Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers strong frame rates in Downfall, a horror title from 2016 that scales predictably across resolutions and presets. Measured data shows this combo handles 1080p and 1440p with headroom to spare, while 4K Ultra dips below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Below is a breakdown of exactly what the benchmark results indicate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 258.2 FPS, Medium drops to 213.5 FPS, and High settles at 175.7 FPS. Ultra still clears triple digits at 105.3 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra is roughly 153 FPS, showing that even the heaviest preset leaves substantial performance on the table at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling remains smooth. Low averages 184.8 FPS, Medium hits 151.5 FPS, and High runs at 126.2 FPS. Ultra falls to 78.3 FPS, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold but represents a significant drop from the 1080p Ultra result. The step from High to Ultra at 1440p costs about 48 FPS, making Ultra the most demanding setting tier in the measured data.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low averages 111.5 FPS, Medium drops to 91.6 FPS, and High manages 80.1 FPS. Ultra is the only setting that fails the playable mark, averaging just 46 FPS. That is a 34.1 FPS deficit versus High at the same resolution, and a 59.3 FPS shortfall compared to 1440p Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the single worst measured outcome in the entire dataset, and it is the only data point below 60 FPS.

Min and max FPS values were not recorded in the measured data, so the analysis relies entirely on average frame rates. The absence of min/max figures means stutter and frame time consistency cannot be quantified, but the averages alone establish clear performance tiers. The pattern is monotonic: higher resolution and higher settings both reduce average FPS, with 4K Ultra being the sole outlier that breaks the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals how the RTX 3070 becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises. At 1920x1080, the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU, evidenced by the 258.2 FPS Low result. That frame rate is far beyond what most displays can show, indicating the GPU is not saturated at lower resolutions. The Ryzen 9 9900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, provides more than enough single-thread and multi-thread performance for a 2016 horror title.

At 2560x1440, the GPU starts to take on more responsibility. The 151.5 FPS Medium result and 126.2 FPS High result show the RTX 3070 still has reserve capacity, but the 78.3 FPS Ultra figure indicates the GPU is now the primary constraint. The CPU’s role diminishes because the render load at 1440p Ultra requires more of the GPU’s shading units, TMUs, and ROPs. The RTX 3070’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient at this resolution, but the gap between High and Ultra grows compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is decisively the bottleneck. The 46 FPS Ultra result versus 80.1 FPS High shows a 34.1 FPS penalty for the highest preset, and even Low at 111.5 FPS is far below the 1080p Low figure. The CPU’s contribution is minimal at 4K because the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor. The RTX 3070’s 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 165.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply not enough to sustain Ultra settings at this resolution.

Preset scaling reinforces this division. At 1080p, the delta between Low and Ultra is 152.9 FPS, meaning the GPU handles roughly 40% of the total workload swing. At 1440p, that delta shrinks to 106.5 FPS, and at 4K it narrows further to 65.5 FPS. The diminishing absolute delta at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is already near its ceiling, so preset changes have less absolute impact. The CPU, by contrast, has enough headroom that it never appears as the primary constraint in any measured configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1566 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall. That places it in the upper-middle portion of the database, roughly in the 58th percentile of all combos. The percentile ranking for the CPU alone is 92% against all CPUs, while the GPU sits at 61% against all GPUs. The disparity between those two percentiles explains the combo’s middling rank: the Ryzen 9 9900X is a top-tier processor, but the RTX 3070 is a mid-range graphics card from the Ampere generation.

The rank reflects the GPU’s limitations more than the CPU’s strengths. In a game like Downfall, which is a 2016 horror title without extreme geometry or physics demands, the CPU’s 3DMark max-thread score of 13929 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32172 are overkill. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 22214 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162 are more indicative of the combo’s actual frame rate ceiling. The 1566 rank out of 3716 suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve similar or better results, likely because the RTX 3070’s performance tier is well-represented in the database.

The combo rank is not a verdict on playability. It simply shows where this pairing sits relative to others. A rank of 1566 out of 3716 means roughly 42% of tested combos are faster, but the measured FPS data shows this combo still clears 60 FPS in all but one configuration. The rank is more useful for buyers comparing this specific CPU-GPU match against other pairings, rather than as a measure of whether the game runs acceptably.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Downfall. The measured data shows playable frame rates at every resolution except 4K Ultra. At 1920x1080, all four settings — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — average above 60 FPS, with the lowest being Ultra at 105.3 FPS. That is more than enough for smooth gameplay on standard 60 Hz displays, and it leaves headroom for high-refresh monitors.

At 2560x1440, all four settings also clear 60 FPS. Ultra averages 78.3 FPS, which is above the playable threshold and suitable for 1440p gaming. The best setting at this resolution is Ultra, since it achieves the highest visual quality while still maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. High runs at 126.2 FPS, offering a faster alternative for competitive play or high-refresh panels.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is mixed. High, Medium, and Low all average above 60 FPS, with High being the best playable setting at 80.1 FPS. Low runs at 111.5 FPS and Medium at 91.6 FPS, both viable. Ultra, however, averages just 46 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is not playable with this combo, so users targeting 4K should stick to High or lower presets.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p are fully playable at all settings, while 4K is playable up to High. The single failure point is 4K Ultra, which is the only measured configuration that cannot sustain 60 FPS. For most users, this combo will provide a smooth experience, and the RTX 3070’s 8 GB memory is adequate for the game’s demands at these settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Ryzen 9 9900X provide context for CPU-bound scenarios. The AMD EPYC 9015 scores an average benchmark of 57555, which is 0.1% lower than the Ryzen 9 9900X’s average of 57498. The AMD EPYC 7313 scores 57399, a 0.2% delta. The Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115, which is 1.1% higher, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58323, a 1.4% advantage. These deltas are all within 1.5%, meaning the CPU’s performance is essentially interchangeable with these rivals for Downfall’s workload.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3070’s nearest rivals show similar performance parity. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083, just 0.7% higher than the RTX 3070’s average of 17208. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, a 1% delta, and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, a 1.1% delta. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, which is 1.5% higher. All four rivals are within 1.5% of the RTX 3070, so swapping to any of them would yield nearly identical frame rates in Downfall.

For users considering alternatives, the practical takeaway is that the CPU can be swapped among these rivals without meaningful FPS changes, since the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. Conversely, swapping the GPU to a rival like the RX 7600 XT would produce similar results, as the benchmark deltas are negligible. The combo rank of 1566 out of 3716 would likely shift slightly with these swaps, but the measured FPS values would remain close to the reported figures.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 4K with this combo?

A: High settings average 80.1 FPS at 3840x2160, which is the best playable setting. Ultra averages 46 FPS and falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this combo run Downfall at 1440p Ultra?

A: Yes. The 2560x1440 Ultra preset averages 78.3 FPS, which is above the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 scores 17208 on average. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is 0.7% higher, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 is 1% higher, the AMD Radeon HD 7970M is 1.1% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c is 1.5% higher.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum frame rates?

A: 1920x1080 at Low settings produces the highest average FPS at 258.2. Even at Ultra, 1080p averages 105.3 FPS.

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

A: The GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the RTX 3070 is the bottleneck, while the Ryzen 9 9900X provides ample CPU headroom across all measured settings.

Q: Does this combo rank highly among tested configurations?

A: It ranks 1566 out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle range. The CPU’s 92nd percentile is offset by the GPU’s 61st percentile, resulting in a mid-pack overall rank.

Q: Which settings at 4K are playable?

A: Low averages 111.5 FPS, Medium averages 91.6 FPS, and High averages 80.1 FPS. Only Ultra at 46 FPS is not playable.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The AMD EPYC 9015 is 0.1% lower, the AMD EPYC 7313 is 0.2% lower, the Intel Core i9-14900 is 1.1% higher, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M is 1.4% higher in average benchmark scores.