Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers extreme performance in Downfall, a horror title that appears to scale aggressively with GPU capability. Measured data confirms that this pairing achieves playable frame rates at every resolution and preset combination tested, with the RTX 5090 D’s raw throughput overwhelming even the most demanding settings. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, compares the hardware to nearby alternatives, and identifies the optimal configuration for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5090 D operates at extremely high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset reaches an average of 412 FPS, which is the highest recorded result for this resolution. Medium settings produce an average of 384 FPS, with a minimum of 326 FPS and a maximum of 442 FPS, showing consistent performance with only a small variance between frames. High settings deliver 324 FPS average, while the Ultra preset—the most demanding option—still maintains an average of 202 FPS. This indicates that even at 1080p, the GPU is never constrained by the CPU, as the frame rates scale almost entirely with the graphical workload rather than processing power.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high but show a predictable decline from the 1080p results. The Low preset averages 345 FPS, which is still well above any practical refresh rate. Medium settings average 282 FPS, with a minimum of 240 FPS and a maximum of 324 FPS, representing a tighter range than the 1080p Medium results. High settings reduce the average to 231 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces an average of 144 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1440p Ultra is the first configuration where the frame rate approaches the 144 FPS mark, making it an ideal target for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales down further but remains far above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Low preset averages 214 FPS, which is still incredibly fluid for 4K gaming. Medium settings average 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS, showing that even the lowest recorded frame is more than double the playability threshold. High settings produce an average of 144 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 90 FPS. This 4K Ultra result is the lowest average across all measured configurations, yet it still comfortably exceeds 60 FPS with a 50% margin.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution reduces average frame rates by roughly 30-40%, while each step up in preset (from Low to Medium to High to Ultra) reduces FPS by an additional 20-40%. The gap between Low and Ultra is most pronounced at 4K, where the difference is 124 FPS (214 vs 90), compared to 143 FPS at 1440p (345 vs 144) and 210 FPS at 1080p (412 vs 202). This indicates that the GPU’s processing headroom is better utilized at lower resolutions, where the CPU can feed frames faster.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F are clustered within a very tight performance band. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is the closest match, with an average benchmark score of 24964, just 0.2% lower than the 8400F’s 25005 average. The Intel Core i7-11850H scores 24935, a 0.3% deficit, while the Intel Core i7-13620H scores 24911, a 0.4% deficit. On the higher side, the AMD EPYC 9474F scores 25103, which is 0.4% above the 8400F. These deltas are negligible in practice, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Downfall when paired with the same RTX 5090 D GPU.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a slightly wider spread but remain within a few percent. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT has an average benchmark score of 76904, which is 1.1% lower than the RTX 5090 D’s 77712 average. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, putting it 1.6% higher than the RTX 5090 D. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, which is 2.1% higher, and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605, 2.4% higher. However, these Tesla parts are datacenter accelerators without consumer display outputs, so they are not practical alternatives for gaming. Among actual gaming GPUs, the RX 6850M XT would produce nearly identical FPS results, with differences well under 2% translating to roughly 2-8 FPS depending on the resolution and preset.

Because the CPU and GPU both sit within 2.4% of their nearest rivals, swapping either component for a close alternative would yield no perceptible change in Downfall performance. A system built with the Ryzen 5 7500F instead of the 8400F, for example, would see the same measured FPS figures at all resolutions and settings. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, and any of these similar-performance CPUs would feed the RTX 5090 D adequately.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates that the GPU is the dominant performance factor in Downfall across all resolutions. This is evident from the frame rate scaling: at 1080p Low, the system produces 412 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 90 FPS—a reduction of 78% that corresponds almost entirely to the GPU’s pixel and texture throughput requirements. The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions, where the frame rates exceed 400 FPS. At those levels, the Ryzen 5 8400F’s 6-core, 12-thread configuration with a 4.70 GHz boost clock must keep up with the GPU’s draw call processing. The fact that 1080p Low achieves 412 FPS without any reported stutter or CPU limitation suggests the processor is sufficient for this horror title.

The scaling between resolutions provides further insight. From 1080p Low (412 FPS) to 1440p Low (345 FPS) is a 16% drop, and from 1440p Low to 4K Low (214 FPS) is a 38% drop. This non-linear scaling is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the increased pixel count at 4K demands proportionally more fill rate. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, especially at lower settings where the GPU workload is lighter. The data shows the opposite: every resolution increase produces a significant FPS reduction, confirming GPU dominance.

At higher presets, the GPU’s role grows even more pronounced. The difference between 4K Low (214 FPS) and 4K Ultra (90 FPS) is 124 FPS, while the same preset difference at 1080p is 210 FPS. This suggests that the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, allowing the GPU’s full potential to be realized. At 4K, the GPU is already saturated, so the incremental cost of Ultra settings has a smaller absolute impact. The RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are clearly sufficient for Downfall’s textures and geometry at any resolution, as evidenced by the 90 FPS minimum at 4K Ultra.

The Verdict

This PC can run Downfall flawlessly at every tested configuration. The verdict data confirms that all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at all three resolutions, with the playability threshold set at 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, producing an average of 202 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings also deliver the best experience, averaging 144 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 90 FPS, which is still 50% above the playability threshold.

For users seeking the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness, 4K Ultra is entirely viable, though the 90 FPS average may dip lower in demanding scenes—the data only provides a minimum for Medium settings, which at 4K is 149 FPS. The 1440p Ultra configuration is the sweet spot, offering 144 FPS exactly, which matches the refresh rate of many high-end monitors. At 1080p, the system is effectively overkill, with even Ultra settings producing 202 FPS, far beyond what any mainstream display can show. No configuration falls below 60 FPS, and the lowest recorded minimum across all data points is 149 FPS at 4K Medium, leaving a substantial safety margin for any scene complexity not captured in the average metrics.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 35th out of 3716 tested hardware combinations in Downfall. This places it in the top 1% of all configurations, which is consistent with the measured FPS results. The RTX 5090 D’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with the Ryzen 5 8400F’s 77th percentile among all CPUs, produces a system that outperforms the vast majority of tested rigs.

The rank of 35 out of 3716 means there are 34 combinations that achieve higher performance in this game, likely featuring even more powerful CPUs (such as top-tier Ryzen 9 or Core i9 processors) paired with the same or similar GPUs. However, the difference in frame rates between this combo and those ranked above it is likely small, given that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The 8400F’s 77th percentile CPU performance is sufficient to avoid limiting the RTX 5090 D in most scenarios, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p. The data suggests that for Downfall, the GPU matters far more than the CPU, and this combo’s top-1% ranking reflects the RTX 5090 D’s dominance rather than any CPU contribution.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 90, which is 50% above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data confirms Ultra is playable at 4K.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages exactly 144 FPS. This is the only configuration where the average matches a 144 Hz refresh rate, making it the ideal choice for such displays.

Q: How much faster is this combo than the nearest CPU rival?

A: The closest CPU rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, has an average benchmark score 0.2% lower than the Ryzen 5 8400F. This difference would have no measurable impact on Downfall frame rates.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate drops below 60 FPS?

A: No. The lowest average FPS recorded is 90 at 4K Ultra, and the lowest minimum FPS recorded is 149 at 4K Medium. All measured configurations exceed 60 FPS.

Q: Which component limits performance at 1080p?

A: The data shows the GPU remains the primary factor even at 1080p. The frame rate drops from 412 FPS at Low to 202 FPS at Ultra, a GPU-driven change, while the CPU maintains consistent throughput across all presets.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested systems?

A: It ranks 35th out of 3716 combinations, placing it in the top 1% of all tested configurations for Downfall.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 202 FPS. This is the highest visual quality available, and the frame rate is more than triple the playability threshold, leaving ample headroom.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also qualifies as the best configuration, averaging 144 FPS. This exactly matches a 144 Hz refresh rate, providing a perfectly smooth experience with maximum graphical fidelity.

At 3840x2160, Ultra remains the best choice, averaging 90 FPS. While this is the lowest average among all tested settings, it still exceeds 60 FPS by 50%, ensuring a fluid horror experience without sacrificing any visual options. For players who prioritize higher frame rates at 4K, the High preset averages 144 FPS, but the data confirms Ultra is fully playable and represents the best balance of quality and performance.