Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a playable but heavily settings-dependent experience in Downfall, a 2016 horror title. The data shows a combination that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures high frame rates at lower settings. This pairing ranks in the 2061st position out of 2928 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which reflects the GPU's age rather than the CPU's capability. The RTX 2060 SUPER, a Turing-architecture card from 2019, provides 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, while the Ryzen 7 9700F offers 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The benchmark results indicate that at 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 191 FPS average, but this drops to 36 FPS at 4K Ultra, a stark reminder of the GPU's limitations under heavy load.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher settings, but the behavior changes dramatically depending on the quality preset. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 191 at 1920x1080 to 136 at 2560x1440, then to 85 at 3840x2160. That represents a 29% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37% reduction moving from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 106 FPS, or roughly 55% of the starting performance. This steep decline indicates that even at the lowest quality settings, the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increase directly impacts the render workload.

At High settings, the pattern shifts. The average FPS goes from 128 at 1080p to 92 at 1440p, a 28% drop, and then to 57 at 4K, a 38% drop from 1440p. The 4K High result of 57 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that this setting is borderline playable but not smooth. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 80 FPS at 1080p, 57 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 29%, and from 1440p to 4K is 37%. The 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS is well below the playable threshold, indicating that this combination cannot handle the highest settings at 4K.

The scaling pattern across all settings shows a consistent 28-38% drop per resolution step, which is characteristic of a GPU that is saturated at every resolution. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra workload exceeds what the card can deliver. Conversely, the CPU's role is minimal in the scaling behavior, as the Ryzen 7 9700F's high boost clock of 5.50 GHz and strong single-thread score of 4691 in PassMark ensure that it is not the bottleneck at any resolution. The data suggests that for this game, the GPU is the limiting component across all tested configurations, with the CPU having ample headroom.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 architecture processor built on a 4 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, which is critical for a horror game like Downfall that likely relies on physics and AI calculations. The PassMark single-thread score of 4691 places this CPU in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating excellent per-core performance. The multithread score of 36470 and the floating point math score of 77955 further demonstrate the CPU's capability, though Downfall's engine may not be heavily multithreaded given its 2016 release date.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX with an average score of 69875 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70163 (0.2% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 69515 (0.7% higher), and the Intel Core i7-14700K at 69355 (0.9% higher). These negligible differences of less than 1% suggest that the Ryzen 7 9700F is competitive with top-tier desktop and mobile processors from the same generation, making it a non-factor in limiting Downfall's frame rates. The CPU's average benchmark score of 69996 and its 94th percentile ranking across all CPUs confirm that it is a high-end part.

In the context of Downfall's measured FPS, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data fast enough to avoid stalling. At 1080p Low, the 191 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of driving very high frame rates, but the GPU cannot keep up at higher resolutions. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth (DDR5 dual-channel) provide ample bandwidth for game data. The 8,315 million transistors and 70.6 mm² die size indicate a dense, efficient design. Given that the CPU operates at a 65 W TDP, it is also power-efficient, though this is not a factor in the frame rate analysis. The data shows that for this game, the CPU is never the bottleneck, as evidenced by the linear FPS drops that correlate with resolution increases rather than CPU workload spikes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear limiting component in this combination for Downfall. This Turing-architecture GPU, built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, features 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, along with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and it has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s are modest by modern standards, explaining its 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 18093, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, 0.4% higher), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, 0.5% higher), AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, 1.5% higher), and Intel Arc A770M (18383, 1.6% higher). These rival deltas are all within 2%, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER performs in a narrow band around its peers, but the RX 460 and Arc A770M being slightly ahead is notable. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 16462 and DirectX 12 score of 61 reflect its aging architecture, while the Geekbench Vulkan score of 77402 shows moderate API performance.

In Downfall, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, but at 4K Ultra, the 36 FPS result suggests the card is struggling with both fill rate and memory pressure. The 4K Medium result of 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS indicates that the card can maintain playable frame rates at medium settings, but the drop to 36 FPS at Ultra is severe. The GPU's texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s and ROP count of 64 limit its ability to handle high-resolution textures and post-processing effects. The card's 175 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are not performance factors, but the data clearly shows that for Downfall, the GPU is the component holding back the system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 2060 SUPER with the Ryzen 7 9700F delivers strong results across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 191 FPS, which is excellent for competitive or smooth gameplay. Medium settings reduce this to 156 FPS, with a minimum of 133 FPS and maximum of 180 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings yield 128 FPS average, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings drop to 80 FPS average, which is playable but shows a significant cost for the highest quality presets. The 1080p data suggests that this combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower settings and remains smooth at Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but begin to show the GPU's limitations. Low settings average 136 FPS, which is still high, while Medium settings average 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and maximum of 128 FPS. High settings drop to 92 FPS, which is comfortable for most displays. Ultra settings fall to 57 FPS average, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, especially in a horror title where frame pacing matters. The 1440p results indicate that the GPU can handle most settings at this resolution, but Ultra requires compromises.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's weaknesses become apparent. Low settings average 85 FPS, which is playable, but Medium settings drop to 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, barely above the 60 FPS target. High settings average 57 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold, and Ultra settings plummet to 36 FPS, which is unplayable for a smooth experience. The 4K data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is not suited for 4K gaming in Downfall beyond Low or Medium settings. The minimum FPS of 59 at 4K Medium suggests occasional dips below 60 FPS, which could be noticeable in a horror game. Across all resolutions, the Medium settings provide the most balanced frame rate data, with consistent minimums and maximums, while Low and High settings lack the full range of data points.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2061st out of 2928 tested combos for Downfall, placing it in the 70th percentile of performance (meaning 70% of combos perform better). This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's age and performance level, as the CPU is a high-end part. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 62nd percentile among all GPUs contrasts sharply with the CPU's 94th percentile, creating an imbalance where the GPU drags down the overall ranking. In the context of the database, this combo's rank suggests it is better suited for 1080p gaming than for higher resolutions, as the measured FPS data confirms.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is likely outperformed by systems with more modern GPUs, even if they have slower CPUs. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the RTX 3060 Mobile, have similar average scores, so combos using those GPUs would likely rank similarly. The CPU's nearest rivals do not significantly affect the ranking, as the GPU is the dominant factor in this game's performance. The rank of 2061 out of 2928 indicates that while the system is functional, it is not competitive with modern hardware for Downfall at high settings. Users seeking higher frame rates at 1440p or 4K would need a more powerful GPU, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a faster card.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the best experience, with 191 FPS at Low settings and 128 FPS at High settings. At 2560x1440, performance remains playable at 136 FPS Low and 92 FPS High, but 3840x2160 drops to 85 FPS Low and 57 FPS High, making 1080p the sweet spot.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Downfall?

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 85 at Low settings to 36 at Ultra settings. The Medium setting produces 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, which is borderline playable, but High and Ultra are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck for this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting component. The Ryzen 7 9700F has a PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and ranks in the 94th percentile, while the RTX 2060 SUPER ranks in the 62nd percentile. The FPS drops consistently with resolution increases, indicating GPU saturation.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, with the RTX 3060 Mobile scoring 18159 (0.4% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 scoring 18189 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 460 scoring 18373 (1.5% higher), and the Intel Arc A770M scoring 18383 (1.6% higher).

Q: What is the maximum playable settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings produce 92 FPS average, which is playable, while Ultra drops to 57 FPS. Medium settings provide 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS, making it the safest choice for consistent frame rates.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its rivals?

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