Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER

This pairing of a 6-core Alder Lake processor with a Turing-based GeForce GPU produces a distinctive performance profile in the 2016 horror title Downfall. The data reveals a system that is consistently capable at 1080p, becomes demanding at 1440p, and struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K with maximum settings. The measured results place this combo at rank 1549 out of 1741 tested combinations, indicating that while it is far from the top of the database, it remains a functional option for this game under specific settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings six physical cores and twelve threads to the system, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This processor, built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node, shows strong multithreaded capabilities in synthetic benchmarks. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 and single-core score of 2249 suggest that the CPU is more than adequate for a game released in 2016, which likely does not demand the full throughput this chip can deliver.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 77 percent versus all CPUs indicates it sits comfortably above the median processor. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400 performs nearly identically to the Intel Core i7-9700, with a delta of just 0.1 percent (19850 vs 19831 average benchmark score). It also edges out the Core i5-11600K by 0.4 percent, while trailing the Core i7-8700 by 0.2 percent and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX by 0.4 percent. These tight margins suggest that in Downfall, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor at most settings, as even the modest thread counts from older generations deliver comparable compute performance.

Looking at the 3DMark thread scaling results, the processor scales from 910 in single-thread to 5890 in max-threads, showing excellent utilization of its twelve threads. The jump from 8-thread (4745) to max-thread (5890) scores indicates that the additional threads beyond eight provide meaningful headroom. For a horror game like Downfall, which typically relies on single-thread performance for game logic and AI, the single-core score of 910 in 3DMark and 944 in Cinebench R20 suggests the i5-12400 handles these tasks with ease. The CPU's TDP of 65 W and its support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory give it flexibility, but the benchmark data indicates that at 1080p Low settings, where the system achieves 146.8 FPS, the CPU is feeding frames efficiently without bottlenecking the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the graphics workhorse here, equipped with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1530 MHz with a boost up to 1785 MHz, and the memory operates at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU's 1408 shading units and 48 ROPs provide a peak pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 5.027 TFLOPS. Built on the 12 nm Turing architecture with 6,600 million transistors, this card was designed for 1080p gaming, and the data confirms that strength.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 55 percent versus all GPUs places it just above the midpoint of the database. Its average benchmark score of 14286 sits within a tight cluster of rivals: it trails the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT by 0.7 percent, the AMD Radeon Vega 11 by 0.5 percent, and both the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics and AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 by 0.2 percent. These negligible differences mean the GTX 1660 SUPER is essentially performance-equivalent to those alternatives in synthetic workloads. In Downfall, the GPU's 6 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 29.4 FPS, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck.

The DirectX 12 benchmark score of 50 in Passmark is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 104, which could suggest that this older title, released in 2016, may be better optimized for earlier API versions. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 12699 and G2D score of 805 reflect its overall compute capabilities. Given that the game's release date predates this GPU by over three years, the GTX 1660 SUPER is running a title that was not designed with its specific architecture in mind, yet the measured results show it handles the game well at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850. Its closest competitor, the Intel Core i7-9700, scores 19831, a delta of 0.1 percent. The Core i7-8700 scores 19894 (0.2 percent higher), while the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19928 (0.4 percent higher). The Core i5-11600K is 0.4 percent lower at 19771.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking and what does that mean?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER ranks in the 55th percentile versus all GPUs. This means it outperforms approximately 55 percent of all GPUs in the database, placing it in the middle of the performance distribution. Its average benchmark score is 14286.

Q: Which resolution provides the highest frame rate for this combo?

A: The highest measured frame rate is 146.8 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next best is 118.3 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 103.1 FPS at 2560x1440 Low. The lowest is 29.4 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra.

Q: How much does the GPU's performance drop from DirectX 11 to DirectX 12?

A: The Passmark DirectX 11 benchmark score is 104, while the DirectX 12 score is 50. This represents a significant reduction of over half the score, suggesting the GPU's DirectX 12 performance is notably weaker than its DirectX 11 capabilities.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in Downfall?

A: This combination of Intel Core i5-12400 and GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1549 out of 1741 total tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the lower tier of configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly 192 other combinations but is outclassed by most.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU appear to be the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the system achieves 29.4 FPS. Given that the CPU's multithreaded performance is strong (Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935) and the GPU's VRAM is 6 GB, the data suggests the GPU is the bottleneck at this resolution, as the frame rate drops dramatically compared to 1080p Ultra's 62.8 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 146.8 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 118.3 FPS, a reduction of 28.5 FPS from Low. High settings provide 97.4 FPS, a further drop of 20.9 FPS. Ultra settings bring the frame rate down to 62.8 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 57 percent reduction from Low settings. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a consistent step-down pattern, with each settings tier costing roughly 20-30 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases noticeably across all settings. Low settings achieve 103.1 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays. Medium settings produce 85.3 FPS, a reduction of 17.8 FPS from Low. High settings average 68.5 FPS, down another 16.8 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 46.1 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth for action games. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 57 FPS, similar in magnitude to the 1080p delta but starting from a lower baseline.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal for anything above Low settings. Low settings deliver 65.5 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings produce 54.9 FPS, a drop of 10.6 FPS. High settings average 42.5 FPS, down another 12.4 FPS. Ultra settings yield just 29.4 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay in most scenarios. The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings results in a frame rate drop from 62.8 to 29.4 FPS, a reduction of 33.4 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1549 out of 1741 tested combinations places it in the bottom 11 percent of all configurations in the Downfall database. This ranking reflects that while the system can achieve high frame rates at lower resolutions, it struggles to maintain competitive performance at higher settings and resolutions. The CPU's percentile of 77 versus all CPUs is respectable, but the GPU's 55th percentile ranking drags the overall combination down.

Comparatively, the CPU outperforms its nearest rivals by minuscule margins, with the i7-9700 being just 0.1 percent slower and the i5-11600K being 0.4 percent slower. The GPU, however, is slightly weaker than its closest competitors, trailing the RX 5500 XT by 0.7 percent. This combination of a strong CPU with a mid-tier GPU means that in a game like Downfall, which appears to be GPU-bound at higher settings, the overall rank is determined primarily by the graphics card's capabilities. The rank of 1549 suggests that most other tested combos either pair a similar GPU with a more powerful CPU or use a stronger GPU that can handle 4K Ultra settings better.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, High settings at 97.4 FPS offer an excellent balance between visual quality and smoothness, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low settings at 146.8 FPS would be ideal, but the visual compromise may not be worth the extra 49.4 FPS. Medium settings at 118.3 FPS also provide a strong option, offering better visuals than Low while maintaining high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings at 85.3 FPS provide the best balance, delivering smooth gameplay with reasonable visual fidelity. High settings at 68.5 FPS are also viable for players who prefer better graphics, as they remain above 60 FPS. Ultra settings at 46.1 FPS are not recommended for this resolution, as the frame rate falls below smooth thresholds. Low settings at 103.1 FPS are the best option for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings at 65.5 FPS provide a consistently smooth experience. Medium settings at 54.9 FPS are borderline, and High settings at 42.5 FPS may be acceptable for slower-paced horror gameplay. Ultra settings at 29.4 FPS are not recommended, as the frame rate is too low for comfortable play. For most users, the data suggests sticking to 1080p High or 1440p Medium as the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the limiting component. At Low settings, the system drops from 146.8 FPS at 1080p to 103.1 FPS at 1440p, a 29.7 percent reduction, and then to 65.5 FPS at 4K, a further 36.5 percent reduction. This progressive decline indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increases significantly.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more dramatic. The frame rate falls from 62.8 FPS at 1080p to 46.1 FPS at 1440p (a 26.6 percent drop) and then to 29.4 FPS at 4K (a 36.2 percent drop). The total reduction from 1080p to 4K Ultra is 53.2 percent, demonstrating that the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot sustain the memory demands of 4K Ultra rendering. The CPU's strong performance, evidenced by its high multithreaded scores, means it is not the limiting factor in these scenarios.

The data implies that while the i5-12400 has ample headroom for this title, the GTX 1660 SUPER is stretched thin at 4K. The resolution scaling patterns suggest that for this combo, 1080p is the native comfort zone, 1440p is achievable with settings compromises, and 4K should be reserved for Low settings only. The GPU's 55th percentile ranking aligns with this observation, as it sits below the performance level typically required for high-resolution gaming in modern titles.