Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT delivers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience in Downfall, but the data shows a steep price to pay at 4K Ultra settings. The measured FPS numbers reveal a combo that is clearly capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions, yet struggles to maintain playable framerates when both resolution and image quality are maxed out. This analysis breaks down exactly where the bottleneck lies and which settings provide the best return on performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic, particularly at higher settings. At Low settings, the average framerate falls from 229.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 164.9 FPS at 2560x1440, then down to 104.3 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 54.6% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K Low. The trend intensifies with more demanding presets. At High settings, the drop is from 152.7 FPS at 1080p to 111.5 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 67.1 FPS at 4K—a 56.1% loss from the starting point.

The scaling pattern points directly at the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the 229.2 FPS figure suggests the CPU is keeping pace, but as resolution increases, the rasterization load on the RX 6700 XT grows exponentially. The Ultra preset tells the clearest story: 99.1 FPS at 1080p, 69.1 FPS at 1440p, and a mere 43 FPS at 4K. That 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this combo is not suited for maximum fidelity at 4K. The consistent pattern across all settings—where 1440p retains roughly 70-72% of 1080p performance, and 4K retains roughly 43-45%—confirms a GPU-bound scenario rather than a CPU limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

In Downfall, this specific combination ranks 932nd out of 1741 tested combos. That places it in the lower-middle portion of the overall distribution, which is a useful reality check against the strong individual component scores. The CPU alone sits in the 78th percentile versus all processors, and the GPU in the 77th percentile versus all graphics cards. Yet when paired together in this game, the combo's relative standing drops, suggesting that Downfall is particularly demanding on the graphics subsystem.

The ranking implies that many other pairings—likely those with higher-end GPUs—achieve better results. However, the measured FPS numbers show that this combo still delivers excellent 1080p performance and very good 1440p performance. The rank of 932 out of 1741 means roughly 46.5% of tested combos perform worse. For a mid-range pairing, that is a respectable position. The data does not suggest this is a weak combination; rather, it indicates that Downfall rewards GPU-heavy builds more than CPU-heavy ones.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 22 chip, fabricated on a 7 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), while the GPU base clock is 2321 MHz, the game clock is 2424 MHz, and the boost clock reaches 2581 MHz. With 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, the card delivers 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s.

These specifications directly explain the measured results. The 12 GB VRAM buffer is ample for Downfall at all tested resolutions, so memory capacity is not the constraint. Instead, the compute throughput and memory bandwidth determine the framerate. The 384.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, where the card achieves 152.7 FPS and 111.5 FPS at High settings respectively. At 4K, the same bandwidth must feed 8.3 million pixels, and the data shows the card cannot sustain high framerates there—67.1 FPS at High and 43 FPS at Ultra. The 40 RT cores are present but do not appear to be a factor in this game's results, as the workload seems rasterization-focused.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RX 6700 XT delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce 229.2 FPS, Medium 190.9 FPS, High 152.7 FPS, and Ultra 99.1 FPS. Every preset clears the 90 FPS mark, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The gap between Low and Ultra is 130.1 FPS, showing that the card has ample headroom to trade for visual fidelity without dropping below playable thresholds.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers remain strong. Low hits 164.9 FPS, Medium 131.6 FPS, High 111.5 FPS, and Ultra 69.1 FPS. The Ultra preset dips below 70 FPS but stays above 60, which is acceptable for most players. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 28-30% performance hit across all settings, consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low settings still manage 104.3 FPS, which is playable, and Medium holds at 83.2 FPS. High drops to 67.1 FPS, which is borderline but workable. Ultra, however, falls to 43 FPS—a result that is not smooth for a horror title where responsiveness matters. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS, and it is 56.1% slower than the same preset at 1440p.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 (Vermeer) architecture, running on the AM4 socket. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, and it features 32 MB of L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores are solid: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18578 and a single-core score of 2622, with a Geekbench multicore of 8673 and single-core of 2111.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is secondary but not irrelevant. The 1080p Low result of 229.2 FPS demonstrates that the 5600X can feed the GPU fast enough at lower resolutions. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5582 and max-thread score of 5588 indicate balanced multi-threading capability, which is more than sufficient for a horror game that does not appear to be heavily threaded. The single-thread performance, evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 917 and PassMark single-thread of 3364, ensures that the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios. The data shows that this CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution tested; the GPU is. The 65W TDP and 7 nm process also mean the 5600X runs cool and efficient, leaving thermal headroom for the GPU to operate without CPU-induced throttling.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data supports a clear hierarchy for the best experience. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 99.1 FPS is the obvious choice—it provides the highest visual quality while still clearing 90 FPS. There is no reason to drop below Ultra at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset remains well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts to High settings. The High preset delivers 111.5 FPS, which is smoother than the Ultra result of 69.1 FPS. The 42.4 FPS difference between these two presets is substantial, and for a horror game where frame pacing matters, the higher framerate of High is preferable. Medium at 131.6 FPS is an option for competitive play, but High offers the best balance of visual quality and speed.

At 3840x2160, the data points to Medium settings as the sweet spot. Medium achieves 83.2 FPS, which is playable and visually acceptable. High drops to 67.1 FPS, still technically playable but close to the edge. Ultra at 43 FPS is not recommended for any serious session. If 4K is the target, Medium provides the best measured performance-to-quality ratio, with Low at 104.3 FPS available for those who prioritize smoothness above all else. For most players, the 1440p High configuration at 111.5 FPS represents the overall best experience this combo can deliver in Downfall—high enough framerates for immersion, with visual settings that take advantage of the GPU's capabilities without overreaching.