Downfall

Downfall, a horror title from 2016, presents an interesting performance landscape for the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is more than capable of delivering high frame rates, but the scaling across settings and resolutions indicates where the bottlenecks lie. The RTX 3070, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, appears to be the dominant force in this pairing, while the six-core i5-9400 provides a stable foundation that rarely becomes the primary constraint at higher visual quality levels.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows across different presets provide a clear hierarchy for the best experience. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 109.8 FPS average, which is exceptionally smooth for a horror game where immersion and reaction time are key. However, the jump from High to Ultra costs a significant 65.2 FPS (from 175.0 FPS down to 109.8 FPS), suggesting that the extra visual fidelity of Ultra may not be worth the performance hit at this resolution. The data indicates that High at 1080p is the sweet spot, offering a 175.0 FPS average that is well beyond the threshold for high-refresh-rate displays while still maintaining substantial visual quality over the Medium preset's 210.8 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. The High preset still provides an excellent 123.0 FPS average, which is ideal for this resolution. The Ultra preset drops to 78.0 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 45.0 FPS loss from High. Given that the game is a horror title, the difference between 78 and 123 FPS could be noticeable in fast-paced scenarios, making High the recommended choice for a balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Medium preset at 149.5 FPS is also viable, but the incremental quality gain from Medium to High appears to be worth the 26.5 FPS difference.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more demanding. The High preset yields a 76.5 FPS average, which is perfectly smooth for most displays. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 50.2 FPS, which may feel less fluid and is likely to be a poor experience in a game that thrives on atmosphere and tension. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, High is the optimal preset, as it maintains a solid frame rate while the Ultra preset's additional graphical demands cause a disproportionate performance penalty. The Low preset at 114.9 FPS is available, but the visual compromise is likely too severe for a game that relies on environmental storytelling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the star of this configuration. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, it provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for Downfall's 2016-era assets. The GPU's 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units are put to good use, as evidenced by the strong frame rates even at high resolutions. The boost clock of 1725 MHz, up from a base of 1500 MHz, ensures that the card can sustain high performance under load.

The VRAM capacity is a critical factor. At 4K Ultra, the game likely comes close to or exceeds the 8 GB limit, which could explain the significant frame rate drop from High (76.5 FPS) to Ultra (50.2 FPS) at 3840x2160. The data implies that the Ultra preset at 4K is not just a heavier computational load but may also be hitting a memory bandwidth or capacity wall. In contrast, at 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom, as shown by the 254.7 FPS average on Low settings, which is far beyond what the CPU can likely feed it consistently.

The GPU's overall performance percentile of 72 places it well above the median, and its average benchmark score of 28238 is competitive with rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, which is only 0.9% slower. This indicates that the RTX 3070 is a high-tier card that is being used to its potential in this pairing, though the data shows diminishing returns at the highest settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic resolution scaling curve, but with some interesting nuances. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 175.0 FPS at 1920x1080 to 123.0 FPS at 2560x1440, a 52.0 FPS decrease. Moving further to 3840x2160, the frame rate drops to 76.5 FPS, another 46.5 FPS decrease. This linear scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting component at High settings, as the load increases proportionally with the pixel count.

The Low settings tell a different story. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 254.7 FPS, which is extremely high. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces this to 185.2 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 114.9 FPS. The percentage drops here are steeper than at High settings, indicating that at lower visual quality, the CPU may begin to play a more significant role in limiting performance, especially at 1080p where the frame rates are exceptionally high. The 254.7 FPS figure at 1080p Low suggests that the i5-9400's six cores are being pushed to their limit, as it's unlikely that a single-threaded game would scale much beyond this point.

The data implies that as resolution increases, the RTX 3070 becomes the clear bottleneck, which is the expected behavior for a high-end GPU paired with a mid-range CPU. At 4K, the performance is almost entirely GPU-bound, as the pixel count demands outweigh the CPU's ability to process game logic. This is a positive sign for the overall balance of the system, as it means the GPU is being fully utilized at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a comprehensive view of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low preset runs at 254.7 FPS, Medium at 210.8 FPS, High at 175.0 FPS, and Ultra at 109.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 43.9 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is a substantial 65.2 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive, likely related to shadow quality or post-processing.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern emerges. Low runs at 185.2 FPS, Medium at 149.5 FPS, High at 123.0 FPS, and Ultra at 78.0 FPS. The delta between High and Ultra here is 45.0 FPS, which is still significant but less dramatic than at 1080p. This indicates that as resolution increases, the relative cost of Ultra settings diminishes slightly, as the GPU is already under heavy load.

At 3840x2160, the numbers are: Low at 114.9 FPS, Medium at 96.2 FPS, High at 76.5 FPS, and Ultra at 50.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which is a critical line for smooth gameplay. The data shows that the RTX 3070 can handle 4K High comfortably, but Ultra is a step too far. The overall trend across all resolutions is that High settings offer the best balance, with Ultra providing diminishing returns for a significant FPS cost.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 770th out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the 55.8th percentile of all combinations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the tested systems. This is a respectable position, considering the CPU is a 2018 model and the GPU is from 2020. The rank suggests that this pairing is well-balanced for this particular game, with the GPU's strength compensating for the CPU's age.

The CPU itself has a benchmark percentile of 50, putting it right at the median of all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 2305 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2300 with a deltaPct of 0.2%. This indicates that the i5-9400 is a solid mid-range processor, but it is not exceptional. The GPU, on the other hand, has a percentile of 72, which is well above average. This disparity in percentiles explains why the combo ranks in the upper half of all tests, as the GPU is doing the heavy lifting.

The combo's rank of 770 out of 1741 implies that while the RTX 3070 is powerful, the i5-9400 may be holding it back in some scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions where CPU-bound situations are more likely. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, allowing the CPU to keep up, but at 1080p, the i5-9400's six cores and six threads might limit the maximum achievable frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at High settings provides an excellent 123.0 FPS average, which is a strong balance between visual quality and performance. At 3840x2160, High still achieves 76.5 FPS, making 4K viable, but 1440p offers a more comfortable margin.

Q: Why does the Ultra preset cause such a large FPS drop?

A: At 1920x1080, the drop from High to Ultra is 65.2 FPS (from 175.0 to 109.8 FPS). This suggests that Ultra enables computationally expensive effects that strain the GPU, likely related to advanced shading or shadow techniques. The same pattern is seen at all resolutions, with the 4K Ultra result dropping to 50.2 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 254.7 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit, as the i5-9400 has a moderate benchmark score of 2305. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting component.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its closest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28238, which is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and 1.0% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti. This suggests that the 3070 is competitive with these cards, though the actual in-game performance may vary.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the system delivers 76.5 FPS, which is smooth. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 50.2 FPS, which may be too low for some players. The data suggests that High settings at 4K are the recommended ceiling.

Q: What does the combo rank of 770 out of 1741 indicate?

A: This rank places the i5-9400 + RTX 3070 combination in the upper 55.8% of all tested systems in Downfall. This is a solid position, indicating that the system performs better than the majority of other combinations, though it is not in the top tier.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 9 MB shared L3 cache. These specifications are adequate for gaming, but the lack of hyper-threading means it cannot handle as many concurrent threads as some of its rivals. Its benchmark scores reflect this, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125, placing it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs.

In Downfall, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 254.7 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that likely stresses the CPU's single-thread performance. The i5-9400's boost clock of 4.10 GHz helps in this regard, but the six-thread limit may constrain performance in scenes with many simultaneous entities. However, at higher resolutions and settings, the GPU takes over as the bottleneck, and the CPU has ample headroom.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 2305 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, which has a deltaPct of 0.2%. This indicates that the i5-9400 is performing as expected for its class. The fact that it is paired with an RTX 3070, which has a benchmark percentile of 72, creates an imbalance where the GPU is significantly more powerful than the CPU. This is not a problem at 4K, but at 1080p, the CPU may prevent the GPU from reaching its full potential, as evidenced by the 254.7 FPS ceiling on Low settings. Overall, the CPU provides a stable platform, but it is the GPU that drives the impressive frame rates seen in this data.