Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + Intel Arc B390

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a profoundly GPU-limited experience in Downfall, as the measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings remain modest despite a very capable processor. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all tested processors, while the GPU lands in the 9th percentile, creating a stark imbalance where the integrated graphics solution becomes the definitive bottleneck in this horror title. This combination ranks 3303rd out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall, placing it in the lower 11% of all configurations, which aligns with the expectation set by the GPU's low benchmark standing.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP, making it a high-end CPU by any measure. The processor supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth and includes 32 MB of shared L3 cache, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 80 KB of L1 per core. Its PassMark average benchmark score is 69,996, which places it just 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875) and 0.2% below the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163), while sitting 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515) and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700K (69,355).

In Downfall, the CPU's influence is evident primarily in the gap between low and high settings at each resolution, though the absolute frame rates remain bounded by the GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 106 FPS average, which is the highest measured result in the entire data set, suggesting the CPU can drive high frame rates when the GPU workload is light. However, the processor's single-thread score of 4,691 and multithread score of 36,470 indicate strong performance that should not limit a horror game like Downfall, which typically relies more on GPU rendering than CPU simulation. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking versus all CPUs confirms it is far above average, and its nearest rivals all score within 0.9% of it, showing that this processor is competitive with top-tier alternatives from both AMD and Intel.

The data shows a clear pattern: as settings increase at any given resolution, frame rates drop substantially, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. At 1080p, the average FPS falls from 106 at Low to 87 at Medium, then to 71 at High, and finally to 44 at Ultra — a steady decline that mirrors GPU workload scaling rather than CPU limitations. The CPU's PassMark physics score of 2,122 and integer math score of 120,788 suggest it can handle game logic and physics without issue, but the measured FPS at Ultra settings (44 FPS at 1080p) indicates the GPU is the constraining factor. Given the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads with a 5.50 GHz boost clock, the Ryzen 7 9700F provides ample headroom for Downfall, but the integrated Arc B390 cannot translate that headroom into high frame rates at demanding settings.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (Panther Lake) built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. The GPU includes 12 ray tracing cores and delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 15.36 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio). Its memory is system shared, meaning VRAM size, type, and bus width are all system dependent, and bandwidth is also system dependent — a critical limitation for gaming performance.

The Arc B390's benchmark results are exceptionally weak: it scores 1,482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all ancient or low-end discrete parts: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463, 1.3% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1,460, 1.5% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446, 2.5% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1,443, 2.7% behind). This places the Arc B390 at roughly the performance level of a decade-old entry-level mobile GPU, which explains the measured frame rates in Downfall.

The GPU's 80 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm it is not designed for gaming workloads, and the measured FPS data reflects this. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves only 20 FPS average, which is unplayable by any standard, while 4K High reaches 32 FPS and 4K Medium reaches 39 FPS. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is just 44, and only at 1080p Low does the combo exceed 100 FPS (106 FPS). The GPU's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are modest figures that directly limit fill-rate-heavy scenes common in horror games with atmospheric effects and lighting. The system-shared memory architecture means the GPU competes with the CPU for bandwidth, further constraining performance in a title like Downfall.

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its closest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69,996, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875) and 0.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515). It trails the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163) by 0.2% and sits 0.9% above the Intel Core i7-14700K (69,355).

*Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Downfall, and at what settings?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 106, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next best results are 87 FPS at 1080p Medium and 76 FPS at 1440p Low, showing that lower settings are required to approach smooth frame rates.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor in this combination?

A: The data clearly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 94th percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. The frame rate drops from 106 FPS at 1080p Low to 44 FPS at 1080p Ultra demonstrate GPU workload scaling, and the GPU's nearest rivals are all low-end NVIDIA parts from the GT 7xx/8xx era.

*Q: Can this combo run Downfall at 4K resolution acceptably?*

A: At 4K, the best measured average FPS is 47 at Low settings, which is marginal. Medium settings drop to 39 FPS, High to 32 FPS, and Ultra to 20 FPS. None of these results provide a consistently smooth experience, with 4K Ultra being unplayable.

*Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations for Downfall?*

A: The combination ranks 3303rd out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall, placing it in the bottom approximately 11% of all configurations. This low ranking aligns with the GPU's weak 9th percentile standing among all GPUs.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463), 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1,460), 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446), and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1,443).

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 3303rd out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall, which places it in the lower 11% of all configurations. This ranking is overwhelmingly driven by the GPU's performance, as the CPU is a top-tier part while the GPU is an integrated solution scoring in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The combo's position in the overall ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates: at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 44, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players consider smooth, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 20 FPS.

The ranking becomes clearer when comparing the CPU and GPU to their respective nearest rivals. The CPU is competitive with high-end desktop parts like the Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, all within 0.9% of each other in average benchmark scores. In contrast, the GPU is competitive only with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 or GT 625 OEM, parts that are several generations old and designed for basic display output rather than gaming. This mismatch means that while the CPU could support much higher frame rates in Downfall, the GPU caps performance at levels that are borderline at best. The combo's rank of 3303 out of 3716 reflects this severe imbalance, and the data suggests that any meaningful improvement in Downfall performance would require a stronger GPU rather than a stronger CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are 106 at Low, 87 at Medium, 71 at High, and 44 at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 74 and a maximum of 100, indicating some frame time variance, but no min or max values are provided for the other presets. This resolution offers the best playability, with Low and Medium both exceeding 60 FPS on average.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 76 at Low, 62 at Medium, 51 at High, and 32 at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 71, which means even at Medium settings, the frame rate can dip below 60 FPS during demanding scenes. High and Ultra settings at 1440p fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra barely reaching half that at 32 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 47 at Low, 39 at Medium, 32 at High, and 20 at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 44, indicating that even the best-case frames at 4K are below 45 FPS. Low settings at 4K come closest to playability at 47 FPS, but this is still below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra at 20 FPS is effectively unplayable for a horror game that requires responsive controls.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in Downfall is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which delivers an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100. This preset provides a smooth frame rate that stays comfortably above 60 FPS even in the worst measured frames, making it the best balance between visual quality and performance. Low settings at 1080p offer a higher average of 106 FPS, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the 19 FPS gain, especially since Medium already exceeds the 60 FPS target.

At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 62 FPS with a minimum of 53, which is playable but with occasional dips below 60 FPS. If a user prefers higher resolution over frame rate, 1440p Medium is the only 1440p preset that averages above 60 FPS, though it requires accepting some frame time spikes. At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS, and only Low settings average above 40 FPS (47 FPS), making 4K viable only for users who prioritize resolution over smoothness and are willing to play at the lowest visual quality. Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution, as they produce average FPS values of 44 at 1080p, 32 at 1440p, and 20 at 4K, all of which are below acceptable playability thresholds for a horror game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a consistent and predictable drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is a hallmark of GPU-limited performance. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 106 at 1080p to 76 at 1440p (a 28% reduction) and then to 47 at 4K (a 38% reduction from 1440p, and a 56% reduction from 1080p). At Medium settings, the averages are 87, 62, and 39 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively, showing a similar proportional decline. High settings produce 71, 51, and 32 FPS, while Ultra produces 44, 32, and 20 FPS across the same resolutions.

The resolution scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component, as frame rates drop by roughly 40-50% when moving from 1080p to 4K at every settings level. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to remain relatively flat across resolutions, since CPU workload does not scale significantly with resolution. Instead, the data shows that each doubling of pixel count (from 1080p to 4K is a 4x increase in pixels) results in a near-halving of frame rates, which is consistent with a GPU that is saturated by fill-rate demands. The GPU's modest pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s directly explain why 4K Ultra (20 FPS) is less than half of 1080p Ultra (44 FPS), and why even 1080p Ultra cannot reach 60 FPS. This combo is firmly GPU-bound in Downfall, and the CPU's high percentile ranking cannot compensate for the integrated Arc B390's limited rendering capabilities.