Downfall

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti delivers a staggering performance profile in Downfall, one that reveals a system almost entirely unburdened by graphical limitations at standard resolutions. The data shows a clear narrative: this is a horror title that scales aggressively with GPU load, but the sheer horsepower of the RTX 5070 Ti ensures that even the most demanding settings remain playable. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high, suggesting that the primary bottleneck shifts decisively depending on the resolution and preset, offering a fascinating look at how a modern flagship GPU interacts with a six-core processor from an older generation.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a dramatic and predictable drop in frame rates, but the absolute numbers remain so high that the experience is never compromised. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 233.5 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, that figure drops to 180.8 FPS, a reduction of roughly 23%. The jump to 3840x2160 is more punishing, with the average falling to 112 FPS, a further 38% decline from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior; the rendering load increases exponentially with pixel count, and the RTX 5070 Ti’s compute units are being fed progressively more work.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when examining the Ultra preset, which is the most graphically intensive setting. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 160.3 FPS, but at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 111.8 FPS, a 30% hit. The 4K Ultra result, at 72.8 FPS, represents a significant 55% reduction from the 1080p Ultra figure. This steep curve at Ultra settings indicates that the game’s highest visual fidelity options—likely including advanced lighting and shadow effects—place an immense load on the GPU’s shading units and memory subsystem. The data suggests that while the RTX 5070 Ti is powerful enough to handle 4K Ultra, the frame rate dips to a level where high-refresh-rate monitors would no longer be fully utilized.

Interestingly, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe than from 1440p to 4K, which implies that at lower resolutions, the CPU is beginning to assert its influence. The i5-9400, with its six cores and six threads, may be limiting the maximum possible frame rate at 1080p, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. The 269 FPS average at 1080p Low is likely near the ceiling of what this processor can feed to the graphics card, as the jump from Low to Medium at the same resolution only reduces the average by about 6%, a relatively small delta that hints at a CPU-imposed ceiling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the undisputed driving force behind these results, and its specifications paint a picture of overwhelming capability. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card offers a memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for the textures and assets in Downfall, even at 4K Ultra. The data shows that the GPU’s memory pool is not a limiting factor in any measured configuration, as the frame rate drops are more attributable to raw compute load than to memory capacity or bandwidth saturation.

The GPU’s clock speeds are notably high, with a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2452 MHz. This aggressive clocking, combined with 8960 shading units, allows the card to process the game’s geometry and pixel data at an extraordinary rate. The 43.94 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is the fundamental resource that drives the high average frame rates seen across all presets. The GPU’s performance percentile of 87 among all GPUs, and its benchmark scores—such as 32974 in Passmark G3D and 6604 in 3DMark Steel Nomad—confirm that it sits near the top of the performance hierarchy.

The data reveals that the GPU’s role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 4K, the difference between Low and High settings is a 34% drop in average FPS, from 169.5 to 112. This is a clear indication that the GPU’s shader and texture units are the primary constraint at this resolution. The card’s 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores, while not directly highlighted in the FPS data, are part of the architecture that enables these high frame rates, likely accelerating any ray-traced effects or DLSS features that Downfall might utilize, though the measured numbers do not specify if such features were enabled. The RTX 5070 Ti’s 300 W TDP and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensure it has both the power and the bandwidth to maintain these performance levels consistently.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the i5-9400 and RTX 5070 Ti achieves a combo rank of 312 out of 1741 combinations. This places it in the top 18% of all tested systems, a strong result that underscores the GPU’s dominance. The rank is particularly impressive given the age and mid-range positioning of the processor, which has a percentile rank of only 50 among all CPUs. This suggests that the RTX 5070 Ti is able to overcome the potential limitations of the i5-9400 in most scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores—the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4—are within 0.2% of its average score, indicating that the i5-9400 is performing exactly as expected for its class. The GPU, however, is in a different league; its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, has an average score that is virtually identical, with a delta of 0%. This means that in terms of raw computational power, the RTX 5070 Ti is on par with the previous generation’s flagship, which is why the combo rank is as high as it is. The data implies that if the CPU were upgraded to a more modern processor, this combo could easily break into the top 100, as the GPU has headroom that is currently being constrained by the older six-core chip, especially at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a detailed view of the system’s capabilities across all twelve tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are uniformly high, with the Low preset averaging 269 FPS, Medium at 251.9 FPS, High at 233.5 FPS, and Ultra at 160.3 FPS. The delta between Low and High is only 13%, which is a relatively small gap, indicating that the CPU is likely the limiting factor at this resolution. The Ultra preset, however, shows a more significant 40% drop from High, suggesting that the additional graphical effects in Ultra place a substantial load on the GPU even at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are still very high, with Low at 244.3 FPS, Medium at 225.5 FPS, High at 180.8 FPS, and Ultra at 111.8 FPS. The gap between Low and High widens to 26%, and the jump from High to Ultra is a 38% reduction, demonstrating that the GPU is becoming the more dominant factor. At 3840x2160, the averages are lower but still playable, with Low at 169.5 FPS, Medium at 139.6 FPS, High at 112 FPS, and Ultra at 72.8 FPS. The difference between Low and High at 4K is 34%, and the Ultra preset is 35% slower than High, confirming that the GPU is thoroughly taxed at this resolution.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the performance gap between settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 40%, but at 4K, that difference expands to 57%. This is a clear sign that the game’s Ultra preset includes features that scale heavily with pixel count, such as high-resolution shadows and ambient occlusion, which disproportionately impact the GPU at higher resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Downfall at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 72.8 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is above the standard 60 FPS threshold. At 4K High, the average is 112 FPS, providing a very smooth experience.

Q: What is the best resolution to use for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields an average of 180.8 FPS, which is well above 144 FPS. Even the Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 111.8 FPS, is close to that target, but High is the safer choice for consistent refresh rates.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. The difference between Low and High settings is only 13%, indicating that the GPU is not being fully utilized and the i5-9400’s six cores are likely capping the frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its closest competitor in terms of raw performance?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 52086, which is virtually identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080’s score of 52085, showing a 0% delta. This indicates they offer nearly the same level of raw compute performance.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1440p High to 4K High?

A: The average frame rate drops from 180.8 FPS at 2560x1440 High to 112 FPS at 3840x2160 High. This represents a 38% reduction in performance.

*Q: Is the RTX 5070 Ti’s 16 GB of memory sufficient for Downfall at maximum settings?*

A: The data does not indicate any memory-related performance issues. The card’s 896.0 GB/s bandwidth and 16 GB capacity are more than adequate, as evidenced by the playable 72.8 FPS average at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is the quiet partner in this duo, but its influence is visible in the data. With six cores and six threads, a base clock of 2.90 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, this Coffee Lake processor is a solid mid-range chip that was released in late 2018. Its benchmark scores are modest, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125, placing it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. The processor’s 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are standard for its generation, but they are not exceptional by modern standards.

The CPU’s role in Downfall is most apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates across Low, Medium, and High presets are remarkably close. The average FPS for Low (269), Medium (251.9), and High (233.5) are within 13% of each other, which is a narrow margin compared to the wider gaps seen at 1440p and 4K. This pattern strongly suggests that the i5-9400 is reaching its limit in terms of game logic and draw call processing, preventing the RTX 5070 Ti from achieving even higher frame rates. The CPU’s 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth and PCIe Gen 3, 16-lane interface may also be contributing factors, potentially limiting the rate at which data can be transferred to the GPU.

However, the CPU is not a severe bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU, as evidenced by the larger performance gaps between settings. The data indicates that the i5-9400, while not ideal for maximizing the RTX 5070 Ti’s potential at 1080p, is sufficient to avoid causing major stutters or frame drops at 1440p and 4K. The combo’s rank of 312 out of 1741 suggests that this pairing is well-balanced for high-resolution gaming, even if it leaves some performance on the table at lower resolutions. The CPU’s 65 W TDP also means it generates less heat, allowing the system to maintain stable boost clocks, though the data does not specify thermal throttling behavior.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the standout recommendation, delivering an average of 180.8 FPS. This configuration provides a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors while maintaining the graphical enhancements that make Downfall’s horror atmosphere more immersive. The jump to Ultra at this resolution costs 69 FPS (a 38% drop) for what is likely a marginal visual improvement, making it less appealing unless the user prioritizes maximum image quality over frame rate consistency.

At 1080p, the High preset at 233.5 FPS is the optimal choice, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Low with only a 13% performance penalty. The Ultra preset at this resolution, with an average of 160.3 FPS, is also viable for users with 144Hz monitors, but the data shows that the performance cost is substantial. For users with 4K displays, the High preset at 112 FPS is the best option, as it provides a smooth experience without the heavy performance hit of Ultra, which drops to 72.8 FPS. The Medium preset serves as a middle ground for those who want to push frame rates higher, but the data indicates that High offers a better balance of quality and speed across all resolutions.