Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 7 7700 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

This pairing combines an 8-core/16-thread AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (Zen 4, 5 nm, boost up to 5.30 GHz) with an 8 GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER (Turing, 12 nm, 2176 shading units). Benchmark results for this horror title show a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet capable of strong frame rates at 1080p. The measured data indicates a playable experience across most settings, with the RTX 2060 SUPER acting as the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, average FPS falls from 191 at 1920x1080 to 136 at 2560x1440 (a 29% reduction), then to 85 at 3840x2160 (another 37% reduction from 1440p). This scaling pattern — roughly halving frame rate from 1080p to 4K — points squarely at the graphics card as the limiting component.

At High settings, the trend is similar but with lower absolute numbers: 128 FPS at 1080p, 92 at 1440p, and 57 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 38%. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are being saturated as pixel count rises.

Ultra settings show the most severe scaling. The system delivers 80 FPS at 1080p, 57 at 1440p, and just 36 at 4K. That 4K Ultra result is the weakest measured point in the entire dataset, indicating that this combination cannot maintain smooth gameplay at maximum quality in 4K. The gap between 1080p Ultra (80 FPS) and 4K Ultra (36 FPS) represents a 55% drop, which is more than the resolution's 4x pixel increase would suggest if the CPU were the constraint — confirming GPU limitation.

Medium settings provide the only rows with min/max FPS data. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 156 FPS with a minimum of 133 and maximum of 180. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 112 FPS (min 95, max 128). At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 69 FPS (min 59, max 80). The minimum FPS values at 4K Medium (59) are still above 60, suggesting the game remains fluid even in demanding scenes.

The pattern across all settings shows that 1080p is where this combo shines, 1440p is very playable, and 4K requires settings compromises. The Ryzen 7 7700's high single-thread performance — evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1049 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1930 — is more than sufficient to feed the RTX 2060 SUPER at lower resolutions, but at 4K the GPU's limits become the dominant factor.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 brings 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and it carries 32 MB of shared L3 cache plus 1 MB L2 per core. These specifications translate into strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, as shown by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930.

For Downfall, a horror game from 2016, the CPU requirements are modest compared to modern titles. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 8484 and max-thread score of 8479 indicate that the CPU has ample headroom for game logic and physics. Even the 2-thread score of 2043 and 4-thread score of 3931 suggest that the game's likely single or dual-thread dependent rendering calls are handled with ease.

The comparison of FPS at 1080p Low (191 FPS) versus 4K Low (85 FPS) proves that the CPU is not the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect similar frame rates across resolutions, or at least much smaller gaps. Instead, the 2.25x pixel increase from 1080p to 4K produces a 2.25x FPS decrease at Low settings (191 to 85), which is nearly perfectly proportional — a classic sign of GPU saturation.

At Ultra settings, the 1080p result of 80 FPS is notably lower than the Low setting's 191 FPS. This 58% reduction from Low to Ultra at the same resolution is entirely attributable to GPU workload, not CPU. The Ryzen 7 7700's PassMark single-thread score of 4063 and Geekbench single-core score of 2525 show that it ranks in the 87th percentile against all CPUs, meaning it has no trouble keeping up with even the most demanding frame pacing.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and DDR5 memory support (dual-channel, 83.2 GB/s bandwidth) further reinforce that this processor is not a weak link. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score — AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.1% faster), Intel Core 5 221E (0.2% slower), AMD Ryzen 9 270 (0.4% slower), and Intel Core i9-13905H (0.6% slower) — all show that the 7700 sits in a competitive performance tier. For Downfall specifically, the data shows that any FPS variance between settings is driven by the GPU's shading, texture, and memory throughput, not by CPU compute.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Downfall at 4K?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 69 with a minimum of 59, which is playable. At 4K High, the average drops to 57 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 36 FPS. For smooth 4K gameplay, Medium settings are the practical ceiling.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 2560x1440 offers the best balance. At High settings, it delivers 92 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At Medium, it hits 112 FPS with a minimum of 95, providing a comfortable margin for demanding scenes. 1080p is faster (128 FPS High) but leaves performance on the table.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 7700 bottlenecking the RTX 2060 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K closely matches the pixel count increase, which indicates GPU limitation. The CPU's single-thread score of 1049 in 3DMark and 1930 in Cinebench R23 single-core are far above what a 2016 horror title requires.

Q: How does Ultra settings compare to High in terms of FPS cost?

A: Ultra is significantly more demanding. At 1080p, Ultra (80 FPS) is 37% slower than High (128 FPS). At 1440p, Ultra (57 FPS) is 38% slower than High (92 FPS). At 4K, Ultra (36 FPS) is 37% slower than High (57 FPS). The relative cost is consistent across resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured minimum FPS at 2560x1440 Medium is 95, with an average of 112 and a maximum of 128. This indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above 90 FPS, providing a very smooth experience.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Downfall?

A: This combination ranks 2630 out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 62nd percentile ranking among GPUs and the Ryzen 7 7700's 87th percentile among CPUs suggest the GPU is holding the overall rank down.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 191 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the dataset. Medium settings yield 156 FPS average with a minimum of 133 and maximum of 180 — the tightest min/max spread at any resolution, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings drop to 128 FPS average, still very smooth. Ultra settings bring the average down to 80 FPS, which remains playable but shows a significant cost for maximum quality.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the GPU beginning to strain. Low settings average 136 FPS, a 29% drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 112 FPS (min 95, max 128), which is excellent for 1440p gaming. High settings average 92 FPS, still comfortably above 60. Ultra settings average 57 FPS, which dips below the 60 FPS threshold and may be noticeable in fast-paced scenes.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER's limits become apparent. Low settings average 85 FPS, which is playable but a far cry from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 69 FPS (min 59, max 80), placing the minimum just below 60 FPS. High settings average 57 FPS, which is borderline. Ultra settings average 36 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with complete min/max data, and they reveal important information. At 1080p Medium, the 133 FPS minimum ensures no drops below refresh rate for 120 Hz monitors. At 1440p Medium, the 95 FPS minimum keeps things above 90 FPS for most high-refresh displays. At 4K Medium, the 59 FPS minimum is just under 60, meaning occasional stutters on a 60 Hz display but generally fluid.

How This Combo Ranks

Among 3716 tested combinations for Downfall, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2630th. This places it in the 29th percentile of all tested combos, meaning roughly 71% of systems perform better in this game.

The ranking reflects the GPU's position more than the CPU's. The RTX 2060 SUPER sits in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rivals — NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (0.4% faster), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (0.5% faster), AMD Radeon RX 460 (1.5% faster), and Intel Arc A770M (1.6% faster) — are all within a narrow performance band. This suggests the GPU is a mid-pack performer that struggles with the demands of 4K Ultra in Downfall.

The Ryzen 7 7700, by contrast, ranks in the 87th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 40081. Its nearest rivals (AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 at 0.1% faster, Intel Core 5 221E at 0.2% slower, AMD Ryzen 9 270 at 0.4% slower, and Intel Core i9-13905H at 0.6% slower) are all essentially tied in performance. This CPU has far more headroom than the game requires, as evidenced by the FPS scaling patterns.

The rank of 2630 out of 3716 suggests that while this system is far from the top, it is not at the bottom either. It outperforms about 29% of tested combos, which is consistent with a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU. In games like Downfall that are not particularly CPU-intensive, the GPU becomes the sole determinant of rank, and the RTX 2060 SUPER's 62nd percentile GPU placement explains the overall position.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 displays, High settings at 128 FPS average provide the best experience. The jump from High to Ultra costs 48 FPS (128 to 80) — a 37% reduction for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in a horror game. Low settings at 191 FPS are excessive for most monitors, and Medium at 156 FPS offers no practical advantage over High for standard 144 Hz displays. High is the sweet spot at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the recommended choice. The 112 FPS average with a 95 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay on 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors. High settings at 92 FPS are also viable if you prefer visual fidelity over frame rate headroom, but the minimum FPS data is not available for High. Ultra at 57 FPS dips below 60 and should be avoided for consistent frame pacing.

For 3840x2160, Medium settings are the only viable option for smooth gameplay. The 69 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum is acceptable for a 60 Hz display, though the minimum just barely misses the 60 FPS mark. High settings at 57 FPS average will produce noticeable stutters in demanding scenes, and Ultra at 36 FPS is unplayable. Low settings at 85 FPS are an alternative if you prioritize frame rate over visual quality.

The data consistently shows that High settings offer diminishing returns over Medium across all resolutions. The FPS delta between Medium and High is 28 FPS at 1080p (156 to 128), 20 FPS at 1440p (112 to 92), and 12 FPS at 4K (69 to 57). Meanwhile, the delta between High and Ultra is 48 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Medium provides the best performance-per-visual-quality ratio, with High being a reasonable upgrade for those with refresh rate headroom.

For this specific hardware combination, the recommended presets are: 1080p High, 1440p Medium, and 4K Medium. These settings leverage the Ryzen 7 7700's CPU strength while respecting the RTX 2060 SUPER's GPU limitations. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are sufficient for Medium settings at all resolutions, and the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth handles texture streaming without excessive frame drops.