Downfall

This PC configuration, pairing an AMD Ryzen 5 5500 with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. The measured data shows that this combination not only meets the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution but does so with a massive margin, allowing the most demanding visual preset to run at speeds typically reserved for competitive shooters. The bottleneck characteristics shift predictably as resolution changes, but the sheer performance of the RTX 5090 ensures that the experience remains fluid regardless of the workload distribution.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark data for Downfall reveals that this hardware combination is overqualified for the game's demands, with the Ultra preset providing the best visual experience while still maintaining frame rates far above the 60 FPS target. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 190 FPS, which is more than three times the playability threshold. The Medium preset at this resolution reaches 319 FPS, while High sits at 297 FPS, but the Ultra setting is the clear choice for maximum fidelity without any sacrifice to smoothness.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset maintains an average of 135 FPS, which remains exceptionally high for a 1440p resolution. The High preset at this resolution produces 217 FPS, and Medium reaches 264 FPS, but the Ultra setting still provides a substantial buffer above the 60 FPS minimum. The data indicates that even at this higher pixel count, there is no reason to drop below Ultra settings, as the performance headroom is substantial.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 84 FPS, which is the lowest recorded average across all tested configurations but still comfortably clears the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 4K yields 135 FPS, Medium produces 164 FPS, and Low reaches 201 FPS, but the Ultra setting remains the recommended choice for users with 4K displays. The 84 FPS average at Ultra suggests there is some headroom for demanding scenes, and the minimum frame rate data for Medium shows a floor of 140 FPS, indicating that the GPU maintains consistent performance even under load. For the absolute best visual quality, the Ultra preset is the optimal setting at every resolution, with 84 FPS at 4K being the only scenario that approaches a more moderate frame rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets in Downfall indicates a clear shift in component responsibility as the pixel count increases. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more significant role in determining maximum frame rates. The difference between the Low preset at 342 FPS and the Ultra preset at 190 FPS demonstrates that the GPU is still heavily utilized, but the relatively modest gap between Medium at 319 FPS and High at 297 FPS suggests that the Ryzen 5 5500's six cores and 12 threads are capable of feeding the RTX 5090 adequately at this resolution. The single-thread performance of the CPU, measured at 836 in 3DMark, becomes a limiting factor only when frame rates approach the 300 FPS range.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to assert its dominance. The frame rate drop from 306 FPS at Low to 135 FPS at Ultra shows a more pronounced GPU-bound behavior, with the RTX 5090's rendering workload becoming the primary constraint. The CPU's role diminishes somewhat, as the higher pixel count reduces the number of frames the processor needs to prepare. This trend becomes even more apparent at 3840x2160, where the Low preset produces 201 FPS and Ultra drops to 84 FPS. At 4K, the GPU's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are fully engaged, and the CPU's contribution to frame pacing becomes less critical. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 5500 is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 5090 at any resolution, but its influence on overall performance shrinks as the GPU workload intensifies.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a reduction from 190 FPS to 84 FPS, a 55.8% decrease that aligns with the increased pixel count. This indicates that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide adequate feeding for the GPU without becoming a significant constraint. The benchmark results suggest that for users targeting high refresh rates at 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, but for 4K gaming, the GPU is the definitive factor.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 sits in a competitive position relative to several comparable processors. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, has an average benchmark score of 19617, which is only 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 5 5500's 19593 average score. This negligible difference means users would see virtually identical performance in Downfall. The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668, a 0.4% advantage, while the Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19723, a 0.7% lead. The Intel Core i7-10700F scores 19499, which is 0.5% lower than the Ryzen 5 5500. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, indicating that any of these processors would deliver essentially the same frame rates in this game. The 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that this is a solid mid-range performer, and the 12 threads provide adequate parallelism for modern game engines.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090's nearest rivals are less conventional gaming cards. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB has an average score of 79605, which is 0.3% lower than the RTX 5090's 79842 average. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, a 0.6% deficit, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, a 1.1% gap. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, which is 1.4% higher than the RTX 5090. These alternatives are primarily workstation or mobile parts, but the benchmark data suggests they would produce similar frame rates in Downfall. The RTX 5090's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it near the top of the performance hierarchy, and the 32 GB memory capacity ensures that even the most texture-heavy horror scenes would not exceed its buffer.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this PC can run Downfall with exceptional performance at every tested resolution and preset combination. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 190 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display, including high-refresh-rate monitors. The 2560x1440 resolution sees the Ultra preset maintain 135 FPS, offering a smooth experience on 1440p panels. Even at 3840x2160, the most demanding scenario, the Ultra preset achieves 84 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by a comfortable margin. The verdict for all three resolutions is playable, with the best settings being Ultra at each one.

The minimum frame rate data reinforces the stability of the experience. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 140, which is still over double the playability threshold. The 2560x1440 Medium preset shows a minimum of 225 FPS, and 1920x1080 Medium has a floor of 271 FPS. These figures indicate that frame pacing is consistent and that the hardware combination avoids significant drops even during demanding scenes. For a horror game where smooth motion is critical for immersion, this configuration provides a flawless experience. The only scenario that approaches a more moderate frame rate is 4K Ultra at 84 FPS average, but this remains well within playable territory and offers the best possible visual quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest graphical preset that maintains at least 60 FPS at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average of 84 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS requirement. All settings from Low to Ultra are playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in raw benchmark performance?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, which is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 1.4% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X. These differences are minimal and would result in similar gaming performance.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 5500 bottleneck the RTX 5090 in this game?

A: The benchmark data shows no significant bottleneck. At 1080p, the CPU has more influence, but the frame rates remain exceptionally high, with the Low preset at 342 FPS. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Ryzen 5 5500 and the Intel Core i5-12500?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500 has an average score of 19668, which is 0.4% higher than the Ryzen 5 5500's 19593. This translates to a negligible difference in real-world frame rates in Downfall.

Q: Is the RTX 5090's 32 GB memory capacity necessary for this game?

A: While Downfall is from 2016 and likely does not require that much memory, the 32 GB GDDR7 buffer ensures that there are no memory-related stutters or texture pop-ins at any resolution or preset.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 217 FPS, which provides a very smooth experience on any 1440p display.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 181st out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This places the configuration in the top 4.9% of all tested hardware pairings, which is a strong result given that the CPU is a mid-range part from 2022 while the GPU is a flagship from 2025. The ranking reflects the game's heavy reliance on GPU performance, allowing the RTX 5090 to boost the overall standing despite the more modest CPU. The data indicates that the 181st position is driven almost entirely by the GPU's exceptional rendering capabilities, as the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs would typically not result in such a high overall placement. This suggests that for GPU-bound titles like Downfall, the processor choice has a limited impact on the final ranking, and the RTX 5090's 92nd percentile GPU ranking is the dominant factor. Users with this configuration can expect performance that surpasses the vast majority of systems tested, with only 180 other combinations delivering higher frame rates in this specific game.