Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a strong performance profile for Downfall, a horror title from 2016. The measured FPS data shows that this combination is capable of high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K remains playable at most presets. The combination ranks 1030th out of 3716 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 27.7% of all configurations. The data indicates a system that is well-balanced for this title, with the GPU handling the resolution scaling effectively and the CPU providing ample headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a complete picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the system produces exceptional frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 302 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 245.3 FPS, while the High preset yields 198.3 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 127.4 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system continues to deliver excellent performance, albeit with a predictable reduction in frame rates. The Low preset averages 215.3 FPS, the Medium preset averages 176.5 FPS, and the High preset averages 142.6 FPS. The Ultra preset still manages a robust 91.7 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a reduction of approximately 28-30% across presets, indicating that the RTX 3080's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are the limiting factors at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the performance profile becomes more demanding. The Low preset averages 135.8 FPS, which is still highly playable. The Medium preset averages 111.3 FPS, and the High preset averages 91 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 58.7 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes Ultra the only preset at 4K that does not clear the playable bar. The frame rate reduction from 1440p to 4K ranges from approximately 36% to 37%, showing a consistent scaling pattern across settings.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is entirely GPU-bound at all presets, 1440p remains fluid across the board, and 4K requires a modest settings adjustment to maintain a locked 60 FPS experience. The absence of min and max FPS values in the dataset means the analysis focuses on average frame rates, but the averages themselves are high enough to suggest consistent frame pacing in most scenarios.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data for the CPU and GPU provides context for what other hardware would behave similarly. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival is the Intel Core i9-14901E, which scores 37911, a delta of just 0.1%. This indicates that these two processors are nearly identical in overall throughput. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 37904, also a 0.1% delta, while the Intel Core 5 211E scores 37829, a 0.3% delta. The AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 scores 37804, a 0.4% delta.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, the average benchmark score is 23172, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA P106-100, which scores 23249, a delta of -0.3%, meaning the P106-100 is marginally faster in synthetic benchmarks. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also a -0.3% delta, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, a -0.4% delta. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276, matching the -0.4% delta.

In practice, a system with any of these rival CPUs paired with the RTX 3080 would produce nearly identical frame rates in Downfall, as the CPU is not the bottleneck at the tested resolutions. Similarly, swapping the RTX 3080 for a P106-100 or R9 M290X would yield comparable performance, though the architectural differences could manifest in specific scenarios. The data suggests that this combination sits in a well-populated performance tier where small benchmark deltas translate to imperceptible differences in actual gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings per resolution are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data provides a clear answer for each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 127.4 FPS. This is the highest quality preset and it clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin. The system has substantial headroom at this resolution, suggesting that even more demanding scenarios would remain fluid.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 91.7 FPS. This is the most demanding preset and it maintains a comfortable margin above the playable threshold. The 1440p Ultra experience is roughly 28% slower than the 1080p Ultra experience, but it remains well within playable range.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are High, which achieves an average of 91 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 58.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, making High the optimal choice for 4K. The High preset at 4K delivers a frame rate that is nearly identical to the Ultra preset at 1440p, showing that the RTX 3080's performance ceiling is reached between these two configurations.

The data indicates that players targeting 60 FPS should use Ultra at 1080p and 1440p, but should step down to High at 4K to maintain a consistent frame rate. The Medium and Low presets are available for higher refresh rate displays, with the Low preset at 1080p reaching 302 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC can run Downfall decisively. The verdictByResolution data confirms that the combination clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at all resolutions with appropriate settings. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 127.4 FPS. The system has enough performance headroom to handle any scenario the game presents at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 91.7 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and it maintains a 31.7 FPS margin above the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, three of the four presets are playable: High (91 FPS), Medium (111.3 FPS), and Low (135.8 FPS). The Ultra preset falls short at 58.7 FPS, missing the 60 FPS threshold by a narrow margin of 1.3 FPS. This is a marginal miss, and players who prioritize visual fidelity over a locked 60 FPS may still find Ultra acceptable, but the data shows it does not meet the strict playable threshold.

The overall verdict is that this system is fully capable of running Downfall at high frame rates across all common resolutions. The only caveat is that 4K Ultra requires a slight settings reduction to maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The relative importance of the CPU and GPU in this game can be inferred from the scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets. The CPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X with 8 cores and 16 threads, has a high single-thread score of 3023 in Geekbench and a multi-thread score of 17906. The GPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 with 8704 shading units, has a Passmark G3D score of 25086.

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a reduction of approximately 28-30% across all presets. From 1440p to 4K, the reduction is approximately 36-37%. This consistent scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary performance driver, as increasing the resolution places more load on the pixel pipeline. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would not scale as predictably with resolution changes.

The preset scaling further confirms the GPU's dominant role. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 174.6 FPS (302 vs 127.4), which is a 58% reduction. At 1440p, the difference is 123.6 FPS (215.3 vs 91.7), a 57% reduction. At 4K, the difference is 77.1 FPS (135.8 vs 58.7), a 57% reduction. The near-constant percentage reduction across resolutions suggests that the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck even at the highest settings.

The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics computations. Given the game's age (2016), the Ryzen 7 9700X's single-thread performance of 2211 in Cinebench R23 single-core is more than sufficient. The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution, as the frame rate scales consistently with GPU load. At 1080p, where CPU overhead is typically more visible, the system still achieves 302 FPS on Low, indicating ample CPU headroom.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 58.7 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset at 4K achieves 91 FPS and is the recommended choice.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 91.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and is the best playable setting at that resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172, while its nearest rival, the NVIDIA P106-100, scores 23249, a delta of -0.3%. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, a -0.4% delta.

Q: What is the best settings preset for maintaining a 60 FPS experience at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 127.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. All presets at 1080p are playable, including Low (302 FPS), Medium (245.3 FPS), and High (198.3 FPS).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. Frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes (28-30% from 1080p to 1440p, 36-37% from 1440p to 4K), and preset changes produce near-constant percentage reductions across resolutions, indicating the CPU has sufficient headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Downfall?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + RTX 3080 combination ranks 1030th out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the top 27.7% of all configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame data shows that this configuration ranks 1030th out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This places the system in the 72.3rd percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly 72% of the tested hardware combinations.

This ranking is consistent with the component-level percentiles. The CPU sits in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The combination ranking of 72.3rd percentile is between these two values, which is expected given that the GPU is the performance bottleneck in this game.

The high ranking indicates that this system is well-suited for Downfall. The RTX 3080's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's textures and effects at all tested resolutions. The CPU's 32 MB of L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample support for the game's logic and physics.

The ranking also suggests that this combo outperforms the majority of systems that would be used to play Downfall. With 3716 tested combos, the 1030th position places this system in the upper-middle tier of performance. This is a strong result for a 2024 CPU paired with a 2020 GPU, showing that the combination remains competitive for this horror title despite the age of the graphics card.