Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 5 5600G + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces a distinctive performance profile in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that clearly favors GPU throughput at higher resolutions. The RTX 4090, with its Ada Lovelace architecture and 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, dominates the frame rate charts across the board, while the Ryzen 5 5600G's six Zen 3 cores provide sufficient headroom at lower resolutions. The measured data reveals a system that transitions from a CPU-limited state at 1080p to a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, with the RTX 4090's raw compute capabilities—82.58 TFLOPS FP32 and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate—becoming the primary driver of performance as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K under High settings shows a clear pattern: 300 FPS at 1920x1080, 211.9 FPS at 2560x1440, and 132.4 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 55.9% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a further 37.5% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling curve is steep, indicating that the RTX 4090's pixel throughput—443.5 GPixel/s—is being increasingly taxed as resolution rises. At 1080p, the 356.8 FPS Low setting result suggests the CPU is nearing its limit, as the Ryzen 5 5600G's single-thread performance (872 in 3dmark single-thread, 2365 in Cinebench R23 single-core) becomes the bottleneck. Moving to 1440p, the GPU begins to shoulder more of the load, with the 313.4 FPS Low result still exceeding what most displays can show. At 4K, the GPU is fully engaged, and the 132.4 FPS High result demonstrates that the combination remains playable even at maximum pixel counts. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 85.7 FPS, showing that the game's most demanding settings still respect the GPU's limitations despite its 24 GB memory buffer and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the limiting component is the CPU. The Ryzen 5 5600G's 3.90 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost clocks, combined with a 16 MB L3 cache, cap performance below what the RTX 4090 alone could deliver. The delta between Low (356.8 FPS) and Ultra (187.5 FPS) at 1080p is 169.3 FPS, a gap that narrows to 110 FPS at 4K (195.7 vs 85.7). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions confirms the shift toward GPU limitation. At 4K, the RTX 4090's memory bandwidth and shading units (16,384) become the decisive factors, while at 1080p, the CPU's 12 threads and 6 cores determine the ceiling.

GPU Role

The RTX 4090's specifications are central to understanding Downfall's performance envelope. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivering 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, the GPU never faces memory capacity constraints at any tested resolution or preset. The 2,235 MHz base and 2,520 MHz boost clocks, paired with 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, provide ample compute for the horror game's rendering demands. The GPU's 91st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66,473, places it well above typical competitors—its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (66,733, delta -0.4%) and Tesla P40 (66,127, delta 0.5%), though these are datacenter parts rather than gaming cards.

The VRAM allocation in Downfall is modest even at 4K Ultra, as the 85.7 FPS result suggests the game does not stress the 24 GB buffer. Instead, the performance ceiling is set by the GPU's shading throughput. The 16,384 shading units and 512 TMUs process texture data at 1,290.2 GTexel/s, which directly translates to the High preset's 132.4 FPS at 4K. The GPU's 5 nm process node and 76,300 million transistors enable this compute density, though the 450 W TDP and 850 W suggested PSU indicate the power overhead required. The memory clock of 1,313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) provides the bandwidth needed to feed the 176 ROPs at 4K, where pixel fill rate becomes critical.

The GPU's role shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the RTX 4090 is underutilized, with the CPU limiting frame rates to between 187.5 and 356.8 FPS depending on preset. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, and the scaling between presets (85.7 FPS Ultra vs 195.7 FPS Low) shows how the GPU's compute resources are allocated across quality tiers. The 5 nm Ada Lovelace architecture's efficiency allows these high frame rates without thermal throttling, though the triple-slot cooler and 12-inch length are necessary to dissipate heat.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of presets across all three resolutions. At 4K, the High preset delivers 132.4 FPS, which is 46.7 FPS higher than Ultra (85.7 FPS) and represents the best balance of visual quality and performance. Pushing to Ultra at 4K costs 46.7 FPS over High, a significant drop that may not justify the visual gains in a horror title where atmosphere matters more than fine detail. The Medium preset at 4K (159.7 FPS) offers a 27.3 FPS advantage over High, making it attractive for players prioritizing smoothness, but the High preset's frame rate already exceeds the 120 Hz refresh rate common on modern displays.

At 1440p, High (211.9 FPS) and Medium (259 FPS) both provide headroom above 200 FPS, with Ultra (136.2 FPS) still comfortably above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p (313.4 FPS) is unnecessary for most use cases, as the visual compromises outweigh the marginal gain over Medium. At 1080p, all presets exceed 187 FPS, making the choice purely visual. The Ultra preset at 1080p (187.5 FPS) is the most demanding option and still delivers a frame rate that exceeds typical 144 Hz displays.

The data suggests the optimal experience is the High preset at 4K or 1440p. At 4K, High offers 132.4 FPS, which is 54.7 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a substantial margin for demanding scenes. At 1440p, High's 211.9 FPS allows for high-refresh-rate gaming without sacrificing visual quality. The Ultra preset, while technically playable at 85.7 FPS (4K) and 136.2 FPS (1440p), imposes a performance penalty that may not be justified by the incremental visual improvements in a game from 2016. For players with 120 Hz or 144 Hz displays, the Medium preset at 4K (159.7 FPS) or High at 1440p (211.9 FPS) offers the best combination of smoothness and fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 132.4 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings. This is a 46.7 FPS improvement over Ultra (85.7 FPS) and a 27.3 FPS reduction compared to Medium (159.7 FPS), making High the recommended preset for 4K gaming.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, with the Ryzen 5 5600G capping frame rates at 356.8 FPS (Low preset). At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, as evidenced by the 85.7 FPS Ultra result. The transition occurs between 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU begins to take over from the CPU.

Q: How does the RTX 4090 compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The RTX 4090 holds a 91st percentile ranking among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 66,473. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla T4, scores 66,733 (delta -0.4%), while the Tesla P40 scores 66,127 (delta 0.5%). These are marginal differences, indicating the RTX 4090's performance is consistent with its class.

Q: Does the 24 GB VRAM provide any advantage in Downfall?

A: The 24 GB GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth exceeds the game's requirements at all tested settings. The Ultra preset at 4K (85.7 FPS) shows no memory-related bottleneck, suggesting the VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor for this title.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 211.9 FPS, which is 75.7 FPS higher than Ultra (136.2 FPS) and 47.1 FPS lower than Medium (259 FPS). High provides the best balance, offering frame rates well above 144 Hz while maintaining visual quality.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600G compare to its CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600G scores 19,983 on average, ranking in the 78th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-11600H, scores 19,949 (delta 0.2%), while the Intel Core i7-11800H scores 20,024 (delta -0.2%). These differences are within 0.3%, indicating comparable CPU performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 57th out of 1,741 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the top 3.3% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the RTX 4090's exceptional GPU performance, which compensates for the Ryzen 5 5600G's more modest CPU capabilities. The CPU's 78th percentile ranking (average score 19,983) and the GPU's 91st percentile ranking (average score 66,473) combine to produce a system that excels in GPU-bound scenarios like Downfall at high resolutions.

The rank of 57 suggests that only 56 other combinations outperform this setup, likely featuring newer or higher-end CPUs paired with the same or similar GPUs. The Ryzen 5 5600G's nearest CPU rivals—Intel Core i7-11600H (delta 0.2%), Intel Core i7-11800H (delta -0.2%), and AMD EPYC 7713P (delta -0.2%)—all fall within a narrow performance band, indicating that CPU choice has minimal impact on the overall ranking. The RTX 4090's dominance in the GPU hierarchy, with its 91st percentile score and marginal deltas to rivals like the Tesla T4 (-0.4%) and Tesla P40 (0.5%), is the primary driver of this high rank.

The data indicates that this combination is well-suited for Downfall, particularly at 4K where the GPU's strengths are fully utilized. The 57th rank out of 1,741 combos places the system in the top percentile of tested configurations, with the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM, 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, and 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance overcoming any CPU limitations. The Ryzen 5 5600G's 6 cores and 12 threads provide adequate support, though its 16 MB L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth create a modest bottleneck at 1080p. Overall, the combination ranks highly due to the GPU's exceptional performance, making it a strong choice for high-resolution horror gaming.