Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a broadly playable experience in Downfall, but the degree of headroom above the 60 FPS threshold changes dramatically depending on resolution and quality preset. At 1080p, the pairing is overwhelmingly capable, while at 4K, only the lowest settings maintain a consistent 60+ FPS average. The measured data shows a system that is strongly bound by the GPU at higher resolutions, with the CPU's substantial compute headroom becoming largely irrelevant as pixel count increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this pairing are reported across three resolutions and four settings levels, with average, minimum, and maximum frame rates provided for the Medium preset at each resolution. The data reveals a clear performance hierarchy.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 30 FPS, which is exactly half of the playable threshold. High settings improve this to 49 FPS, still well below 60. The Medium preset produces an average of 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. This is a borderline result, where the average is just one frame short of the target, and the minimum dips to 50 FPS, indicating noticeable hitches. The only 4K setting that clears the threshold is Low, which averages 72 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves considerably. Ultra settings average 49 FPS, which is identical to the 4K High result, suggesting a strong GPU bottleneck at these higher loads. High settings jump to a 78 FPS average. Medium averages 95 FPS, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS, showing a stable frame delivery. Low settings at 1440p reach an average of 116 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the system shows its strongest performance. Ultra settings average 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings average 109 FPS. Medium averages 133 FPS, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. Low settings produce an average of 163 FPS, demonstrating significant headroom even at the most demanding preset. The progression from 4K Ultra at 30 FPS to 1080p Low at 163 FPS represents a performance spread of over five times, highlighting the extreme sensitivity of this game to both resolution and settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary performance limiter in this configuration for Downfall. The evidence for this is the scaling pattern between resolutions and presets. When comparing 4K Ultra at 30 FPS to 1080p Ultra at 68 FPS, the average frame rate more than doubles with a four-fold reduction in pixel count. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's fill rate and shading capacity are the constraining factors.

Further evidence comes from the identical average FPS of 49 for both 4K High and 1440p Ultra. If the CPU were a significant bottleneck, the higher resolution would show a more pronounced performance drop. Instead, the flat performance across these two very different workloads suggests the GPU is saturated in both cases. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its high single-thread score of 2211 in Cinebench R23 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1280, provides ample processing power. Its 16 threads and 3DMark max-threads score of 9771 indicate that CPU-side scene management and physics calculations are unlikely to be the limiting factor in a horror title like Downfall.

The role of the CPU becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 163 FPS, a figure that demands rapid draw-call submission and game logic updates. Even at this high frame rate, the CPU keeps pace. The data shows no scenario where the CPU causes a frame rate collapse; the GPU's performance ceiling is the consistent constraint. The gap between the 4K Medium average of 59 FPS and the 1440p Medium average of 95 FPS is a 61% improvement, which is smaller than the 100% improvement seen between 4K and 1080p at Low settings, further indicating that the GPU's workload scaling is the dominant factor.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, based on average benchmark scores, are a cluster of processors that perform within a 0.4% margin. The Intel Core i9-14901E has an average score of 37911, a delta of 0.1% higher than the 9700X's 37943. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 37904, also a 0.1% delta. The Intel Core 5 211E scores 37829, a 0.3% delta, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 scores 37804, a 0.4% delta. For Downfall, any of these CPUs would deliver virtually identical performance, meaning the frame rates presented here would remain unchanged if the processor were swapped for one of these alternatives, assuming the GPU remained the same.

For the Intel Arc B570, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534 on average, a 0.1% delta. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, which is 0.1% lower than the B570's 20556. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480, a 0.4% delta, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662, a 0.5% delta. The Arc A750 is the most direct desktop comparison; its near-identical average benchmark score suggests that in Downfall, the B570 and A750 would produce nearly the same frame rates. The RTX 3070 Mobile is a laptop part, but its score aligns closely enough that it would be expected to perform similarly within a few percent in this title.

The Verdict

Based on the measured data, this PC can run Downfall, but the playable settings vary significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—delivering average frame rates above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset achieves 68 FPS, providing a comfortable margin.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is also positive, with three of the four presets clearing 60 FPS. High settings average 78 FPS, Medium averages 95 FPS, and Low averages 116 FPS. Ultra settings fall short at 49 FPS, so they should be avoided at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more restrictive. Only the Low preset is playable, with an average of 72 FPS. Medium settings average 59 FPS, which fails the 60 FPS threshold by a single frame, and High and Ultra are well below acceptable levels at 49 FPS and 30 FPS, respectively. The verdict for 4K is that the game runs smoothly only on the lowest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2988 out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This places the pairing in the lower half of all tested systems, specifically in the 19.6th percentile of performance. While the system is playable at 1080p and 1440p, its standing indicates that the majority of tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this title. The rank reflects the Arc B570's position as a mid-range GPU, as its 65th percentile against all GPUs is offset by the CPU's stronger 86th percentile standing. The combination's overall rank suggests that while the CPU is a high performer, the GPU holds the system back from achieving a higher position in the rankings for this specific game.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS is as follows.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Low, which achieves an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset at 59 FPS is just short of the target, making Low the only viable choice for a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is High, delivering an average of 78 FPS. This provides a significant visual improvement over Medium while still maintaining a solid frame rate. The Ultra preset at 49 FPS is not playable.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra, achieving an average of 68 FPS. This allows for the maximum visual quality while still staying above the 60 FPS threshold. The 68 FPS average provides a small buffer, but the minimum frame rate for this setting was not recorded in the data, so occasional dips below 60 FPS cannot be ruled out.

FAQ

*Q: Can the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 run Downfall at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only on the Low preset, which achieves an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and High and Ultra are not playable at 49 FPS and 30 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the highest quality setting that maintains 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 68 FPS, which is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS. All lower presets—High at 109 FPS, Medium at 133 FPS, and Low at 163 FPS—also exceed the threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to the Intel Arc A750 in this game?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, while the Arc A750 scores 20582, a delta of -0.1%. This near-identical performance indicates that the two cards would produce nearly the same frame rates in Downfall, with the A750 having a negligible advantage.

*Q: Which component is the bottleneck for this system in Downfall?*

A: The benchmark data shows the Intel Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck. Evidence includes the identical 49 FPS average at both 4K High and 1440p Ultra, which indicates the GPU is saturated and the CPU is not limiting performance.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700X a strong performer compared to other CPUs?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 7 9700X sits in the 86th percentile against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals—the Intel Core i9-14901E, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, Intel Core 5 211E, and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132—are all within a 0.4% delta in average benchmark score, placing it in top-tier processor territory.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 95 FPS at 2560x1440 on Medium settings, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS. This represents a stable and highly playable experience.