Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti delivers a playable but constrained experience in Downfall, a 2016 horror title. The data shows a combo that scales predictably with resolution and settings, ultimately ranking in the lower half of tested configurations. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and presets, interpreting what the numbers reveal about the system's balance of CPU and GPU workload.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting component at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 99 FPS at 1920x1080 to 70 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 29 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160 at High settings, the average drops further to 44 FPS, representing a 55 FPS decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline of roughly 44% from 1080p to 4K at High settings strongly suggests the GTX 1660 Ti's 6 GB frame buffer and memory bandwidth are being saturated as pixel count quadruples.

The scaling pattern is similar across other settings. At Low, the average FPS goes from 147 at 1920x1080 to 105 at 2560x1440, and then to 65 at 3840x2160. This is a 55.8% drop from 1080p to 4K, even at the lowest quality preset. At Medium, the averages are 120, 86, and 53 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is about 55.8% as well. At Ultra, the figures are 62, 44, and 27 FPS, which is a 56.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

These consistent percentage drops across all four settings indicate that the bottleneck is not the CPU, which can handle the frame generation at lower resolutions, but rather the GPU's ability to render more pixels. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is less severe than the jump to 4K, suggesting that the GTX 1660 Ti still has some headroom at 1440p, but the 4K resolution pushes it beyond its comfortable operating range. The data points to a system where the GPU is the limiting factor for high-resolution play, while the CPU remains underutilized.

How This Combo Ranks

In Downfall, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ranks 2520 out of 2928 tested combos. This places it in the 86th percentile of configurations, meaning it performs better than only about 14% of all tested systems. This is a low ranking, indicating that the combo is not well-suited for delivering high frame rates in this title compared to other hardware pairings.

The low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU. The GTX 1660 Ti sits in the 41st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 7723. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon 540, which scores 7673 and is 0.7% slower, and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100, which scores 7580 and is 1.9% slower. These rivals are all entry-level or older workstation cards, underscoring that the 1660 Ti is positioned at the lower end of the performance spectrum.

In contrast, the CPU is a much stronger component. The Ryzen 5 5600F sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36945. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, which scores 36938 and is 0% different, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which scores 37018 and is 0.2% faster. The CPU is clearly not the reason for the low combo ranking; the GPU's limited capabilities drag the overall performance down. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly better ranking in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is built on the Turing architecture using a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features a TU116 chip with 1536 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The GPU has a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. Its memory configuration is 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This memory bandwidth is a critical factor for high-resolution gaming, and the data shows it is insufficient for smooth 4K performance in Downfall.

The GPU's compute capabilities are measured at 5.437 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. Its pixel rate is 84.96 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 169.9 GTexel/s. These figures are modest and explain why the card struggles at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 3840x2160, the average frame rate never exceeds 65 FPS even at Low settings, and at Ultra it falls to just 27 FPS. The 6 GB VRAM is also a likely constraint at 4K, as the game's textures and geometry at that resolution can easily exceed this amount, leading to potential stuttering or reduced performance.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the GTX 1660 Ti is only marginally faster. It is 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon 540 and 1.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100. This narrow margin reinforces that the GPU is a low-end performer. Its launch MSRP was 279 USD, but the current benchmark data shows it delivers performance that is only slightly above entry-level cards. For Downfall, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, as its memory bandwidth and compute power are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the GTX 1660 Ti delivers the most playable results. At Low settings, the average FPS is 147, which is very high and indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. At Medium settings, the average is 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS. High settings yield an average of 99 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 62 FPS, which is still playable but shows a significant performance cost for the highest quality settings. This resolution is where the combo is most capable, offering a smooth experience for most presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance begins to decline. Low settings produce an average of 105 FPS, which is still good. Medium settings average 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS. High settings average 70 FPS, which is acceptable for a horror game. Ultra settings, however, drop to an average of 44 FPS, which is on the edge of playability and may cause noticeable stutter during intense scenes. The data shows that 1440p is viable for Low through High settings, but Ultra is not recommended.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. Low settings average 65 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that approaches a smooth experience. Medium settings average 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS, indicating inconsistent frame pacing. High settings drop to 44 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 27 FPS. These numbers are generally below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, especially for a horror title where smooth motion is crucial for immersion. The 4K resolution is only marginally playable at Low settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 5000 series, based on the Zen 3 architecture with the codename Vermeer. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU has a 32 MB shared L3 cache and 512 KB per-core L2 cache. Its memory support is DDR4 with a dual-channel bus, offering a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. This processor has a TDP of 65 W and is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong. It achieves a Passmark multi-thread score of 19236 and a single-thread score of 2872. Its floating-point math score is 34548, and its integer math score is 59339. These scores place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is a capable processor for gaming. Its average benchmark score of 36945 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, which scores 36938, with a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% faster, scoring 37018.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 147 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would require a strong CPU to maintain. The fact that performance scales down consistently with resolution indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU. The Ryzen 5 5600F has more than enough processing power to keep up with the GTX 1660 Ti, even at the lowest settings where the CPU workload is proportionally higher.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset provides an average of 99 FPS, which is an excellent balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset is also playable at 62 FPS, but the drop from High to Ultra is 37 FPS, which is a significant cost for marginal visual improvements. For a smooth and visually pleasing experience at 1080p, High is the recommended preset.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 86 FPS, which is the best balance for this resolution. The High preset is also viable at 70 FPS, but Medium offers a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 105 FPS is smoother but sacrifices visual fidelity. For 1440p, Medium is recommended to maintain a consistent frame rate while keeping the game looking reasonable.

At 3840x2160, the only acceptable option is the Low preset, which yields an average of 65 FPS. The Medium preset at 53 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets are too slow for a good experience. Therefore, for 4K, Low settings are the only recommendation. For the best overall experience, playing at 1920x1080 with High settings is the sweet spot for this hardware, offering high frame rates without compromising too much on visual quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 99.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested configurations in Downfall?

A: The combo ranks 2520 out of 2928 tested combos, placing it in the lower 14% of all tested configurations.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and why does it matter?

A: The GPU has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is a key factor in the GPU's performance at higher resolutions, as it is insufficient for smooth 4K play.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: No, the CPU is not a bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 5600F has a Passmark single-thread score of 2872 and a multi-thread score of 19236, which is strong. The performance scaling with resolution indicates the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth experience at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is recommended, as it provides an average FPS of 86 with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 99.

Q: Is 4K playable with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is recommended, yielding an average of 65 FPS. Other presets at this resolution drop to 53 FPS or lower, which is not ideal.