Downfall

The data for Downfall with an Intel Core i5-12400F and Intel Arc B580 shows a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions but reveals a more balanced profile as resolution drops. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the board indicate that the Arc B580’s 12 GB of memory and 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth are the primary drivers of performance, with the CPU’s six cores providing ample headroom. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, the roles of the processor and graphics card, and provides concrete settings recommendations based solely on the measured rows.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 demonstrates a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 182 FPS, which drops to 133 FPS at 1440p and 82.3 FPS at 4K. This scaling is nearly linear with the pixel count increase, indicating that the Intel Arc B580 is the limiting component. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is a 26.9% reduction in frame rate, while moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 38.1%, showing that the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth are saturated as resolution climbs.

At High settings, the pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. The system delivers 123.4 FPS at 1080p, 85.5 FPS at 1440p, and 56.6 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 30.7%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 33.8%. This consistency suggests that the rendering load scales predictably with resolution, and the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck. If the Core i5-12400F were struggling, we would expect to see a smaller delta between 1080p and 1440p at higher settings, but the data shows no such compression.

The Ultra preset tells a different story. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS collapses to 32.1, while 1080p Ultra holds at 76.1. The drop from 1440p Ultra (54.3 FPS) to 4K Ultra is 40.9%, which is steeper than the same transition at Low settings. This indicates that the Ultra preset’s additional effects—likely higher-resolution textures and more complex shading—push the Arc B580’s 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance to its limit. The fact that 1080p Ultra (76.1 FPS) is far below 1080p High (123.4 FPS) confirms that the GPU’s raw compute capability, not memory, is the primary constraint at this preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F provides a solid foundation for Downfall, with six cores and twelve threads running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332. The single-thread performance, measured at 909 in 3dmark_single_thread, is sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 182 FPS result shows that the CPU can sustain high frame rates without becoming a constraint.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F sits within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS and 0.1% of the Intel Core i7-8700K in average benchmark score. This means the processor’s performance is well within the expected range for a modern mid-range desktop part. The fact that the measured FPS at 1080p Low (182) is more than double the 4K High result (56.6) suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor; if it were, we would see the frame rate plateau regardless of resolution.

The L3 cache of 18 MB (shared) and per-core L2 cache of 1.25 MB provide adequate data locality for game logic. The data shows that moving from 1080p Low to 1080p High drops the frame rate from 182 to 123.4 FPS, a 32.2% reduction, which indicates the GPU is doing more work per frame rather than the CPU being starved for data. The processor’s 65 W TDP and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 or DDR5) are standard for this class, and the benchmark results—such as 19433 in passmark_multithread—confirm it is a capable gaming CPU for this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 182, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 4K Ultra?

A: 1080p Low delivers 182 FPS, while 4K Ultra delivers 32.1 FPS. This means 1080p Low is approximately 5.7 times faster in average frame rate.

*Q: Does the Intel Arc B580 have enough video memory for 4K in Downfall?*

A: The data shows 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 456.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K High, the average FPS is 56.6, which suggests the memory capacity is sufficient, but the GPU’s compute limits performance at Ultra settings.

Q: What is the difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce 109.1 FPS, while High settings produce 85.5 FPS. The difference is 23.6 FPS, or a 27.6% reduction in frame rate when moving from Medium to High.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance relate to the 1080p results?

A: The i5-12400F scores 909 in 3dmark_single_thread and 234 in Cinebench R15 single-core. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 182 FPS, which is high enough that the CPU’s single-thread speed is not a bottleneck, as evidenced by the consistent scaling across resolutions.

Q: Is the system more GPU-limited or CPU-limited in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate a GPU limitation. The frame rate drops by 54.8% from 1080p Low to 4K Low (182 to 82.3 FPS), while the CPU’s multi-thread score of 16518 in Cinebench R23 shows it has ample headroom. The GPU’s 13.67 TFLOPS is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers a wide range of performance depending on the preset. Low settings yield 182 FPS, Medium settings produce 149 FPS, High settings drop to 123.4 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 76.1 FPS. The step from Medium to High is a 17.2% reduction, while the step from High to Ultra is a 38.3% reduction, showing that Ultra’s additional effects are particularly demanding. These numbers indicate that 1080p is well within the comfort zone for this hardware, with even Ultra settings remaining above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates are lower but still playable at most presets. Low settings achieve 133 FPS, Medium settings reach 109.1 FPS, High settings produce 85.5 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 54.3 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings costs 30.7% of the frame rate, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. At 1440p Ultra, the system falls below 60 FPS, indicating that this preset is marginal for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings produce 82.3 FPS, Medium settings achieve 68 FPS, High settings drop to 56.6 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 32.1 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is 16.8%, while the gap between High and Ultra is 43.3%, which is the largest single-preset delta in the entire dataset. This suggests that Ultra settings at 4K overwhelm the GPU’s 80 ROPs and 160 TMUs, leading to a sub-30 FPS experience that is not recommended for smooth play.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580, based on the Xe2-HPG architecture with the BMG-G21 chip, is the dominant component in this system. Its 2560 shading units and 20 RT cores provide 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is the key metric for Downfall’s rendering load. The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient to feed the shading units at 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 15748. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, has an average score that is 0.7% higher, indicating the B580 is competitive with mainstream cards. The measured FPS at 1080p High (123.4) and 1440p High (85.5) show that the GPU can handle moderate settings at common resolutions, but the 4K Ultra result of 32.1 FPS reveals its limits. The GPU’s 2670 MHz boost clock and 213.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are consistent with the observed performance, and the 190 W TDP suggests it is a power-hungry part that performs best with a capable cooling solution.

The data shows that the GPU is the clear bottleneck at 4K and at Ultra settings. The fact that 1080p Low (182 FPS) is more than double 4K High (56.6 FPS) confirms that the GPU’s compute and memory are being fully utilized as resolution and settings increase. The 80 ROPs are particularly stressed at 4K, where pixel output is at its maximum, leading to the steep drop in performance at Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for a balance of visual quality and frame rate is the High preset at 2560x1440. This setting delivers 85.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and it offers a significant visual improvement over Medium settings. At 4K, the High preset drops to 56.6 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action; for a more consistent experience at 4K, the Medium preset at 68 FPS is a safer choice.

For users prioritizing frame rate at 1080p, the Medium preset at 149 FPS provides excellent smoothness with better visuals than Low. The Ultra preset at 1080p (76.1 FPS) is also viable, but the 38.3% drop from High suggests that the visual gains may not justify the performance cost. At 1440p, the Medium preset at 109.1 FPS is the sweet spot for high refresh rate monitors, while High at 85.5 FPS is better for visual fidelity.

The data indicates that the Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K, as the 32.1 FPS average is below the playable threshold. Similarly, at 1440p Ultra (54.3 FPS), the frame rate dips below 60 FPS, making High the recommended preset for that resolution. The Low preset, while delivering the highest frame rates (182 FPS at 1080p), sacrifices too much visual quality for most users. The optimal configuration is High at 1440p for a mix of quality and performance, or Medium at 4K for high-resolution play.