Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 pairing in Downfall presents a fascinating study in component balance, where a 6-core, 12-thread CPU based on the Zen 4 architecture meets a flagship Ada Lovelace GPU. The processor operates with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, drawing from a 16 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support. For a horror title like Downfall, which typically relies on atmospheric rendering rather than massive thread counts, the 8400F’s single-thread performance and 4 nm process node are the primary contributors to its ability to feed frames to the RTX 4090. The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce this: it achieves a 3DMark single-thread score of 951 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2943, while its multi-thread capability is demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851. These figures place the CPU in the 82nd percentile among all tested processors, indicating that while it is not a top-tier workstation chip, its per-core strength is more than adequate for gaming workloads.

The RTX 4090, meanwhile, is a behemoth with 16,384 shading units, 128 RT cores, and 512 tensor cores, all running on a 5 nm process. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 384-bit bus delivers a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which is crucial for high-resolution textures and the detailed environments found in Downfall. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9223 and PassMark G3D score of 38194 place it in the 91st percentile among all GPUs, with its average benchmark score of 66473 situating it just 0.4% behind the NVIDIA Tesla T4 in the nearest rival comparison. This combination of a strong mid-range CPU and an ultra-high-end GPU means that in most scenarios, the RTX 4090 is the dominant component, but the data reveals specific points where the 8400F’s limits become apparent.

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

The Ryzen 5 8400F’s specifications point to a processor designed for balanced gaming performance. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it lacks the high core counts of enthusiast processors, but its Zen 4 architecture and 4.70 GHz boost clock provide the rapid instruction processing that games like Downfall demand. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 3684 and 3DMark 2-thread score of 1874 indicate strong low-thread performance, which is essential for a horror game’s main game logic and physics simulations that often run on a limited number of threads. The 65 W TDP and 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die also suggest efficiency, allowing sustained boost clocks without thermal throttling during extended play sessions.

In Downfall, the CPU’s influence is most visible at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 415.2 FPS, a figure that is likely constrained by the CPU’s ability to issue draw calls rather than the GPU’s rendering capacity. The 8400F’s 3DMark 16-thread score of 6091 and PassMark multi-thread score of 24530 show that it can handle multiple background tasks, but the game’s frame pacing at ultra-high FPS levels will depend heavily on single-core latency. Compared to its nearest rivals, the 8400F’s average benchmark score of 25064 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (deltaPct 0) and just 0.3% ahead of the Ryzen 5 7500F, confirming that it sits in a performance class where generational improvements have plateaued for this type of workload.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The measured data for this specific configuration places it at rank 40 out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall. This is a strong showing, placing it in the top 2.3% of all combinations tested for this game. The high rank is primarily driven by the RTX 4090’s raw power, as the GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 38194 is in the 91st percentile, while the CPU’s 82nd percentile ranking is comparatively lower. The combo’s performance is not limited by the GPU in most cases, which allows the 8400F’s strengths to be fully utilized. However, the rank also reflects the fact that many other combos in the database use even more powerful CPUs, such as those with higher core counts or faster single-thread speeds, which can push frame rates higher in CPU-bound scenarios.

The deltaPct comparisons for the CPU show that the 8400F is nearly identical in average score to the Ryzen 7 2700X (0% delta) and Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 (-0.1% delta), but the GPU’s nearest rivals include the Tesla T4 (-0.4%), which is a data center card, not a gaming GPU. This indicates that the RTX 4090’s gaming performance is not directly comparable to those rivals in a meaningful way for Downfall, but the combo rank of 40 suggests that the overall system is well-optimized for this title. The fact that the data is measured, rather than estimated, adds credibility to the rank, confirming that this combination delivers top-tier performance in Downfall without requiring a flagship CPU to accompany the flagship GPU.

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

Examining the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals where the bottleneck shifts between CPU and GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 415.2 FPS, which drops to 317.3 FPS at 1440p Low and further to 198.8 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 52.1% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is becoming more stressed as resolution increases. The RTX 4090’s 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth and 24 GB VRAM are designed to handle 4K textures, but the frame rate drop shows that even this GPU cannot maintain the same FPS at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the 8400F’s single-thread performance caps the frame rate well below what the RTX 4090 could theoretically deliver.

The scaling pattern changes at Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 187.8 FPS, which drops to 134.7 FPS at 1440p Ultra and 80.4 FPS at 4K Ultra. The reduction from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 57.2%, which is more pronounced than at Low settings. This suggests that at Ultra settings, the GPU is heavily loaded with advanced effects like ray tracing and volumetric lighting, making it the clear bottleneck. The RTX 4090’s 128 RT cores and 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance are being fully utilized, and the CPU has more headroom to keep up. The data indicates that in Downfall, the 8400F is sufficient for 4K Ultra as long as the frame rate target is moderate, but for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, the CPU is the primary limiter, preventing the RTX 4090 from reaching its full potential.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 415.2 FPS at Low settings, 360.1 FPS at Medium, 294.4 FPS at High, and 187.8 FPS at Ultra. This shows a steady decline as settings increase, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 227.4 FPS, or 54.8% lower. The progression from Medium to High is 65.7 FPS, while High to Ultra is 106.6 FPS, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant additional load on the GPU. At 2560x1440, the averages are 317.3 FPS (Low), 259.8 FPS (Medium), 209.6 FPS (High), and 134.7 FPS (Ultra). The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is consistent, averaging around 22-28% reduction, which is expected as pixel count increases by 1.78 times.

At 3840x2160, the performance falls to 198.8 FPS (Low), 163.2 FPS (Medium), 133.5 FPS (High), and 80.4 FPS (Ultra). The 4K Ultra result of 80.4 FPS is noteworthy, as it remains above 60 FPS, making this combo viable for 4K gaming with maximum settings. The transition from 1440p to 4K results in a 37.3% drop at Low settings, 37.2% at Medium, 36.3% at High, and 40.3% at Ultra. This relatively uniform drop across settings suggests that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the primary constraint at 4K, with the CPU maintaining adequate frame pacing. The data shows that the RTX 4090 is the dominant performance driver at all resolutions and settings, but the 8400F ensures that the GPU is rarely starved of data, except at the lowest settings where the CPU’s 3DMark 2-thread score of 1874 becomes the limiting factor.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090’s role in Downfall is defined by its massive memory subsystem and high clock speeds. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz and 21 Gbps effective. This translates to a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s, which are critical for rendering the game’s detailed environments and special effects. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory is more than sufficient for Downfall’s requirements, even at 4K Ultra, where texture streaming and high-resolution assets can consume significant VRAM. The 384-bit memory bus and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensure that the GPU can load textures and geometry without stuttering, contributing to the high average FPS observed.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, including 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 and 512 tensor cores, are leveraged for the game’s advanced lighting and post-processing effects. The PassMark G3D score of 38194 and DirectX 12 score of 150 indicate that the GPU is well-optimized for modern APIs, which is reflected in the 4K Ultra result of 80.4 FPS. The RTX 4090’s 91st percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its position as a top-tier product, but its nearest rivals in the database include the Tesla T4 and Tesla P40, which are not gaming-focused. The GPU’s performance in Downfall is therefore best judged by the measured FPS, which shows that it can handle any setting combination at 1440p and above, with 4K Low delivering 198.8 FPS and 4K Ultra maintaining a playable 80.4 FPS. The GPU’s 450 W TDP and 850 W suggested PSU reflect its power requirements, but the performance it delivers in this game justifies the hardware investment for users seeking maximum frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU-GPU pairing in Downfall?*

A: The data shows that 1440p Ultra is the sweet spot, delivering 134.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. For 4K, Ultra settings still provide 80.4 FPS, making it viable for high-refresh-rate monitors, while 1080p Ultra reaches 187.8 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 8400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in this game?

A: The 8400F becomes a bottleneck at 1080p Low, where the combo hits 415.2 FPS, likely CPU-limited. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 80.4 FPS, indicating the GPU is the primary limiter, so the CPU’s impact is minimal at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: It ranks 40th out of 1741 tested combos, placing it in the top 2.3%. This high ranking is driven by the RTX 4090’s 91st percentile GPU score, while the CPU’s 82nd percentile score is lower but still sufficient.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 4K, Low settings yield 198.8 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 80.4 FPS, a difference of 118.4 FPS or 59.6% lower. This large gap highlights the significant GPU load increase from Ultra effects.

*Q: Does the RTX 4090’s 24 GB VRAM affect performance in Downfall?*

A: The 24 GB VRAM, combined with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, ensures no memory-related stuttering occurs, even at 4K Ultra. The measured 80.4 FPS at 4K Ultra confirms that VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor for this game.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread score relate to the high FPS at 1080p?

A: The 8400F’s PassMark single-thread score of 3684 and 3DMark single-thread score of 951 allow it to maintain high frame rates at 1080p Low (415.2 FPS), but the CPU’s limits cap performance below what the RTX 4090 could theoretically deliver.