Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D in Downfall delivers a frame rate profile that is heavily dictated by resolution, with the GPU clearly becoming the dominant constraint as pixel count climbs. At 1080p the combination produces extremely high frame rates across all settings, while at 4K the Ultra preset drops to a level that suggests the game's rendering load is finally catching up to even this flagship-class graphics card. This analysis walks through the measured data to explain where the bottleneck shifts and what each component contributes.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals a clear GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 324 at 1920x1080 to 231 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 93 FPS (approximately 29% lower), and then further to 144 at 3840x2160, which is 180 FPS below the 1080p result — a 56% drop. This scaling pattern is typical for a game where the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, and the RTX 5090 D's massive 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 512-bit bus width are clearly being exercised more heavily at 4K.

At Low settings, the same trend appears but with a steeper relative decline: 438 FPS at 1080p, 345 FPS at 1440p, and 214 FPS at 4K. The 4K figure is 224 FPS lower than 1080p, a 51% reduction, which is proportionally similar to the High preset's drop. This suggests that even when the game's visual complexity is reduced, the resolution-driven pixel count remains the primary performance variable. The Medium preset shows the most consistent scaling in absolute terms: 395 FPS at 1080p, 282 FPS at 1440p, and 175 FPS at 4K, with each step down representing roughly a 28-38% decrease.

The Ultra preset tells a different story. At 1080p it achieves 202 FPS, at 1440p it drops to 144 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 90 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p Ultra frame rate, indicating that the combination of maximum settings and high resolution creates a workload that the GPU cannot fully sustain. The data shows that resolution scaling in Downfall is not linear — the gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K, particularly at Ultra where the 1440p-to-4K drop is 54 FPS compared to the 1080p-to-1440p drop of 58 FPS. This implies that the transition to 4K introduces a disproportionately heavy load on the GPU's shading units and memory subsystem.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the clear performance driver in this combination, and its specifications align with the measured results. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz and boosts to 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz for an effective 28 Gbps. The 32 GB GDDR7 memory pool is more than sufficient for Downfall's demands at any resolution, as the game's horror environments likely feature high-resolution textures that benefit from large memory capacity. The 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth provides the throughput needed to feed the 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 render output units.

The GPU's benchmark scores underscore its position. It achieves a passmark G3D score of 44065 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 77712 puts it slightly above the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904, a 1.1% delta) and slightly below the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940, a -1.6% delta). These rival comparisons are based on aggregate benchmark scores rather than Downfall-specific results, but they establish the RTX 5090 D as a top-tier performer.

In Downfall, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. At 4K High, the 144 FPS average indicates the GPU is still delivering excellent performance, but the drop to 90 FPS at 4K Ultra shows that the most demanding settings can halve the frame rate. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 104.8 TFLOPS and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are theoretical maxima, and the measured results suggest that real-world Downfall workloads at Ultra settings approach but do not exceed these capabilities. The 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms that this card is near the top of the performance hierarchy, yet the 4K Ultra result of 90 FPS demonstrates that even this hardware has limits in this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF provides the processing foundation for this combination, and its specifications indicate it is well-matched to the GPU's demands. With 10 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 3.70 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, the CPU offers strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. The Alder Lake architecture uses a 10 nm process and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the measured FPS data does not specify which memory type was used.

The CPU's benchmark results show it is a capable partner. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and single-core score of 3302 demonstrate solid performance, while the 3DMark 16-thread score of 7956 and max-thread score of 7952 indicate consistent scaling across threads. The passmark multithread score of 27575 and single-thread score of 3925 further corroborate its position. The CPU sits in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799 — nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872, a -0.3% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (27896, a -0.3% delta). This places the i5-12600KF in the upper tier of processors, though not at the absolute top.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is likely secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions. The frame rates at 1080p Low (438 FPS) and Medium (395 FPS) are extremely high, and at these levels the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant in maintaining frame pacing. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz helps ensure that the game's engine logic, AI, and physics calculations do not become a bottleneck. However, the fact that the 4K Ultra result (90 FPS) is so much lower than the 1080p Ultra result (202 FPS) suggests that the GPU is the limiting component in this scenario, as the CPU's workload does not scale as dramatically with resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combination produces its highest frame rates: Low averages 438 FPS, Medium averages 395 FPS with a minimum of 335 FPS and maximum of 454 FPS, High averages 324 FPS, and Ultra averages 202 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 335 FPS shows that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above typical refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low averages 345 FPS, Medium averages 282 FPS with a minimum of 240 FPS and maximum of 324 FPS, High averages 231 FPS, and Ultra averages 144 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 240 FPS is notably lower than its 1080p counterpart, indicating that the increased pixel count introduces more variance in frame times.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes more evident. Low averages 214 FPS, Medium averages 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS and maximum of 202 FPS, High averages 144 FPS, and Ultra averages 90 FPS. The Ultra preset's 90 FPS is the lowest measured result in the entire dataset, and it represents a significant drop from the 144 FPS at 1440p Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K, with a minimum of 149 FPS, shows that even mid-range settings can maintain playable frame rates at this resolution.

Across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra follows a consistent pattern: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the slowest. The gap between Low and Ultra widens with resolution — at 1080p the difference is 236 FPS, at 1440p it is 201 FPS, and at 4K it is 124 FPS. This narrowing gap indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU's fixed workload limits the maximum achievable frame rate regardless of settings, making the relative difference between presets smaller.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combination in Downfall?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 438, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is followed closely by the 1080p Medium preset at 395 FPS.

Q: Can this combo maintain 144 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, at 4K High settings the average FPS is exactly 144, and at 4K Medium it averages 175 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra the average drops to 90 FPS, which is below the 144 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest GPU rivals based on benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712. It is 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904) and 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940). It also trails the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants by 2.1% and 2.4%, respectively.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF is in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, scores 27896, a delta of -0.3%.

Q: What is the lowest measured FPS in the dataset?

A: The lowest average FPS is 90, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS is 149, also at 4K, but with Medium settings.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra framerate compare to the 1080p Ultra framerate?

A: The 4K Ultra average of 90 FPS is 112 FPS lower than the 1080p Ultra average of 202 FPS, representing a 55% reduction in performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and frame rate. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable frame rates, with even Ultra averaging 202 FPS. For players with high-refresh-rate displays, the Medium preset offers a strong balance: 395 FPS average with a 335 FPS minimum, providing headroom above 360 Hz monitors. The Low preset at 438 FPS is the fastest option, but the visual quality trade-off may not be worth the additional 43 FPS over Medium.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 231 FPS is a solid choice, offering a 60 FPS improvement over Ultra (144 FPS) while maintaining better visual fidelity than Medium (282 FPS). For those prioritizing frame rate, Medium at 282 FPS with a 240 FPS minimum is the best option for 240 Hz displays. Ultra at 144 FPS is perfectly suited for 144 Hz monitors, providing exactly the refresh rate needed without wasted performance.

At 3840x2160, the data strongly suggests using High settings, which average 144 FPS and are ideal for 144 Hz 4K displays. The Medium preset at 175 FPS offers extra headroom and a minimum of 149 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. Ultra at 90 FPS is the only preset that dips below 100 FPS, and while it provides the maximum visual quality, the 54 FPS drop from High may be noticeable. Low at 214 FPS is excessively fast for most 4K displays and sacrifices too much visual detail.

The overall recommendation for the best experience is the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p, and High at 4K. These choices provide the best combination of visual quality and frame rate stability, as evidenced by the minimum FPS values of 335 and 240 at Medium for 1080p and 1440p respectively, and the 144 FPS average at 4K High.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 24th out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the top 1% of all configurations in this benchmark database. This ranking reflects the strength of both components: the CPU's 79th percentile standing and the GPU's 92nd percentile standing combine to produce a system that excels in this horror title.

The high ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows excellent performance across all resolutions. The combo's ability to exceed 200 FPS at 1080p Ultra and maintain 144 FPS at 4K High demonstrates that it can handle both competitive and cinematic gaming scenarios. The rank of 24 out of 2928 means there are 23 other combinations that perform better, likely featuring more powerful CPUs such as higher-end Core i9 or Ryzen 9 processors paired with the same or similar GPUs. However, the i5-12600KF's near-identical benchmark scores to the Core i9-10900K and Ryzen 7 5800X3D suggest that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this ranking — the GPU's position relative to other RTX 5090 D configurations and the specific demands of Downfall determine the final placement.

The data indicates that this combo is exceptionally well-balanced for Downfall, with the GPU providing the bulk of the performance headroom and the CPU offering sufficient processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck, even at the highest frame rates measured. The 24th rank out of nearly 3000 combos is a strong result, and the measured FPS figures confirm that this system delivers a premium experience across all tested settings and resolutions.