Downfall

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a distinctly mixed bag in Downfall, with performance ranging from highly playable at 1080p and 1440p to borderline unplayable at 4K Ultra. The data shows a system that is clearly capable of handling the game’s horror atmosphere at high frame rates, but only when the resolution and settings are kept in check. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, the roles of the CPU and GPU, and how this specific combination ranks against other tested configurations.

FAQ

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

A: According to the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At this resolution, even the Ultra preset achieves 68 FPS, while Low settings reach 163 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 49 FPS, and at 3840x2160, the Ultra preset falls to 30 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, scores 17120, which is just 0.3% lower. The Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239, which is 0.4% higher. This indicates the i5-11400F is positioned right in the middle of its closest competitors in terms of overall processing power.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The measured data shows a significant difference. At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 116 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 49 FPS. This represents a drop of 67 FPS when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570's performance closer to a desktop or mobile GPU?

A: The benchmark data for the Intel Arc B570 places it between a mobile and a desktop GPU. Its average benchmark score is 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750 (20582).

Q: At which settings and resolution does the frame rate drop below 60 FPS?

A: The data shows several instances where the average FPS falls below 60. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 59 FPS, the High preset averages 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 30 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 49 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU have enough single-threaded performance for this game?

A: The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score is 868 and its Cinebench R20 single-core score is 850. These scores, combined with the CPU's 71st percentile ranking versus all CPUs, suggest it has sufficient single-threaded power to drive the game, as evidenced by the high frame rates achieved at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the primary driver of visual fidelity in this configuration, and the measured FPS data clearly reflects its capabilities. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a crucial factor for Downfall, as higher resolutions and texture-heavy settings will demand more memory bandwidth and capacity.

The GPU's base and boost clocks are both set at 2500 MHz. This consistent clock speed, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture using a 5 nm process, allows for a predictable performance profile. The GPU’s raw compute capabilities are highlighted by its 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s. The texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s works with its 144 TMUs to handle the detailed textures common in horror environments.

The benchmark results show a clear pattern: the GPU is the limiting factor at higher settings. At 1920x1080, the GPU can render the game at 163 FPS on Low settings, indicating a strong baseline. However, as the workload increases with resolution and settings, the frame rate falls proportionally. The drop from the Low preset to the Ultra preset at 4K is stark, going from 72 FPS to 30 FPS. This demonstrates that while the Arc B570 has ample power for lower resolutions, its 10 GB of VRAM and 160-bit bus are challenged by the extreme demands of 4K Ultra settings in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the performance scales across the three tested resolutions. The pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the frame rate decreases as the pixel count increases. The data shows the scaling is not perfectly linear but follows a predictable trend.

At the Low settings preset, the frame rate scales from 163 FPS at 1080p to 116 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 72 FPS at 4K. This is a 55.8% drop from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the scaling is similar: 109 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K, a 55.0% drop from 1080p to 4K. The Medium preset shows 133 FPS at 1080p, 95 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K, which is a 55.6% drop.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with frame rates of 68 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K. This represents a 55.9% drop from 1080p to 4K. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical across all settings presets (around 55-56%) strongly indicates that the scaling is primarily dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The CPU is not the bottleneck in this scaling, as the consistent relative drop in FPS is a hallmark of a GPU-limited system. The limiting component is the Intel Arc B570, which cannot maintain higher frame rates as the pixel workload increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance. The table below details the average FPS, with minimum and maximum FPS where available.

1920x1080:

• Low: The average FPS is 163. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo.
• Medium: The average FPS is 133, with a minimum of 113 and a maximum of 153.
• High: The average FPS is 109.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 68. This is the lowest 1080p score but remains playable.

2560x1440:

• Low: The average FPS is 116.
• Medium: The average FPS is 95, with a minimum of 81 and a maximum of 110.
• High: The average FPS is 78.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 49. This is the first instance where the average FPS drops below the 60 FPS threshold.

3840x2160:

• Low: The average FPS is 72.
• Medium: The average FPS is 59, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68.
• High: The average FPS is 49.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 30. This is the lowest score in the entire dataset.

The data shows a clear hierarchy. The 1080p resolution offers the smoothest experience across all settings. The 1440p resolution is viable for most settings, but the Ultra preset struggles. The 4K resolution is only playable at Low settings, with a 72 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is a substantial 42 FPS, highlighting the GPU's limitations at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience balances visual quality with a consistent frame rate. The data suggests that the High preset at 2560x1440 is the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

At 1440p High, the combo achieves an average of 78 FPS. This is a smooth, responsive frame rate that is well-suited for a horror game, where maintaining tension requires fluid motion. The jump from Medium to High at 1440p is 17 FPS, but the visual improvement is typically worth the performance cost. While the Ultra preset at 1440p offers the best visuals, its 49 FPS average is too low for a consistently smooth experience.

For users with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset is a viable option, as it maintains an average of 68 FPS. This allows users to experience the game at its highest visual quality without sacrificing playability. If a higher frame rate is preferred, the High preset at 1080p offers 109 FPS, which is a significant boost.

At 4K, the options are limited. The Low preset is the only one that provides a playable experience, with an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 59 FPS, which is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets are too demanding. Therefore, 4K gaming with this combo should be reserved for the Low preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides the processing foundation for this configuration. It is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This level of multi-threading is sufficient for modern game engines, ensuring that the CPU does not become a bottleneck in most scenarios.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate it has solid performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14340, and its single-core score is 2024. In the 3DMark suite, it scores 5652 on the max-thread test and 868 on the single-thread test. These scores, along with its 71st percentile ranking versus all CPUs, show that it is a capable mid-range processor.

In the context of Downfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic. The measured FPS data suggests that this CPU is doing its job effectively, as the frame rates scale predictably with GPU load. The fact that the FPS drops by a consistent percentage from 1080p to 4K across all settings presets is strong evidence that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The system is GPU-bound, meaning the Intel Arc B570 is the component that determines the final frame rate. The i5-11400F's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide enough bandwidth to keep the GPU fed.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations for Downfall, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B570 holds a rank of 2343 out of 2928 combos. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the bottom.

This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. While the CPU performs admirably, the Arc B570's 10 GB of VRAM and 160-bit bus cannot compete with higher-end GPUs that have more memory and wider interfaces. The combo's overall rank is dragged down by its poor performance at 4K Ultra settings, where it only manages 30 FPS.

However, this ranking should be interpreted in the context of the game's demands. The data shows that at more common resolutions like 1080p and 1440p, the combo performs very well. The 68 FPS at 1080p Ultra is a solid result. The rank of 2343 reflects the average performance across all tested resolutions and settings, which is heavily weighted by the demanding 4K tests. For a user playing at 1080p or 1440p, this combo would feel much more competitive than the raw rank suggests. The data indicates that this is a balanced pairing for mainstream gaming, but it is not designed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming.