Downfall

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Downfall with the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 show a predictable yet revealing pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 312.4 FPS, which drops to 223.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 139.9 FPS at 4K. This represents a 55.3% reduction in frame rate from 1080p Low to 4K Low, indicating that the rendering load scales heavily with pixel count.

Looking at High settings, the progression is 210.9 FPS at 1080p, 151.1 FPS at 1440p, and 91.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28.4%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 39.2%. The steeper decline at higher resolutions points to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel throughput demands increase.

Medium settings show a similar curve: 252.8 FPS at 1080p, 179.6 FPS at 1440p, and 115.3 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 28.9%, and the 1440p to 4K drop is 35.8%. Ultra settings produce the lowest absolute numbers across all resolutions: 133.8 FPS at 1080p, 93.4 FPS at 1440p, and 61.2 FPS at 4K.

The data reveals that at 1080p, even Ultra settings maintain a frame rate above 130 FPS, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU sufficiently at lower resolutions. However, the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is substantial — 312.4 FPS versus 133.8 FPS — which indicates that graphical settings have a significant impact even when pixel count is relatively modest. At 4K, the spread narrows proportionally: Low achieves 139.9 FPS while Ultra manages 61.2 FPS, a difference of 78.7 FPS. This narrowing suggests that at 4K, the GPU's compute resources are the dominant constraint, and settings adjustments have less relative headroom.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The processor's benchmark results show a single-thread score of 836 in 3dmark and 2319 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Multi-threaded performance is stronger: 5411 in 3dmark max threads and 16429 in Cinebench R23 multicore.

In the context of Downfall, a horror game that typically benefits from strong single-thread performance for game logic and physics, the Ryzen 5 5500's single-thread capabilities appear adequate. The 3dmark 2-thread score of 1645 and 4-thread score of 3151 suggest that the processor can handle lightly threaded workloads efficiently. The game's frame rates at 1080p Low — 312.4 FPS — indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions, as the GPU is likely saturated before the CPU's limits are reached.

However, the CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the frame rate is extremely high, which implies the CPU can issue draw calls fast enough to keep up with the GPU. The percentile ranking of 79 among all CPUs places the Ryzen 5 5500 in the upper quartile of processors tested. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, has an average benchmark score of 20897, with a deltaPct of -0.1, meaning the Ryzen 5 5500 is effectively tied with it. This parity in synthetic benchmarks suggests that the CPU's real-world gaming performance should be comparable to that of the i5-12500 in most titles.

The 16 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for a game like Downfall, which does not appear to be cache-sensitive based on the measured frame rates. The processor's 65 W TDP indicates efficient power delivery, which can help maintain boost clocks during extended gaming sessions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. It features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The GPU's base clock is 1920 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. Memory configuration includes 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's benchmark scores show strong DirectX performance: 244 in Passmark DirectX 11 and 103 in Passmark DirectX 12. Its Passmark G3D score of 26927 and compute score of 14720 indicate robust rasterization and compute capabilities. The percentile ranking of 81 among all GPUs places it in the upper quintile.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is clearly dominant at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra frame rate of 61.2 FPS is the lowest measured value across all configurations, and it remains above 60 FPS, which is notable for a horror game that may have demanding visual effects. The 4K Medium setting achieves 115.3 FPS, indicating that the RTX 4070 has substantial headroom when settings are reduced.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 with an average score of 37507 and a deltaPct of -0.6, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile at 38135 with a deltaPct of -2.2. These comparisons show that the RTX 4070's synthetic performance is slightly below these cards, but in Downfall's measured results, the frame rates suggest that the GPU's real-world gaming performance is well-suited for high-refresh-rate displays at 1440p and solid 4K performance.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures at 4K, as evidenced by the measured frame rates not collapsing at higher resolutions. The 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth supports the high pixel throughput required at 4K, particularly at Ultra settings where 61.2 FPS is maintained.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Downfall?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 312.4, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its nearest CPU rival?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20875, while the Intel Core i5-12500 scores 20897, a deltaPct of -0.1, indicating essentially identical synthetic performance.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 capable of 4K gaming in Downfall?

A: Yes, the RTX 4070 achieves 91.8 FPS at 4K High settings and 61.2 FPS at 4K Ultra settings, both above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 223.3 FPS while Ultra settings produce 93.4 FPS, a difference of 129.9 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU's Passmark G3D score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 4070 scores 26927 in Passmark G3D, while its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, scores 37507, a deltaPct of -0.6, meaning the RX Vega 56 has a slightly higher average benchmark score overall.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Downfall?

A: This combo ranks 411 out of 1741 tested combinations, placing it in the top 23.6% of all combos tested in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 411 out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the upper 23.6% of all configurations tested. This ranking reflects the balanced nature of the pairing: the CPU is in the 79th percentile among all processors, and the GPU is in the 81st percentile among all GPUs.

The rank of 411 suggests that while this combo is not at the top tier of performance, it outperforms the majority of tested systems. The high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p — exceeding 200 FPS at High settings in both resolutions — indicate that this combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K, the combo maintains playable frame rates across all settings, with the lowest measurement being 61.2 FPS at Ultra.

The CPU's benchmark scores show it sits just below the Intel Core i5-12500 and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE, with deltaPct values of -0.1 for both. The GPU's scores place it slightly below the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A, with deltaPct values of -0.6 and -1.9 respectively. These small deltas indicate that the combo's components are competitive with their immediate rivals in synthetic benchmarks.

In practical terms, the 411th rank out of 1741 combos means that approximately 1330 other configurations achieve lower performance in Downfall. The measured data shows that this combo delivers frame rates that are suitable for competitive play at lower resolutions and cinematic experiences at 4K, making it a versatile option for this horror title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired performance level. At 1920x1080, all settings produce frame rates well above 60 FPS, with the lowest being 133.8 FPS at Ultra. For players with 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitors, High settings at 210.9 FPS or even Ultra at 133.8 FPS provide excellent experiences. The data shows that even at Ultra, the frame rate remains above 120 FPS, which is sufficient for most high-refresh displays.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts toward High settings, which achieve 151.1 FPS. This frame rate is ideal for 144 Hz monitors and provides a smooth experience while maintaining visual fidelity. Medium settings at 179.6 FPS offer additional headroom for competitive play, while Ultra at 93.4 FPS is still playable but may not fully utilize a 144 Hz display. Low settings at 223.3 FPS are excessive for most displays and sacrifice visual quality unnecessarily.

For 4K resolution, High settings at 91.8 FPS provide the best balance of visual quality and performance for 60 Hz displays. Medium settings at 115.3 FPS offer a smoother experience for 120 Hz displays, though the visual quality reduction may be noticeable. Ultra settings at 61.2 FPS are just above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate stability. Low settings at 139.9 FPS are not recommended at 4K, as the visual quality reduction is substantial and the frame rate exceeds what most 4K displays can show.

The data indicates that High settings provide the most consistent experience across all three resolutions, with frame rates of 210.9, 151.1, and 91.8 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. This preset offers a good balance between visual quality and performance, making it the recommended starting point for most players. For those with high-refresh 1080p or 1440p monitors, Ultra settings are viable, while 4K players should prioritize High settings to maintain smooth gameplay.