Downfall

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This CPU relies on a 10 nm process node and includes 18 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. For this game, the processor’s multi-threaded capability is relevant, as its 3DMark max-thread score of 5890 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 indicate solid throughput for a mid-range desktop part. The single-thread performance is also respectable, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257, which matters for games that rely on fewer, faster cores. The chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory via a dual-channel memory bus, and it offers PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The integrated UHD Graphics 730 is present, but in this configuration with a discrete GPU, it is not the primary driver of frame rates. The i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 18683 places it at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms a majority of processors in general compute tasks. When looking at its nearest rivals, the data shows it is essentially neck-and-neck with the AMD EPYC 7643, which has an average score of 18697, a delta of -0.1%. It also trails the Intel Core i7-1355U by 0.3% and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 by 0.7%, while leading the Intel Core i3-14100F by 0.9%. These small deltas indicate that the i5-12400 sits in a tightly contested performance band, and for gaming, its 6-core/12-thread configuration is generally sufficient to feed a powerful GPU without becoming a bottleneck in most scenarios, though the data in this game will show where the limits lie.

How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a combo rank of 36 out of 2928 tested combinations in Downfall. This places the setup in the top 1.2% of all combos, which is an exceptional result given the CPU is not a flagship part. The high rank is primarily driven by the GPU’s immense compute power, but the CPU must still keep up to avoid dragging the average down. The fact that this combo ranks 36th overall suggests that the i5-12400 does not significantly hamper the RTX 5090 D in this specific horror title, even though there are faster processors available. The delta between this combo and the very top of the leaderboard is likely due to CPU-bound scenarios where the i5-12400’s 6 cores cannot match the performance of higher-core-count or higher-clocked rivals. However, for a mainstream processor that launched with a $199 MSRP, this rank demonstrates that the i5-12400 is a capable partner for the flagship GPU in Downfall, delivering performance that is competitive with much more expensive CPU+GPU pairings. The data indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this equation, as its 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and average benchmark score of 77712 far exceed the CPU’s relative standing. This combo’s rank of 36 also implies that only 35 other CPU+GPU combinations out of 2928 produce higher frame rates in this game, which confirms the balance achieved here, even if the CPU is not the strongest link.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system scales across resolutions, highlighting where the bottleneck shifts between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 324 FPS, but dropping to Low settings increases this to 387 FPS, showing that the CPU is still capable of pushing higher frames when the GPU load is reduced. Moving to 1440p, the High preset yields 231 FPS, while Low settings jump to 345 FPS. At 4K, the High preset drops to 144 FPS, and Low settings produce 214 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings shows a 55.6% reduction in frame rate (from 324 to 144 FPS), which is a substantial drop that indicates the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions. In contrast, the scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a 44.7% reduction (from 387 to 214 FPS), which is a smaller relative drop, suggesting that at lower settings, the CPU can still feed the GPU adequately, but the GPU’s raw pixel-pushing capability is what ultimately caps performance. The data also shows that the gap between Low and High settings widens as resolution increases: at 1080p, the difference is 63 FPS (387 vs 324), at 1440p it is 114 FPS (345 vs 231), and at 4K it is 70 FPS (214 vs 144). This non-linear pattern indicates that at 1440p, the CPU is still able to take advantage of the reduced GPU load from Low settings, but at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even dropping to Low settings cannot fully compensate. The Medium preset at 4K shows an average of 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 and maximum of 202, which sits between High and Low, reinforcing that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K. At 1080p and 1440p, the Ultra preset shows a significant drop (e.g., 202 FPS at 1080p Ultra vs 324 FPS at 1080p High), indicating that the game’s Ultra settings impose a heavy load that even this GPU cannot overcome without sacrificing frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 387 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 360 FPS on average, with a minimum of 306 and a maximum of 414, showing tight frame pacing. High settings at 1080p drop to 324 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 202 FPS, a substantial reduction of 122 FPS from Low, indicating that Ultra settings are particularly demanding. At 2560x1440, the Low preset produces 345 FPS, Medium delivers 282 FPS (with a minimum of 240 and maximum of 324), High drops to 231 FPS, and Ultra falls to 144 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 201 FPS difference, which is larger than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is becoming more stressed at this resolution. At 3840x2160, the Low preset yields 214 FPS, Medium delivers 175 FPS (with a minimum of 149 and maximum of 202), High drops to 144 FPS, and Ultra falls to 90 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 90 FPS is the lowest in the dataset, and the drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 124 FPS, which is a significant margin. The data shows that the Medium preset at 4K, with its 175 FPS average and 149 FPS minimum, provides a balanced experience, while Ultra at 4K dips below the 100 FPS threshold. Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently offers the highest frame rates, but the Medium preset offers a more playable experience with better visual fidelity, as the minimum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings, indicating that this preset is likely the sweet spot for stable performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship graphics card built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using a 5 nm process node from TSMC. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The card contains 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, along with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. Its compute capabilities are substantial, with FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s. The RTX 5090 D has a TDP of 575 W and requires a 950 W power supply, with a dual-slot design and a 16-pin power connector. In this game, the GPU’s role is clearly dominant, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, as the CPU can push frame rates up to 387 FPS on Low settings, but the GPU’s raw power still allows for high averages. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, with frame rates dropping to 144 FPS on High and 90 FPS on Ultra, despite the card’s immense memory bandwidth and compute throughput. The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712, places it in the top tier, but its nearest rivals show that it is not without competition: the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940 (1.6% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605 (2.4% higher), while the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT trails by 1.1%. These deltas are small, indicating that the RTX 5090 D is in a tight performance cluster, but in Downfall, its 32 GB of VRAM and 512-bit memory bus provide ample headroom for high-resolution textures and effects, even if the measured FPS shows that the game’s Ultra settings are too demanding for a consistent 100+ FPS experience at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 324 FPS, which is already far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors, and the Ultra preset drops to 202 FPS, which is still playable but with diminishing returns on visual quality. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 360 FPS with a minimum of 306 and maximum of 414, providing a smoother experience than High with only a minor visual trade-off. For 1080p, the Medium preset is the best choice, as it offers the highest minimum frame rate and a comfortable margin above the High preset, while avoiding the heavy performance hit of Ultra. At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 282 FPS with a minimum of 240 and maximum of 324, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1440p drops to 231 FPS, which is still very good, but the Medium preset provides a 51 FPS advantage and a higher minimum, making it the preferred option for sustained performance. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 144 FPS, which is playable but represents a significant drop from Medium, so it is only recommended if visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate stability. At 4K, the High preset achieves 144 FPS, which is the sweet spot for a 144 Hz display, but the Medium preset offers 175 FPS with a minimum of 149, providing a better balance of speed and stability. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 90 FPS, which is below the 100 FPS threshold and not ideal for a smooth experience, so it should be avoided unless the user has a variable refresh rate monitor and can tolerate lower frame rates. The Low preset at 4K gives 214 FPS, but the visual quality is likely too compromised for a horror game where atmosphere matters. Therefore, the best experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1080p and 1440p, and the Medium preset at 4K, as it provides the highest minimum FPS and a solid average, ensuring smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual detail.