Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Downfall, a horror title that scales predictably across resolutions and presets. The data indicates a system capable of high refresh rate play at 1440p and solid 4K performance, with the GPU emerging as the primary scaling factor as resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS figures, contextualizes the hardware roles, and ranks the combination against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear picture of where the performance bottleneck lies in this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 369 FPS, which drops to 264 FPS at 1440p and further to 164 FPS at 4K. This progression shows a 28% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 38% reduction from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count. The data suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a very high rate, but the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as the resolution climbs.

Examining the High preset yields a similar trend. The average FPS at 1080p is 248, at 1440p it is 177, and at 4K it drops to 110. The percentage drops are 29% and 38% respectively, mirroring the Low preset's scaling. This consistency across presets implies that Downfall's engine is well-optimized for resolution scaling, with no sudden cliff or unexpected performance collapse. The limiting component at 1080p is likely the CPU, given the high frame rates, but the GPU's workload becomes the defining factor at 4K, where the frame rates fall to more moderate levels.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p, the average is 155 FPS, which drops to 111 FPS at 1440p (a 28% reduction) and then to 69 FPS at 4K (a 38% reduction). The 4K Ultra result is the only measured point below the 100 FPS threshold, indicating that this setting is particularly demanding on the GPU. The consistent percentage drops across all presets suggest that the game's graphics settings are scaling the GPU workload uniformly, without any single setting causing a disproportionate hit. The data strongly implies that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the limiting factor, while at 1080p, the CPU's capability to issue draw calls is more likely to cap performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for this hardware combo. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 155 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth for a horror title that may require fast reactions. However, the High preset at 248 FPS offers a massive headroom, which could be beneficial for future-proofing or for driving high-refresh-rate monitors. The data shows that even at 1080p, the jump from High to Ultra costs 93 FPS on average, a significant 37% drop, suggesting that the Ultra preset's visual gains come at a steep performance price.

At 1440p, the High preset emerges as the sweet spot, producing an average of 177 FPS. This is comfortably above the 144 Hz threshold and leaves ample headroom for any frame-time spikes. The Medium preset at 216 FPS offers even more headroom, but the visual compromise may not be necessary. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 111 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 37% reduction from High. For most users, the High preset at 1440p provides the best experience, as it maintains high frame rates while likely offering most of the visual enhancements.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset appears to be the most sensible choice, with an average of 134 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that exceeds 120 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate 4K displays. The High preset at 4K yields 110 FPS, which is still smooth but may show occasional dips in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 69 FPS, which is playable but drops below the 60 FPS threshold for only the most demanding moments. The Low preset at 4K produces 164 FPS, but the visual quality is likely too compromised for a horror game where atmosphere is key. The data suggests that Medium at 4K is the recommended starting point, with High being a viable option for those who prefer visual fidelity over absolute frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER plays a central role in determining the frame rates at higher resolutions. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s, which is ample for the texture and geometry loads of Downfall. The memory clock is listed as 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective, and this memory subsystem appears sufficient to avoid bandwidth bottlenecks at the tested settings, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution rather than exhibiting sudden drops. The GPU's core clocks, with a base of 2340 MHz and a boost of 2610 MHz, provide the computational throughput needed for the game's rendering.

The GPU's performance in this title is best understood through its benchmark scores. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5569 and the PassMark G3D score of 31811 are indicative of its raw rasterization power. The GPU sits in the 76th percentile for all GPUs, and its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the NVIDIA TITAN RTX, which it trails by 1.9%. This context is important because it shows that while the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is not the absolute top-tier card, it is positioned in the upper echelon of performance. In Downfall, this translates to the ability to push high frame rates at 1440p and maintain playable, if not maximal, frame rates at 4K.

The fact that frame rates drop by roughly 38% from 1440p to 4K across all presets strongly suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K. The GPU's pixel rate of 250.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 689.0 GTexel/s are substantial, but the 4K resolution requires a massive increase in pixel shading work. The data shows that the GPU is not holding back the system at 1080p, where the CPU is more likely the constraint, but it becomes the definitive bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 69. The GPU's 44.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is being fully utilized at these higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Downfall, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER holds a rank of 289 out of 2928 total combinations. This places it in the top 10% of all tested systems, indicating a very high level of performance for this title. The rank of 289 means that there are 288 other CPU/GPU combinations that achieve higher average frame rates, but given the vast number of possible configurations, this position is highly respectable. The data suggests that this combo is well-balanced, offering near-top-tier performance without being an absolute extreme-end setup.

The combo's rank is a composite measure of its performance across all tested settings and resolutions. The high rank is likely driven by the excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p, where the system can achieve frame rates well above 200 FPS on lower presets. The 4K performance, while not as dominant, still holds up well, with the Medium preset delivering 134 FPS. The rank confirms the synergy between the 8-core, 16-thread CPU and the high-end GPU. It is important to note that this rank is specific to Downfall's engine and its demands, and the combo's performance may differ in other titles.

The rank also reflects the balance of the system. A weaker CPU might bottleneck the GPU at 1080p, dragging down the average FPS, while a weaker GPU would struggle at 4K. In this case, the data shows a smooth scaling curve, indicating that no single component is severely limiting the other. The 289th rank out of 2928 combos is a strong indicator that this is a top-tier configuration for playing Downfall, and it should provide a highly enjoyable experience across most settings and resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings for this combo?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 177 FPS.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings in Downfall?*

A: Yes, it can run 4K Ultra, but the average FPS drops to 69, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How does the 1080p Low preset compare to the 1440p Low preset?

A: The 1080p Low preset produces an average of 369 FPS, while the 1440p Low preset produces 264 FPS, a 28% reduction.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 114 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: Based on the very high frame rates at 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, as the GPU has less work to do at that resolution.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between High and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The High preset averages 248 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 155 FPS, a difference of 93 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in Downfall.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 369 FPS average
• Medium: 302 FPS average, with a minimum of 257 FPS and a maximum of 347 FPS
• High: 248 FPS average
• Ultra: 155 FPS average

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 264 FPS average
• Medium: 216 FPS average, with a minimum of 183 FPS and a maximum of 248 FPS
• High: 177 FPS average
• Ultra: 111 FPS average

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 164 FPS average
• Medium: 134 FPS average, with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS
• High: 110 FPS average
• Ultra: 69 FPS average

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one with min/max FPS figures, indicating that the engine's frame pacing is most variable at this setting. Across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent, with Ultra typically costing roughly half the frame rate of Low.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Granite Ridge codename. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, which can boost up to 5.50 GHz, and it has a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB of L3 cache. This configuration provides strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for game logic and draw call submission. The PassMark single-thread score of 4691 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating excellent per-core performance.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p resolution, where the frame rates are exceptionally high. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 369 FPS, which is likely approaching the CPU's limit for generating frames. The fact that the 1080p High preset yields 248 FPS, while the 1440p High yields 177 FPS, suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1440p, as the frame rate drops are consistent with the GPU's resolution scaling. The CPU's 16 threads are likely sufficient to handle the game's background tasks, such as AI and physics, without causing stutters.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as the PassMark multithread score of 36470, shows it is a capable processor for multi-threaded workloads. However, in this game, the single-thread performance is more critical. The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which is slightly faster by 0.2%, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which is slightly slower by 0.7%. This indicates that the 9700F is in a very tight performance band with other high-end CPUs, and its impact on Downfall's frame rates is likely to be minimal, as long as the GPU is the primary constraint. The data confirms that the CPU provides enough headroom to keep the GPU fed at all resolutions, making the GPU the definitive bottleneck at 4K.