Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER presents a classic study in bottleneck dynamics within the horror title Downfall. The 16-core processor, a top-tier desktop part ranking in the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, is coupled with a GPU that sits in the 55th percentile. The measured frame rates across resolutions confirm that the graphics card is the primary constraint, with the CPU's substantial headroom remaining largely untapped. The data shows a system where the GPU's workload dictates the experience, making settings management more critical than platform upgrades.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating a clear GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 149.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 64.0 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 57.2%. Similarly, at High settings, performance drops from 98.1 FPS to 43.5 FPS, a 55.7% decline. This pattern is textbook for a system where the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting factor; as the pixel count rises, the GPU's fill-rate and shading capabilities are saturated, while the Ryzen 9 5950X has ample processing power to spare.

The scaling between 1440p and 4K is less punishing but still substantial. At Medium settings, the transition from 2560x1440 (86.4 FPS) to 3840x2160 (52.8 FPS) represents a 38.9% performance loss. The jump from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows a 29.2% drop, from 122.1 FPS to 86.4 FPS. The non-linear scaling suggests that while the GPU is the bottleneck, the load increase is not perfectly linear due to other system overheads, yet the trend is unmistakable: resolution is the single largest lever on performance.

The most demanding setting, Ultra, exacerbates the resolution penalty. At 1080p, Ultra yields 59.9 FPS, which falls to 42.2 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 29.2 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only sub-30 FPS figure in the entire dataset, making it unsuitable for anything but static observation. The data strongly suggests that for this combination, the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and TU116 chip are overwhelmed by the pixel throughput required at 4K, regardless of the CPU's capability.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth horror experience, the measured data points to a clear hierarchy. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver the highest average frame rate at 149.4 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most standard monitors. However, the Medium preset provides a more balanced experience, achieving 122.1 FPS. This is a 22.4% reduction from Low but likely offers significantly better visual fidelity without sacrificing the high frame rates needed for responsive gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset remains the sweet spot. It produces an average of 86.4 FPS, which is comfortably playable on high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at this resolution yields 73.1 FPS, a 15.4% drop from Medium, while still being acceptable. The Ultra preset, at 42.2 FPS, dips below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action, making it a less desirable choice despite the visual upgrade. The data indicates that Medium is the optimal balance between image quality and performance at 1440p.

At 4K, compromises are mandatory. The Low preset is the only playable option, delivering 64.0 FPS. Medium drops to 52.8 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less fluid, while High falls to 43.5 FPS. Ultra is not viable at 4K, with the 29.2 FPS average rendering it a slideshow. The recommendation for 4K is to use Low settings to maintain a playable frame rate, or to accept the Medium preset's 52.8 FPS if visual quality takes precedence over maximum smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 5950X and GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1542 out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the lower 11.4% of all systems, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range standing. The processor itself is a powerhouse, with an average benchmark score of 49062, placing it just 0.2% behind the Intel Core i5-14600K and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i5-14600KF among its nearest rivals. Yet, the overall combo rank is dragged down by the graphics card.

The GTX 1660 SUPER's individual benchmark average is 14286, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14314, a -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (14389, a -0.7% delta). This indicates that the GPU is performing exactly as expected for its class, but that class is simply not competitive with the high-end CPUs in this database. The 1542nd rank reflects a severe imbalance, where the CPU's potential is capped by the GPU's output.

This ranking is not a verdict on the quality of either component, but rather a measure of their synergy. In a game like Downfall, which appears to be heavily GPU-dependent based on the scaling data, the processor's 16 cores and 32 threads offer no advantage over a less powerful CPU. The system is effectively limited by the GTX 1660 SUPER's 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, making the combo rank a predictable outcome of pairing a top-tier CPU with a 55th-percentile GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this configuration is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are: Low 149.4 FPS, Medium 122.1 FPS, High 98.1 FPS, and Ultra 59.9 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 89.5 FPS, showing a 60.0% performance penalty for the highest settings versus the lowest.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 103.5 FPS, Medium 86.4 FPS, High 73.1 FPS, and Ultra 42.2 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 61.3 FPS, a 59.2% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 64.0 FPS, Medium 52.8 FPS, High 43.5 FPS, and Ultra 29.2 FPS. Here, the Low to Ultra delta is 34.8 FPS, a 54.4% decrease.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the relative penalty for using Ultra versus Low is similar across all resolutions, hovering around 55-60%. This suggests that the GPU's shader and texture units are the bottleneck at all resolutions, and the settings simply modulate the intensity of that workload. The absolute frame rates, however, are heavily dependent on resolution, confirming that the GTX 1660 SUPER's memory subsystem and ROPs are insufficient for high pixel counts.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X bottlenecking the GTX 1660 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The benchmark results show the system is GPU-bound. The frame rate drops significantly with resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 5950X, ranking in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, has far more processing power than the GTX 1660 SUPER, which ranks in the 55th percentile, can utilize in this workload.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Based on the measured data, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 86.4 FPS. This is 13.3 FPS higher than the High preset (73.1 FPS) and more than double the Ultra preset's 42.2 FPS, making it the most balanced option for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

Q: Can this system handle 4K at high refresh rates?

A: No. The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 64.0 FPS on the Low preset. The High preset yields 43.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 29.2 FPS. None of these results are sufficient for high refresh rate displays, and the Ultra preset is below the threshold for consistent playability.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 1542nd out of 1741 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the lower 11.4% of all systems, primarily due to the GPU's mid-range performance, despite the CPU being a high-end part.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 149.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 59.9 FPS. This represents a 89.5 FPS difference, meaning Ultra is 60.0% slower than Low, which is a significant visual quality trade-off for a substantial performance hit.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER performing as expected for its class?

A: Yes. The GPU's average benchmark score is 14286, which is within 0.7% of its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (14389) and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14315). The measured in-game frame rates are consistent with a GPU in this performance tier.