Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a performance profile in Downfall that is heavily skewed toward high refresh rates, but this combination shows its limits when pushed to maximum visual fidelity. This is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, running at a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It shares a 32 MB L3 cache across all cores, with individual cores having 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 cache. The CPU’s benchmark data shows robust single-thread capability, scoring 1253 in 3dMark single-thread and 3603 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25525 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 15182. In the context of Downfall, a horror game that typically relies on consistent frame pacing, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance is crucial; the data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 315 FPS, which indicates the CPU is capable of feeding frames well beyond typical display refresh rates. The processor holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, placing it slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-13490F and AMD Ryzen 5 230 (both by 0.3%), but marginally behind the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and Intel Core i5-14500T (by 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively). For this game, the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads provide ample headroom, as the frame rates at lower settings suggest the game is not bottlenecked by processing power in most scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the primary driver of visual quality in this configuration, and its specifications explain the performance scaling observed across settings. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, alongside 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2475 MHz, with a base clock of 1920 MHz. The memory clock operates at 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective. The GPU’s compute throughput is listed at 29.15 TFLOPS for FP32 and FP16. In Downfall, the GPU’s role becomes evident when comparing the FPS drops from Low to Ultra settings. At 1080p, the average FPS falls from 315 on Low to 131.1 on Ultra, and at 4K, it drops from 141 on Low to 60.3 on Ultra. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component at higher settings and resolutions, as the CPU has already demonstrated its ability to produce very high frame rates at lower graphical loads. The GPU’s performance percentile is 81st among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals show interesting dynamics: it is 0.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, 1.9% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A, and 2.2% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, but it is 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5300M. This context suggests the RTX 4070 is a mid-to-high-tier performer, capable of handling Downfall at high settings but struggling to maintain playable rates at Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the dominant bottleneck. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 209.2 to 152.6, a decrease of 56.6 FPS. From 1440p to 4K at High settings, the FPS falls further from 152.6 to 94.8, a drop of 57.8 FPS. This consistent reduction suggests that the RTX 4070’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are being increasingly taxed at higher pixel counts. The scaling at Low settings is more dramatic: 1080p yields 315 FPS, 1440p yields 223.7 FPS, and 4K yields 141 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is approximately 55%, indicating that even at minimal graphical loads, the GPU’s output is significantly constrained by resolution. Conversely, the CPU’s role in this scaling is minimal, as the frame rates at 1080p Low (315 FPS) are far beyond what the GPU can sustain at 4K Low (141 FPS). The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo averages only 60.3 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability for a smooth experience. This resolution scaling analysis confirms that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component when targeting 4K or high settings, while the Ryzen 5 9600X provides sufficient headroom for lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 399th out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the top 23% of all configurations. This ranking is a direct result of the GPU’s performance ceiling, as the CPU’s strong single-thread scores (e.g., 3603 in Cinebench R23 single-core) would suggest a higher ranking if the game were more CPU-bound. The combo’s position in the 399th spot indicates that there are many configurations with more powerful GPUs that can achieve higher frame rates at Ultra settings, but the data shows that this pairing is well above the median performer. The CPU’s percentile of 85 and the GPU’s percentile of 81 suggest a balanced pairing, though the GPU is slightly weaker relative to its peers than the CPU is. In practice, this means the combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, where it delivers average FPS above 150 at High settings, but it falls short of the top-tier combos that can maintain 4K Ultra at 100+ FPS. The ranking also reflects the game’s optimization; Downfall appears to favor GPUs with high memory bandwidth, as evidenced by the RTX 4070’s 504.2 GB/s bandwidth being sufficient for most settings but not for 4K Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset offers the best balance, delivering 209.2 FPS, which is ample for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The Ultra preset at 1080p still provides 131.1 FPS, so it is also viable for players who prioritize visual fidelity. For 1440p, the High preset is the clear recommendation, achieving 152.6 FPS, which is smooth and visually appealing. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 181.2 FPS, which is higher but sacrifices some visual quality; however, the data shows that the jump from Medium to High only costs 28.6 FPS, making High the better choice. At 4K, the situation changes dramatically. The High preset averages 94.8 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. The Medium preset offers 116.1 FPS, providing a better balance for 4K. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 60.3 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, so it is only recommended for players who prioritize graphics over frame rate. The Low preset at 4K (141 FPS) is unnecessary unless the player is seeking maximum frame rates for a specific reason. Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is to use High settings at 1080p or 1440p, and Medium settings at 4K to maintain a high frame rate without excessive visual compromise.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 315 on Low to 131.1 on Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 254.3 FPS, and High delivers 209.2 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 183.9 FPS, indicating significant GPU headroom at this resolution. At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 223.7 on Low to 95.4 on Ultra. Medium delivers 181.2 FPS, and High delivers 152.6 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 128.3 FPS, showing the GPU is being more heavily utilized. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 141 on Low to 60.3 on Ultra. Medium delivers 116.1 FPS, and High delivers 94.8 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 80.7 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution. The data shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p, the CPU can push frame rates high enough that even Ultra settings are above 130 FPS, while at 4K, the GPU’s output is capped by its memory bandwidth and compute limits, resulting in a maximum of 141 FPS on Low and just 60.3 FPS on Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 131.1.

*Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in Downfall?*

A: This combo ranks 399th out of 1741 tested combos.

Q: Which settings provide the highest frame rate at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset provides the highest average FPS of 141.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 152.6, which is lower than the 1080p High result of 209.2, indicating the GPU is becoming the limiting component as resolution increases.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS difference between Low (223.7) and Ultra (95.4) is 128.3 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU’s single-thread performance support high frame rates in this game?

A: The CPU’s single-thread score of 3603 in Cinebench R23 and 1253 in 3dMark single-thread, combined with the 315 FPS result at 1080p Low, indicates the CPU has ample single-thread capability to avoid bottlenecking at lower settings.