Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 in Downfall produces a fascinating dataset that reveals a system with massive headroom and a clear bottleneck hierarchy. This is a combination where the GPU is an absolute monster, and the CPU, while capable, ultimately defines the ceiling at lower resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) show a pattern that is classic for a high-end GPU paired with a mid-range processor: the gap between settings narrows as resolution increases, and the CPU becomes the limiting factor when the workload shifts to lower pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a textbook example of resolution scaling shifting the bottleneck. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as evidenced by the relatively small performance delta between Low and Medium settings. Specifically, at 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 414 FPS, while Medium drops to 374 FPS, a modest 40 FPS difference. This suggests the CPU is struggling to feed frames fast enough to fully utilize the RTX 5090's raw power. The jump to High (306.2 FPS) and then Ultra (193.1 FPS) shows the GPU starting to take on more work, but the 1080p numbers are still astronomically high, indicating the CPU is the primary gatekeeper.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling becomes more pronounced. Low yields 326.3 FPS, Medium 270.8 FPS, and High 221.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium here is 55.5 FPS, a larger gap than at 1080p, which indicates the GPU is becoming more relevant. However, the system is still pushing well past 200 FPS on High, suggesting the CPU is still doing the heavy lifting to maintain such high frame rates. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 135.9 FPS, showing a significant performance cost for the highest visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the bottleneck shifts decisively to the GPU. The Low preset averages 204.7 FPS, which is a massive drop from the 326.3 FPS seen at 1440p Low. This is a 121.6 FPS difference, purely from the pixel count increase. Medium follows at 165.6 FPS, and High at 139.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding scenario, yielding just 88 FPS. This demonstrates that while the RTX 5090 is exceptionally powerful, 4K Ultra is still a heavy load that brings the system to a more conventional, albeit still high, performance level. The data clearly indicates that the 8400F can push high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the RTX 5090 is waiting for more data at those resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores are solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943. These scores place it in the 82nd percentile against all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 25064 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F. This indicates a well-rounded processor that offers good multi-threaded and single-threaded performance.

In the context of Downfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU. At 1080p, the data shows that the 8400F is the limiting component. The fact that the FPS at Low (414) and Medium (374) are so close suggests that the CPU is maxing out its ability to process the game's logic and draw calls. The 4.70 GHz boost clock is certainly helping, but the 6-core/12-thread configuration is likely the ceiling. The benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, but the game's engine may not be fully utilizing all 12 threads, leaving the single-thread performance as the key factor.

The 4.20 GHz base clock and 4.70 GHz boost clock are respectable figures, and the processor's 82nd percentile ranking confirms it is a capable part. However, when paired with a GPU as powerful as the RTX 5090, the CPU's limitations become apparent at lower resolutions. The data suggests that the 8400F is capable of sustaining frame rates well above 300 FPS in this game, but it cannot reach the 500+ FPS territory that the GPU might be capable of delivering if it were paired with a more powerful processor. The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are adequate for gaming, but the architecture is not designed to be the ultimate companion for a flagship GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a behemoth, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its architecture is Blackwell 2.0, and it boasts a boost clock of 2407 MHz. With 21,760 shading units and 170 RT cores, it is a compute powerhouse. Its average benchmark score of 84306 places it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, is virtually identical in performance.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is to render the horror scenes with high fidelity. The data shows that the RTX 5090 is more than capable of handling the game's demands, even at 4K. The 32 GB of VRAM is far more than any current game needs, ensuring there are no texture loading or memory capacity bottlenecks. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth is also crucial for high-resolution textures and effects, which is evident in the 4K High preset still achieving 139.1 FPS.

The GPU's performance scaling is clear. At 4K, dropping from Ultra (88 FPS) to High (139.1 FPS) yields a 51.1 FPS improvement, while dropping to Medium (165.6 FPS) and Low (204.7 FPS) shows a linear progression as pixel shading load decreases. This indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU has more breathing room to keep up with the lower frame rate target. The 2407 MHz boost clock is high, but the sheer number of cores and the memory bandwidth are what allow it to maintain such high frame rates at 4K. The data confirms that the RTX 5090 is a 4K-capable monster, but it is being held back by the CPU at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the High preset is the sweet spot. At 1080p, High averages 306.2 FPS, which is still an incredibly high frame rate and far more than any 240Hz or 360Hz monitor can display. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 193.1 FPS, which is still excellent, but the performance cost of 113.1 FPS is significant for visual gains that may be hard to notice in a fast-paced horror game.

At 1440p, the High preset (221.5 FPS) is again the best choice, offering a perfect balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset (270.8 FPS) is also viable if maximum frame rates are desired, but High is recommended for a better visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset at 1440p (135.9 FPS) is playable but starts to dip below the 144Hz threshold that many high-refresh-rate monitors use, making it less ideal.

For 4K gaming, the recommendation is to use the High preset. The 139.1 FPS average is excellent for 4K and provides a smooth experience on most high-refresh-rate 4K displays. The Ultra preset (88 FPS) is playable but may not be ideal for users who prefer frame rates above 100 FPS. The Medium preset (165.6 FPS) is a viable alternative for those who want to maximize frame rates at 4K, but High offers a better visual experience. The Low preset is not recommended for any resolution, as the visual degradation is too severe for the minimal performance gain, especially at 4K where it still only achieves 204.7 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 13th out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall. This is a top 1% ranking, placing it among the elite configurations for this game. The ranking confirms the raw power of the RTX 5090, but it also highlights the slight drag from the CPU. If the combo were paired with a higher-end processor, such as a 16-core Ryzen 9000 series or a Core i9, it would likely rank even higher. However, the 13th position out of 1741 is an exceptional result.

The data shows that this combo is not held back by the GPU, as its performance is near the top of the charts. The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking is good, but it is the weaker link in this pairing. The benchmark results for the CPU show it is competitive with its direct rivals, but it does not have the headroom of a flagship processor. The combo's rank of 13 suggests that the RTX 5090 is doing the heavy lifting, and the 8400F is just along for the ride. For users looking to build a system for Downfall with the RTX 5090, this data suggests that a more powerful CPU would yield a higher ranking, but this combo is already delivering top-tier performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across all settings and resolutions.

1920x1080:

• Ultra: 193.1 FPS
• High: 306.2 FPS
• Medium: 374 FPS
• Low: 414 FPS

2560x1440:

• Ultra: 135.9 FPS
• High: 221.5 FPS
• Medium: 270.8 FPS
• Low: 326.3 FPS

3840x2160:

• Ultra: 88 FPS
• High: 139.1 FPS
• Medium: 165.6 FPS
• Low: 204.7 FPS

The data confirms a clear pattern: the performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, but the system remains highly playable at all resolutions. The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration that dips below 100 FPS. The difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low is a 209.3 FPS drop, highlighting the massive impact of resolution. The Ultra preset at 4K is 105 FPS slower than at 1080p, showing the GPU's workload increases substantially with pixel count. This breakdown provides a clear roadmap for users to dial in their preferred balance of visual fidelity and frame rate.