Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that proves to be far less demanding than modern AAA releases. Benchmark data shows this combination ranks 716th out of 3716 tested hardware combos for this game, placing it comfortably in the top tier of performers. Across all three tested resolutions, the system maintains playable frame rates even at the maximum Ultra preset, making it a straightforward recommendation for anyone seeking high-refresh-rate horror gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this configuration covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with average frame rates provided for each combination. No minimum or maximum frame rate data was recorded, so the analysis below relies solely on average performance.

At 1920x1080, the system produces outstanding results across every preset. The Low preset delivers an average of 339.3 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates the CPU and GPU are barely taxed. Medium settings see a drop to 275 FPS, still far beyond what any display can show. High settings reduce performance to 225.5 FPS, while the demanding Ultra preset maintains a solid 140.1 FPS average. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a performance reduction of roughly 59%, demonstrating that the Ultra preset introduces substantial graphical load, yet the hardware handles it with ease.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern remains strong but with expected reductions. Low settings produce 243.1 FPS, Medium drops to 195.6 FPS, and High comes in at 163.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 99.2 FPS, which is identical to the High preset result at 4K, suggesting that resolution scaling and preset scaling interact in interesting ways. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is about 59% again, consistent with the 1080p scaling pattern.

At 3840x2160, performance remains very playable. Low settings yield 150.8 FPS, Medium produces 123.8 FPS, and High maintains 99.2 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 61.5 FPS, which just clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 59% reduction in frame rate, matching the pattern seen at lower resolutions. This consistency suggests the game's preset scaling is uniform regardless of resolution.

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K at the same preset shows predictable drops. At Ultra settings, frame rates decline from 140.1 at 1080p to 99.2 at 1440p to 61.5 at 4K. This represents a 56% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Ultra, while at Low settings the drop is from 339.3 to 150.8, a more substantial 56% reduction as well, though the absolute numbers remain high.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 61.5 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This just clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it technically playable, though you may want to consider High settings at 99.2 FPS for more headroom.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum performance?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 339.3 FPS, which is the highest recorded result. Even at Ultra settings, 1080p delivers 140.1 FPS, so this resolution offers the most performance headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings produce 163.6 FPS while Ultra drops to 99.2 FPS. The Ultra preset costs roughly 39% of the frame rate compared to High, but both remain comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 5070 being held back by the CPU?

A: The data shows extreme frame rates at lower resolutions, such as 339.3 FPS at 1080p Low, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU effectively. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32172 and a PassMark multithread score of 54643, indicate no bottleneck at these settings.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K Medium settings?

A: The system delivers 123.8 FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This is substantially higher than the 60 FPS threshold and provides a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Q: Does the game scale well between presets?

A: Yes, the performance scaling is consistent across resolutions. Moving from Low to Ultra reduces frame rates by approximately 59% at every resolution tested, indicating the presets are well-calibrated for this hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the Ultra preset across all three tested resolutions.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings produce 140.1 FPS, providing an excellent experience with maximum graphical fidelity. This leaves substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, so you could even consider additional supersampling or DSR if your display supports it.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings deliver 99.2 FPS, again well above the playable threshold. This is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, as you get full visual quality with nearly triple the frame rate needed for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings achieve 61.5 FPS, which just barely clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and while playable, it leaves little margin for frame rate drops. If you prefer more stability, High settings at 99.2 FPS or Medium at 123.8 FPS offer safer options, but Ultra remains technically playable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD EPYC 9015 with a score of 57555 and a delta of -0.1%, meaning it performs essentially identically. The AMD EPYC 7313 scores 57399, which is 0.2% behind the Ryzen 9 9900X. The Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115, putting it 1.1% ahead, while the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58323, 1.4% ahead. These deltas are all within a narrow band, so any of these CPUs would deliver virtually the same gaming performance in Downfall.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show similar clustering. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 scores 40318, just 0.1% behind the RTX 5070. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063, 0.8% behind. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870, which is 1.2% ahead, and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568, 2% behind. These deltas indicate that swapping to any of these GPUs would result in nearly identical frame rates in Downfall.

It is importantly these rival GPUs are largely professional or mobile workstation parts, which suggests the RTX 5070's performance level in this game is comparable to a wide range of hardware. The CPU rivals include both server and desktop parts, reinforcing that Downfall does not heavily favor any particular CPU architecture.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the CPU and GPU share the workload across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 339.3 FPS at Low settings, which is an extremely high frame rate that indicates the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 3010 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2253, allows it to drive high frame rates even in less demanding scenes.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across all presets, but the pattern remains consistent. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 61.5 FPS, showing that the GPU becomes more significant at higher resolutions. The scaling from 1080p Ultra at 140.1 FPS to 4K Ultra at 61.5 FPS represents a 56% reduction, which is nearly linear with the pixel count increase, indicating the GPU is the primary driver at higher resolutions.

The preset scaling within each resolution is uniform at approximately 59% from Low to Ultra, regardless of resolution. This suggests that the game's preset system affects the GPU workload proportionally, while the CPU maintains consistent performance. The fact that 4K High and 1440p Ultra both produce exactly 99.2 FPS is notable; this coincidence suggests that the increased resolution at 4K is offset by the lower preset complexity, keeping the GPU workload balanced.

At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU's role is more prominent, as evidenced by the high frame rates that exceed what most GPUs could sustain. The Ryzen 9 9900X's 12 cores and 24 threads, combined with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, provide ample headroom for the game's CPU demands. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for all tested configurations, with no signs of memory constraints in the data.

The Verdict

The verdict from the benchmark data is clear: this AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination can run Downfall at every resolution and preset tested, with all results clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system achieves playable frame rates at all four presets, with Ultra delivering 61.5 FPS, High at 99.2 FPS, Medium at 123.8 FPS, and Low at 150.8 FPS. The best settings for 4K are Ultra, as it provides maximum visual quality while staying just above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, all presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 99.2 FPS, High at 163.6 FPS, Medium at 195.6 FPS, and Low at 243.1 FPS. Ultra is recommended here, offering nearly 100 FPS with full graphical settings.

At 1920x1080, the system excels across the board, with Ultra at 140.1 FPS, High at 225.5 FPS, Medium at 275 FPS, and Low at 339.3 FPS. Ultra is the clear choice for 1080p gaming, delivering high frame rates with no compromises.

This hardware combination ranks 716th out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall, placing it in the top 19% of all systems tested. The CPU holds a 92nd percentile rank among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs. Given the game's 2016 release date and its relatively modest demands, this system provides far more performance than necessary for a smooth experience, making it an excellent choice for anyone who wants to play Downfall at maximum settings without worrying about frame rates.