Downfall

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Downfall, but the data reveals a clear bottleneck shift as resolution increases. At 1080p, the combo achieves 390 FPS on Low settings, a figure that drops to 214 FPS at 4K on the same preset—a 45% reduction. This scaling pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the GPU’s immense headroom cannot be fully utilized. Conversely, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 90, a 77% drop from the 1080p Low result, demonstrating that the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at maximum fidelity. The most telling metric is the Medium preset: at 1080p, the system produces 363 FPS, but at 1440p it drops to 282 FPS, and at 4K it settles at 175 FPS. This progressive decline—roughly 22% per step from 1080p to 1440p and 38% from 1440p to 4K—shows a balanced workload shift, where neither component is entirely saturated but the GPU’s rendering load grows disproportionately.

The 1080p to 1440p transition on Low settings sees FPS fall from 390 to 345, a modest 11.5% decrease, suggesting that the CPU can still feed the GPU adequately at these settings. However, the 1440p to 4K jump on Low is more severe, dropping from 345 to 214 FPS, a 38% reduction. This indicates that the RTX 5090 D’s raw compute power, while vast, is still challenged by the pixel count at 4K. The data strongly suggests that for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, 1080p or 1440p are the sweet spots, but 4K remains viable with adjusted settings, as even Ultra at 4K produces a playable 90 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo is defined by a predictable FPS curve that flattens as graphical fidelity increases. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 390 FPS, which serves as the ceiling for this pairing. Moving to 1440p Low yields 345 FPS, an 11.5% reduction that shows the GPU is beginning to work harder but is not yet the limiting factor. The 4K Low result of 214 FPS represents a 38% drop from 1440p, marking the point where the GPU’s pixel-pushing capabilities become the dominant constraint. This pattern is consistent across all settings, with the gap widening at higher presets. For High settings, the 1080p score is 324 FPS, dropping to 231 FPS at 1440p (a 28.7% decrease) and 144 FPS at 4K (a 37.7% decrease from 1440p). The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 363 FPS at 1080p, 282 FPS at 1440p, and 175 FPS at 4K.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most dramatic scaling, with 202 FPS at 1080p, 144 FPS at 1440p, and 90 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p Ultra drop is 28.7%, and the 1440p to 4K Ultra drop is 37.5%. This consistent ~28% and ~38% pattern across presets suggests that the RTX 5090 D’s architecture scales predictably with resolution, and the CPU’s influence diminishes as the GPU workload increases. The data indicates that at 4K, even the most demanding settings remain playable, but the 90 FPS Ultra result shows the GPU is nearing its effective limit for this title. The 4K Medium result of 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS and maximum of 202 FPS provides a stable frame-time envelope, suggesting that this is the optimal balance for 4K gaming, offering high refresh rates without the severe FPS penalty of Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores reveal a processor that excels in single-threaded tasks but is modest in multi-threaded workloads. The 3DMark single-thread score is 909, while the multi-thread score reaches 5,912 across 16 threads. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is 1,680, and the multi-core score is 12,380. These figures place the CPU in the 73rd percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 19,039. This performance profile is well-suited for Downfall, a horror title that likely relies on single-thread performance for game logic and AI, while the GPU handles rendering.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 390 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s practical limit for frame generation. The 1080p Medium result of 363 FPS and High result of 324 FPS indicate that the CPU can sustain high frame rates with minimal GPU load. However, the 1080p Ultra result of 202 FPS suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at this setting, as the GPU’s increased workload reduces the frame rate. The CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support provide adequate bandwidth for feeding the RTX 5090 D, but the processor’s 65W TDP and 10nm process node limit its sustained multi-threaded performance. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F scores nearly identically to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (0% delta) and the Intel Core 3 201E (-0.1% delta), showing that it is a mid-pack performer in synthetic benchmarks. For Downfall, the CPU’s single-thread dominance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at 1080p, but the 4K results show that the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as the CPU can still deliver 214 FPS on Low settings even at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Downfall experience with this hardware combo. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 324 FPS is the recommended choice, as it offers a substantial improvement over Medium (363 FPS) in visual quality while still delivering frame rates far exceeding any display’s refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 202 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing visuals, but the 37.5% FPS penalty from High to Ultra may not justify the marginal graphical gains in a horror game where atmosphere is key. At 1440p, the High preset at 231 FPS is the optimal balance, providing smooth motion on high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 282 FPS is an alternative for competitive play, but the visual fidelity loss is noticeable. The Ultra preset at 144 FPS is acceptable for those with 144Hz displays, but the 37.7% drop from High to Ultra is significant.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 175 FPS is the clear winner, offering a playable experience with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS. This preset ensures no frame drops below 144 FPS, making it ideal for G-Sync or FreeSync displays. The High preset at 144 FPS is also playable, but it operates at the edge of the refresh rate envelope, with potential for noticeable stutters if frame times vary. The Low preset at 214 FPS is unnecessary at 4K, as the visual quality is too degraded for a horror title that relies on atmosphere. The Ultra preset at 90 FPS is the best choice for those who prioritize maximum visual fidelity, but it sacrifices smoothness, making it less suitable for fast-paced sequences. Overall, the data suggests that Medium at 4K, High at 1440p, and High or Ultra at 1080p provide the best experiences, balancing visual quality against the measured frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Downfall, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 33rd out of 2,928 combos. This places it in the top 1.1% of all tested systems, a strong result that reflects the GPU’s dominance. The RTX 5090 D’s average benchmark score of 77,712 puts it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals in synthetic tests are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (1.1% higher score) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (-1.6% lower score). This suggests that the GPU is a top-tier performer, though not the absolute fastest in the database. The CPU’s 73rd percentile ranking is modest by comparison, but the combination’s high rank in Downfall indicates that the game is not heavily CPU-bound. The 33rd rank out of 2,928 combos means that only 32 other pairings achieve higher frame rates in this title, likely those featuring more powerful CPUs that can better feed the RTX 5090 D at 1080p.

The ranking also implies that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, including those with weaker GPUs. The data shows that the RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for Downfall, even at 4K Ultra, where the game’s textures and effects are unlikely to exceed this capacity. The combo’s rank confirms the GPU’s raw power, but the CPU’s 6-core/12-thread configuration may hold it back in future titles with more demanding multi-threaded workloads. In Downfall, however, the 33rd rank suggests that the system is well-balanced for this specific game, with the CPU providing enough single-thread performance to avoid limiting the GPU at most resolutions. For users looking to maximize their rank, upgrading the CPU would yield diminishing returns, as the GPU is already near the top of the performance curve.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this combo, with a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 77,712. Its architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is built on a 5nm process at TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. The GPU features 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, along with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. The base clock is 2017 MHz, boosting to 2407 MHz, and the memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) across a 512-bit bus, yielding 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is a significant asset for Downfall, as the game’s horror environments likely feature high-resolution textures that benefit from ample VRAM. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s provide ample compute for the game’s rendering demands.

In Downfall, the GPU’s role is evident in the resolution scaling data. At 1080p, the GPU is underutilized, as the CPU limits frame rates to around 390 FPS on Low settings. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the frame rates drop accordingly. The 4K Ultra result of 90 FPS shows the GPU operating near its maximum capacity for this title, with the pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and the 104.8 TFLOPS of compute being taxed by the game’s effects. The 1440p Medium result of 282 FPS with a minimum of 240 FPS demonstrates the GPU’s ability to maintain high frame rates with moderate settings. The GPU’s thermal and power characteristics—a 575W TDP and a recommended 950W PSU—are significant, but the data shows that this power is translated into performance. The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, score slightly higher, but the RTX 5090 D’s 92nd percentile ranking confirms its position as a high-end part. For Downfall, the GPU is the primary driver of performance at 4K, and its 32 GB of VRAM ensures that even the most demanding settings do not cause memory-related stutters.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed picture of the combo’s performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 390 FPS, the highest recorded for this combo. The Medium preset produces 363 FPS, with a minimum of 309 FPS and a maximum of 418 FPS, indicating a stable frame-time distribution. The High preset at 324 FPS offers a significant visual improvement over Medium with only a 10.7% FPS penalty. The Ultra preset at 202 FPS represents a 37.7% drop from High, showing the cost of maximum fidelity. At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 345 FPS, an 11.5% decrease from 1080p Low, while Medium drops to 282 FPS (with a minimum of 240 FPS and a maximum of 324 FPS). The High preset at 231 FPS is 28.7% lower than the 1080p High result, and Ultra at 144 FPS is 28.7% lower than the 1080p Ultra result. At 3840x2160, the Low preset yields 214 FPS, a 38% drop from 1440p Low. The Medium preset at 175 FPS (minimum 149 FPS, maximum 202 FPS) shows a 38% drop from 1440p Medium. The High preset at 144 FPS is 37.7% lower than 1440p High, and Ultra at 90 FPS is 37.5% lower than 1440p Ultra.

The frame rate deltas between settings are consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Medium is 27 FPS (390 to 363), between Medium and High is 39 FPS (363 to 324), and between High and Ultra is 122 FPS (324 to 202). At 1440p, these deltas are 63 FPS (345 to 282), 51 FPS (282 to 231), and 87 FPS (231 to 144). At 4K, the deltas are 39 FPS (214 to 175), 31 FPS (175 to 144), and 54 FPS (144 to 90). The 1080p Ultra penalty is disproportionately large, suggesting that the CPU may be introducing a bottleneck at this setting, as the frame rate drops below what the GPU’s scaling would predict. The 4K Medium result of 175 FPS with a tight minimum of 149 FPS is notable for its stability, making it the recommended choice for 4K gaming. The data confirms that this combo is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, and remains playable at 4K with adjusted settings.