Downfall

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 5000 series, built on the Zen 3 architecture with the Cezanne codename. Its base clock of 3.90 GHz can boost up to 4.40 GHz, and it carries a 65 W TDP. The chip is manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC, with 10,700 million transistors packed into a 180 mm² die. Cache configuration includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 16 MB L3 pool. Memory support is DDR4, running on a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The processor connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, and it includes Radeon Vega 7 integrated graphics. Its 3DMark scores range from 872 in single-thread to 5455 in max-threads, with 4-thread and 8-thread results of 3258 and 4694 respectively.

Benchmark results indicate the CPU sits at the 74th percentile against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 21088. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i3-1220P scores 21066 with a delta of 0.1%, the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V scores 21112 (delta -0.1%), the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U scores 21133 (delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U scores 21174 (delta -0.4%). This grouping suggests the 5600G is positioned in a highly competitive mid-range segment where performance differences are within a fraction of a percent. In Cinebench R23, it achieves 10551 points multicore and 1409 points single-core, while Geekbench reports 8428 multicore and 1801 single-core. PassMark multithread performance is 19717, with single-thread at 3177.

In the context of Downfall, a horror game, the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration with a 3.90 GHz base clock appears sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low preset delivers 355 FPS average, which is remarkably high, suggesting the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at that resolution. However, the 5600G's PCIe Gen 3 interface and DDR4 memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s could theoretically limit data transfer rates to the GPU in certain scenarios. The fact that frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution — dropping from 355 FPS at 1080p Low to 214 FPS at 4K Low — indicates that the GPU becomes more dominant as pixel count rises, while the CPU maintains its role as a stable foundation. The 16 MB L3 cache is modest by modern standards, but the game's horror genre likely doesn't demand the massive cache hierarchies seen in simulation or strategy titles. The data implies the 5600G provides adequate computational headroom, allowing the RTX 5090 D to stretch its legs at higher resolutions where the workload shifts to the graphics card.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a massive graphics card from the GeForce 50-series, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip. It uses a 5 nm process at TSMC, housing 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die with a transistor density of 122.9M per mm². Clock speeds include a 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The card is equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering a staggering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its compute resources are immense: 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. Pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s, texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance reaches 104.8 TFLOPS. The TDP is 575 W, requiring a 950 W suggested PSU and a single 16-pin power connector. The card occupies a dual-slot design, measuring 304 mm in length.

In GPU benchmarks, the RTX 5090 D achieves a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 77712. Its nearest rivals are interesting: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904 (delta 1.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940 (delta -1.6%), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396 (delta -2.1%), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605 (delta -2.4%). These deltas are small, but the fact that mobile and datacenter parts appear as rivals to this flagship desktop card is notable. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 14326, while Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores are 310674 and 376915 respectively. PassMark G3D score is 44065, with G2D at 1487.

For Downfall, the GPU's 32 GB VRAM is far beyond what a 2016 horror title would require, but it provides headroom for high-resolution textures and future-proofing. The 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth ensures that even at 4K Ultra, the card isn't starved for data. The frame rates tell a story of GPU dominance: at 4K Ultra, the combo averages 90 FPS, while 4K High hits 144 FPS, 4K Medium reaches 175 FPS, and 4K Low peaks at 214 FPS. The scaling from Ultra to Low at 4K (90 to 214 FPS, a 138% increase) demonstrates how much the GPU's raw compute is taxed by higher settings. The RTX 5090 D's boost clock of 2407 MHz, combined with its massive shader count, allows it to push these numbers. However, the game's age means it likely doesn't leverage the card's RT cores or tensor cores heavily, so the performance is primarily driven by traditional rasterization power. The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where even this flagship card cannot maintain triple-digit frame rates, but at lower settings and resolutions, it has ample headroom.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 355 FPS average; at 1440p Low, it drops to 318 FPS; and at 4K Low, it falls to 214 FPS. This represents a 39.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K. For Medium settings, the progression is 331 FPS at 1080p, 282 FPS at 1440p, and 175 FPS at 4K — a 47.1% drop from 1080p to 4K. High settings show 308 FPS at 1080p, 231 FPS at 1440p, and 144 FPS at 4K, a 53.2% decline. Ultra settings are the most demanding: 202 FPS at 1080p, 144 FPS at 1440p, and 90 FPS at 4K, representing a 55.4% reduction.

These percentages reveal which component limits performance at each resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (355 FPS) and Ultra (202 FPS) is 153 FPS, indicating that GPU load changes significantly with settings, but the CPU can still push high frame rates. The relatively small drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (355 to 318 FPS, an 10.4% decrease) suggests the CPU is beginning to become a constraint, as the GPU should easily handle 1440p Low. However, at 4K Low, the 214 FPS figure shows the GPU is now the primary bottleneck, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p and demands more from the graphics card.

For Medium settings, the min and max FPS values provide additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the range is 281 to 381 FPS, with an average of 331. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 240 to 324 FPS (average 282). At 4K Medium, the range is 149 to 202 FPS (average 175). The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates more consistent frame pacing, likely because the GPU is more uniformly utilized. The Ultra preset shows the steepest drop, with 4K Ultra (90 FPS) being less than half of 1080p Ultra (202 FPS). This suggests that Ultra settings include effects that scale heavily with resolution, such as shadows, reflections, and post-processing. At 1080p Ultra, the CPU may be limiting, as 202 FPS is high but not extraordinary; at 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as 90 FPS is a demanding load for any card. The data implies a balanced system at 1440p, where both CPU and GPU contribute meaningfully, but at 1080p, the CPU holds back the GPU, and at 4K, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 71st out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the top 2.4% of all configurations tested, which is an exceptional position. The rank of 71 means there are 70 other combos that achieve higher average frame rates across the measured scenarios. Given that the RTX 5090 D is a flagship GPU with a 92nd percentile ranking, the combination's rank is likely pulled down by the CPU's 74th percentile position. The 5600G, while capable, is not a top-tier processor, and in a game like Downfall, where frame rates at 1080p can exceed 300 FPS, the CPU's single-thread performance (872 in 3DMark single-thread) may limit the maximum achievable FPS.

The combo's rank of 71 is particularly meaningful when considering that the GPU alone ranks in the 92nd percentile, but the combined system ranks in the top 2.4% of all combos. This suggests that the CPU, while not the best, is sufficient to allow the GPU to perform at a high level in this specific game. The gap between the GPU's percentile (92) and the combo's rank (71/2928, which is roughly the 97.6th percentile) indicates that the CPU is not severely bottlenecking the GPU in most scenarios. However, at 1080p Low (355 FPS), the CPU's limits are likely exposed, as even the fastest GPUs would struggle to exceed this without a stronger processor. The nearest rival combos would presumably use higher-end CPUs paired with similar or faster GPUs, but the data does not specify their exact configurations.

The rank of 71 out of 2928 is remarkable for a combo featuring a mid-range 2021 processor. It implies that Downfall is not heavily CPU-dependent, allowing the RTX 5090 D to dominate. The fact that the combo achieves 144 FPS at 4K High and 90 FPS at 4K Ultra suggests that the CPU can keep up with the GPU even at high resolutions. This confirms the 5600G's 4.40 GHz boost clock and 16 MB L3 cache, which provide enough single-thread performance for a horror game's typical AI and physics workloads. The data indicates that for this game, the GPU is the star player, and the CPU plays a supporting role without dragging down overall performance.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Downfall with this combo for maximum smoothness?

A: At 1080p Medium, the combo averages 331 FPS, with 1440p Medium at 282 FPS. Both are well above 240 FPS, making them excellent choices for high-refresh-rate displays. If you prioritize 4K, Medium settings provide 175 FPS, which is still very smooth.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600G has an average benchmark score of 21088, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i3-1220P (21066) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (21112). It also trails the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (21133) by 0.2% and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U (21174) by 0.4%.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings in Downfall?

A: Yes, it averages 90 FPS at 4K Ultra, with no minimum FPS data provided. This is playable, though it's the lowest average among all measured settings. If you want higher frame rates, 4K High offers 144 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo averages 308 FPS, while at 4K High it drops to 144 FPS. This represents a 53.2% reduction in average frame rate, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5090 D have, and does it matter for this game?

A: The RTX 5090 D has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory. For Downfall, a 2016 horror game, this is far more than needed, but it ensures no texture-related stuttering at any resolution or setting.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p resolution?

A: At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 282 FPS average, with a range of 240 to 324 FPS. The relatively high frame rates suggest the GPU is still the dominant factor, but the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck at this resolution.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience balances high frame rates with visual quality. At 1080p, Medium settings provide 331 FPS average, which is 26 FPS higher than High (308 FPS) and 129 FPS higher than Ultra (202 FPS). The Medium preset also has a minimum FPS of 281, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. For 1440p, Medium delivers 282 FPS average (min 240, max 324), which is an excellent choice for gaming monitors with refresh rates up to 240 Hz. High settings at 1440p drop to 231 FPS, still smooth but with a 51 FPS penalty compared to Medium.

For 4K, the choice depends on your display's refresh rate. If you have a 120 Hz or 144 Hz display, High settings at 144 FPS average is the sweet spot, offering better visuals than Medium (175 FPS) while staying above the refresh rate threshold. Ultra at 4K yields 90 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced horror gameplay, but the 54 FPS drop from High to Ultra suggests diminishing returns. If you prioritize maximum smoothness at 4K, Medium at 175 FPS is the recommended preset, as it provides a significant margin above 144 Hz displays while maintaining good visual fidelity. The Low preset at any resolution offers the highest frame rates (355 FPS at 1080p, 318 FPS at 1440p, 214 FPS at 4K), but the visual quality is likely too compromised for a horror game where atmosphere matters. Overall, Medium settings across all resolutions provide the best balance of performance and visual quality, with High being a viable alternative for 4K users with 144 Hz displays.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 355 FPS, with no min or max data provided. Medium settings average 331 FPS, with a minimum of 281 and maximum of 381 FPS. High settings average 308 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 202 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 153 FPS, showing how much settings impact performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates decline but remain high. Low settings average 318 FPS. Medium settings average 282 FPS, with a range of 240 to 324 FPS. High settings average 231 FPS, and Ultra settings average 144 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 174 FPS, slightly larger than at 1080p, indicating increased GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. Low settings average 214 FPS. Medium settings average 175 FPS, with min and max values of 149 and 202 FPS respectively. High settings average 144 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 90 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 124 FPS, which is smaller than at lower resolutions, suggesting that Ultra settings are disproportionately demanding at this pixel count.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: Medium settings offer the best balance of performance and stability, with min FPS values only 15-17% below average. At 1080p Medium, the min FPS of 281 is 84.9% of the average 331 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the min FPS of 240 is 85.1% of the 282 average. At 4K Medium, the min FPS of 149 is 85.1% of the 175 average. This consistency across resolutions suggests the Medium preset is well-optimized for this hardware combination. In contrast, Low and High presets lack min/max data, making it harder to assess frame pacing stability. The Ultra preset at 4K (90 FPS) is the only setting below 100 FPS, indicating that this combo can handle the game maxed out at 4K, albeit with lower frame rates. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, 1080p Medium at 331 FPS is the standout choice, while 4K High at 144 FPS is ideal for cinematic horror experiences on large displays.