Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a consistently playable experience in Downfall, with average frame rates that remain well above the 60 FPS threshold across nearly all tested settings and resolutions. The only exception is the most demanding preset at 4K, where the average dips just below the playability line. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the processor’s strength becomes more apparent at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the benchmark results show a clear hierarchy across the four quality presets. The Ultra preset produces the lowest average frame rate of 55.5 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset to fall short of the playable threshold. Stepping down to High settings yields a substantial improvement, with an average of 90.7 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 116.2 FPS, while the Low preset reaches 138.6 FPS. The scaling from Ultra to Low at 4K represents a 2.5x increase in average performance, highlighting the heavy toll that the Ultra preset’s visual effects take on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates become significantly higher across the board. The Ultra preset averages 91.8 FPS, which is a 65% improvement over the same preset at 4K. The High preset reaches 148.2 FPS, while Medium produces 185.1 FPS. The Low preset is exceptionally fast at 224.7 FPS. The gap between the lowest and highest presets narrows compared to 4K, with the Low preset being 2.4x faster than Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 309.7 FPS, which is the highest score recorded for this combination. The Medium preset follows closely at 256.9 FPS, and High reaches 211.5 FPS. The Ultra preset produces 129.9 FPS, which is still more than double the playable threshold. The relative performance spread from Ultra to Low at 1080p is 2.4x, similar to the scaling observed at 1440p.

The data reveals that the performance delta between presets is more pronounced at 4K than at lower resolutions. For example, the difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 83.1 FPS, whereas at 1440p it is 132.9 FPS and at 1080p it is 179.8 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, allowing the frame rate to scale more aggressively with settings changes.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS at each resolution is as follows:

• 3840x2160: The High preset is the best choice, averaging 90.7 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 55.5 FPS, so High is the maximum quality setting that remains playable.
• 2560x1440: The Ultra preset is fully playable, averaging 91.8 FPS. This allows for the highest visual fidelity at this resolution without compromising the frame rate.
• 1920x1080: The Ultra preset delivers 129.9 FPS, making it the best settings option. There is no performance concern at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at 4K offers 138.6 FPS, which is a much smoother experience than High. However, for the best balance of image quality and performance, the presets listed above represent the optimal configuration at each resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data shows a clear shift in bottleneck behavior depending on the resolution. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant factor. The frame rate scales dramatically with settings changes, indicating that the RTX 4070’s workload is the primary constraint. For instance, the jump from Ultra to High at 4K yields 35.2 FPS of additional performance, which is a 63% improvement. This suggests that the GPU is heavily taxed by the Ultra preset’s effects.

At 2560x1440, the balance begins to shift. The frame rates are higher across all presets, but the scaling between presets remains significant. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces 91.8 FPS, which is 65% higher than the same preset at 4K. This indicates that reducing the resolution from 4K to 1440p alleviates a substantial portion of the GPU load, allowing the system to push more frames.

At 1920x1080, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent. The frame rates are exceptionally high, with the Low preset reaching 309.7 FPS. While the GPU still handles the rendering, the Ryzen 9 9900X’s strong single-thread and multi-thread performance (as evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 1286 and cinebench_r23_multicore score of 32172) ensures that it can keep up with the GPU’s output. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p is less pronounced than the scaling from 4K to 1440p, which suggests the system is approaching a CPU-limited state at the lowest resolution.

The data shows that the CPU’s influence is minimal at 4K, moderate at 1440p, and most significant at 1080p. The Ryzen 9 9900X’s high boost clock of 5.60 GHz and 12 cores/24 threads provide ample headroom for this game, which does not appear to be particularly demanding on processor resources.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 902 out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This places it in the top 24.3% of all systems tested, indicating that it is a high-performing configuration for this title. The combo’s percentile ranking is supported by the measured frame rates, which consistently exceed the playable threshold at all but one setting.

The CPU itself ranks in the 92nd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 57498. This places it slightly below the AMD EPYC 9015, which has an average score of 57555 and a delta of -0.1%, and just above the AMD EPYC 7313, which scores 57399 with a delta of 0.2%. The GPU ranks in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 37648. This is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Tesla P4, which scores 37628 with a delta of 0.1%.

The combination of a top-tier CPU and a strong mid-to-high-range GPU results in a system that is well-suited for this game. The rank of 902 out of 3716 suggests that while many other combos can run Downfall, this particular pairing offers a level of performance that is above the median.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are all server-class processors. The AMD EPYC 9015 has an average score of 57555, which is 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 9 9900X. The AMD EPYC 7313 scores 57399, a 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115, which is 1.1% higher. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58323, which is 1.4% higher. These differences are small enough that users would not notice a meaningful performance difference in Downfall.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are a mix of professional and consumer cards. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 has an average score of 37628, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4070. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, a 0.4% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, which is 1.3% lower. These results indicate that the RTX 4070’s performance is closely matched by these alternatives, though the RTX 4070 benefits from newer architecture and features like 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores.

In practical terms, swapping the CPU for any of the listed rivals would result in a negligible change in frame rates, as the game is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. Swapping the GPU for a similar-scoring card would also yield comparable results, though the RTX 4070’s 12 GB GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for this title.

The Verdict

Based on the measured data, this PC can run Downfall effectively at all three tested resolutions. At 3840x2160, the system is playable on High, Medium, and Low presets, with the best settings being High at an average of 90.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is not playable, as it drops to 55.5 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, every preset clears the playable threshold. The best settings are Ultra, which averages 91.8 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality without any performance concerns. At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable on all presets, with Ultra delivering 129.9 FPS. This makes the system capable of handling the game’s maximum settings at 1080p with a large margin of safety.

The only scenario where the system fails to meet the playable threshold is the Ultra preset at 4K. For users with a 4K display who want to use the highest settings, frame rate will need to be lowered through other means. However, for the vast majority of use cases, this combination provides a smooth and responsive experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest settings preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 4K?

A: The High preset at 3840x2160 averages 90.7 FPS, making it the most demanding playable option. The Ultra preset falls to 55.5 FPS, which is below the threshold.

Q: Does the system handle 1440p at maximum settings?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 91.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X scores 57498, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD EPYC 9015 (57555) and 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313 (57399). It trails the Intel Core i9-14900 by 1.1% and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M by 1.4%.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The Low preset averages 309.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 129.9 FPS. This represents a 2.4x difference in performance.

Q: Can the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K on the Medium preset?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 116.2 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the GPU’s benchmark score compare to the NVIDIA Tesla P4?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average score of 37648, while the Tesla P4 scores 37628. The difference is 0.1%, indicating nearly identical performance in synthetic benchmarks.