Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a fascinating dataset in Downfall, a horror title that clearly responds to both CPU and GPU muscle depending on the resolution and preset. The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal a system that can dominate at 1080p but struggles to maintain playable rates at 4K Ultra, placing the combo in the 2061st position out of 2928 tested configurations. This analysis breaks down the specific performance characteristics, scaling behaviors, and component responsibilities based strictly on the measured data.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and highly dependent on the graphics preset, indicating a shift in the system's bottleneck. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 191 FPS at 1920x1080 to 136 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 85 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 55.5% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial hit but still leaves the game playable at the highest resolution on the lowest preset.

The scaling becomes more punishing as the preset quality increases. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 156 at 1080p to 112 at 1440p, then to 69 at 4K. This is a 55.8% decrease from 1080p to 4K, showing that the added pixel count is the primary driver of the performance loss. However, the most aggressive scaling appears at High settings, where the average FPS plummets from 128 at 1080p to 92 at 1440p, and then to 57 at 4K – a 55.5% overall drop. The Ultra preset tells a similar story with a steep decline from 80 FPS at 1080p to 57 FPS at 1440p and a mere 36 FPS at 4K, which is a 55% reduction.

The pattern suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component at higher resolutions, particularly at 4K. The consistent ~55% performance drop across all presets when moving from 1080p to 4K indicates that the GPU's rendering pipeline is saturated by the pixel workload, regardless of the visual complexity. At 1080p, the high frame rates (191 FPS on Low) suggest the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently, but as resolution increases, the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and its 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the primary constraint, causing the frame rate to scale almost linearly with the pixel count increase.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, based on the TU106 chip and Turing architecture, plays a critical role in Downfall's performance, especially at higher resolutions. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but appears to be a limiting factor at 4K. The card's clock speeds are 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost, which are modest by modern standards but sufficient for a 2019-era mid-range card.

The GPU's benchmarks place it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its closest rivals in terms of average score include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, deltaPct -0.4%), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, deltaPct -0.5%), AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, deltaPct -1.5%), and Intel Arc A770M (18383, deltaPct -1.6%). This indicates the RTX 2060 SUPER sits in a competitive mid-range tier, slightly behind some modern mobile and desktop parts.

In Downfall, the GPU's role becomes evident when examining the 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS. This is a playable threshold for a horror game, but barely, and it highlights the card's limitations with heavy pixel workloads. The 4K Medium result of 69 FPS (with a min of 59 and max of 80) shows the card can handle moderate settings at 4K, but the transition to High (57 FPS) and Ultra (36 FPS) demonstrates that the GPU's shading units (2176) and ROPs (64) are overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and complex effects. The data implies that the RTX 2060 SUPER is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in this title, where it can deliver high refresh rates on most presets.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Downfall?*

A: The data shows 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates across all presets, with an average of 191 FPS on Low and 80 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 136 (Low) to 57 (Ultra), making it a viable option for High settings (92 FPS). 3840x2160 is playable only on Low (85 FPS) or Medium (69 FPS), with High dropping to 57 FPS and Ultra to 36 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, which is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159), 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189), 1.5% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373), and 1.6% lower than the Intel Arc A770M (18383). These are all very close scores, indicating similar overall compute performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: The measured FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 36 FPS, which is a 55% drop from the 1080p Ultra result of 80 FPS. This significant reduction suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, as the pixel workload at 4K overwhelms the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB memory and 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 compute, while the Ryzen 5 7500X3D's high single-thread score (3494) is likely capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 136 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 57 FPS. This is a 58.1% reduction in average frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra, showing the substantial cost of enabling high-quality effects at this resolution.

Q: Does the combo rank well among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2061st out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the 29.6th percentile. This indicates it outperforms roughly 70% of all tested configurations, but there is still a significant number of higher-performing combos, likely with more powerful GPUs.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The dataset only includes minimum FPS values for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 133 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 95 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 59 FPS. No minimum FPS values are provided for Low, High, or Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER holds the 2061st rank out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the upper-mid range of all configurations, suggesting it delivers a solid gaming experience but is outclassed by a significant number of setups. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-tier position (62nd percentile) and the CPU's strong performance (89th percentile), with the overall combination being limited by the graphics card's ability to handle high resolutions.

The ranking implies that while the CPU is a top-tier performer (with an average benchmark score of 44573 and a 0.2% delta from the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H), the GPU holds the combo back from achieving a higher position. The RTX 2060 SUPER's average score of 18093 is only 0.4% lower than the RTX 3060 Mobile, but it still lags behind more modern cards. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would significantly improve the combo's rank, as the CPU's 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 6 cores with 12 threads provide a strong foundation for gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Downfall depends on the user's resolution and preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 128 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making it the recommended choice for most users. The Medium preset offers 156 FPS, but the jump to High provides a better visual experience without sacrificing playability. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 80 FPS, which is still playable but introduces a significant performance cost for marginal visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is again the sweet spot, delivering 92 FPS. This is a comfortable frame rate for a horror game, where slower pacing is common, and the visual quality is excellent. The Medium preset at 112 FPS offers a slightly smoother experience, but the High preset's balance of quality and performance is ideal. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is just below the 60 FPS threshold, which may be acceptable for some users but is not recommended for those sensitive to frame rate drops.

For 3840x2160, the options are more limited. The Medium preset provides 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, which is the only preset that maintains a playable frame rate at this resolution. The Low preset at 85 FPS is smoother but sacrifices visual quality, while High (57 FPS) and Ultra (36 FPS) are not recommended due to the risk of stuttering. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the best compromise between quality and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Downfall with this combo is as follows, organized by resolution and settings:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 191 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 156 FPS, with a minimum of 133 FPS and a maximum of 180 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 128 FPS. The Ultra preset yields an average of 80 FPS. No minimum or maximum values are provided for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 136 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 92 FPS. The Ultra preset yields an average of 57 FPS. Again, only the Medium preset has min/max data.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 85 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 57 FPS. The Ultra preset yields an average of 36 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with min/max values at this resolution.

These numbers show a consistent pattern: the Medium preset always includes min/max data, suggesting it is the most variable in terms of frame pacing. The Low preset always provides the highest average FPS, while Ultra always provides the lowest. The data also shows that the performance gap between Low and Ultra narrows as resolution increases, from a 111 FPS difference at 1080p to a 49 FPS difference at 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D plays a significant role in Downfall's performance, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. This 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series is based on the Raphael codename and Zen 4 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor's 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a standout feature, likely providing a significant advantage in gaming scenarios.

The CPU's benchmarks show a strong single-thread score of 3494 and a multithread score of 25047, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (44466, deltaPct 0.2%), Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342, deltaPct 0.5%), and AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44309, deltaPct 0.6%), all of which are within 0.6% of the 7500X3D's 44573 average score.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where the average FPS reaches 191 on Low settings. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, as it can feed the RTX 2060 SUPER with enough data to achieve near-maximum output. The CPU's high single-thread performance is crucial for a horror game, which likely involves complex AI and physics calculations. However, as the resolution increases to 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's advantage is less apparent. The data implies that the Ryzen 5 7500X3D provides a robust foundation for this combo, ensuring that the GPU is the primary constraint on performance.