Downfall

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a highly capable experience in Downfall, but the data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. This combination ranks 345th out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the top 9.3% of all configurations for this title. The benchmark results show a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the CPU begins to assert its influence on frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and predictable decline as resolution scales upward, which is classic behavior for a system with a strong GPU and a mid-range CPU. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 333 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops this to 284 FPS, a reduction of 14.7%. Jumping to 4K at Low settings yields 177 FPS, which is 46.8% lower than the 1080p result. This pattern indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the rendering load at 4K begins to saturate the GPU's capabilities.

The scaling behavior is more telling when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the system achieves 267 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 190 FPS, a 28.8% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 118 FPS, which is 55.8% below the 1080p figure. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K (37.9%) is larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p (28.8%), suggesting the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. The CPU has less influence at 4K because the frame rate is lower, giving the i5-11400F more time to feed the GPU.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story with more severe drops. From 167 FPS at 1080p to 119 FPS at 1440p is a 28.7% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the system only manages 74 FPS, which is 55.7% below the 1080p result. The gap between 1440p and 4K Ultra (37.8%) mirrors the High preset's scaling, confirming that the RTX 4080 SUPER's rendering throughput is the dominant constraint at 4K. The i5-11400F's 6 cores and 12 threads appear sufficient to keep up with the GPU at 4K, as the frame rates scale consistently with the GPU's expected load.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting high refresh rate monitors, the data supports using Low or Medium settings at 1440p. The Low preset at 1440p delivers 284 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth for a horror title where fast camera movements can cause motion sickness at lower frame rates. The Medium preset at 1440p still provides 232 FPS with a minimum of 197 FPS, meaning even the worst-case frame time stays above 200 FPS for most of the experience. This is the sweet spot for competitive play or for users with 240Hz displays.

At 4K, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The measured 144 FPS average with a minimum of 123 FPS and maximum of 166 FPS shows a stable experience that remains above 120 FPS throughout. High at 4K drops to 118 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 4K falls to 74 FPS, which is below the 90 FPS threshold many players consider minimum for a smooth horror experience. The data suggests that Medium at 4K is the optimal choice, as it provides the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a substantial safety margin above 60 FPS.

For 1080p users, the Ultra preset at 167 FPS is the clear recommendation. This preset delivers the full visual experience while still maintaining a high frame rate. The Low preset at 333 FPS and Medium at 310 FPS are technically faster, but the visual degradation in a horror game—where atmosphere and lighting are critical—makes these presets less appealing. The High preset at 267 FPS is a reasonable compromise, but the 100 FPS difference between High and Ultra is worth accepting for the enhanced shadows and texture detail that Ultra provides.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured performance. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, the card provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This is more than sufficient for Downfall's textures and geometry, as evidenced by the stable minimum FPS numbers at 4K Medium (123 FPS) and 4K High (no recorded minimum, but the average of 118 FPS suggests consistent performance). The 80 RT cores and 112 ROPs contribute to the card's ability to handle the game's lighting effects, which are a hallmark of the horror genre.

The GPU's clock behavior is notable. The base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2550 MHz. The difference between these clocks is 11.1%, and the measured FPS suggests the card is hitting boost clocks consistently during gameplay. The memory clock of 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective) is a key factor in the 4K performance. At 4K Ultra, the card produces 74 FPS, which is a 37.8% drop from 1440p Ultra. This aligns with the increased memory bandwidth demands of 4K rendering, where the 736.3 GB/s bandwidth is taxed more heavily.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate its gaming performance. The Passmark G3D score of 34245 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 54209 is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 (54247, a delta of -0.1%). This indicates the SUPER variant offers essentially the same raw compute performance as the standard 4080 in this context. The FP32 performance of 52.22 TFLOPS is the headline number here, and it directly translates to the high frame rates seen at 1080p and 1440p. The card is not the bottleneck at 1080p, as the 333 FPS Low result shows, but it becomes the limiting factor at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system shows remarkable consistency across presets. Low settings produce 333 FPS average, Medium produces 310 FPS with a minimum of 264 and maximum of 357, High produces 267 FPS, and Ultra produces 167 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 166 FPS, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom to render even the heaviest preset at a high frame rate. The Medium preset's minimum of 264 FPS is particularly strong, showing that even frame time spikes stay well above 240 FPS.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high but begin to show more variation. Low delivers 284 FPS, Medium delivers 232 FPS with a minimum of 197 and maximum of 267, High delivers 190 FPS, and Ultra delivers 119 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (197) is notably lower than the 1080p Medium minimum (264), demonstrating the increased GPU load. The Ultra preset's 119 FPS is a 28.7% drop from 1080p Ultra, which is a larger relative drop than the Low preset's 14.7% reduction.

At 4K, the performance hierarchy shifts. Low produces 177 FPS, Medium produces 144 FPS with a minimum of 123 and maximum of 166, High produces 118 FPS, and Ultra produces 74 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 103 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the 1080p spread. However, the absolute numbers are much lower, and the Medium preset's minimum of 123 FPS becomes more important as a stability indicator. The High preset at 118 FPS is only 5 FPS below Medium's average, suggesting that High is a viable option for users who want better visuals without a massive frame rate penalty.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 345 out of 3716 places this configuration in the top 9.3% of all tested combinations for Downfall. This is a strong result, but it is not surprising given the RTX 4080 SUPER's position as one of the faster GPUs available. The CPU's percentile of 71 among all CPUs indicates that the i5-11400F is a solid mid-range processor, but it is not a top-tier part. The combination works well because the GPU carries the load at higher resolutions, while the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for the game's threading model.

Comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER is closely matched with the standard RTX 4080, with a delta of -0.1% in average benchmark score. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.7% behind, and the AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.8% behind. These small deltas suggest that the GPU's performance is well understood and consistent. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% faster), the Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (0.6% slower). The i5-11400F's performance is firmly in the middle of this pack, meaning it is neither a standout nor a weak link.

The rank of 345 is driven primarily by the GPU's high percentile (86) and the CPU's adequate performance. Systems with faster CPUs would likely rank higher, but the data shows that this combo is well-balanced for a game like Downfall, which appears to be more GPU-intensive than CPU-intensive based on the resolution scaling patterns. The 4K performance, in particular, is excellent, with the Medium preset delivering 144 FPS, which is a strong result for a horror game that relies on smooth motion to maintain tension.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 SUPER in Downfall?

A: The data shows the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at 4K, where the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system produces 333 FPS, which suggests the CPU can keep up even at very high frame rates. The CPU's average benchmark score of 17177 is only 0.3% different from its nearest rival, indicating consistent performance.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 4K delivers 144 FPS average with a minimum of 123 FPS and maximum of 166 FPS. This provides the best combination of visual quality and performance, as Ultra drops to 74 FPS and High drops to 118 FPS. The Medium preset maintains a comfortable margin above 120 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 54209, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080's 54247. This indicates that the SUPER variant offers essentially identical performance to the standard 4080 in this context, so users should not expect a meaningful difference in frame rates.

Q: Can this combo achieve high refresh rates at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 1440p Low, the system produces 284 FPS, and at Medium it produces 232 FPS with a minimum of 197 FPS. Even at High, the average is 190 FPS. These results are well above 144Hz and 165Hz refresh rates, making this combo suitable for high-refresh monitors.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 167 FPS. This is the highest visual preset at the lowest resolution, and the system maintains a high frame rate despite the increased rendering load. The Low preset achieves 333 FPS, but Ultra provides the best visual experience at 167 FPS.

Q: Is this combo ranked highly among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 345th out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the top 9.3% of all configurations. This is a strong ranking, driven by the GPU's high percentile (86) and the CPU's solid mid-range performance. The ranking indicates this is a well-performing setup for Downfall.