Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces a striking FPS profile across Downfall's four quality presets and three resolutions. The measured data shows a system that delivers playable frame rates at every tested configuration, but the scaling patterns reveal where each component's influence dominates. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 90 FPS, while dropping to 1080p Low pushes that figure to 342 FPS — a 3.8x spread that maps directly onto the GPU's rendering load and the CPU's ability to feed frames at lower resolutions. This analysis walks through the measured rows to interpret what the numbers indicate about the limiting component at each setting.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K follows a consistent pattern across all four settings presets, though the magnitude varies significantly. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 342 FPS at 1920x1080 to 306 FPS at 2560x1440 — a 10.5% reduction — and then to 214 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 30.1% drop. This scaling curve is relatively shallow between 1080p and 1440p, suggesting the CPU is still capable of keeping the GPU fed at the lower resolution, but the 1440p-to-4K transition shows the GPU beginning to become the primary constraint.

The Medium preset exhibits a similar shape: 319 FPS at 1080p, 282 FPS at 1440p (an 11.6% reduction), and 175 FPS at 4K (a 37.9% drop from 1440p). The High preset shows a steeper initial decline, falling from 297 FPS at 1080p to 231 FPS at 1440p — a 22.2% reduction — then to 144 FPS at 4K, another 37.7% decline. Ultra follows the steepest overall trajectory: 202 FPS at 1080p, 144 FPS at 1440p (a 28.7% drop), and 90 FPS at 4K (a 37.5% further reduction).

The data indicates that between 1080p and 1440p, the frame rate reduction is modest at Low and Medium (around 10-12%) but more pronounced at High and Ultra (22-29%). This divergence suggests that at lower quality presets, the CPU's frame-generation capability partially masks the GPU's increased workload as resolution rises. At higher presets, the GPU's pixel and texture processing demands scale more directly with resolution, producing larger FPS penalties. The 4K-to-1440p gap remains consistently around 30-38% across all settings, which points to the GPU being the dominant limiter in that range regardless of quality level.

At 1080p Low, the 342 FPS average is substantially above the 240 Hz refresh territory, indicating the CPU is likely the bottleneck at that extreme. The Ryzen 5 5500's six cores and twelve threads, with a 3.60 GHz base clock and 4.20 GHz boost, generate frames faster than the RTX 5090 D can render at higher resolutions, but at 1080p Low the roles reverse. The data shows the GPU's raw throughput — 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate — becomes underutilized at lower resolutions, where the CPU's per-core performance caps the output.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 5500's specifications directly inform its behavior in Downfall. With six cores and twelve threads on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename), the CPU delivers a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16,429 and a single-core score of 2,319. The 3.60 GHz base clock and 4.20 GHz boost clock, combined with 16 MB of L3 cache, provide the foundation for frame generation in this horror title.

Benchmark results place this CPU at the 73rd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 19,593. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (average score 19,617, a 0.1% delta), the Intel Core i5-12500 (19,668, 0.4% delta), and the Intel Core i7-10700F (19,499, 0.5% delta). These close margins indicate the Ryzen 5 5500 sits in a tightly competitive band for general compute, though Downfall's specific workload may favor certain architectures differently.

The measured FPS data shows the CPU's influence most clearly at 1080p. At Low settings, the 342 FPS average is 8.1% higher than the 1080p Medium result of 319 FPS, and 15.2% higher than the 1080p High result of 297 FPS. The 1080p Ultra average of 202 FPS is 41.0% lower than Low, indicating that the GPU's workload at Ultra settings begins to limit frame rates even at 1080p. The 3dmark single-thread score of 836 and 2-thread score of 1,645 suggest that Downfall's frame pacing at high FPS values depends on the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls quickly, which the 4.20 GHz boost clock supports.

At 1440p, the CPU's role diminishes relative to the GPU. The Low preset's 306 FPS is only 8.5% lower than the 1080p Low figure, while the Medium preset drops 11.6% to 282 FPS. The High preset at 1440p (231 FPS) shows a larger 22.2% reduction from 1080p High, and Ultra at 1440p (144 FPS) drops 28.7% from 1080p Ultra. This pattern indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU's rendering workload becomes the dominant factor, and the CPU's frame generation capability is no longer the limiting constraint.

The Ryzen 5 5500's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s over dual-channel DDR4, while not the fastest available, does not appear to create a measurable bottleneck in the measured rows. The 16 MB L3 cache is modest by modern standards, but the data shows frame rates that remain high even at 4K Medium (175 FPS), suggesting the CPU's cache hierarchy is adequate for this game's data access patterns.

FAQ

Q: Does the combo achieve 144 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at High settings. The 3840x2160 High preset averages 144 FPS. At Medium, the average drops to 175 FPS, while Ultra falls to 90 FPS and Low reaches 214 FPS.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The 1920x1080 Low preset produces the highest average at 342 FPS. The next highest is 319 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 306 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra result compare to 4K High?

A: The 4K Ultra average of 90 FPS is 37.5% lower than the 4K High average of 144 FPS. This is the largest percentage drop between adjacent settings at any resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to limit performance at 1080p Low?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p Low. The 342 FPS average is far above the GPU's likely rendering ceiling at that resolution, and the relatively small 10.5% FPS drop to 1440p Low indicates the GPU has headroom that the CPU cannot fully utilize.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in any measured configuration?

A: The only configurations with min FPS values are the Medium presets. At 4K Medium, the min is 149 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 240 FPS; and at 1080p Medium, it is 271 FPS. No min FPS values are provided for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

Q: How does the combo's rank in Downfall compare to its overall component percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 107th out of 2,928 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the top 3.7% of combos. The CPU sits at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, indicating the combo's game-specific rank is influenced by the GPU's strong performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 107th out of 2,928 tested combos in Downfall. This places the pairing in the top 3.7% of all configurations tested for this game, which is notable given that the CPU itself only ranks at the 73rd percentile among all processors. The GPU's 92nd percentile standing among all GPUs clearly boosts the combo's overall position.

The rank suggests that Downfall's performance characteristics favor the GPU's strengths more than the CPU's relative weaknesses. The RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, combined with 21,760 shading units and 170 RT cores, provides substantial rendering headroom. The CPU's six cores and twelve threads, while competitive in synthetic benchmarks (average score 19,593), do not need to be exceptional for this combo to achieve a high rank because the GPU handles the bulk of the frame rendering work.

The 107th rank out of 2,928 combos means 2,821 other combinations perform worse in Downfall, while 106 perform better. Given the GPU's high percentile and the CPU's mid-range standing, the rank likely reflects configurations with even faster CPUs paired with the same or similar GPUs. The CPU's nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (0.1% lower average score), Intel Core i5-12500 (0.4% lower), and Intel Core i7-10700F (0.5% higher) — would likely produce similar Downfall results when paired with the same GPU, suggesting the rank is more sensitive to GPU selection than CPU choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured data shows a clear progression across settings. Low settings produce an average of 342 FPS, Medium averages 319 FPS with a minimum of 271 and maximum of 366, High averages 297 FPS, and Ultra averages 202 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 140 FPS, with the largest single-step drop occurring between High and Ultra at 95 FPS (a 32.0% reduction). The Medium preset's min-to-max range of 95 FPS (271 to 366) indicates some frame-time variability, but the average remains well above display refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the averages scale down across the board. Low produces 306 FPS, Medium averages 282 FPS with a minimum of 240 and maximum of 324, High averages 231 FPS, and Ultra averages 144 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread narrows to 162 FPS, with the High-to-Ultra drop of 87 FPS (37.7%) being the largest step. The Medium preset's range of 84 FPS (240 to 324) is slightly tighter than at 1080p, suggesting more consistent frame pacing at the higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages compress further. Low produces 214 FPS, Medium averages 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 and maximum of 202, High averages 144 FPS, and Ultra averages 90 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread is 124 FPS, with the High-to-Ultra drop of 54 FPS (37.5%) again being the largest step. The Medium preset's range of 53 FPS (149 to 202) is the narrowest of any resolution, indicating that 4K Medium provides the most consistent frame delivery relative to its average.

The Medium preset is the only one with min and max values at all three resolutions, offering a complete picture of frame variance. At 1080p, the max of 366 FPS exceeds the Low preset's average of 342 FPS, while at 1440p, the max of 324 FPS approaches the Low preset's 306 FPS average. At 4K, the Medium max of 202 FPS is below the Low average of 214 FPS, showing that the settings gap narrows as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear basis for choosing a preset based on target frame rates and resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets deliver averages above 200 FPS, with Low at 342 FPS and Medium at 319 FPS. The High preset's 297 FPS and Ultra's 202 FPS are still exceptionally high. Given that the Medium preset includes min/max data (271 to 366 FPS), it offers a balanced combination of visual quality and frame stability. The 319 FPS average is only 6.7% lower than Low, while providing better visual fidelity. There is no practical reason to use Low at 1080p unless chasing absolute maximum frame rates, as Medium's average is already far beyond typical display refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset's 282 FPS average with a 240 FPS minimum makes it the strongest recommendation. The High preset at 231 FPS is also excellent, but the Medium preset's 22.1% higher average over High, combined with its documented min/max range, suggests it delivers the best experience per the measured rows. The Ultra preset at 144 FPS is playable but represents a significant 48.9% reduction from Medium, which may not justify the visual improvements depending on the display's refresh rate. Low at 306 FPS offers only an 8.5% improvement over Medium, making it a poor trade-off for reduced visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations shift. The High preset's 144 FPS average is the sweet spot for 4K gaming, providing a smooth experience on high-refresh displays. The Medium preset at 175 FPS is 21.5% higher, but the High preset's better visual quality likely outweighs that margin for most users. The Ultra preset at 90 FPS is the only configuration that dips near the 60 FPS threshold, and while it is playable, it represents a 37.5% reduction from High. The Low preset at 214 FPS is the highest 4K average, but the visual compromise is substantial. For users with displays capped at 144 Hz, High at 4K is the optimal measured choice. For those prioritizing maximum frame rates, Medium at 4K offers a 31 FPS advantage over High with only a single preset step down in quality.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D's specifications dominate the measured results in Downfall. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus delivering 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, the GPU has ample memory capacity and throughput for this horror title's textures and geometry. The base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz, combined with 21,760 shading units and 176 ROPs, provide the raw compute power that drives the high frame rates observed across all resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark results place it at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 77,712. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (average score 76,904, a 1.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, a -1.6% delta), and NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants (79,396 and 79,605, with -2.1% and -2.4% deltas respectively). These comparisons show the RTX 5090 D sits in a competitive band, though its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915 indicate strong DirectX and Vulkan performance for gaming workloads.

The GPU's influence on Downfall's measured FPS is most apparent at 4K. The 3840x2160 Ultra preset's 90 FPS average, while lower than other settings, still represents a substantial rendering load that the GPU handles effectively. The 4K Medium result of 175 FPS shows the GPU's ability to maintain high frame rates even with reduced visual fidelity. The pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s provide the throughput needed to sustain these numbers.

The GPU's 575 W TDP and suggested 950 W PSU indicate a power-hungry design, but the measured FPS data shows this power translates directly into frame rate performance. The 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 compute capability is particularly relevant for Downfall's rendering pipeline, which likely leverages heavy shader work. At 1080p Low, the GPU is underutilized, as evidenced by the 342 FPS average that the CPU cannot exceed, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU's full capabilities are engaged, producing the 90 FPS result. The GPU's performance is the primary determinant of the combo's 107th rank out of 2,928 tested combinations, with its 92nd percentile standing lifting the overall position well above what the CPU's 73rd percentile would suggest.