Downfall

Downfall, a 2016 horror title, runs on a benchmark system pairing the Intel Core i5-11400F with the Intel Arc B390. The measured data for this combination ranks it 2589th out of 2928 tested combos, placing it in the lower 12th percentile of all systems evaluated. This is a configuration that delivers playable frame rates at 1080p with adjusted settings, but it struggles significantly as resolution and graphical demands increase.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor supports DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. It connects to the system via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

In synthetic CPU benchmarks, the i5-11400F shows a strong balance between single-thread and multi-thread performance. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 14340, while the single-core score is 2024. The Geekbench scores are 7737 for multicore and 1777 for single-core. The processor's 3DMark scores scale with thread count, going from 1691 with 2 threads to 5652 with max threads, indicating good scaling across its 12 threads. The PassMark multithread score of 16908 and single-thread score of 2981 further characterize its performance profile.

For Downfall, a horror game that typically relies on strong single-thread performance for game logic and physics, the i5-11400F's single-core capabilities are relevant. The processor's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 71, meaning it outperforms 71% of all tested processors. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (0.6% lower). This suggests the CPU is a mid-pack performer, not a bottleneck at lower resolutions but potentially a limiting factor at higher settings where more complex calculations are required.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its compute capabilities are rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16 with a 2:1 ratio. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s.

The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning the GPU relies on the CPU's DDR4 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is described as "System Dependent," which ties GPU performance directly to the system's memory speed and configuration. This is a critical factor for Downfall, as texture loading and frame buffer management will compete with CPU memory operations.

In the sole GPU benchmark recorded, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B390 scores 1482. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low absolute performance. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% higher), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5% higher), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% higher), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7% higher). These are all legacy or entry-level parts, showing that the Arc B390 is positioned at the very bottom of the GPU performance spectrum. This makes the GPU the primary constraint in the system, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B390 achieves a rank of 2589 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. This places the system in the bottom 11.6% of all configurations benchmarked. The ranking indicates that while the CPU is capable of mid-range performance, the GPU drags the overall system down significantly. The data shows a clear bottleneck: the CPU's percentile rank is 71, while the GPU's percentile rank is 9, a massive discrepancy.

This ranking suggests that the combo is not suited for high-end gaming. The system will likely deliver playable frame rates only at the lowest settings and resolutions, and even then, it may struggle. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the system only exceeds 60 FPS at 1080p Low settings. At higher resolutions or settings, the frame rates drop below 45 FPS, making the experience less smooth for a horror game where atmosphere and responsiveness matter. The rank also implies that most other tested combinations, even those with older or weaker CPUs, outperform this pairing because they likely include a more capable discrete GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B390 combo in Downfall vary widely across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system performs best. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 106 FPS. Medium settings yield 87 FPS on average, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. High settings drop the average to 71 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding at 1080p, producing an average of 44 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease substantially. Low settings produce an average of 76 FPS. Medium settings average 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. High settings average 51 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p average 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in most scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations are most apparent. Low settings average 47 FPS. Medium settings average 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. High settings average 32 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K average only 20 FPS, which is essentially unplayable for a game requiring responsive controls.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution or settings incurs a significant FPS penalty. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 62 FPS (106 vs 44). At 1440p, the difference is 44 FPS (76 vs 32). At 4K, the difference narrows to 27 FPS (47 vs 20), but this is because the system is already heavily constrained at the higher resolution, even on Low settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Downfall with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently achieves playable frame rates across most settings. At 1080p, even High settings average 71 FPS, while at 1440p, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. All of these are low-end parts.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 71st percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The FPS data supports this, as frame rates drop dramatically with resolution increases, which primarily stress the GPU.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings in Downfall?

A: Ultra settings are only marginally playable at 1080p with an average of 44 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 32 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 20 FPS. For a horror game, these lower frame rates may impact the experience.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The minimum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 74 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 53 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 33 FPS. No minimums are listed for Low, High, or Ultra settings.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance affect Downfall?

A: The CPU's single-thread score in Cinebench R23 is 2024, and its 3DMark single-thread score is 868. These scores indicate adequate single-thread performance for game logic. However, the system's overall rank of 2589 out of 2928 shows that the CPU's capabilities are overshadowed by the GPU's limitations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this hardware is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This configuration yields an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive experience for a horror game. The slight drop from Low settings (106 FPS) to Medium (87 FPS) is acceptable for the visual improvement, and the frame rate remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the highest playable option, averaging 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS. This is playable but may show occasional dips below 60 FPS. High settings at 1440p average 51 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced horror title but not ideal. Low settings at 1440p provide the best frame rate (76 FPS) but may compromise visual quality.

For 3840x2160, the system is not recommended for any settings. Low settings average 47 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS, and High averages 32 FPS. Even the lowest settings at 4K struggle to maintain a stable 60 FPS, making the experience suboptimal. Ultra settings at any resolution are not recommended, as they produce frame rates below 45 FPS even at 1080p.

The best balance between visual fidelity and performance is achieved at 1080p Medium. This setting provides a stable frame rate with a minimum of 74 FPS, ensuring that the game remains responsive during tense moments. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low offers the highest average at 106 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 71 FPS at 1080p to 51 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 28%, and then to 32 FPS at 4K, a further reduction of 37%. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as resolution scaling directly impacts pixel count and shading workload, which stresses the GPU's 1536 shading units.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar but less severe in absolute terms. The average frame rate drops from 106 FPS at 1080p to 76 FPS at 1440p (28% reduction) and then to 47 FPS at 4K (38% reduction). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the GPU's performance is scaling predictably with resolution, and the system is not running into CPU bottlenecks that would cause non-linear behavior.

The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 62 to 39, a 37% reduction. This is a larger percentage drop than the 1080p to 1440p transition (28% reduction for Medium). This indicates that the GPU is becoming increasingly saturated at higher resolutions, and the system-shared memory bandwidth is likely a contributing factor. The GPU's memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning it shares the CPU's DDR4 bus, which can create contention at higher resolutions where memory access demands increase.

The data shows that the system is GPU-limited across all resolutions. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024) is not the constraint, as frame rates scale almost linearly with resolution changes. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking and its dependence on system memory make it unsuitable for high-resolution gaming, and the measured FPS confirms that 1080p is the only viable resolution for a consistently smooth experience.