Downfall

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. Measured data shows this combo ranks 1506th out of 1741 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The 12 GB of combined system memory bandwidth (DDR4/DDR5 support) and the GPU's 6 GB VRAM create a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming, but struggles at 4K Ultra settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads to the table, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, offers a 65 W TDP and fits the Intel Socket 1700. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332, alongside a Geekbench multicore score of 9138 and single-core score of 2221. Its 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and 16-thread score of 5895 indicate solid thread scaling, which matters for Downfall's horror-game physics and AI routines.

The CPU's percentile standing against all processors is 77, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of tested CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-8700K (0.1% faster), Intel Core i5-1335U (0.3% faster), and AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS (0.7% slower). This tight clustering suggests the 12400F sits at a performance plateau where small architectural differences matter little. In Downfall specifically, the CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory bus provide adequate headroom; the measured FPS data shows the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, but at 1080p Low settings, the CPU pushes frame rates to 148.7 FPS average, indicating it is not a bottleneck in this title.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Examining the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset emerges as the balanced choice across resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 118.3 FPS average, which is 19.3% higher than High's 100.6 FPS and only 30.4 FPS below Low's 148.7 FPS. The jump from Medium to Ultra is punishing: 118.3 FPS drops to 59.4 FPS at 1080p, a 49.8% reduction. At 2560x1440, Medium yields 87.4 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, while High manages 71 FPS and Ultra falls to 46.6 FPS. For 4K, Medium produces 51.4 FPS, which is borderline playable, but High's 45.7 FPS and Ultra's 29.8 FPS are less appealing.

The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for this hardware combination. It maintains frame rates above 50 FPS even at 4K, while at 1080p it provides a smooth 118.3 FPS experience. Low settings offer the highest frame rates—148.7 FPS at 1080p and 107.3 FPS at 1440p—but the visual fidelity loss may not be worth the extra frames given that Medium already clears 60 FPS at 1440p. Ultra settings should be avoided unless the user prioritizes visual quality over playability, as it drops below 60 FPS at all resolutions tested.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario. At Medium settings, the progression goes from 118.3 FPS at 1080p to 87.4 FPS at 1440p (a 26.1% drop) to 51.4 FPS at 4K (a 56.6% drop from 1080p). This steep decline indicates that the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated as pixel count increases. At Low settings, the trend is similar: 148.7 FPS at 1080p falls to 107.3 FPS at 1440p (27.8% drop) and 67.9 FPS at 4K (54.3% drop). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests the GPU's raw compute throughput—5.027 TFLOPS FP32—is the primary constraint.

At 4K Ultra, the system bottoms out at 29.8 FPS, which is a 79.9% reduction from 1080p Ultra's 59.4 FPS. This dramatic falloff points to the GPU's 6 GB VRAM being insufficient for 4K Ultra textures and effects, forcing memory thrashing. The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions: the 148.7 FPS at 1080p Low is likely near the CPU's practical limit for this game, given its single-thread score of 909 in 3DMark. The data indicates that for 4K gaming, this combo requires Low or Medium settings to remain playable, confirming the GPU as the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1506th out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the 13.5th percentile of all systems tested. This low ranking reflects the GPU's age and position in the market; the GTX 1660 SUPER's percentile versus all GPUs is 55, meaning it outperforms only slightly more than half of tested graphics cards. The CPU's stronger 77th percentile ranking is undermined by the GPU's modest performance, resulting in a system that is CPU-capable but GPU-limited.

The combo's rank suggests that in the broader database, most tested systems deliver higher average FPS in Downfall. However, the measured data shows this combo still achieves playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on Medium settings. The ranking gap highlights how the GPU's end-of-life production status and 2019 release date put it at a disadvantage against newer hardware. For context, the GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (0.2% faster), Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (0.2% faster), and AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (0.7% faster), all of which cluster within 1% of the GTX 1660 SUPER's average benchmark score of 14286.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture using the TU116 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 12 nm process with 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 1530 MHz and boost clock of 1785 MHz, with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivering 336.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, producing a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s. Its 5.027 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 10.05 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1) provide the raw processing power for Downfall's horror visuals.

The GPU's 6 GB VRAM is the critical constraint at 4K Ultra settings, where the 29.8 FPS average indicates the memory capacity is exceeded, likely causing texture streaming issues. At 1080p and 1440p, the VRAM is sufficient, as evidenced by playable frame rates across settings. The GPU's 125 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU make it a modest power consumer, but its end-of-life production status and 2019 release date mean it lacks modern features like ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The passmark G3D score of 12699 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1278 show the GPU's DirectX 12 performance is adequate for this 2016 horror title, which likely uses simpler rendering techniques than modern games.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS averages are: Low 148.7, Medium 118.3, High 100.6, and Ultra 59.4. This represents a 59.9% drop from Low to Ultra, showing the significant cost of maximum settings. At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 107.3, Medium 87.4, High 71, and Ultra 46.6. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 56.6%, slightly less pronounced than at 1080p, indicating diminishing returns from higher settings as resolution increases. At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 67.9, Medium 51.4, High 45.7, and Ultra 29.8. The Low-to-Ultra drop at 4K is 56.1%, consistent with the 1440p trend, but the absolute values are much lower.

Across all resolutions, the Medium-to-High gap averages 15.5% performance loss, while High-to-Ultra averages 38.6% loss. This suggests that the High preset offers a poor cost-to-performance ratio; the jump from Medium to High costs 15-18 FPS at 1080p but only 4-5 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer, with 4K Ultra delivering less than half the FPS of 4K Low. For users targeting 60 FPS, the data shows that 1080p Ultra (59.4 FPS) just barely misses the mark, while 1440p Medium (87.4 FPS) and 1080p High (100.6 FPS) comfortably exceed it.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Downfall?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 provides the most consistent performance, with all settings except Ultra exceeding 100 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium (87.4 FPS) and Low (107.3 FPS) are playable, but Ultra drops to 46.6 FPS. For 4K, only Low (67.9 FPS) and Medium (51.4 FPS) approach playable frame rates.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 14286, with nearest rivals AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14314, 0.2% faster), Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14315, 0.2% faster), and AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (14389, 0.7% faster). All are within 1% of the GTX 1660 SUPER's performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Downfall?

A: The measured FPS scaling indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 148.7 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 29.8 FPS, a 79.9% reduction. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 55th percentile confirms the GPU is the weaker component.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium settings (87.4 FPS) provide the best balance of visual quality and frame rate at 2560x1440. High (71 FPS) is also playable, but Ultra (46.6 FPS) falls below 60 FPS and is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this system handle 4K resolution at all?

A: Yes, but only at Low (67.9 FPS) or Medium (51.4 FPS) settings. High (45.7 FPS) and Ultra (29.8 FPS) are below acceptable playability thresholds. The 6 GB VRAM is likely insufficient for 4K Ultra textures.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested systems in Downfall?

A: This combo ranks 1506th out of 1741 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 13.5% of systems. The CPU's strong 77th percentile is offset by the GPU's 55th percentile, resulting in a mid-to-low tier overall ranking.