Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers overwhelming performance in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that clearly does not stress modern flagship hardware. Across every tested resolution and preset, this pairing produces frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold, with the lowest observed average being 82.8 FPS at 4K Ultra settings. The data indicates a system with massive headroom, where even the most demanding configuration leaves performance on the table.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at rank 142 out of 3,716 tested combinations for Downfall. That puts the combo in the top 3.8% of all systems evaluated, which is remarkable given that the game itself is a horror title from 2016 with relatively modest system requirements by modern standards. The ranking reflects the sheer ceiling of this hardware pairing rather than any particular optimization for this specific game.

The CPU component, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, holds an 87th percentile ranking against all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 41,376 places it in close competition with several recent mobile and desktop processors. The nearest rivals show remarkably tight clustering: the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H scores 41,263 (just 0.3% lower), the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H scores 41,215 (0.4% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 scores 41,208 (0.4% lower). The Intel Core i7-14650HX actually scores slightly higher at 41,576, a 0.5% delta. This sub-1% spread across four rival processors indicates that the 5900X sits in a densely populated performance tier where chip-to-chip differences are negligible for gaming workloads.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves an 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. Its nearest rivals present an interesting mix of workstation and professional cards: the Intel Arc Pro A60 matches almost exactly at 60,326 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 comes in at 60,140 (0.3% lower), while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores higher at 61,896 (2.5% higher). The AMD Radeon PRO V710 trails at 58,657, a 2.9% deficit. The close scores among these professional-oriented cards suggest that the RTX 4090's gaming dominance is not fully captured by generic compute benchmarks, yet in Downfall it still performs at an elite level.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a striking pattern: as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average FPS drops significantly across all presets, but the system never approaches a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 386 FPS; at 4K Low, it still manages 196.9 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K represents roughly a 49% reduction in frame rate at Low settings, which is precisely what one would expect when pixel count quadruples.

The GPU clearly dominates the performance equation in this title. Consider the Ultra preset scaling: 186.8 FPS at 1080p, 135.8 FPS at 1440p, and 82.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 39%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 27%. These diminishing returns with increasing resolution are classic GPU-bound behavior. The CPU's role becomes less prominent as resolution climbs, but even at 1080p the frame rates are so high that the 5900X's 12 cores and 24 threads are never the limiting factor.

The preset scaling within each resolution further confirms the GPU-centric nature. At 1080p, moving from Low (386 FPS) to Ultra (186.8 FPS) costs 51.6% of performance. At 4K, the same preset jump from Low (196.9 FPS) to Ultra (82.8 FPS) costs 57.9%. The slightly larger percentage drop at 4K suggests that the Ultra preset's additional shading and texture work taxes the GPU more heavily at higher resolutions, which is expected behavior for a game that scales its visual fidelity through GPU-intensive effects.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces extraordinary frame rates. The Low preset averages 386 FPS, which is the highest score recorded across all configurations. Medium settings drop to 359.8 FPS, a 6.8% reduction from Low. High settings yield 300.1 FPS, representing a 16.6% drop from Low. The Ultra preset brings the average down to 186.8 FPS, which is still more than triple the 60 FPS threshold. The spread from Low to Ultra spans 199.2 FPS, demonstrating how much visual headroom the game offers without ever threatening smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers remain exceptionally high. Low settings produce 316.8 FPS, Medium follows at 258.7 FPS, and High reaches 211 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 135.8 FPS, which is still more than double the playability threshold. The relative ordering is consistent: each preset tier costs roughly 15-20% performance as settings increase. The 1440p results show the system operating comfortably, with no configuration dropping below 135 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains impressive but begins to show the expected resolution penalty. Low settings still achieve 196.9 FPS, a figure that most systems cannot reach at 1080p. Medium settings deliver 160.4 FPS, and High settings produce 132.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 82.8 FPS, which is the lowest value recorded for this combo but still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 114.1 FPS, showing that even the heaviest settings leave substantial performance in reserve.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data for both components, several alternative hardware combinations would produce nearly identical results in Downfall. On the CPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H and Intel Core Ultra 7 356H both score within 0.4% of the Ryzen 9 5900X's average benchmark score. Swapping the CPU for either of these would yield imperceptible differences in game performance, as the frame rates are so high that CPU variations in the 0.3-0.4% range translate to less than 1 FPS in most scenarios.

The AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 also matches closely at 0.4% lower average score, making it another viable alternative. The Intel Core i7-14650HX is the only rival that slightly outperforms the 5900X, with a 0.5% higher score. In practical terms, all four of these CPUs would deliver virtually identical frame rates in Downfall, since the game is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at the settings tested.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc Pro A60 is the closest match with a 0% delta in average benchmark score. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 trails by 0.3%, while the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M actually leads by 2.5%. These professional GPUs would likely produce similar, though slightly different, results in Downfall depending on driver optimization for gaming workloads. The RTX 4090's massive 24 GB GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth provide headroom that these rivals may not match, but the game's modest requirements mean even the lower-performing options should clear 60 FPS at most settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 186.8 FPS, making it the clear choice for maximum visual quality. There is no reason to reduce settings at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset leaves massive performance headroom. The 186.8 FPS average is more than triple the 60 FPS threshold, and the visual improvements from Ultra settings come at no practical cost.

The 2560x1440 resolution also supports Ultra settings at 135.8 FPS average. This remains well above the playability threshold, and the frame rate is smooth enough for any display technology. The 1440p Ultra configuration represents an excellent balance of visual fidelity and performance, with the average FPS still exceeding 120 for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings produce an average of 82.8 FPS, which comfortably clears the 60 FPS threshold. While this is the lowest score recorded for the combo, it is still sufficient for a smooth experience on 4K displays. The data indicates that all presets at all resolutions are playable, so the best settings are simply the highest available at each resolution. The verdict data confirms that Ultra is the best setting at every resolution, with average FPS of 82.8 at 4K, 135.8 at 1440p, and 186.8 at 1080p.

The Verdict

This PC can decisively run Downfall at maximum settings across every tested resolution. The verdict data lists High, Low, Medium, and Ultra as playable settings at 3840x2160, with Ultra being the best option at 82.8 FPS average. At 2560x1440, all settings are also playable, with Ultra delivering 135.8 FPS. The 1920x1080 resolution sees Ultra settings achieve 186.8 FPS, again with all presets clearing the 60 FPS bar.

The 60 FPS playable threshold is exceeded by a wide margin in every scenario. The lowest performance point is 4K Ultra at 82.8 FPS, which is 38% above the threshold. At 1080p, the system achieves more than six times the minimum playable frame rate. The data suggests that this combination is overkill for Downfall, providing performance that far exceeds what the game demands. Players could enable maximum settings at 4K without any concern for frame rate drops below smooth gameplay levels.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K resolution?

A: Ultra settings at 3840x2160 produce an average of 82.8 FPS, which is the best playable configuration at that resolution. All presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has an average benchmark score of 41,376. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H, scores 41,263 (0.3% lower), while the Intel Core i7-14650HX scores 41,576 (0.5% higher).

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p with maximum settings?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 the Ultra preset averages 135.8 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. Every preset at this resolution delivers well over 200 FPS except Ultra.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 82.8 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is still 22.8 FPS above the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 300.1 at 1920x1080 to 132.4 at 3840x2160, representing a 55.9% reduction in frame rate.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU dominates performance scaling. As resolution increases, frame rates drop substantially, which is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. The CPU maintains sufficient headroom even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 380 FPS.