Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Downfall, a 2016 horror title. Benchmark data shows that this pairing clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution and preset, with the most demanding configuration—4K Ultra—still averaging 79.6 FPS. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, compares the components to their nearest rivals, and provides a detailed look at how the system scales across resolutions and settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo each have close competitors based on aggregate benchmark scores. For the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, the nearest rival is the AMD EPYC 9015, which scores 57,555 versus the 9900X’s 57,498 average—a negligible 0.1% difference. This means that in synthetic workloads, the 9900X and EPYC 9015 would be virtually indistinguishable. The AMD EPYC 7313 sits just 0.2% behind the 9900X, and the Intel Core i9-14900 is 1.1% ahead. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M leads by 1.4%. None of these differences exceed 1.5%, so any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Downfall if paired with the same GPU.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 has a more varied competitive landscape. Its average benchmark score of 56,083 places it 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757) and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698). The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X trails by 2.3%, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is 2.2% faster. In practical terms, swapping the RTX 5080 for an RX 9070 GRE would produce slightly higher frame rates in Downfall, while the other alternatives would yield marginally lower performance. All of these GPUs are within a 4.5% band of each other, so the gaming experience would be broadly similar across the group.

For the specific combination, the measured FPS data indicates that even the weakest rival pairing—the 9900X with a Pro W5700X—would still easily exceed 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, given the enormous headroom the RTX 5080 provides.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results demonstrate that the GPU is the dominant component for Downfall, but the CPU still plays a measurable role. The clearest evidence comes from the scaling between resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 422.6 FPS, which drops to 300.3 FPS at 1440p Low and further to 190.8 FPS at 4K Low. This is a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is progressively more loaded as resolution increases.

However, the CPU's influence becomes apparent when examining the preset scaling at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces average FPS from 422.6 to 176.6—a 58% drop. At 1440p, the same preset change goes from 300.3 to 127.6 FPS (a 57% drop), and at 4K, from 190.8 to 79.6 FPS (a 58% drop). This consistent proportional decline across resolutions suggests that the settings themselves—not the resolution—are the primary driver of performance variation.

The Ryzen 9 9900X’s single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1,286) is more than sufficient for a 2016 horror title. The game likely relies on a few CPU threads, and the 9900X’s high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures those threads are never the bottleneck. At 1080p, where the GPU has less work per frame, the CPU must feed frames quickly—the 422.6 FPS result shows it does so without issue. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 190.8 FPS at Low settings, which is still far above the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3,716 tested combinations in the database, this CPU-GPU pairing ranks 175th for Downfall. This places it in the top 4.7% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the hardware’s high-end positioning. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all presets and resolutions, weighted toward the playability threshold of 60 FPS.

The high rank is driven primarily by the GPU’s raw throughput. The RTX 5080’s 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 960.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are far beyond what a 2016 horror game requires. The CPU’s 12 cores and 24 threads contribute to the top-tier rank by ensuring no frame pacing issues at high refresh rates. Combos ranked above this one would likely include even newer GPUs or more powerful multi-GPU setups, but for practical purposes, this system sits near the apex of the database.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Downfall at maximum quality. The verdict data is unambiguous: every resolution and preset combination tested achieves an average FPS above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

• 3840x2160 (4K): All four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable. The best settings are Ultra with an average of 79.6 FPS.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): All settings are playable. The best settings are Ultra with an average of 127.6 FPS.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): All settings are playable. The best settings are Ultra with an average of 176.6 FPS.

The system has substantial headroom at every resolution. Even at 4K Ultra, the 79.6 FPS average is 32.7% above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a comfortable margin for any potential frame drops in busier scenes. At 1080p, the 176.6 FPS average is nearly triple the threshold, making this an excellent pairing for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact average FPS recorded for each resolution and settings combination. No minimum or maximum values were captured in the dataset, so only averages are reported.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 190.8 FPS
• Medium: 155 FPS
• High: 124 FPS
• Ultra: 79.6 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 300.3 FPS
• Medium: 244.6 FPS
• High: 203.6 FPS
• Ultra: 127.6 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 422.6 FPS
• Medium: 348.3 FPS
• High: 285 FPS
• Ultra: 176.6 FPS

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step from Low to Medium to High to Ultra reduces FPS by approximately 20-25% at a given resolution. The jump from High to Ultra is the largest, with a 36% drop at 4K (124 to 79.6 FPS), a 37% drop at 1440p (203.6 to 127.6 FPS), and a 38% drop at 1080p (285 to 176.6 FPS). This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces significantly more demanding effects than High.

Best Settings per Resolution

The optimal configuration for each resolution is the highest preset that maintains at least 60 FPS. Given that all presets exceed this threshold, the best settings are the maximum quality options.

• 3840x2160: Ultra at 79.6 FPS average. This is the only resolution where Ultra dips below 100 FPS, but it remains comfortably playable.
• 2560x1440: Ultra at 127.6 FPS average. This provides a high-refresh-rate experience (above 120 FPS) while retaining full visual quality.
• 1920x1080: Ultra at 176.6 FPS average. This is ideal for 144Hz or 165Hz displays, leaving ample headroom for maximum frame rates.

For players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1080p offers 422.6 FPS, which is beyond the refresh rate of virtually all consumer monitors. However, the Ultra preset at 1080p still delivers more frames than most displays can show, making it the recommended choice for all resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 79.6, which is 32.7% above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest FPS this combo can achieve?

A: The highest recorded average is 422.6 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At 1440p Low, it drops to 300.3 FPS, and at 4K Low, it is 190.8 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its closest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 5080’s average benchmark score is 56,083, which is 2.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (57,367) and 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757). In Downfall, the RX 9070 GRE would likely produce slightly higher FPS, but all rivals are within a 4.5% performance band.

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

A: The GPU is the primary driver of performance. Evidence shows that reducing resolution from 1080p to 4K at Low settings drops FPS from 422.6 to 190.8 (a 55% reduction), while the CPU’s single-thread score of 1,286 is more than adequate for a 2016 horror title.

Q: What rank does this combo hold among all tested systems?

A: It ranks 175th out of 3,716 tested combinations, placing it in the top 4.7% of all systems in the database for Downfall performance.

Q: Are there any settings that fail to reach 60 FPS?

A: No. Every tested combination—across all three resolutions and four presets—exceeds 60 FPS. The lowest recorded average is 79.6 FPS at 4K Ultra.