Downfall

Downfall, a horror title released in 2016, presents an interesting case study in system scaling when paired with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of how this combination behaves across different resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a pronounced and expected decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 303 at 1080p to 217 at 1440p, and finally to 135 at 4K. This represents a reduction of approximately 28.4% moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37.8% drop from 1440p to 4K. At the Low preset, the scaling is steeper: 367 FPS at 1080p, 323 at 1440p, and 201 at 4K, corresponding to a 12.0% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 37.8% drop from 1440p to 4K. The Medium preset shows 342, 264, and 164 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 190, 135, and 84 FPS respectively.

The pattern across all four settings presets is consistent: the most substantial performance loss occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K. The resolution scaling indicates that at 1080p, the rendering workload is relatively light, and the results are likely constrained by other factors. At 4K, the pixel count increases dramatically, placing a heavier load on the GPU. For example, at the Ultra preset, the 4K average of 84 FPS is slightly more than half of the 1080p average, demonstrating a significant rendering cost.

The data also reveals how the performance gap between settings presets widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 177 FPS, whereas at 4K, the difference is 117 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, and the GPU's potential is somewhat underutilized. At 4K, the GPU becomes more dominant, but the absolute FPS differences between settings remain large.

The scaling behavior across resolutions strongly suggests that the CPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with 8 cores and 16 threads, is the limiting component at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU is capable of rendering frames at rates that the CPU cannot always keep up with, as seen in the high FPS values. At 4K, the GPU's rendering workload increases, and the FPS drops to a level where the CPU is less likely to be the primary bottleneck. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the combination maintains an average of 84 FPS, which is very good for a horror title.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G is a desktop processor from the 5000 series, based on the Zen 3 architecture with a Cezanne codename. It is manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC, with a transistor count of 10,700 million and a die size of 180 mm². The CPU has 8 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 3.80 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its TDP is rated at 65 W, and it supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

In the context of Downfall, the CPU's performance is notable. In the benchmark results, the 5700G achieves a 3DMark 16-thread score of 6629 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 899. The multi-threaded capabilities are further demonstrated by the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12830.5 and the single-core score of 1494. The Geekbench multicore score is 9950, with a single-core score of 1894. The PassMark multithread score of 24419 and single-thread score of 3283 round out the CPU's profile.

The CPU's core and clock speeds suggest that it is well-suited for a game like Downfall. In the measured FPS results, at 1080p Medium, the average is 342 FPS, with a minimum of 290 and a maximum of 393. The high average FPS at 1080p, even at Ultra settings (190 FPS), indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding frames to the GPU at a high rate. The 8 cores and 16 threads allow for adequate thread scheduling, and the boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensures strong per-core performance. The CPU's position among other processors is measured by its percentile score, which is 79, and its average benchmark score of 27051.

The nearest rivals to the 5700G are the Intel Core i9-9900K with an average score of 27097, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 with 26936, the Intel Core i5-14400T with 27166, and the Intel Core i7-1370P with 26900. The deltaPct values show that the 5700G is very close in performance, ranging from -0.2% to 0.6% compared to these rivals. This indicates that the 5700G's performance in synthetic benchmarks is well-matched with these other processors.

The data shows that the CPU is a solid match for the RTX 5090 in this game. At 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiter, as evidenced by the relatively small difference in FPS between the Low and High presets (a 64 FPS gap between Low and High at 1080p). At 4K, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance is sufficient to maintain high FPS. The 8-core, 16-thread design is a key element in delivering the high FPS at 1080p, allowing the GPU to be fed with a steady stream of frames.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset is 84 FPS, with the minimum and maximum not specified.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G has an average benchmark score of 27051, which is slightly lower than the Intel Core i9-9900K (27097) and the Intel Core i5-14400T (27166), but higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 (26936) and Intel Core i7-1370P (26900). The deltaPct ranges from -0.2% to 0.6%.

Q: What are the clock speeds of the CPU?

A: The base clock is 3.80 GHz, and the boost clock is 4.60 GHz.

Q: Is the GPU a high-end model?

A: The GPU is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 from the GeForce 50-series, with a chip size of 750 mm² and 92,200 million transistors. It has a high benchmark score and ranks at the 92nd percentile.

Q: At what setting does the game run at 1080p with the highest FPS?

A: The highest FPS at 1920x1080 is 367 FPS, which occurs at the Low settings.

Q: Is the combo more limited by the CPU or GPU at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting component. The FPS values at 1080p are high, but the difference between the Low and Ultra presets suggests that the GPU's raw power is not the main constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 144th out of 3716 tested combos in the Downfall benchmark. This rank places it in the upper 4% of all tested combinations. The high ranking is a result of the GPU's extreme performance and the CPU's ability to keep up with it in this game. The combo's placement in the top percentile indicates that it is a very capable configuration for this title.

The rank of 144 out of 3716 shows that there are 143 combinations that perform better. However, the overall position is still strong. The data shows that this combination is likely to provide a very smooth gameplay experience at all tested resolutions and settings. The high average FPS values at 4K, especially at the High preset (135 FPS) and Medium preset (164 FPS), demonstrate that the combo can handle the game at high graphical fidelity even at the highest resolution. The rank is a reflection of the GPU's dominant performance, but the CPU's contribution is also important, as it allows for the high FPS at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark measured FPS at three resolutions and four settings, yielding a total of 12 data points. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 367 at Low to 190 at Ultra. The Low setting produces 367 FPS, the Medium setting produces 342 FPS (with a minimum of 290 and maximum of 393), the High setting produces 303 FPS, and the Ultra setting produces 190 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Low setting gives 323 FPS, the Medium gives 264 FPS (with a minimum of 225 and maximum of 304), the High gives 217 FPS, and the Ultra gives 135 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Low setting gives 201 FPS, the Medium gives 164 FPS (with a minimum of 140 and maximum of 189), the High gives 135 FPS, and the Ultra gives 84 FPS.

The data shows a clear pattern: at each resolution, the FPS decreases as the preset quality increases. The difference between Low and High at 1080p is 64 FPS, at 1440p it is 106 FPS, and at 4K it is 66 FPS. The difference between Medium and Ultra at 1080p is 152 FPS, at 1440p it is 129 FPS, and at 4K it is 80 FPS. The largest gap is between Medium and Ultra at 1080p, which is 152 FPS. The smallest gap is between Low and Medium at 1080p, which is 25 FPS.

The measurements also include minimum and maximum FPS for the Medium setting at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the FPS ranges from 290 to 393, a variance of 103 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 225 to 304, a variance of 79 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 140 to 189, a variance of 49 FPS. The narrower range at 4K indicates that the frame times are more stable at higher resolutions, likely because the GPU is more consistently loaded. At 1080p, the larger variance suggests that the CPU is causing frame time spikes, which is a sign of CPU bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the resolution and the user's preference for frame rate over visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields 367 FPS, which is extremely high. The Medium preset yields 342 FPS, a small drop of 25 FPS, while the High preset yields 303 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 190 FPS. For users with a high refresh rate monitor, the Medium preset offers a good balance, as it provides 342 FPS with a minimum of 290 FPS. The High preset also remains above 300 FPS, making it a viable choice for competitive or fast-paced play.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides 264 FPS, and the High preset provides 217 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p provides 135 FPS. For a 144Hz monitor, the High preset is the best choice, as it maintains an average above 200 FPS. The Medium preset is also acceptable, with a minimum of 225 FPS. The Low preset delivers 323 FPS, but the visual quality is lower.

At 3840x2160, the High preset provides 135 FPS, and the Medium preset provides 164 FPS. The Ultra preset provides 84 FPS, which is still playable but may not be ideal for a 60 Hz or 120 Hz display. The Medium preset is the best option for 4K, as it delivers 164 FPS and has a minimum of 140 FPS, ensuring smooth performance. The High preset also provides a solid 135 FPS average. The Low preset at 4K provides 201 FPS, but it comes with a significant visual compromise.

For the best experience, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot at 4K, as it provides both high average FPS and a stable minimum. At 1440p, the High preset is recommended for its balance, and at 1080p, the Medium preset offers an excellent combination of high FPS and reasonable visual quality. The Ultra preset is best reserved for 1080p and 1440p, where it still provides 190 FPS and 135 FPS respectively, but at 4K, the 84 FPS may be too low for some users, especially if they have a high refresh rate display.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a high-end GPU from the GeForce 50-series, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and the GB202 chip. It is manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors and a die size of 750 mm². The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, offering a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. It has 21,760 shaders, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, and 170 RT cores, with 680 tensor cores. The base clock is 2017 MHz and the boost clock is 2407 MHz, and the memory runs at 1750 MHz with a 28 Gbps effective rate. The GPU's TDP is 575 W, and it is a dual-slot card with a 16-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 950 W.

The RTX 5090's performance in this benchmark is strong. In the measured FPS, the GPU is able to achieve very high frame rates at 1080p, particularly at lower settings. The GPU's high memory bandwidth and large 32 GB frame buffer are likely contributing to the performance in this game. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that the memory is not a bottleneck even at 4K, and the 32 GB capacity is more than sufficient for this title. The boost clock of 2407 MHz is high, and the GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance is a key factor in its high FPS.

The GPU's benchmark scores also indicate its strength. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 18355. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 334370, and in Vulkan, it scores 376728. The PassMark G3D score is 39650, and the PassMark GPU Compute score is 26756. The GPU's percentile rank is 92, and its average benchmark score is 79842. The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which has an average score of 79605, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB with 79396, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT with 78940, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X with 80959. The deltaPct values are 0.3%, 0.6%, 1.1%, and -1.4% respectively, showing that the RTX 5090 is closely matched with the Tesla P100 and slightly behind the Pro Vega 64X in average score.

In the context of Downfall, the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. At 4K, the FPS at the High preset (135 FPS) and Medium preset (164 FPS) are high enough for smooth gameplay. The GPU's ability to deliver 201 FPS at 4K Low settings shows that it has ample headroom. The GPU's memory and bandwidth are sufficient for the game's demands, and the high core count and high clocks allow it to maintain high frame rates. The GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, but the CPU is the limit at 1080p, as evidenced by the FPS scaling. The large 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance reflects its raw power, and the 170 RT cores, while not likely used in this game, add to its overall performance. The GPU's sizeable 32 GB VRAM also ensures that even with high resolution and texture settings, the memory is not exhausted.

The measured data strongly shows that the RTX 5090 is an extremely powerful GPU, and in this title, it can handle the highest settings with high FPS at 4K. The performance is true to its high-end positioning, and the combination with the Ryzen 7 5700G is a balanced one, with the CPU providing enough performance to allow the GPU to stretch its legs in this horror game.