Downfall

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Downfall, with benchmark data showing that the combination clears the 60 FPS threshold at every available resolution and preset combination except one. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher settings, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom at lower resolutions, making this a flexible pairing for a horror title that demands both visual fidelity and smooth frame pacing.

FAQ

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

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding option that stays playable, averaging 68 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 42 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Does the game scale well between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, the scaling is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate moves from 226 FPS on Low to 95 FPS on Ultra. This represents a 58% reduction in average FPS when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 perform relative to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The RTX 4060’s average benchmark score of 17639 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17666, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Radeon 780M is also close, scoring 17588, which is 0.3% lower.

Q: Is the Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: Benchmark results suggest not. At 1080p, the system reaches 226 FPS on Low settings, indicating strong CPU performance. The CPU’s 72nd percentile ranking among all tested CPUs further suggests it has ample headroom for this title.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1440p for maximum visual quality while staying above 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 68 FPS. The Medium preset also clears the threshold with 132 FPS average, but Ultra offers the highest fidelity while still meeting the playability standard.

Q: Are there any settings where the game becomes unplayable?

A: Yes, the only unplayable configuration in the measured data is 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which averages 42 FPS. All other resolution and preset combinations at least meet the 60 FPS average threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance profile of this combination reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU depending on resolution and preset. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 226 FPS average, which is a telling indicator of the CPU’s capability. This high frame rate suggests that the Core i5-12400 is not the primary constraint at this resolution, as the load on the graphics card is relatively light. The 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and the 3DMark 2-thread score of 1692 reinforce that the processor can feed frames quickly when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the average FPS on Low settings drops to 162, a 28% reduction from the 1080p result. This is a clear sign that the GPU is beginning to take on more work, as the pixel count increases by roughly 78% from 1080p to 1440p. The fact that the frame rate does not scale linearly with pixel count indicates that the CPU is still contributing meaningfully, but the trend toward GPU limitation is evident. At 3840x2160, the Low preset yields 101 FPS average, which further confirms that the RTX 4060 is the dominant factor at higher resolutions.

Preset scaling tells a similar story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS from 226 to 95, a drop of 131 FPS. This large delta is primarily due to increased GPU workload from higher quality textures, shading, and effects. However, the fact that the system still manages 95 FPS average on Ultra at 1080p suggests the CPU is not holding the GPU back. The passmark_multithread score of 18747 for the i5-12400 provides a reference point for its multi-core capability, which appears sufficient for this title’s demands.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset averages 68 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 132 FPS. The gap between Medium and Ultra is 64 FPS, which is nearly identical to the 90 FPS gap between the same presets at 1080p. This consistency suggests that the GPU is scaling predictably with workload, and the CPU is maintaining its role as a stable platform. The data shows that the CPU matters most at 1080p and Low settings, where the highest frame rates are achieved, while the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K and at higher presets across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks at position 2009 out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall. This places the pairing in the 54th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the systems in the database. This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the hardware’s individual standings: the CPU sits at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 61st percentile among all GPUs.

The ranking suggests that while neither component is at the top of its class, their combined performance is balanced and effective for this game. The CPU’s higher percentile relative to the GPU indicates that the processor has more headroom relative to its peers than the graphics card does. This is a favorable position for a gaming system, as it means the CPU is less likely to be the limiting factor. The benchmark results confirm this: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 226 FPS, which is a strong result that only a well-matched CPU-GPU pairing could produce.

It is also worth remembering the combo’s rank of 2009 out of 3716 places it just above the median, which is a reasonable outcome for a mid-range desktop configuration. The data indicates that this system would be a dependable choice for Downfall, as it lands in the upper half of tested hardware combinations without requiring top-tier components.

The Verdict

This PC is fully capable of running Downfall with playable performance across nearly all configurations. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset achieving an average of 95 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the most demanding settings leave substantial headroom. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset remains playable with an average of 68 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS line. The High preset offers a more comfortable margin at 108 FPS average, but Ultra is still a valid choice for those prioritizing visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more nuanced. The High preset is the best playable option, averaging 68 FPS. The Medium preset is also playable at 82 FPS average, and Low achieves 101 FPS. However, the Ultra preset at 4K averages only 42 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This single configuration is the only one in the entire dataset that is not playable. For 4K gaming, users should stick to High settings or lower to maintain smooth performance.

The overall verdict is that this system offers a wide range of playable options, with the only caveat being 4K Ultra. For most users, the sweet spot will be 1440p Ultra or 1080p Ultra, both of which deliver an average of 68 FPS and 95 FPS, respectively. The data strongly supports the conclusion that this is a versatile and capable gaming PC for Downfall.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400 provide a useful reference for systems with similar CPU performance. The AMD EPYC 7643 has an average score of 18697, which is just 0.1% lower than the i5-12400’s 18683 average. This indicates that the EPYC 7643 would behave nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Core i7-1355U is also close, with an average score of 18730, a 0.3% delta. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811, which is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, which is 0.9% lower. These deltas are all within 1% of the i5-12400, meaning any of these CPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Downfall when paired with the same GPU.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639. The nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790 with a score of 17666, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, which is 0.3% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551, a 0.5% delta, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 17509, a 0.7% delta. These GPUs would all provide nearly equivalent graphics performance, meaning a system with any of these cards paired with the i5-12400 would yield similar results in Downfall. For a user looking to build a comparable system, swapping in any of these components would result in a negligible performance difference.

Best Settings per Resolution

For the best visual experience while maintaining at least 60 FPS average, the data points to the following settings. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding option that remains playable, achieving an average of 68 FPS. This provides a solid balance of visual quality and performance. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, with an average of 68 FPS. This allows users to max out the settings at this resolution while still clearing the playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 95 FPS, making it the clear winner for 1080p gaming. All three of these configurations exceed the 60 FPS threshold with room to spare, ensuring a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 226 FPS, with no min or max data recorded. The Medium preset averages 185 FPS, with a minimum of 157 FPS and a maximum of 213 FPS. The High preset averages 152 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 95 FPS. This shows a clear step-down in performance as settings increase, but all values are far above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 162 FPS. The Medium preset averages 132 FPS, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS. The High preset achieves 108 FPS average, and the Ultra preset averages 68 FPS. The minimum FPS of 112 on Medium is noteworthy, as it indicates that even the worst-case frame times remain well above playable levels. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 101 FPS, the Medium preset averages 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS, and the High preset achieves 68 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 42 FPS average, which is the only sub-60 result in the entire dataset. The min and max data for Medium at each resolution shows consistent frame pacing, with the narrowest range being 70-95 FPS at 4K and the widest being 157-213 FPS at 1080p.