Downfall

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti delivers exceptional performance in Downfall, a 2016 horror title. Benchmark data shows this combination achieves triple-digit frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings, demonstrating that the GPU is the dominant component in this pairing. With a combo rank of 581 out of 3716 tested configurations, this system sits comfortably in the top 16% of all tested combinations, making it a high-end solution for this game, though the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration does impose a ceiling at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Downfall?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 333, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At the same resolution, the Medium preset delivers 300 FPS, while High and Ultra yield 246 and 154 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 Ti's VRAM capacity relate to performance at 4K?

A: The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 163 at Low to 68 at Ultra, indicating that while VRAM capacity is sufficient, the rendering load at 4K Ultra significantly impacts the GPU's compute throughput.

Q: Does the CPU become a bottleneck at higher frame rates?

A: Benchmark results suggest yes. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 333 FPS, but the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz appear to cap performance at this level. The data shows a 35% drop in average FPS from 1080p Low to 1440p Low (333 to 262), which is less than the 78% pixel increase, implying the CPU is limiting at 1080p.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings?

A: For Medium settings, the minimum FPS values are 255 at 1920x1080, 182 at 2560x1440, and 113 at 3840x2160. These minimums represent 85%, 85%, and 85% of the average FPS at each resolution, respectively, indicating consistent frame pacing.

*Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations in Downfall?*

A: This combo ranks 581st out of 3716 tested combinations. This places it in the 84.4th percentile, meaning it outperforms most tested systems. The rank is primarily driven by the GPU's high performance percentile of 84, while the CPU's percentile is 71.

Q: What is the expected performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 246 at 1920x1080 to 176 at 2560x1440, a 28.5% decrease. This is a smaller drop than the 78% increase in pixel count, suggesting that the GPU is not fully saturated at 1080p High and has headroom to handle the higher resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti achieves a rank of 581 out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall. This places the system in the top 15.6% of all configurations tested, a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance potential, as the RTX 4070 Ti itself ranks in the 84th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 71st percentile among all processors.

The delta between the CPU's weaker relative standing and the GPU's stronger standing creates an imbalance that manifests in the game's scaling behavior. At 4K Ultra, the combo delivers 68 FPS, which is playable but not exceptional. However, at 1080p Low, it reaches 333 FPS, showing that the GPU has substantial headroom to spare. This suggests that in most real-world scenarios, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, with the CPU only becoming a limiting factor at very high frame rates.

Compared to other combos, this system outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations. The 581st rank out of 3716 means it is ahead of 3135 other combinations. This places it above typical mid-range gaming systems and into enthusiast territory, particularly for a title like Downfall which is not overly demanding by modern standards. The data indicates that for users with high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p displays, this combo will provide a very smooth experience, while 4K gaming at Ultra settings remains feasible but with lower frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed. Built on the AD104 chip using a 5 nm process from TSMC, the GPU features 7680 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. It also includes 60 ray tracing cores and 240 tensor cores, which are relevant for the horror genre's lighting effects, though Downfall from 2016 predates widespread ray tracing adoption.

The GPU's memory subsystem is a key factor in its performance. It comes with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for the 2016 title, as even at 4K Ultra settings, the game does not appear to exceed this capacity. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, with an effective data rate of 21 Gbps, which is a significant contributor to the high fill rates observed.

The clock speeds are also notable: the base clock is 2310 MHz, boosting to 2610 MHz under load. This high boost clock allows the GPU to maintain consistent performance across all settings, as evidenced by the relatively small frame time variance at Medium settings (e.g., 255 min to 345 max at 1080p). The pixel rate of 208.8 GPixel/s and texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s provide the raw throughput needed to handle Downfall's horror environments, which often feature dense particle effects and dynamic lighting.

The GPU's benchmark scores further contextualize its performance. It achieves a PassMark G3D score of 31624 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 176953, putting it in the 84th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, scores 45152 in average benchmarks, which is 0.8% higher, while the RTX 4070 Ti sits 1.6% above the NVIDIA RTX A6000. This positioning confirms that the RTX 4070 Ti is a high-performance part, and in Downfall, it appears to be the primary determinant of the frame rates achieved.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting at 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 333 at Low to 154 at Ultra. The Medium preset shows an average of 300 FPS, with a minimum of 255 and maximum of 345, indicating excellent frame consistency. High settings yield 246 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 53.7% decrease in average FPS, which reflects the increasing rendering load from higher-quality textures and lighting.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 262 at Low, 214 at Medium, 176 at High, and 110 at Ultra. The Medium preset records a minimum of 182 and maximum of 246, showing a stable frame delivery. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at Low settings (333 to 262, a 21.3% decrease) and least at Ultra (154 to 110, a 28.6% decrease). This pattern suggests that at lower settings, where the GPU is less burdened, the CPU begins to play a more significant role.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 163 at Low, 133 at Medium, 109 at High, and 68 at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 113 and maximum of 153. The transition from 1440p to 4K is severe: at Ultra, the FPS drops from 110 to 68, a 38.2% decrease, which is closer to the 78% pixel count increase, indicating the GPU is now the clear bottleneck. At Low settings, the drop from 262 to 163 (37.8%) is similar, showing that even at minimal settings, 4K resolution stresses the GPU significantly.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra settings shrinks as resolution increases. At 1080p, Ultra is 53.7% slower than Low. At 1440p, the gap is 58.0%. At 4K, the gap narrows to 58.3%. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU can partially compensate for the GPU's workload, but at 4K, the GPU's raw compute power is the sole determinant of performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's display refresh rate and resolution preference. For 1080p displays, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering 246 FPS average. This is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors, and the high frame rate provides a responsive experience. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 154 FPS, which is still above 144 Hz, but the 37% performance drop from High may not justify the marginal visual improvements in a horror title where lighting and shadows are already well-rendered at High.

For 1440p displays, the Medium preset at 214 FPS average is the sweet spot. This provides a smooth experience on 144 Hz monitors, with a minimum of 182 FPS ensuring no significant drops. The High preset at 176 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset's higher minimum FPS (182 vs. none reported for High) suggests better frame pacing stability. The Ultra preset at 110 FPS is playable on 60 Hz monitors but will not fully utilize higher refresh-rate displays.

At 4K, the situation changes dramatically. The High preset at 109 FPS is the recommended choice for users with 120 Hz or 144 Hz 4K displays, as it provides a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 133 FPS is even better for 120 Hz displays, but the data shows that the visual quality difference between Medium and High in a horror game like Downfall may be noticeable in dark environments. The Ultra preset at 68 FPS is only suitable for 60 Hz displays, and the 38% drop from High to Ultra is substantial. Given that the game is from 2016 and may not have significantly improved visuals at Ultra, High is the pragmatic choice for 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz, boosting up to 4.40 GHz, which provides solid single-threaded performance for gaming. The CPU has a 12 MB shared L3 cache, with 512 KB L2 per core and 80 KB L1 per core, and supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 333 FPS, which appears to be the CPU's practical limit. This is supported by the fact that at 1440p Low, the FPS only drops to 262 (a 21.3% decrease), which is less than the 78% pixel increase, suggesting the GPU was not fully utilized at 1080p. The CPU's 3DMark scores reflect its capability: it scores 5619 in the 16-thread test and 868 in single-thread, the latter indicating adequate per-core performance for older games like Downfall.

The CPU's percentile of 71 among all CPUs places it above average, but its nearest rivals show how close the competition is. The AMD EPYC 7H12 has an average score of 17120, just 0.3% lower, while the Intel Core i5-12450H is 0.4% higher. This tight grouping suggests that the CPU is not a differentiator in this game; the GPU is. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and single-core score of 2024 further confirm that the CPU has enough muscle to avoid being a bottleneck at 60-100 FPS levels, which is where the GPU typically operates at higher resolutions.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 14 nm process mean it runs relatively cool, but its age (released in March 2021) and end-of-life status are notable. For Downfall, the CPU is sufficient, but the data shows that at 1080p Low, the system is CPU-limited, as evidenced by the 333 FPS ceiling. Users seeking the absolute highest refresh rates at 1080p might find this CPU the limiting factor, but for most gaming scenarios, it provides ample performance.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo in Downfall reveals a clear transition from CPU-bound to GPU-bound performance as resolution increases. Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by 21.3% at Low settings (333 to 262), 28.7% at Medium (300 to 214), 28.5% at High (246 to 176), and 28.6% at Ultra (154 to 110). The pixel count increases by 78% from 1080p to 1440p, but the FPS drops are all well below this, indicating that the GPU has sufficient headroom to absorb the extra resolution without proportional performance loss.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160) is more dramatic. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 262 to 163, a 37.8% decrease. At Medium, it falls from 214 to 133 (37.9%), at High from 176 to 109 (38.1%), and at Ultra from 110 to 68 (38.2%). The pixel count increases by 125% from 1440p to 4K, and the FPS drops are consistently around 38%, which is much closer to the pixel increase. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, and the CPU's role is minimized.

This scaling pattern has important implications. At 1080p, the system is partially CPU-limited, as shown by the 333 FPS ceiling at Low settings. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, cannot push frame rates higher. At 1440p, the GPU begins to take over as the limiting factor, but the CPU still contributes, as evidenced by the 28% FPS drop versus the 78% pixel increase. At 4K, the GPU is fully saturated, and the FPS drops align closely with the pixel count increase.

For users with a 1080p 240 Hz monitor, the system will achieve 246 FPS at High settings, which is slightly above the refresh rate. For 1440p 144 Hz displays, the Medium preset at 214 FPS provides headroom, while High at 176 FPS is also sufficient. At 4K, the system is best suited for 60 Hz displays, where the High preset at 109 FPS offers a comfortable margin, or Ultra at 68 FPS for maximum visual quality. The data clearly shows that this combo is highly capable, but the CPU imposes a practical ceiling around 333 FPS, while the GPU's 12 GB VRAM and high compute throughput handle 4K with ease, though not at ultra-high refresh rates.