Downfall

Downfall is a horror title that stresses both the CPU and GPU depending on how you configure it, and the measured results for the Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT show a clear hierarchy of playable settings across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. The data is measured, not estimated, and the combination ranks 2760 out of 3716 tested combos in this game, putting it in the lower-middle portion of the field. With a 6-core, 12-thread Rocket Lake processor and a Navi 10 GPU built on RDNA 1.0, this system is a generation old but still capable of delivering smooth frame rates in Downfall if you pick the right preset.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows for this hardware combination make the decision straightforward. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 187 FPS, which is far beyond what any 60 Hz or even 144 Hz display needs. Medium at 1080p drops to 153 FPS average, with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS. High at 1080p still holds 125 FPS average. Ultra at 1080p is the outlier, falling to 78 FPS average. For a horror game where atmosphere and lighting matter, Medium is the sweet spot at 1080p: it keeps the minimum above 130 FPS, which eliminates any perceptible stutter during fast camera movements or scripted scares, while offering a substantial visual upgrade over Low.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low produces 133 FPS average, Medium drops to 109 FPS average with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS, and High falls to 89 FPS average. Ultra at 1440p is a steep cliff at 56 FPS average. The recommendation here is Medium as well, because 109 FPS average with a 93 FPS minimum is still comfortably above the 60 FPS floor for most monitors, and the frame time consistency shown by the min/max spread (93 to 126) suggests no severe hitches. High at 1440p is acceptable for those with adaptive sync, but the 89 FPS average leaves less headroom for busy scenes.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes completely. Low averages 83 FPS, Medium averages 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS, High averages 56 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. For 4K, Low is the only preset that stays clearly above 60 FPS, but Medium is the better experience if you have a variable refresh rate monitor, because the 58 FPS minimum is just under the 60 FPS threshold and the average of 68 FPS is still playable. High at 4K dips to 56 FPS average, which is borderline, and Ultra at 35 FPS is not recommended for anything but slow exploration. The data suggests that Medium is the most balanced choice at every resolution: it always stays within reach of 60 FPS at 4K, exceeds it decisively at 1440p, and leaves massive headroom at 1080p.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the primary driver of Downfall’s frame rate at higher resolutions and settings. This GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective, and the base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1905 MHz and a game clock of 1755 MHz. The chip, Navi 10, is built on TSMC’s 7 nm process and contains 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die. With 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, the pixel rate is 121.9 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 304.8 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 9.754 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 19.51 TFLOPS using a 2:1 ratio.

In Downfall, the GPU’s role becomes obvious when you look at the scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the system hits 187 FPS, which is far beyond what this GPU can sustain at higher settings, indicating that the processor is feeding it well enough. But as you raise the resolution to 1440p and then 4K, the average FPS drops in a way that points directly at the GPU’s rendering limits. At 4K Ultra, the average falls to 35 FPS, a 78% reduction from 1080p Ultra’s 78 FPS. That kind of collapse is classic GPU-bound behavior, where the rasterization and memory bandwidth of the RX 5700 XT become the bottleneck.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it at the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, which scores 16351 and is just 0.1% slower. Interestingly, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell scores 16408, which is 0.3% faster, and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 scores 16415, also 0.3% faster. Even the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2, at 16504, is only 0.9% faster in this aggregate metric, which shows that synthetic benchmarks do not always reflect real-world gaming deltas. In Downfall specifically, the RX 5700 XT’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient at all tested settings, since the frame rates do not show any signs of texture thrashing or asset streaming stalls, even at 4K Ultra where the average is low but consistent.

The GPU’s power draw is 225 W, with a suggested PSU of 550 W, and it uses a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector. The card is 272 mm long, which is 10.7 inches, and occupies a dual-slot width. For a horror game like Downfall, which relies on dark environments and dynamic lighting, the GPU’s 64 ROPs and high texture rate are more relevant than its lack of dedicated ray tracing cores, since the game’s visual effects are handled through standard rasterization. The DirectX 12 support is version 12 (12_1), and the Vulkan support is 1.4, which means the drivers are modern enough for this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz and its boost clock is 4.40 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The L3 cache is 12 MB shared, and each core has 80 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it connects to the motherboard via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. The processor was released in March 2021 and is now end-of-life, but its benchmark scores show it remains competitive.

In Downfall, the CPU’s role is most visible at 1080p with lower settings, where the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system produces 187 FPS average, which is close to what the CPU can feed. The Core i5-11400F’s single-thread performance is strong for its generation, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024. Its multi-thread scores are equally solid: Cinebench R23 multicore is 14340, and Geekbench multicore is 7737. The PassMark multithread score is 16908, with a single-thread score of 2981. These numbers place the CPU at the 71st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17177.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core i5-11400F sits in a tight cluster. The AMD EPYC 7H12 scores 17120, which is 0.3% slower, while the Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239, which is 0.4% faster. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17278, 0.6% faster, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17074, 0.6% slower. This means the 11400F is essentially at parity with a mix of enterprise and mobile chips in aggregate benchmarks, but in Downfall, its 6 physical cores and 12 threads are enough to avoid becoming a bottleneck until the frame rate climbs very high.

The CPU’s role becomes clearer when you examine the frame rate scaling. Going from 1080p Low at 187 FPS to 1080p High at 125 FPS shows that the GPU is already taking over some of the load as settings increase. But the jump from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, which drops from 187 FPS to 133 FPS, is a 29% reduction that is not fully explained by resolution alone; some of that drop is due to the CPU’s inability to maintain the same frame rate at higher pixel counts, though the GPU is the primary limiter there. At 4K Low, the average is 83 FPS, which is a 56% drop from 1080p Low, and that is overwhelmingly a GPU limit. The CPU’s 2.60 GHz base clock and 4.40 GHz boost clock are sufficient for this game, especially since the measured data does not show any scenario where the CPU is holding the GPU back below 60 FPS at any resolution.

The processor’s launch MSRP was $157, and its 65 W TDP means it can be cooled by a capable air cooler without exotic solutions. The 12 MB shared L3 cache is adequate for Downfall’s level streaming and AI routines, and the lack of integrated graphics is irrelevant since the discrete GPU handles all rendering. Overall, the CPU role in this pairing is to provide enough headroom for the GPU to be the deciding factor at 1440p and 4K, which it does.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming with this hardware?

A: Medium is the best choice at 1920x1080. It delivers an average of 153 FPS with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS, which is well above any common refresh rate. Low reaches 187 FPS average, but Medium offers a better visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: Can this system handle 4K at playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 3840x2160, Low averages 83 FPS and Medium averages 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS. High drops to 56 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 35 FPS, which is not recommended for action sequences.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Downfall?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, as shown by the steep FPS drops when raising resolution. At 1080p with low settings, the CPU provides enough throughput to reach 187 FPS average, so the processor is not limiting there. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low (187 to 83 FPS) is primarily due to GPU rendering limits.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16361. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M is 0.1% slower with 16351, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell and AMD Radeon PRO W7500 are both 0.3% faster at 16408 and 16415 respectively. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 is 0.9% faster at 16504.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 109, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS. The 93 FPS minimum indicates that frame times stay within a tight range, making this a stable setting for gameplay.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RX 5700 XT cause any issues in Downfall?

A: No. The measured data shows no evidence of VRAM-related stutters or crashes, even at 4K Ultra where the average is 35 FPS. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for this game’s texture demands at all tested presets.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling for this hardware combination in Downfall. At 1080p, the system is heavily GPU-limited only at Ultra settings, but Low, Medium, and High all exceed 120 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low (187 FPS) to 1440p Low (133 FPS) is 54 FPS, or 28.9%. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, the drop is 50 FPS, from 133 to 83, which is 37.6%. This accelerating decline as resolution increases is a classic sign that the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are becoming the dominant constraints.

Looking at Medium settings, the scaling is even more telling. 1080p Medium averages 153 FPS, 1440p Medium averages 109 FPS, and 4K Medium averages 68 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p is a 44 FPS drop (28.8%), and from 1440p to 4K is a 41 FPS drop (37.6%). The minimum FPS at Medium also scales predictably: 130 at 1080p, 93 at 1440p, and 58 at 4K. This shows that the GPU is the limiting component, because the CPU’s workload does not scale with resolution in the same way; the processor is doing the same game logic regardless of whether you are rendering at 1080p or 4K.

High settings show a similar story. 1080p High is 125 FPS, 1440p High is 89 FPS, and 4K High is 56 FPS. The percentage drops are 28.8% from 1080p to 1440p, and 37.1% from 1440p to 4K. Ultra is the most extreme: 1080p Ultra is 78 FPS, 1440p Ultra is 56 FPS, and 4K Ultra is 35 FPS. The drop from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra is 43 FPS, a 55.1% reduction. This is consistent with the GPU’s fill rate limits, as the RX 5700 XT’s 121.9 GPixel/s pixel rate is simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

The implication for the limiting component is unambiguous. At 1080p, the CPU can keep up with the GPU, as evidenced by 187 FPS at Low, which is well above what most monitors can display. But as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows quadratically, and the frame rate falls in a way that tracks the GPU’s benchmark percentile (59th) more closely than the CPU’s (71st). If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain similar across resolutions, which is not the case. Therefore, users who want higher frame rates at 4K should lower settings rather than upgrade the processor, since the data shows that even at Low settings, the GPU is still the limiting factor at 4K (83 FPS average).

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured FPS data for the Intel Core i5-11400F with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT in Downfall is as follows, organized by resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 187 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 153 FPS, with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS. High settings produce 125 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 78 FPS average. No min or max values are reported for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution, but the averages alone show a clear progression: each step from Low to Ultra costs roughly 30-40% of the previous frame rate, with the largest single drop occurring from High to Ultra, which falls from 125 to 78 FPS, a 37.6% reduction.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 133 FPS. Medium settings average 109 FPS, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS. High settings average 89 FPS, and Ultra settings average 56 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 77 FPS, from 133 down to 56, which is a 57.9% reduction. The Medium preset’s minimum of 93 FPS is particularly notable because it indicates that even in the most demanding moments, the frame rate stays well above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 83 FPS. Medium settings average 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. High settings average 56 FPS, and Ultra settings average 35 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 48 FPS, from 83 to 35, which is a 57.8% reduction. The Medium preset’s minimum of 58 FPS is just below 60, meaning there will be occasional dips below the standard refresh rate, but the average of 68 FPS makes it playable.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings, the data shows that Low is the only preset that stays above 80 FPS at 4K, while Medium stays above 60 FPS on average. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as their averages of 56 and 35 FPS respectively fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The combination’s rank of 2760 out of 3716 combos in Downfall reflects this reality: it is a mid-to-low-tier performer in this title, but with the right settings, it can still deliver a satisfying experience at 1080p and 1440p, and a passable one at 4K on Low or Medium.