Downfall

Downfall, the 2016 horror title, presents an interesting stress profile for the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 pairing. The measured frame rates reveal a system that transitions from being firmly GPU-bound at lower resolutions to becoming increasingly reliant on the graphics card's capabilities as pixel count rises. At 1080p, the combo delivers excellent headroom, while 4K pushes the hardware to its limits, showcasing a clear scaling pattern that defines the user experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate trajectory from 1080p to 4K shows a steep and consistent decline, highlighting the GTX 1070 as the dominant performance factor. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 106.2 FPS, which drops to 75.5 FPS at 2560x1440, and further plummets to 45.2 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 57% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at the High preset, indicating that the GPU's pixel throughput is the primary constraint as resolution increases.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. With Low settings, the system achieves 153.5 FPS at 1080p, 114.4 FPS at 1440p, and 69.5 FPS at 4K—a 55% drop from peak to minimum. Medium settings show 129.6 FPS at 1080p, 92.4 FPS at 1440p, and 56.7 FPS at 4K, representing a 56% decline. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding 69.1 FPS at 1080p, 46.7 FPS at 1440p, and only 27.3 FPS at 4K, a 60% reduction.

The fact that 4K performance at Low settings (69.5 FPS) barely exceeds 1080p performance at Ultra (69.1 FPS) is revealing. This near-parity suggests that the GTX 1070's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit memory bus are being saturated by the higher resolution, regardless of the graphical complexity. The GPU is the limiting component across all tested configurations, as the frame rate scaling closely mirrors the pixel count increase rather than showing signs of CPU bottlenecking.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1465 out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall. This places the system in the lower portion of the ranking, indicating that while it can run the game, there are many more capable configurations in the database.

The CPU itself holds a 50th percentile ranking among all tested processors, which is a mid-pack result. Its average benchmark score of 2305 places it in close competition with several rivals. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2300, a mere 0.2% difference, while the Intel Core i3-1125G4 also scores 2299, another 0.2% delta. The Intel Xeon E-2134 is 0.4% behind at 2295, and the Intel Core i7-8809G leads this group by 0.6% with a score of 2319. These deltas are negligible, meaning the i5-9400 offers performance virtually identical to its direct competitors in synthetic benchmarks.

The GPU presents a similar story. The GTX 1070 sits at the 51st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12331. Its nearest rivals are closely clustered: the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 trails by 0.7% with 12241, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M is 1.3% ahead at 12490. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER leads by 1.4% with 12504, and the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm is 1.7% ahead at 12547. These small deltas show that the GTX 1070 remains competitive with its peers, but it is not a standout performer.

Given the game's 2016 release date and the hardware's mid-pack positioning, the 1465th rank out of 1741 combos makes sense. The system offers playable performance but does not excel in the database's hierarchy, suggesting it is better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming rather than high-end 4K experiences.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 129.6 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay in a horror title where responsiveness can be critical. High settings at 1080p yield 106.2 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra drops to 69.1 FPS—playable but with less headroom.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the sweet spot, achieving 75.5 FPS. This provides a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance. Medium at this resolution produces 92.4 FPS, which is also excellent, but High offers better image quality for only a 22% performance cost. Ultra at 1440p falls to 46.7 FPS, which may feel less responsive for a game that relies on atmosphere and sudden scares.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings deliver 69.5 FPS, which is the only preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS. Medium drops to 56.7 FPS, and High falls to 45.2 FPS. Ultra at 4K is practically unplayable at 27.3 FPS. For 4K users, Low or Medium settings are recommended, with the understanding that visual compromises are necessary.

The best overall experience is likely at 1440p with High settings, which provides 75.5 FPS—a strong balance of detail and smoothness. For users prioritizing frame rate above all else, 1080p with Low settings achieves 153.5 FPS, offering maximum responsiveness for a game where quick reactions might matter.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Downfall at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K with Low settings, the combo achieves 69.5 FPS, while Medium drops to 56.7 FPS and High falls to 45.2 FPS. Ultra is not recommended, as it only produces 27.3 FPS.

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

A: The data indicates 2560x1440 with High settings offers the best balance, delivering 75.5 FPS. This provides good visual quality while maintaining smooth performance, compared to 4K where even Medium settings struggle to hit 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, placing it in a tight cluster with competitors. It is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4, 0.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon E-2134, and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i7-8809G. These differences are negligible in real-world terms.

Q: Is the GTX 1070 a strong performer relative to its peers?

A: The GTX 1070 ranks at the 51st percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 12331. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER by 1.4% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M by 1.3%, while leading the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 by 0.7%. The performance deltas are small, indicating it is a mid-tier card.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average frame rate is 129.6 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This is a strong result, well above the 60 FPS target and suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the system show signs of CPU bottlenecking in Downfall?

A: No. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K closely follows the pixel count increase, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's six cores and six threads are sufficient for this game, as demonstrated by the consistent performance drops at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 serves as the primary performance driver in this configuration, and its specifications directly influence the measured results. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is critical for Downfall at high resolutions, where the frame rate drops suggest the memory subsystem is under significant load.

The GPU's clock speeds are notable: a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz. These clocks, combined with 1920 shading units, allow for a pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 6.463 TFLOPS provides the raw compute power needed for the game's rendering tasks. The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-hungry but manageable card, requiring a 450 W suggested PSU.

The GTX 1070's role becomes evident when examining the benchmark scores. Its passmark G3D score of 13498 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 47395 place it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 47490 and Metal score of 18801 further quantify its capabilities. However, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1082 shows that the card is less suited for modern, API-heavy workloads, which may explain why it struggles with Ultra settings in Downfall despite being released in the same era as the game.

The GPU's memory clock of 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the strong frame rates at those resolutions. However, at 4K, the demands on the memory bus increase dramatically, and the 8 GB capacity becomes a limiting factor. The data shows that even at Low settings, 4K performance (69.5 FPS) is roughly equivalent to 1080p Ultra (69.1 FPS), indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth, not the CPU, is the bottleneck. This is a classic sign of a graphics card that was designed for a gaming era where 1080p was the standard, and it struggles to keep pace with 4K resolutions even in a 2016 title.