Downfall

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data for Downfall with the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination shows a wide performance envelope across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional headroom: Low settings produce an average of 270 FPS, Medium averages 221 FPS with a minimum of 188 FPS and maximum of 254 FPS, High averages 181 FPS, and Ultra still holds an average of 113 FPS. This is the only resolution where every preset clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a substantial margin.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but the gap between presets widens. Low settings average 193 FPS, Medium drops to 158 FPS with a 134-181 FPS range, High averages 129 FPS, and Ultra settles at 81 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent: roughly 28-30% fewer frames across most presets, which is typical for a GPU-bound horror title with heavy lighting effects.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070 Ti starts to show its limits. Low settings still average 120 FPS, Medium averages 98 FPS with an 83-113 FPS range, and High averages 80 FPS. Ultra, however, falls to an average of 50 FPS — below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to maintain playable frame rates, indicating that the GPU's 8 GB memory buffer and 608.3 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for most settings but not the absolute maximum at this resolution.

The min/max data available only for Medium settings at each resolution shows consistent frame pacing: at 1080p the range is 188-254 FPS, at 1440p it is 134-181 FPS, and at 4K it is 83-113 FPS. These ranges suggest no severe stuttering or frame-time spikes, even when the GPU is under heavier load.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i3-12100F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti in Downfall is clearly resolution-dependent. At 1920x1080, the CPU's four cores and eight threads are the primary constraint in the highest presets. The 12100F's single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark and its PassMark single-thread score of 3444 indicate strong per-core performance, but the jump from Medium to Ultra at 1080p — from 221 FPS to 113 FPS — shows that the GPU is still doing significant work. The fact that Low settings reach 270 FPS suggests the CPU can feed frames well beyond what most displays can show, but the rendering load at Ultra brings the GPU into play.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The scaling from 1080p Ultra (113 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (81 FPS) represents a 28% reduction, which is almost entirely attributable to the increased pixel count. The RTX 3070 Ti's 21.75 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 169.9 GPixel/s pixel rate are being exercised more heavily here. The CPU's 3dmark 4-thread score of 2859 and 8-thread score of 4026 suggest it has enough headroom to keep the GPU fed at this resolution, as evidenced by the 193 FPS result on Low settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings — from 129 FPS to 80 FPS — is a 38% reduction, larger than the 33% increase in pixel count would suggest. This indicates the GPU's memory bandwidth (608.3 GB/s) and texture rate (339.8 GTexel/s) are being saturated. The CPU's role diminishes further; even at 4K Low (120 FPS), the 12100F is likely not the limiting factor, as its multi-threaded PassMark score of 14015 places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs.

The preset scaling within each resolution reinforces this analysis. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 157 FPS (270 to 113), a 58% reduction. At 1440p, the same preset swing produces a 112 FPS difference (193 to 81), a 58% reduction as well. At 4K, the swing is 70 FPS (120 to 50), a 42% reduction — smaller in absolute terms because the GPU is already struggling at lower presets. This pattern shows that the RTX 3070 Ti's performance ceiling is reached at 4K Ultra, while the CPU has ample headroom even at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i3-12100F and RTX 3070 Ti run Downfall at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440. Ultra settings average 113 FPS at 1080p and 81 FPS at 1440p. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages only 50 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming with this hardware?

A: High settings at 3840x2160 is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 80 FPS. Medium averages 98 FPS and Low averages 120 FPS, but High offers the best visual quality while maintaining playable frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in raw GPU performance?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti's average benchmark score is 29945, placing it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, scores 29928 (0.1% slower), while the AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095 (0.5% faster). The RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783 (0.5% slower), and the RX 6700 scores 30433 (1.6% faster).

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this game at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the i3-12100F is not a significant bottleneck at any measured resolution. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 270 FPS, indicating the CPU can handle very high frame rates. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 50 FPS.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at Medium settings across all resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium averages 221 FPS with a 188-254 FPS range. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 158 FPS with a 134-181 FPS range. At 3840x2160, Medium averages 98 FPS with an 83-113 FPS range. All of these are comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the i3-12100F's CPU performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, scores 13492 (0% difference), while the Core i5-9500 scores 13452 (0.3% slower). The Core 5 120UL scores 13594 (0.7% faster), and the Core i7-1250U scores 13351 (1.1% slower).

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that this PC can run Downfall at playable frame rates across nearly all configurations. At 1920x1080, every preset — Low (270 FPS), Medium (221 FPS), High (181 FPS), and Ultra (113 FPS) — exceeds the 60 FPS threshold with massive headroom. At 2560x1440, the same is true: Low (193 FPS), Medium (158 FPS), High (129 FPS), and Ultra (81 FPS) all clear 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more nuanced. The verdict data lists High, Low, and Medium as playable settings, with High being the best playable preset at an average of 80 FPS. Low averages 120 FPS and Medium averages 98 FPS, but Ultra falls to 50 FPS — below the playable threshold. The system's overall rank in this game is 1328 out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all hardware configurations.

For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, 2560x1440 Ultra at 81 FPS is the sweet spot. This resolution takes advantage of the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB GDDR6X memory and 256-bit bus width without pushing the GPU past its limits. At 4K, High settings at 80 FPS provide a playable experience, but users seeking maximum visual quality would need to accept the 50 FPS average at Ultra.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the nearest CPU rivals in benchmark performance are the Intel Core 3 N355 (average score 13492, 0% difference), Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% slower), Intel Core 5 120UL (13594, 0.7% faster), and Intel Core i7-1250U (13351, 1.1% slower). Any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Downfall when paired with the RTX 3070 Ti, as the game's CPU demands are modest relative to the GPU load.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, the nearest GPU rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (average score 29928, 0.1% slower), AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30095, 0.5% faster), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (29783, 0.5% slower), and AMD Radeon RX 6700 (30433, 1.6% faster). In practical terms, all of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Downfall at the same settings and resolutions. The RTX 2080 Ti, despite being from an older generation, would be a particularly close match — its performance delta of 0.5% is well within run-to-run variance.

The AMD Radeon RX 6800, with a 0.5% performance advantage over the RTX 3070 Ti, would likely deliver marginally higher frame rates at 4K Ultra, potentially pushing the average from 50 FPS to around 50-51 FPS — still below the 60 FPS threshold. The RX 6700's 1.6% advantage would similarly have minimal practical impact on playability. None of these alternatives would change the fundamental verdict: 4K Ultra remains unplayable, while 1440p Ultra and 1080p Ultra are comfortably playable.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 113 FPS. This provides the maximum visual quality with more than double the playable threshold, making it the clear recommendation for 1080p displays.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best choice, averaging 81 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold by a healthy margin, though not as overwhelming as at 1080p. The 81 FPS average leaves room for demanding scenes without dropping below playability.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is High, averaging 80 FPS. While Medium averages 98 FPS and Low averages 120 FPS, High offers the best visual quality that still clears the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at 4K averages 50 FPS and should be avoided for smooth gameplay. Users with 4K displays who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity could choose Medium for a 98 FPS average, but High represents the optimal balance.