Downfall

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process. It carries a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The processor sits in the 94th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 69,996.

In synthetic testing, the 9700F shows strong single-thread performance with a Passmark single-thread score of 4,691, which matters for a horror title like Downfall where frame pacing and responsiveness in scripted sequences often depend on single-core throughput. The multithread score of 36,470 demonstrates that the 8-core/16-thread configuration provides ample parallel headroom, though Downfall's engine — being a 2016 release — likely does not scale perfectly across all 16 threads. The floating-point math score of 77,955 and integer math score of 120,788 indicate robust general-purpose compute, which helps maintain consistent frame delivery even when the GPU is under load.

The 9700F's nearest rivals in the database are tightly clustered. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69,875 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70,163 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69,515 (0.7% lower), and the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 69,355 (0.9% lower). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the 9700F's computational performance is effectively indistinguishable from these alternatives in aggregate benchmarks. For Downfall specifically, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates; with 8 fast Zen 5 cores, the processor is unlikely to become a bottleneck at any resolution tested, as the measured frame rates suggest the GPU dominates the performance curve.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture (Navi 23) using TSMC's 7 nm process, with 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1626 MHz, with a boost clock of 2491 MHz and a game clock of 2044 MHz. Memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The chip contains 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with 28 ray accelerators. Pixel rate is 159.4 GPixel/s, texture rate is 279.0 GTexel/s, and FP32 throughput is 8.928 TFLOPS. The card has a 132 W TDP and requires a 300 W suggested PSU.

In the database, the RX 6600 sits in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,036. Its nearest rivals are extremely close: the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 scores 19,030 (0.0% delta), the GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile scores 19,049 (-0.1%), the Tesla K20m scores 19,089 (-0.3%), and the RTX 2000 Ada Generation scores 18,954 (0.4%). This clustering places the RX 6600 in a performance tier where it competes with older workstation cards and mobile parts, rather than with modern desktop mid-range GPUs.

For Downfall, the 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor. At 1080p and 1440p, the data shows the GPU handles all settings without catastrophic drops, but at 4K Ultra the average FPS falls to 33, suggesting that both memory bandwidth and raw compute are strained. The 128-bit memory bus and 224 GB/s bandwidth are modest by modern standards, and the game's texture-heavy horror environments likely consume significant memory bandwidth at higher resolutions. The measured FPS across settings — from 175 at 1080p Low to 33 at 4K Ultra — indicates that the RX 6600's performance envelope is well-suited to 1080p gaming, adequate for 1440p at medium settings, and marginal at 4K.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 175 FPS average; at 1440p Low, it drops to 125 FPS (a 28.6% reduction); at 4K Low, it falls to 78 FPS (a 55.4% reduction from 1080p). This steep decline as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component — the CPU's 8 cores and high boost clock are sufficient to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the RX 6600's compute and memory bandwidth cannot keep pace with the rising pixel count.

For Medium settings, the pattern holds: 1080p Medium yields 143 FPS, 1440p Medium drops to 102 FPS (a 28.7% reduction), and 4K Medium falls to 64 FPS (a 55.2% reduction from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops — roughly 29% from 1080p to 1440p and 55% from 1080p to 4K — suggests that the scaling is driven by pixel throughput rather than any sudden memory or cache bottleneck. The GPU's 224 GB/s bandwidth is the likely constraint at 4K, where the data shows 4K Medium at 64 FPS and 4K High at 52 FPS.

At High settings, the scaling continues: 1080p High is 117 FPS, 1440p High is 84 FPS (a 28.2% reduction), and 4K High is 52 FPS (a 55.6% reduction). Ultra settings show the most dramatic drop: 1080p Ultra is 73 FPS, 1440p Ultra is 52 FPS (a 28.8% reduction), and 4K Ultra is 33 FPS (a 54.8% reduction from 1080p). The fact that the percentage drops remain nearly constant across all settings — around 28-29% for 1440p and 54-56% for 4K — strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to plateau at higher resolutions, but instead the linear scaling with pixel count confirms the RX 6600 is the constraining component.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2,270 out of 2,928 tested combos in Downfall. This places the combo in the 22.4th percentile of all configurations tested — meaning roughly 77.6% of tested combinations deliver higher average FPS in this game. The rank is notably low considering the CPU alone sits in the 94th percentile among all processors. This discrepancy highlights the GPU's role as the performance limiter in this pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals — the Ryzen 9 7940HX, Core i7-14700KF, Ryzen 9 7950X, and Core i7-14700K — all have aggregate benchmark scores within 1% of the 9700F. When paired with a faster GPU, these CPUs would likely achieve much higher combo ranks in Downfall, since the 9700F's computational headroom is not the constraint. Conversely, the RX 6600's nearest rivals — the Quadro K6000, RTX 4050 Mobile, Tesla K20m, and RTX 2000 Ada Generation — are all in the same performance tier, and any of these GPUs paired with a high-end CPU would likely produce similar combo ranks in this game.

The data indicates that this combo is GPU-bound at all tested resolutions and settings. The 9700F has the single-thread and multithread performance to drive frame rates well above what the RX 6600 can deliver, but the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 224 GB/s bandwidth cap the system's performance. For a game like Downfall, which was released in 2016 and thus has modest CPU requirements by modern standards, the CPU's high percentile ranking (94th) is largely wasted in this pairing — the combo rank of 2,270 out of 2,928 reflects the GPU's limitations, not the CPU's capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Ultra in Downfall?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 73 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its closest rival, the Ryzen 9 7940HX?

A: The Ryzen 9 7940HX has an average benchmark score of 69,875, which is 0.2% higher than the 9700F's 69,996.

Q: What is the RX 6600's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RX 6600 sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 19,036.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p Medium to 1440p Medium?

A: At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 143 at 1080p to 102 at 1440p, a reduction of approximately 28.7%.

Q: Does the RX 6600 outperform the RTX 4050 Mobile in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4050 Mobile scores 19,049, which is 0.1% higher than the RX 6600's 19,036, so the RX 6600 is marginally slower.

Q: What is the combo's rank in Downfall relative to all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2,270 out of 2,928 tested combos, placing it in the lower 22.4% of all configurations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and playable frame rates depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1080p, all settings are playable — even Ultra delivers 73 FPS average, which is smooth for a horror title where atmospheric tension matters more than competitive frame rates. However, Medium settings at 143 FPS provide a significant margin for demanding scenes, and the minimum FPS of 122 at Medium ensures consistent frame delivery without dips below 120 FPS. For players prioritizing visual fidelity at 1080p, High at 117 FPS is the sweet spot, offering nearly the same frame rate as Medium while providing better texture and lighting quality.

At 1440p, the data shows that Ultra drops to 52 FPS, which may be acceptable for a slower-paced horror game but leaves little headroom for stutters. Medium at 102 FPS (with a minimum of 87 FPS) is the recommended setting, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining visual quality. High at 84 FPS is also viable for those who prefer better graphics over a higher frame rate cap. Low at 125 FPS is available for players who prioritize smoothness above all, but the visual degradation in a horror game's atmosphere may not be worth the extra frames.

At 4K, the data reveals that only Low (78 FPS) and Medium (64 FPS) are comfortably playable. High at 52 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 33 FPS is not recommended for a playable experience. For 4K, Medium at 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS is the best compromise, as it maintains playable frame rates while preserving some visual quality. Low at 78 FPS is the safest choice for consistent performance, but players should be aware that Low settings will significantly reduce the game's visual impact on a 4K display.

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

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 175 FPS average
• Medium: 143 FPS average, 122 FPS minimum, 164 FPS maximum
• High: 117 FPS average
• Ultra: 73 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 125 FPS average
• Medium: 102 FPS average, 87 FPS minimum, 117 FPS maximum
• High: 84 FPS average
• Ultra: 52 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 78 FPS average
• Medium: 64 FPS average, 54 FPS minimum, 73 FPS maximum
• High: 52 FPS average
• Ultra: 33 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: Medium settings provide the only rows with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, which allows for a more complete picture of frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the frame range spans from 122 to 164, a 42 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 87 to 117, a 30 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range tightens further to 54 to 73, a 19 FPS spread. This narrowing of the frame range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's workload becomes more consistently saturated as pixel count increases, reducing the variance between minimum and maximum frames.

Across all settings, the FPS reduction from 1080p to 4K is remarkably consistent at roughly 55%, regardless of whether the settings are Low (175 to 78, a 55.4% reduction), Medium (143 to 64, a 55.2% reduction), High (117 to 52, a 55.6% reduction), or Ultra (73 to 33, a 54.8% reduction). This uniformity strongly indicates that the RX 6600's pixel throughput is the limiting factor, and that the game's settings do not materially change the resolution scaling behavior. The CPU, with its 94th percentile ranking, is never the bottleneck in this configuration — the data consistently points to the GPU as the performance ceiling.