Downfall

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, placing it in the upper tier of mainstream desktop CPUs. The processor carries a 65 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory through a dual-channel interface with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9600X posts a single-thread score of 1253 in 3DMark and 3603 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Multi-threaded results show 7585 in 3DMark with 16 threads and 25525 in Cinebench R23 multicore. The processor's average benchmark score of 28246 places it at the 85th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13490F with an average score of 28173 (0.3% higher) and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS at 28369 (0.4% higher). The Ryzen 5 9600X sits essentially at parity with these parts, with deltas under one percent in either direction.

For a horror title like Downfall, the CPU's role in the measured results is significant at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 288.8 FPS, a figure that far exceeds the demands of most displays. The 6-core configuration with high boost clocks provides ample headroom for the game's logic and physics threads. The 32 MB L3 cache helps maintain consistent frame pacing when the game streams assets. Single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 4570 PassMark single-thread score, ensures that the game's primary simulation thread does not bottleneck the GPU. The 12 threads allow background tasks to run without stealing cycles from the game's main threads, though Downfall's age suggests it likely uses fewer than four cores effectively.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 21 chip manufactured on a 7 nm process. It carries 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. Its 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 raster operation pipelines provide substantial raw throughput. The card also includes 72 ray accelerators, though a 2016 horror game is unlikely to use ray tracing features.

The GPU's compute capabilities are notable: 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 288.0 GPixel/s. Its 16 GB VRAM capacity is far more than Downfall requires at any resolution, meaning memory capacity is not a limiting factor in any measured scenario. The 512.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution framebuffers are handled without stutter. In benchmark tests, the RX 6800 XT achieves a PassMark G3D score of 24980 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3689. Its average benchmark score of 49982 places it at the 87th percentile among all GPUs.

The nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A550M with an average score of 49737 (0.5% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER at 48704 (2.6% higher). The RX 6800 XT outperforms the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER by that margin in aggregate benchmarks. For Downfall specifically, the GPU is the dominant factor at higher resolutions. The 16 GB memory buffer and high bandwidth allow Ultra settings at 4K to run at 52.8 FPS, a respectable figure for a demanding preset. The GPU's 128 ROPs handle fill-rate-heavy effects efficiently, which matters for a horror game with dark scenes and particle effects.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Examining the measured FPS across resolutions reveals the balance between CPU and GPU load. At Low settings, the system delivers 288.8 FPS at 1080p, 205.7 FPS at 1440p, and 131.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28.8%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 35.9%. This pattern indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU becomes progressively more limiting as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the frame rate is so high that the CPU likely caps performance; 288.8 FPS approaches the practical limit for many game engines.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 234.9 FPS at 1080p, 167.6 FPS at 1440p, and 107.2 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 28.7% and 36.0%, respectively. High settings show 194.7 FPS at 1080p, 139.6 FPS at 1440p, and 88 FPS at 4K, with drops of 28.3% and 37.0%. Ultra settings produce the steepest relative drops: 119.1 FPS at 1080p, 89.7 FPS at 1440p, and 52.8 FPS at 4K, representing drops of 24.7% and 41.1%.

The consistent pattern across settings suggests the RX 6800 XT is the primary limiter at 4K, while the Ryzen 5 9600X maintains sufficient headroom at 1080p. The fact that Ultra at 4K drops to 52.8 FPS while Low at 4K reaches 131.8 FPS shows that the GPU's shading and memory bandwidth are heavily taxed by the higher preset. The CPU's 3DMark multi-thread scores do not degrade meaningfully with resolution, so the frame rate scaling is attributable almost entirely to GPU load.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS ranges from 288.8 on Low to 119.1 on Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 234.9 FPS, and High produces 194.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 169.7 FPS, a 58.8% reduction from Low to Ultra. The step from Low to Medium costs 53.9 FPS, from Medium to High costs 40.2 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 75.6 FPS. The largest single-setting drop occurs between High and Ultra, indicating that the Ultra preset introduces disproportionately heavy effects.

At 2560x1440, the figures are 205.7 FPS on Low, 167.6 FPS on Medium, 139.6 FPS on High, and 89.7 FPS on Ultra. The total range is 116 FPS from Low to Ultra. The drops between consecutive settings are 38.1 FPS (Low to Medium), 28.0 FPS (Medium to High), and 49.9 FPS (High to Ultra). Again, the Ultra preset imposes the largest penalty.

At 3840x2160, the results are 131.8 FPS on Low, 107.2 FPS on Medium, 88 FPS on High, and 52.8 FPS on Ultra. The range is 79 FPS from Low to Ultra. The stepwise reductions are 24.6 FPS, 19.2 FPS, and 35.2 FPS. The High-to-Ultra drop of 35.2 FPS represents a 40% performance loss, the steepest relative penalty at any resolution.

The data shows that 1080p Low with 288.8 FPS is the only configuration exceeding 280 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 52.8 FPS is the only measurement below 60 FPS. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most balanced scaling, with 4K Medium achieving 107.2 FPS while 1080p Medium reaches 234.9 FPS. The combo ranks 591st out of 1741 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all system configurations for this game.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 9600X compare to its closest CPU rivals in aggregate performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 28246, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-13490F (28173) and 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 230 (28164). It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS by 0.4% (28369) and the Intel Core i5-14500T by 0.5% (28377).

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 288.8, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 280 FPS.

Q: Does the RX 6800 XT outperform the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in aggregate benchmarks?

A: Yes. The RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 49982, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER scores 48704. The RX 6800 XT leads by 2.6% according to the deltaPct value in the nearestRivals data.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system fall below 60 FPS?

A: The only measured configuration below 60 FPS is 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which produces an average of 52.8 FPS. Every other resolution and settings combination exceeds 60 FPS, with 4K High reaching 88 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 194.7 at 1080p to 139.6 at 1440p and then to 88 at 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 106.7 FPS, representing a 54.8% decrease.

Q: What is the system's overall rank among all tested combinations for Downfall?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ranks 591st out of 1741 tested combos, placing it in the top 34% of all configurations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium achieves 234.9 FPS, which is only 53.9 FPS below Low but 40.2 FPS above High. At 2560x1440, Medium delivers 167.6 FPS, comfortably above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on high-end monitors. Even at 3840x2160, Medium produces 107.2 FPS, which is smooth for a horror game that benefits from consistent frame pacing.

For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, High settings are viable at all resolutions except 4K. At 4K, High yields 88 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra settings should only be used at 1080p, where the system maintains 119.1 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 89.7 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 52.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players prefer.

The data suggests that players with 1440p displays should choose High settings for the best experience, as the 139.6 FPS result exceeds most monitor refresh rates while providing better visual quality than Medium. For 4K displays, Medium is the recommended preset, as 107.2 FPS offers smooth gameplay without the significant penalty imposed by High or Ultra. The Low preset, while achieving the highest frame rates, sacrifices too much visual detail for a genre that relies on atmospheric lighting and shadow effects. The 288.8 FPS result at 1080p Low demonstrates the system's ceiling, but the Medium preset at 234.9 FPS is the practical sweet spot for competitive or high-refresh gameplay.