Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2,589 out of 2,928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. This is a pairing where the GPU's modest benchmark standing and the CPU's mid-range legacy performance combine to deliver a playable, but far from high-end, experience. The data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics component at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising headroom at 1080p where the older CPU can still push respectable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2,589 out of 2,928 is a clear indicator that this is not a performance-oriented build by modern standards. In percentile terms, the Intel Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 3700X is at the 84th percentile among CPUs. This massive gap between CPU and GPU standing immediately signals that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. The data suggests that in Downfall, a horror title that likely relies on atmospheric rendering and lighting effects, the GPU's low shading throughput and limited memory bandwidth will cap overall performance well below what the CPU is capable of supporting.

When considering the GPU's nearest rivals, the picture becomes even clearer. The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463) and 2.7% higher than the GT 710 (1,443). These are entry-level, decade-old graphics solutions, and the Arc B390's performance is statistically indistinguishable from them in synthetic benchmarks. This places the entire combo in a performance tier that is fundamentally unsuited for demanding modern titles at high settings, though Downfall's 2016 release date may make it more forgiving than newer releases.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (0.1% faster), AMD EPYC 4244P (0.1% faster), and Intel Core i5-13450HX (0.2% slower). These comparisons show that the 3700X, despite being from 2019, still holds its own in average benchmark scores, with a 0.5% edge over the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H. This CPU is clearly not the limiting factor in this pairing; its PassMark multithread score of 22,458 and Cinebench R15 multicore score of 2,092 are respectable, positioning it as a competent performer that is simply held back by the GPU attached to it.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz, combined with a 32 MB L3 cache, provide solid foundation for gaming workloads. In Downfall, a game from 2016 that likely doesn't scale perfectly across 16 threads, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes crucial. The Geekbench single-core score of 1,593 and Cinebench R15 single-core score of 204 suggest that this processor can handle the primary game thread without issue, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck.

However, the data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 106 FPS average, which is the highest measured score across all configurations. This indicates that the CPU has enough headroom to push well beyond 100 FPS when the GPU is not heavily loaded. The PassMark single-thread score of 2,656 reinforces this, showing that the 3700X can deliver adequate per-core performance for a title from this era. The CPU's 65 W TDP and 3,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die also suggest efficient operation, though these figures do not directly translate to gaming performance.

The fact that the CPU holds an 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 9th percentile, creates a massive imbalance. In a well-balanced system, these two components would be closer in relative standing. The implication is that the 3700X is overqualified for the Arc B390 in most gaming scenarios, and Downfall's performance is almost entirely dictated by the GPU's capabilities. The CPU's 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR4 support are sufficient for this workload, and the PCIe Gen 4 interface provides ample bandwidth for the GPU, even though the Arc B390 uses system shared memory.

FAQ

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X holding back the Intel Arc B390 in Downfall?*

A: No. The CPU is at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 9th percentile. Benchmark results show the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as evidenced by the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482, which is only 1.3% above the GT 520MX. The CPU's performance is more than adequate for this title.

*Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS in Downfall at 1080p?*

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 106 FPS, and at Medium, it averages 87 FPS. At High settings, it drops to 71 FPS, which is still above 60, but Ultra settings fall to 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482 is 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX (1,463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1,460), and 2.7% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1,446). These are all entry-level GPUs, indicating the Arc B390 is in a very low performance tier.

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

A: The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where the combo can consistently exceed 60 FPS on Medium settings (87 FPS average). At 1440p Medium, it drops to 62 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 39 FPS. For a smooth experience, 1080p is recommended.

Q: Does increasing settings from Low to Ultra have a linear impact on FPS?

A: No. At 1080p, the drop from Low (106 FPS) to Medium (87 FPS) is a 17.9% decrease, while from Medium to High (71 FPS) is an 18.4% decrease, and from High to Ultra (44 FPS) is a 38% decrease. The Ultra setting has a disproportionately large performance hit.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 3700X a better performer than the Intel Core i5-13450HX?

A: The data shows the 3700X has a 0.2% higher average benchmark score than the i5-13450HX (34,260 vs 34,333 deltaPct of -0.2%). However, the 3700X is 0.5% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (34,260 vs 34,083 deltaPct of 0.5%). These are all statistically similar scores.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Downfall with this combo reveals a consistent pattern across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the combo achieves 32 FPS on High settings, 47 FPS on Low, 39 FPS on Medium, and only 20 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting provides min/max readings of 33 to 44 FPS, showing some frame time variance. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is not viable for this pairing, as even Low settings only reach 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and likely to feel choppy in a horror title where smooth motion is important for immersion.

Moving down to 2560x1440, the performance improves significantly. Low settings produce 76 FPS average, Medium delivers 62 FPS with min/max of 53 to 71, and High reaches 51 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 32 FPS, which is the same as 4K High. This suggests that 1440p is borderline playable, but only at Low or Medium settings. The jump from Low to Medium is a 22.4% drop in FPS (from 76 to 62), while the jump from Medium to High is a 17.7% drop (from 62 to 51), and High to Ultra is a 37.3% drop (from 51 to 32).

At 1920x1080, the combo finally shows its potential. Low settings achieve 106 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. Medium settings deliver 87 FPS with min/max of 74 to 100, providing a good balance of visual quality and performance. High settings reach 71 FPS, which is still above 60, but Ultra settings fall to 44 FPS. The progression from Low to Medium (17.9% drop), Medium to High (18.4% drop), and High to Ultra (38% drop) shows a clear pattern where Ultra settings are disproportionately expensive in terms of performance.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about the limiting component. At Low settings, FPS drops from 106 at 1080p to 76 at 1440p (a 28.3% decrease) and then to 47 at 4K (a 38.2% decrease from 1440p). At Medium settings, the drop is from 87 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p (28.7% decrease) and then to 39 at 4K (37.1% decrease). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing pixel count directly taxes the graphics processor's fill rate and memory bandwidth.

The Arc B390's specifications explain this behavior. With only 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, the GPU has a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. These are very low figures for modern standards, and the system shared memory architecture means the GPU is dependent on system RAM bandwidth, which is system dependent. The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is also modest, and at 4K Ultra, the combo only manages 20 FPS, indicating that the GPU is completely overwhelmed by the resolution and settings combination.

The fact that the CPU is not the bottleneck is evident from the scaling pattern. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect FPS to remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, we see a steep decline, with 4K Ultra (20 FPS) being 81.1% slower than 1080p Low (106 FPS). This is a textbook GPU-limited scenario, where the Arc B390's 9th percentile ranking among GPUs is the primary factor determining performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the recommended settings for Downfall with this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, Medium settings offer the best balance, providing 87 FPS average with a min of 74 FPS. This ensures that the frame rate rarely dips below 60 FPS, which is important for a horror game where sudden frame drops can break immersion. The jump to High settings reduces the average to 71 FPS, which is still acceptable, but the min FPS is not recorded, making it riskier. Ultra settings at 44 FPS are not recommended, as they fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1440p, the situation is more constrained. Low settings at 76 FPS are the only option that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium settings at 62 FPS are playable but close to the edge, with a min of 53 FPS that may cause noticeable stutters. High settings at 51 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K, none of the settings are truly playable, with Low at 47 FPS being the highest achievable, but even this is below 60 FPS and may not provide a consistent experience.

The data suggests that for the best experience, players should prioritize 1080p with Medium settings. This configuration yields 87 FPS average, which is 46.6% higher than the 1440p Medium average of 62 FPS and 123.1% higher than the 4K Medium average of 39 FPS. The min FPS of 74 at 1080p Medium is also higher than the average FPS at 1440p Medium (62 FPS), indicating that this is the most stable configuration available for this combo.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the definitive bottleneck in this pairing. With a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482, it ranks at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, placing it in the lowest performance tier. Its nearest rivals are the GT 520MX (1,463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1,460, 1.5% slower), GT 625 OEM (1,446, 2.5% slower), and GT 710 (1,443, 2.7% slower). These are all entry-level GPUs from years past, and the Arc B390 is statistically indistinguishable from them in performance.

The GPU's architecture, Xe3-LPG on Intel's 3 nm process, features 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The boost clock of 2,500 MHz and base clock of 300 MHz provide a wide operating range, but the memory configuration is the key limitation. The Arc B390 uses system shared memory, which means its bandwidth is system dependent. This is a significant disadvantage in a game like Downfall that likely requires frequent texture and geometry data access, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for system memory bandwidth.

The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS and the 12 RT cores are present, but the pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are the figures that matter for rasterization. At 4K Ultra, the combo only achieves 20 FPS, which is a 81.1% drop from 1080p Low. This indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are simply insufficient for high-resolution rendering. The GPU's 80 W TDP suggests it is designed for low-power integrated use, which is confirmed by its IGP form factor and lack of power connectors. In Downfall, the Arc B390's limitations are exposed at every resolution above 1080p, and its 9th percentile ranking is the single most important factor in determining the overall combo's performance.