Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D + AMD Radeon RX 6600

The combination of AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor and the Radeon RX 6600 graphics card produces a distinctive performance profile in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. The data reveals a system where the CPU is dramatically overqualified relative to the GPU, yet the measured frame rates still demonstrate playable performance across most settings. With a combo ranking of 2889 out of 3716 tested combinations, this pairing sits in the lower-middle portion of the database, suggesting that the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios. The benchmark results show that the 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen 7 9800X3D, with its Zen 5 architecture and 96 MB of shared L3 cache, provides ample headroom for the RX 6600 to operate, even though the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and RDNA 2.0 architecture are from an older generation.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D brings a substantial processing foundation to Downfall, with 8 cores and 16 threads operating at a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. This is a Zen 5 architecture processor built on TSMC's 4 nm process node, with a 120 W TDP and support for DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. The processor's cache hierarchy is noteworthy: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a massive 96 MB of shared L3 cache. For a horror game released in 2016, the workload is unlikely to stress even a fraction of this CPU's capability, yet the benchmark data suggests that the processor's raw throughput does influence frame rates at lower resolutions.

The CPU's benchmark scores paint a picture of a high-end processor. In Cinebench R23, it achieves 23230 points in multi-core and 2080 points in single-core tests. Geekbench results show 18696 multi-core and 2964 single-core scores. These figures place the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in the 87th percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 39768. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (0.4% ahead), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.7% behind), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (0.7% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (0.8% behind). What stands out is that the 9800X3D is essentially a peer of mobile and lower-power desktop chips in these aggregate scores, which is interesting given its 120 W TDP and desktop-oriented design.

In Downfall, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the 1080p results. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 175 FPS on average. This is the highest frame rate measured across all configurations, and it suggests that at this resolution and settings level, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU more frames than the GPU can render. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10081 and max-thread score of 10067 indicate strong multi-threaded performance, which may help in maintaining consistent frame pacing in a horror title that could have background processes or engine threads. The single-thread score of 1212 in 3DMark, combined with the PassMark single-thread score of 4430, shows that the CPU's individual core performance is also robust, which matters for games that rely heavily on a single primary thread.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combination in Downfall, and at what settings?*

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 175 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the ceiling of what this CPU-GPU pairing can deliver in the game.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2889 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This positioning reflects the GPU's modest performance relative to the CPU's high-end capabilities.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 33 FPS, which is the lowest measured value across all configurations. This suggests the GPU is heavily stressed at this resolution and settings level.

Q: Does the CPU show any signs of bottlenecking at lower resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches 175 FPS, while at the same resolution with Ultra settings, it drops to 73 FPS. The gap between these values suggests the GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p, as the CPU's performance headroom appears sufficient to support higher frame rates.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Medium settings at 1080p and 4K?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 143 FPS, while at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, it drops to 64 FPS. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark percentile compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6600 sits in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19036. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (0% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (0.1% behind), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (0.3% behind), and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation (0.4% ahead).

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

The resolution scaling behavior in Downfall reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 117 FPS to 84 FPS, a reduction of 28%. Continuing to 3840x2160 at High settings, the frame rate falls further to 52 FPS, representing a 38% drop from the 1440p result and a 56% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling curve is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the RX 6600's rendering capabilities are progressively overwhelmed as pixel count increases.

The Low settings results show even more dramatic scaling. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 175 FPS, dropping to 125 FPS at 1440p and 78 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 29% from 1080p to 1440p and 38% from 1440p to 4K. These consistent reductions indicate that the GPU's compute units, shading units, and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints. The RX 6600 has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with a 128-bit memory bus providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K, the 8.928 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 159.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates.

Medium settings provide additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 122 and the maximum is 164, with an average of 143. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 102, with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117. At 4K Medium, the average is 64, with a minimum of 54 and maximum of 73. The narrow frame time distribution at Medium settings suggests consistent performance, but the overall trend confirms that resolution increases disproportionately impact the GPU. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal; the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's multi-threaded capabilities, demonstrated by its PassMark multithread score of 40009 and 3DMark max-thread score of 10067, are more than adequate for any resolution in this game.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo rank of 2889 out of 3716 tested combinations places this pairing firmly in the lower 22% of all configurations tested in Downfall. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the CPU's high-end status, but it becomes logical when considering the GPU's position. The RX 6600's percentile rank of 63 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19036, indicates that it is a mid-range graphics solution. When paired with a CPU that sits in the 87th percentile among all CPUs, the overall combo performance is dragged down by the GPU.

The delta between the CPU and GPU percentiles is striking. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D's average benchmark score of 39768 is roughly double that of the GPU's 19036. This imbalance means that in Downfall, the combo's rank is determined almost entirely by GPU performance. The game's horror genre, with its emphasis on atmospheric rendering and lighting effects, likely places significant demands on the GPU's pixel and texture processing capabilities. The RX 6600's 279.0 GTexel/s texture rate and 64 ROPs are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggle at 4K.

Comparing this combo to others in the database, the rank suggests that many combinations with lower-end CPUs but more powerful GPUs would outperform this pairing. For example, a system with a mid-range CPU and a higher-tier GPU would likely achieve a better combo rank because the GPU would be less of a bottleneck. The data shows that the measured FPS results align with this interpretation: the system performs best at 1080p, where the GPU's limitations are less pronounced, and degrades significantly at 4K, where the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth become inadequate for Ultra settings.

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

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its strongest performance. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 175 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 143 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 164 FPS. High settings yield an average of 117 FPS, while Ultra settings drop the average to 73 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 58% reduction in frame rate, from 175 to 73 FPS, indicating that the GPU's workload increases significantly with each settings tier.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decline across all settings. Low settings average 125 FPS, Medium settings average 102 FPS (with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117), High settings average 84 FPS, and Ultra settings average 52 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 73 FPS, a 58% reduction that mirrors the 1080p pattern. Compared to 1080p results, the 1440p scores are consistently 25-30% lower, reflecting the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. Low settings average 78 FPS, Medium settings average 64 FPS (with a minimum of 54 and maximum of 73), High settings average 52 FPS, and Ultra settings average 33 FPS. The Ultra setting at 4K produces the lowest frame rate in the entire dataset, with an average of just 33 FPS. This represents a 81% reduction from the 1080p Low result of 175 FPS. The 4K Medium settings, with a minimum of 54 FPS, barely maintain playable frame rates, while the Ultra setting at 33 FPS would likely be considered too low for smooth gameplay in a horror title that may require quick reactions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium settings preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system achieves an average of 143 FPS with a minimum of 122 FPS, providing smooth performance with headroom for frame time spikes. At 1440p Medium, the average is 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS, which remains comfortably playable. Even at 4K Medium, the average of 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS is acceptable for a horror game where atmospheric tension matters more than competitive frame rates.

High settings present a viable alternative for users prioritizing visual quality. At 1080p High, the average of 117 FPS is still excellent, and at 1440p High, the 84 FPS average remains smooth. However, at 4K High, the average of 52 FPS may be borderline for some players, especially in a genre where sudden movements and quick camera turns are common. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p, where the 73 FPS average is playable, but at 1440p Ultra (52 FPS) and 4K Ultra (33 FPS), the frame rates drop to levels that could impair the experience.

The Low settings preset, while delivering the highest frame rates (175 FPS at 1080p, 125 FPS at 1440p, 78 FPS at 4K), sacrifices visual fidelity that may be important for the horror atmosphere. The data suggests that Medium settings provide the best compromise between performance and visual quality, particularly when considering the minimum frame rates. The measured minimums at Medium settings (122 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, 54 FPS at 4K) indicate consistent performance without significant frame drops, which is crucial for maintaining immersion in a horror game.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the defining component in this combo's Downfall performance. Based on the Navi 23 chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture, this GPU operates with a base clock of 1626 MHz, a game clock of 2044 MHz, and a boost clock of 2491 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K with higher settings. The GPU's 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs deliver 8.928 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s.

The GPU's benchmark results show its mid-range positioning. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 1492 points, while Geekbench results show 88398 in Metal, 28850 in OpenCL, and 67623 in Vulkan. PassMark results include 15096 in G3D and 6554 in GPU compute. With a percentile rank of 63 among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 19036, the RX 6600 sits in the middle of the performance spectrum. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (0% difference), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (0.1% behind), NVIDIA Tesla K20m (0.3% behind), and NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation (0.4% ahead).

In Downfall, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for the game's requirements at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra results suggest that memory bandwidth and capacity may be constraining performance. The 33 FPS average at 4K Ultra indicates that the GPU is heavily saturated, likely due to the combination of high-resolution textures and advanced rendering effects. The GPU's 132 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin power connector show that it is a power-efficient solution, but this efficiency does not translate to high-end performance at 4K. The data makes clear that while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D provides ample CPU headroom, the RX 6600's capabilities are the ceiling for this combination's frame rates in Downfall.