Downfall

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, and it carries a 105 W TDP. The chip features a 64 MB L3 cache, 512 KB L2 per core, and 64 KB L1 per core, with dual-channel DDR4 memory support providing 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The processor is unlocked, allowing overclocking, and uses the AMD Socket AM4 platform with PCIe Gen 4 (20 lanes from the CPU).

In synthetic benchmarks, the 5950X posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26017 and a single-core score of 1614. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 15233, with a single-core score of 2083. The 3DMark results show a 16-thread score of 10810, a max-thread score of 11597, and a single-thread score of 944. The PassMark multi-thread score reaches 45424, and the single-thread score is 3470.

For Downfall, a horror title, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining a stable frame delivery floor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 187 FPS average, which suggests the 5950X's strong single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 944) is more than sufficient to feed the GPU. The processor's percentile ranking of 91 versus all CPUs indicates it sits well above the typical desktop chip. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (delta -0.2%), AMD EPYC 8124P (delta -0.3%), Intel Core i9-13900F (delta +0.4%), and Intel Core i7-14700 (delta -0.7%) — all within a narrow band of average benchmark scores around 52000, showing the 5950X is effectively tied with those parts in overall CPU throughput.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the frame rate is 187 FPS, which is nearly 2.4 times the 4K Ultra result of 35 FPS. That gap indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is not the primary limiter; rather, the GPU's rendering load scales with resolution. However, the 5950X's multi-threading capability (32 threads) never appears to bottleneck in this game, as even the highest 1080p result (Low, 187 FPS) does not show signs of CPU saturation. The processor's high single-thread score (2083 in Geekbench) is likely why the game, which tends to be light on core scaling, runs smoothly without frame dips attributable to the CPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this CPU-GPU combo in Downfall?

A: The highest average FPS is 187, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 5950X compare to its nearest CPU rival in overall benchmark scores?

A: The 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51947, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX scores 52073, a delta of -0.2% — meaning the 5950X trails by only 0.2%. Against the Intel Core i9-13900F (score 51730), the 5950X is ahead by 0.4%.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 35, which is below the 56 FPS seen at High settings at the same resolution. This suggests Ultra is too demanding for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Downfall?

A: The combo ranks 2760 out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the overall distribution.

Q: How much FPS improvement is seen when moving from Medium to Low at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium settings yield 153 FPS average, while Low settings yield 187 FPS — an increase of 34 FPS (about 22% higher) when dropping from Medium to Low.

Q: Is the GPU's VRAM capacity a limiting factor at 4K?

A: The RX 5700 XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K High, the average FPS is 56, but at Ultra it falls to 35, indicating that memory capacity or bandwidth may constrain high-detail 4K rendering.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo in Downfall shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 187; at 1440p Low, it drops to 133; and at 4K Low, it falls to 83. That represents a 29% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 38% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, suggesting that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become progressively more strained.

At Medium settings, the same trend holds: 153 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 44 FPS (29%), while from 1440p to 4K it is 41 FPS (38%). The High preset shows 125 FPS at 1080p, 89 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K — a 36 FPS reduction (29%) and then a 33 FPS reduction (37%). The pattern is remarkably consistent across presets, indicating that the limiting component scales with resolution in a predictable way.

The most dramatic scaling appears at Ultra settings: 78 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K drop is 21 FPS (38%), which mirrors the other presets. This uniformity suggests that the GPU's compute units (2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs) are the primary constraint, rather than the CPU. The 5950X's performance does not degrade with resolution because its workload is largely resolution-independent; the frame rate scaling is driven by the Radeon RX 5700 XT's rendering capabilities.

When comparing the 1080p to 4K ratio, the Low preset shows a 187-to-83 FPS ratio (2.25x), Medium shows 153-to-68 (2.25x), High shows 125-to-56 (2.23x), and Ultra shows 78-to-35 (2.23x). This tight clustering of ratios — all near 2.25 — is strong evidence that the GPU is the sole bottleneck at all settings, and the CPU contributes negligible overhead to the resolution scaling behavior.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 2760 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall. This places it in the 25th percentile of all combos (since 3716 - 2760 = 956 combos rank below it, meaning it outperforms about 25.7% of tested systems). The rank reflects the GPU's modest standing: the RX 5700 XT has a percentile of 59 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361. Its nearest GPU rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (score 16351, delta +0.1%), NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (score 16408, delta -0.3%), AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (score 16415, delta -0.3%), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 (score 16504, delta -0.9%). All these GPUs are within 1% of each other, meaning the RX 5700 XT's performance class is tightly clustered.

Given that the CPU ranks in the 91st percentile (with an average benchmark score of 51947), the combo's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU. The 5950X is a top-tier processor, but the RX 5700 XT is a mid-range graphics card from 2019. In Downfall, the measured FPS results show that at 4K Ultra the combo only achieves 35 FPS, which is below the typical 60 FPS target. At 1080p Low, it reaches 187 FPS, but that is an outlier preset; most users would play at Medium or High, where the combo delivers 153 and 125 FPS respectively at 1080p.

The combo's rank of 2760 suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings outperform it in this specific game. Since the game is from 2016, its rendering demands are not extreme by modern standards, yet the RX 5700 XT's 8 GB VRAM and RDNA 1.0 architecture still limit performance at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck; if it were, the rank would be much higher given the 5950X's strong synthetic scores. Instead, the GPU's 59th percentile ranking aligns closely with the combo's 25th percentile in-game rank, indicating the GPU is the determining factor.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows for Downfall provide clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience for this combo. The data shows four settings tiers (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions. At 1080p, all presets except Ultra exceed 60 FPS: Low gives 187 FPS, Medium gives 153 FPS, High gives 125 FPS, and Ultra drops to 78 FPS. The High preset at 1080p provides a substantial visual quality improvement over Medium (which is 153 FPS) while still maintaining 125 FPS — well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, High yields 89 FPS, which is acceptable, while Medium gives 109 FPS and Low gives 133 FPS. Ultra at 1440p falls to 56 FPS, which is below 60 and likely to feel less smooth. At 4K, only Low (83 FPS) and Medium (68 FPS) maintain playable frame rates; High drops to 56 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35 FPS.

The optimal choice depends on the user's display resolution. For 1080p, High is the recommended preset: it delivers 125 FPS average, which is more than double the 60 FPS target, and the visual uplift over Medium is meaningful. For 1440p, Medium at 109 FPS is the sweet spot, as High at 89 FPS is also viable but Medium provides headroom. For 4K, Low at 83 FPS is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, while Medium at 68 FPS is also playable; High and Ultra should be avoided due to sub-60 FPS averages.

The data also shows that the Medium preset at each resolution includes min and max FPS values: at 1080p, min is 130 and max is 176; at 1440p, min is 93 and max is 126; at 4K, min is 58 and max is 78. These ranges indicate that Medium has relatively consistent frame pacing, with the 4K min of 58 FPS only slightly below 60. For users prioritizing frame consistency, Medium is the safest choice across all resolutions, as its minimum FPS never falls drastically below the average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Downfall with this combo covers 12 distinct configurations — three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings tiers (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). The full breakdown is as follows:

At 1920x1080:

• Low: average 187 FPS
• Medium: average 153 FPS, min 130, max 176
• High: average 125 FPS
• Ultra: average 78 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: average 133 FPS
• Medium: average 109 FPS, min 93, max 126
• High: average 89 FPS
• Ultra: average 56 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: average 83 FPS
• Medium: average 68 FPS, min 58, max 78
• High: average 56 FPS
• Ultra: average 35 FPS

The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent penalty. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 34 FPS (187 to 153), from Medium to High costs 28 FPS (153 to 125), and from High to Ultra costs 47 FPS (125 to 78). The largest single step is High to Ultra, which is a 38% reduction. At 1440p, the steps are: Low to Medium costs 24 FPS (133 to 109), Medium to High costs 20 FPS (109 to 89), and High to Ultra costs 33 FPS (89 to 56). At 4K, the steps are: Low to Medium costs 15 FPS (83 to 68), Medium to High costs 12 FPS (68 to 56), and High to Ultra costs 21 FPS (56 to 35).

The min and max FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the range is 130 to 176 FPS, a spread of 46 FPS around the 153 average. At 1440p Medium, the range is 93 to 126 FPS, a spread of 33 FPS around the 109 average. At 4K Medium, the range is 58 to 78 FPS, a spread of 20 FPS around the 68 average. This narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's workload becomes more uniform as it becomes the primary bottleneck.

The data also reveals that at 1080p, even Ultra settings (78 FPS) exceed the 60 FPS threshold, meaning the combo can run maxed-out settings at full HD. At 1440p, Ultra falls to 56 FPS, which is just below 60. At 4K, only Low and Medium exceed 60 FPS. This pattern indicates that the combo is best suited for 1080p high-refresh gaming, capable at 1440p with moderate presets, and only playable at 4K with reduced settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process. It contains 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, with 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU's base clock is 1605 MHz, boost clock is 1905 MHz, and game clock is 1755 MHz. Memory is 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The pixel rate is 121.9 GPixel/s, texture rate is 304.8 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 9.754 TFLOPS. The card has a 225 W TDP and requires a 550 W suggested power supply, using a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connector.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 5700 XT scores 16277 in PassMark G3D, 7650 in PassMark GPU Compute, and 2134 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its Geekbench scores are 9524 for OpenCL, 68310 for Vulkan, and 74647 for Metal. The GPU's percentile versus all GPUs is 59, and its average benchmark score is 16361. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (delta +0.1%), NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (delta -0.3%), AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (delta -0.3%), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 (delta -0.9%).

The GPU's role in Downfall is decisive. The measured FPS results show that at 4K Ultra, the combo only manages 35 FPS, while at 1080p Low it achieves 187 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K with High or Ultra settings, the memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and compute throughput (9.754 TFLOPS) become limiting. The 64 ROPs are likely the constraint at 4K, given the 121.9 GPixel/s fill rate; the pixel workload at 3840x2160 is roughly 4 times that of 1080p, which explains the near-2.25x FPS drop observed across all settings.

The GPU's 59th percentile ranking aligns with the combo's in-game performance. The RX 5700 XT is a capable 1080p card, as evidenced by 125 FPS at High settings, but it struggles at 4K Ultra (35 FPS). The fact that the GPU's nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average benchmark score suggests that this performance level is representative of its class — and Downfall's frame rates reflect that mid-range positioning. The card's boost clock of 1905 MHz is relatively high, but the RDNA 1.0 architecture's lack of hardware ray tracing is irrelevant for this 2016 horror title, which likely relies on traditional rasterization.