Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers overwhelming performance in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that is far more demanding on the GPU than the CPU at higher resolutions. Benchmark data shows this pairing clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every tested resolution and preset, with the weakest result being 74 FPS at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Downfall at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, all four tested presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) remain above 60 FPS. The most demanding setting, Ultra, averages 74 FPS, while Medium hits 145 FPS, High reaches 119 FPS, and Low runs at 178 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: Ultra at 2560x1440 delivers 120 FPS average, which is double the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes Ultra the recommended preset for this resolution, as it provides a substantial frame rate cushion.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54,247 in the average benchmark, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209. The delta is 0.1%, meaning the two GPUs are essentially identical in performance, with the base 4080 holding a negligible edge.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p, where CPU load is typically highest, the combo still achieves 400 FPS on Low settings and 268 FPS on High. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and multi-thread score of 13929 suggest ample headroom for this title.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 268. This is more than four times the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the system is heavily GPU-limited at this resolution, but still far beyond any playability concerns.

Q: Does the game scale well between presets at 4K?

A: Yes, scaling is consistent. Moving from Low (178 FPS) to Medium (145 FPS) is a 19% drop, Medium to High (119 FPS) is an 18% drop, and High to Ultra (74 FPS) is a 38% drop. Ultra is the most punishing step, but remains playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results across resolutions and presets reveal a clear division of labor in Downfall. At 1920x1080, the system produces 400 FPS on Low and 327 FPS on Medium, which are extraordinarily high numbers that indicate the CPU is feeding the GPU efficiently. However, the frame rate drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p (400 to 168 FPS) shows that even at this resolution, the GPU’s workload scaling dominates the performance curve.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts slightly. Low runs at 285 FPS, Medium at 233 FPS, High at 191 FPS, and Ultra at 120 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is a 37% reduction, identical to the 4K scaling for that same transition. This suggests that Ultra preset features are heavily GPU-intensive, while the CPU maintains consistent performance across the resolution increase.

The most telling data comes from 3840x2160. Here, Low delivers 178 FPS, Medium 145 FPS, High 119 FPS, and Ultra 74 FPS. Comparing 1080p Low (400 FPS) to 4K Low (178 FPS) shows a 55% reduction in frame rate purely from resolution scaling, which is a GPU-bound characteristic. The CPU’s role is largely static; its 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for this horror title, which does not appear to utilize heavy multi-threading based on the consistent scaling patterns.

If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see diminishing returns when lowering resolution at 1080p. Instead, the 1080p Low result of 400 FPS is nearly triple the 4K Ultra result of 74 FPS, confirming that the RTX 4080 is the primary driver of performance. For players targeting 1440p or 4K, the GPU is decisively the component that matters most. At 1080p, the CPU still has headroom, but the GPU’s raw throughput (48.74 TFLOPS FP32) sets the ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

Among 3,716 tested combinations in Downfall, this pairing of the Ryzen 9 9900X and RTX 4080 ranks 230th. That places it in the top 6.2% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a system built around a 2022 GPU and a 2024 CPU. The rank is likely pulled down slightly by the CPU’s 92nd percentile standing among all processors, whereas the GPU sits at the 86th percentile.

The CPU’s nearest rival data shows the AMD EPYC 9015 at 57,555 average score (delta -0.1%) and the Intel Core i9-14900 at 58,115 (delta -1.1%). These are all server or high-end desktop chips that would perform similarly in CPU-bound tasks. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, delta -1.1%). The combo rank of 230 is consistent with a high-end but not flagship-tier configuration, as the RTX 4080 is outclassed by the 4090 in raw GPU compute, and the 9900X is not the absolute fastest consumer chip.

Given that Downfall is a 2016 title, the rank is inflated by the sheer number of modern combos that can run it well. The 230th position out of 3,716 means this system outperforms roughly 94% of tested hardware pairings in this specific game, which is a practical indicator that it will handle the game with ease.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Downfall at every resolution and setting tested. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous:

• 3840x2160: Playable on Ultra with 74 FPS average. All other presets (High 119 FPS, Medium 145 FPS, Low 178 FPS) also exceed 60 FPS. Ultra is the best setting, but High offers a 61% higher frame rate for those who prefer smoother motion.
• 2560x1440: Playable on Ultra with 120 FPS average. This is exactly double the playable threshold, giving significant headroom for drops during intense scenes. Medium (233 FPS) and High (191 FPS) are far above requirements.
• 1920x1080: Playable on Ultra with 168 FPS average. Low runs at 400 FPS, which is the highest recorded result across all configurations. Even the most demanding preset leaves massive performance reserves.

The only caveat is that Ultra at 4K produces 74 FPS, which is above 60 but not by a huge margin. Players with 120 Hz or 144 Hz 4K displays might prefer High at 119 FPS for a smoother experience, but the system meets the playable threshold on Ultra without any adjustments.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Ryzen 9 9900X sits at 57,498 average benchmark score. The nearest rivals are the AMD EPYC 9015 (57,555, delta -0.1%), AMD EPYC 7313 (57,399, delta 0.2%), Intel Core i9-14900 (58,115, delta -1.1%), and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (58,323, delta -1.4%). Any of these would deliver virtually identical CPU performance in Downfall; the EPYC chips are server parts that lack the 9900X’s consumer features, but the i9-14900 is a direct alternative with slightly higher multi-thread scores.

For the GPU, the RTX 4080 (54,247 average) is matched by the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209, delta 0.1%), making the SUPER a drop-in replacement with no measurable performance difference. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, delta -1.1%) is a workstation card that performs similarly but lacks the RTX 4080’s DLSS and ray tracing features. The Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698, delta -2.6%) and Radeon 8060S (55,757, delta -2.7%) are slightly faster in synthetic benchmarks but may not offer the same driver optimization for this specific title.

In practical terms, swapping the 9900X for an i9-14900 or the RTX 4080 for a 4080 SUPER would change Downfall performance by less than 2%, based on the delta percentages. None of these alternatives would alter the verdict at any resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best setting is Ultra with an average of 74 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold, but just barely. If you want more margin, High at 119 FPS is the safer choice, but Ultra is technically playable.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is the best setting with 120 FPS average. This is a comfortable 2x multiplier over the playable threshold, so you can enable Ultra without worrying about frame time spikes. The minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium is 198, which suggests the Ultra preset likely stays above 100 FPS in most scenes.

At 1920x1080, Ultra delivers 168 FPS average. This is the optimal choice for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. Medium hits 327 FPS and Low reaches 400 FPS, but those are unnecessary given that Ultra already provides nearly triple the 60 FPS baseline.

For all resolutions, the data shows that this system has no playability issues. The only decision is whether to prioritize visual fidelity (Ultra) or frame rate headroom (High or Medium). Given that the game is a horror title from 2016, the Ultra preset at 4K remains the recommended choice for maximum immersion, as it stays above the 60 FPS minimum required for smooth gameplay.