Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D + Intel Arc B570

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 produces a clear, measurable performance profile in Downfall, a 2016 horror title. Across the twelve tested resolution and settings combinations, the combo delivers average frame rates ranging from 30 FPS at 4K Ultra to 163 FPS at 1080p Low. The data indicates a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and quality presets, while the CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom at lower settings. This combination ranks 2343 out of 2928 tested combos in the game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, a position driven largely by the Arc B570’s mid-range standing rather than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s strong synthetic scores.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a significant GPU-bound trend. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 109 at 1920x1080 to 78 at 2560x1440, then to 49 at 3840x2160. This represents a 28% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The overall drop from 1080p High to 4K High is 55%, indicating that the Arc B570’s rendering throughput is the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern is similar in direction but steeper in magnitude. The average FPS falls from 163 at 1080p to 116 at 1440p (a 29% drop), and then to 72 at 4K (a 38% drop from 1440p). The total reduction from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 56%. This near-identical percentage drop across Low and High presets suggests that resolution scaling is consistent regardless of quality level, reinforcing the notion that the GPU’s pixel processing capacity is the dominant constraint.

Medium settings show the most gradual scaling in absolute terms. The average FPS goes from 133 at 1080p to 95 at 1440p (a 29% drop) and then to 59 at 4K (a 38% drop). The min FPS at Medium also scales predictably: 113 at 1080p, 81 at 1440p, and 50 at 4K. The max FPS values follow suit, with 153 at 1080p, 110 at 1440p, and 68 at 4K. The consistent 29-38% scaling pattern across settings indicates that the game’s rendering load scales nearly linearly with resolution, and the Arc B570’s 10 GB GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to avoid memory-related stutters but not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

Ultra settings produce the steepest resolution penalty. The average FPS is 68 at 1080p, dropping to 49 at 1440p (a 28% reduction), and then to 30 at 4K (a 39% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra is 56%. At 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS average falls below the 49 FPS average seen at 1440p High, indicating that the combination of high pixel count and maximum quality settings overwhelms the GPU. The data shows that this pairing is not viable for 4K Ultra in Downfall, but it manages playable frame rates at 4K Low and Medium.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570’s specifications directly explain the measured frame rates. The GPU features a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. Its 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate provide the raw compute necessary for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The 10 GB GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus delivers 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is adequate for the measured settings but not exceptional for a 2025 GPU.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (avg score 20534, 0.1% slower), the Intel Arc A750 (avg score 20582, 0.1% faster), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (avg score 20480, 0.4% slower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (avg score 20662, 0.5% faster). These deltaPct values show the Arc B570 sits in a tightly packed performance band, with less than 1% separating it from its closest competitors.

In Downfall specifically, the GPU’s DirectX 12 support (12 Ultimate, 12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are relevant, though the game’s 2016 release date means it likely relies on older rendering paths. The PassMark DirectX 11 score of 118 and DirectX 12 score of 72 suggest the GPU handles both APIs, but the frame rates measured indicate that the game’s engine is not overly demanding by modern standards. The 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are modest, but these figures do not directly influence the measured FPS results.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of settings for this combo. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 163 FPS average, which is well above the 133 FPS at Medium and 109 FPS at High. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 68 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 38% reduction from High. For players targeting high refresh rates at 1080p, the Low preset offers the best measured performance, while Medium provides a balance with 133 FPS and a min FPS of 113.

At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 116 FPS average, which is the only setting above the 100 FPS threshold at this resolution. Medium delivers 95 FPS with a min of 81 FPS, making it suitable for 60 Hz displays. High drops to 78 FPS, and Ultra falls to 49 FPS. The data suggests that Medium is the optimal choice at 1440p for most users, as it maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while offering better visual quality than Low.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. Low settings produce 72 FPS average, which is the only preset that clears 60 FPS at this resolution. Medium delivers 59 FPS with a min of 50 FPS, which is playable but with occasional dips. High drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30 FPS, which is below the typical playability threshold. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo requires Low or Medium settings, with Low being the only preset that consistently maintains high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings range is usable. Low settings produce an average FPS of 163, with no min or max values recorded. Medium settings yield an average of 133 FPS, with a min of 113 and a max of 153. High settings deliver 109 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 68 FPS average. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 95 FPS, demonstrating the significant impact of quality presets on this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages compress somewhat. Low settings achieve 116 FPS. Medium settings produce 95 FPS average, with a min of 81 and a max of 110. High settings deliver 78 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 49 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 67 FPS, a narrower range than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU’s limits are being approached at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the data shows the most constrained performance. Low settings reach 72 FPS average. Medium settings deliver 59 FPS, with a min of 50 and a max of 68. High settings produce 49 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 30 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 42 FPS, and the Ultra preset at 4K is the only measured configuration that falls below 40 FPS. The min FPS values at Medium (50 at 4K, 81 at 1440p, 113 at 1080p) show that the GPU can maintain relatively stable frame times, with the 4K Medium min being exactly 50 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU-GPU pairing in Downfall?

A: The measured data shows 1080p Low delivers 163 FPS average, which is the highest of any combination. For a balance of quality and performance, 1440p Medium offers 95 FPS average with a min of 81 FPS, while 4K Low provides 72 FPS average, making it the only 4K preset that exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, scores 20582, which is 0.1% faster. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534, 0.1% slower, while the AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662, 0.5% faster.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D or the Intel Arc B570 the limiting factor in Downfall?

A: The resolution scaling data shows that frame rates drop by 55-56% from 1080p to 4K across all settings, indicating the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s 8 cores, 16 threads, and 96 MB shared L3 cache provide sufficient headroom, as evidenced by the 163 FPS at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested combinations in Downfall?

A: This pairing ranks 2343 out of 2928 total tested combos, placing it in the 80th percentile of the ranking list but in the lower half of performance outcomes. The rank is influenced by the GPU’s mid-tier standing rather than the CPU’s strong benchmark scores.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9800X3D perform in synthetic benchmarks relative to its rivals?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 39768, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700, scores 40081, which is 0.8% faster. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048, 0.7% faster, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS scores 39603, 0.4% slower.

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

A: No. The measured 4K Ultra average FPS is 30, which is below the 49 FPS seen at 1440p High. This is the lowest measured result in the entire dataset and is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a Zen 5 architecture processor on the 4 nm process node, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.20 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by the Geekbench single-core score of 2964 and 3DMark single-thread score of 1212. The 96 MB shared L3 cache is substantial, and the CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230 reflects its multi-threaded capability.

The CPU’s benchmark results place it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39768. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (avg score 39603, 0.4% slower), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (avg score 40048, 0.7% faster), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (avg score 39485, 0.7% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (avg score 40081, 0.8% faster). These deltaPct values indicate the 9800X3D sits in a competitive band, with less than 1% separating it from its closest competitors in the database.

In Downfall, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low (163 FPS) and 1440p Low (116 FPS) suggest the CPU is not a limiting factor at these settings, as the GPU’s pixel rate becomes the constraint at higher resolutions. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10081 and 8-thread score of 8252 indicate strong multi-core performance, which is beneficial for games that utilize multiple threads. The PassMark single-thread score of 4430 and Cinebench R15 single-core score of 328 confirm the CPU’s single-thread strength, which is relevant for older titles like Downfall that may rely on a primary thread.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in Downfall is 2343 out of 2928 tested combinations, placing it in the 80th percentile of the ranking list (meaning 80% of combos rank above it). This position reflects the Arc B570’s mid-range GPU standing (65th percentile of all GPUs) rather than the CPU’s stronger position (87th percentile of all CPUs). The rank suggests that while the CPU is well above average, the GPU holds the combo back from higher placements.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 20556 and its tight grouping with rivals (all within 0.5% deltaPct) indicate that the Arc B570 is a mid-pack performer. In contrast, the CPU’s average benchmark score of 39768 places it in the top 13% of all CPUs. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-tier GPU results in a system that underperforms in GPU-bound scenarios like 4K Ultra (30 FPS) but excels in CPU-bound scenarios like 1080p Low (163 FPS).

The measured FPS data shows that the combo’s ranking is likely driven by its performance at higher resolutions and settings, where the GPU’s 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate become limiting. At 1080p Low, the 163 FPS average would likely rank higher, but the overall combo rank is an aggregate across all tested configurations. The 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS is particularly poor, and this drags the average down. The data suggests that users of this combo should avoid 4K Ultra and instead target 1080p or 1440p Medium to maximize the measured frame rates relative to the combo’s overall rank.