Downfall

# FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with the Intel Arc B370 in Downfall?

A: This combination ranks 2688 out of 2928 tested combos in the database for Downfall, placing it in the lower portion of the field.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it within 0.7% of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), while being 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168). Its percentile ranking against all GPUs is 5.

Q: What are the CPU's benchmark scores relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875), 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515), and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700K (69355). It sits 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163).

Q: What is the best average FPS achieved by this combo in Downfall?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 96, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The lowest is 18 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the Arc B370 have dedicated video memory?

A: No. The Intel Arc B370 uses System Shared memory, with system-dependent bandwidth. Its memory clock is also listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies entirely on the host system's RAM.

Q: What is the CPU's power envelope and core configuration?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has 8 cores and 16 threads with a 65W TDP. It operates at a 3.80 GHz base clock and can boost up to 5.50 GHz.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3nm process. Its role in Downfall is constrained by its hardware fundamentals: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output pipelines. The GPU's base clock is a modest 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. These specifications yield a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 6.144 TFLOPS.

The graphics memory situation is the most critical limiting factor. The Arc B370 has no dedicated VRAM; it uses "System Shared" memory with "System Dependent" bandwidth. This means the GPU competes with the CPU for the same DDR5 memory pool, which is a dual-channel configuration on this platform with a theoretical bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. In a horror title like Downfall, where texture streaming and memory latency can impact frame pacing, shared memory can introduce stutter that dedicated VRAM would avoid. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 reinforces the picture: this is a GPU positioned at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, comparable to legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190).

Given the low pixel throughput and shared memory architecture, the Arc B370's ability to drive Downfall at high resolutions is severely constrained. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 3840x2160, even Low settings only yield 43 FPS on average, and Ultra settings drop to 18 FPS. The GPU's rendering capabilities are simply insufficient for the pixel count at 4K. The 10 ray tracing cores present in the architecture are unlikely to be leveraged effectively at playable frame rates, given that even rasterized performance is marginal. The 25W TDP and IGP slot width indicate this is designed for power efficiency rather than gaming throughput.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 architecture processor codenamed Granite Ridge, manufactured on TSMC's 4nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration with ECC support, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes. The 65W TDP is notably low for an 8-core desktop part, indicating efficient power management.

In the context of Downfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, manage game logic, and handle physics calculations. The PassMark physics score of 2122 and multithread score of 36470 indicate strong computational throughput. The integer math score of 120788 and floating point math score of 77955 show robust general-purpose performance. The single-thread score of 4691 is critical for games that rely on a few heavily loaded threads; Downfall, being a horror title from 2016, may have a frame-threaded rendering path that benefits from high single-core frequencies. The 5.50 GHz boost clock is excellent in this regard.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 69996 places it at the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, 0.2% behind), Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163, 0.2% ahead), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, 0.7% behind), and Intel Core i7-14700K (69355, 0.9% behind). This positions the 9700F as a high-tier processor that should not bottleneck most games at standard resolutions. However, the measured FPS data in Downfall suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint; the GPU's weak performance dominates the frame rate ceiling, particularly at higher resolutions where pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become paramount.

The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 96 FPS, which indicates the CPU can sustain high frame rates when the GPU load is light. The drop to 40 FPS at Ultra settings at the same resolution points to the GPU being the limiting factor as shader complexity increases. The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for a 2016 horror title; the bottleneck is clearly the integrated graphics solution.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the resolution where this combo performs best, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings produce 96 FPS, Medium settings produce 78 FPS with a range of 67 to 90 FPS, High settings produce 64 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 40 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline: 96 to 78 to 64 to 40. The gap between High and Ultra is particularly steep—a 24 FPS drop (37.5% reduction) that suggests Ultra settings introduce effects that heavily tax the Arc B370's limited shading units and texture units.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades notably. Low settings yield 68 FPS, Medium settings yield 56 FPS with a range of 48 to 64 FPS, High settings yield 46 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 29 FPS. The relative ordering remains the same, but the absolute numbers show a significant penalty for the increased pixel count. The Medium setting's minimum of 48 FPS indicates that frame pacing may become inconsistent at this resolution, which can be problematic in a horror game where sudden frame drops affect the experience.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings produce 43 FPS, Medium settings produce 35 FPS with a range of 30 to 40 FPS, High settings produce 29 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 18 FPS. The Medium setting's minimum of 30 FPS is borderline for smooth gameplay, while the Ultra average of 18 FPS is effectively unplayable for a horror title that requires responsive controls. The data reveals that this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being feasible only at Low or Medium settings, and 4K being marginal even at Low settings.

The measured FPS values across all resolutions and settings show a consistent pattern: the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's strong PassMark scores cannot compensate for the Arc B370's low pixel rate and shared memory bandwidth. At 1080p Low, the 96 FPS result shows the CPU can drive high frame rates, but as soon as the GPU's workload increases—via higher resolution or higher settings—the frame rate collapses.

# Resolution Scaling

Examining the scaling from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160 reveals how the limiting component shifts with pixel count. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 96 at 1080p to 68 at 1440p to 43 at 4K. This is a 29.2% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 36.8% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the values are 78, 56, and 35, representing a 28.2% drop and then a 37.5% drop. At High settings, the values are 64, 46, and 29, showing a 28.1% drop followed by a 37.0% drop. At Ultra settings, the values are 40, 29, and 18, with a 27.5% drop and then a 37.9% drop.

The consistent pattern—roughly 28% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and roughly 37% reduction from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints. A CPU-bound scenario would show smaller FPS differences as resolution increases, but the data shows significant degradation at every step. The 4K resolution requires four times the pixel count of 1080p, and the Arc B370's 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate is simply insufficient for that workload at any setting above Low.

The scaling behavior suggests that this combo is bandwidth-limited as well. The System Shared memory architecture means that at 4K, the GPU must access system memory for both frame buffer and textures, competing with the CPU for bandwidth on the 89.6 GB/s dual-channel bus. The 43 FPS at 4K Low versus 96 FPS at 1080p Low—a 55.2% reduction—indicates that the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are overwhelmed. The CPU, which is in the 94th percentile, cannot rescue the situation because the bottleneck is downstream in the rendering pipeline.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in Downfall depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance: 78 FPS average with a minimum of 67 FPS ensures smooth gameplay in a horror title where frame consistency matters for immersion. The Low preset at 96 FPS offers a higher frame rate but likely sacrifices too much visual fidelity, while High at 64 FPS is acceptable but the 14 FPS drop from Medium may not be worth the graphical gains. Ultra at 40 FPS is the worst choice, as it crosses below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider smooth.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset at 68 FPS is the only setting that maintains a comfortable frame rate. Medium at 56 FPS is playable but the 48 FPS minimum indicates potential stutter during intense scenes. High at 46 FPS and Ultra at 29 FPS are not recommended, as they fall below the 30 FPS playability floor for a game requiring quick reactions. The data suggests that 1440p users should prioritize frame rate over visual quality, as the GPU's limited resources are already stretched at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets deliver a consistently smooth experience. Low at 43 FPS is the most playable, but the horror genre's reliance on atmospheric lighting and shadows means Low settings may compromise the intended experience. Medium at 35 FPS with a 30 FPS minimum is borderline, while High at 29 FPS and Ultra at 18 FPS are unplayable. The recommendation for 4K users is to either lower the resolution or accept significant visual compromises.

Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which yields 78 FPS average and a minimum of 67 FPS. This preset offers a frame rate well above the 60 FPS target while presumably retaining moderate visual effects. For users with lower-end displays, 2560x1440 at Low settings (68 FPS) is a viable alternative, but it sacrifices more visual quality than the 1080p Medium preset.

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2688 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 8.2% of all configurations. This low ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, as the CPU's percentile ranking of 94 indicates it is in the top 6% of processors. The GPU's percentile ranking of 5 places it in the bottom 5% of graphics solutions, which dominates the overall combo ranking.

The contrast between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The Ryzen 7 9700F's average benchmark score of 69996 places it among high-end desktop processors, slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515), while trailing the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163) by a mere 0.2%. The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is comparable to legacy GPUs like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), which were mid-range parts from over a decade ago.

This mismatch creates a situation where the CPU has substantial headroom that the GPU cannot utilize. In a game like Downfall, which is not particularly demanding by modern standards, the combo's ranking of 2688 suggests that most other tested configurations—even those with weaker CPUs—outperform it because they have more capable graphics hardware. The data shows that the 1080p Low result of 96 FPS is the ceiling for this combo, and even that is achieved only at the lowest settings. As resolutions increase, the combo falls behind more severely, with 4K Ultra at 18 FPS being among the worst results in the database.

The ranking reflects the fundamental imbalance: pairing a 94th-percentile CPU with a 5th-percentile GPU produces a system that is CPU-bottlenecked at low settings but GPU-bottlenecked at every other configuration. For users considering this combo, the data indicates that the Arc B370 severely limits the Ryzen 7 9700F's potential in Downfall, and the overall experience will be closer to entry-level integrated graphics than to a balanced gaming system.