory subsystem.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process. It features 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines, along with 28 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz, with memory running at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a critical specification for understanding its performance in Downfall.

The GPU's benchmark results show a Passmark G3D score of 17631 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322, with the average benchmark score of 16014 placing it at the 59th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129, -0.7% delta), AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862, +1%), and AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852, +1%). The close performance parity with the RTX 3060 Ti suggests that the RX 9060 is a competent mid-range graphics card, but its 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a limiting factor at 4K resolution with higher settings.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is dominant at 4K resolution, where the frame rate differences between settings presets are most pronounced. The 39 FPS result at 4K Ultra compared to 93 FPS at 4K Low indicates that the GPU's compute and memory resources are severely taxed by the highest settings. The 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the texture and geometry demands of 4K Ultra, resulting in a 54 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets at that resolution. At 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the 210 FPS Low result, but the scaling to 1440p and 4K shows the expected GPU-bound behavior.

The GPU's 21.43 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 334.9 GTexel/s texture rate provide sufficient raw compute for Downfall's horror visuals, which likely include dynamic lighting and particle effects. The 28 ray tracing cores are present but may not be fully utilized in this 2016 title, which predates widespread ray tracing adoption. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, but the 4K Ultra result suggests that memory capacity and bandwidth are the primary bottlenecks at that resolution, as the GPU's compute capabilities are not the sole limiting factor. The data indicates that the RX 9060 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K performance limited to lower settings presets for playable frame rates.