Downfall

# Downfall with AMD Ryzen 9 7900X + Intel Arc B390

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a striking performance profile in Downfall, one defined by a massive CPU advantage and a severe GPU bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 7900X sits in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc B390 languishes in the 9th percentile among GPUs, a disparity that makes the measured frame rates almost entirely GPU-bound. This combination ranks 2589th out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, which suggests the GPU is the decisive limiting factor across all tested settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable pattern of degradation as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop is telling. At 1080p with Low settings, the system averages 106 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 76 FPS, a decline of roughly 28%, and then to 4K Low it falls further to 47 FPS, which is a 56% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep scaling curve is characteristic of a system where the GPU is saturated early; as pixel count rises, the Arc B390's limited compute resources are stretched thinner, and the CPU's ample headroom cannot compensate.

The Medium settings row provides the only complete dataset with min, max, and average FPS, offering deeper insight into the scaling behavior. At 1080p Medium, the average is 87 FPS with a range from 74 to 100 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 62 FPS with a range of 53 to 71 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 39 FPS with a range of 33 to 44 FPS. The proportional drop from 1080p to 1440p is 29%, and from 1440p to 4K is 37%, showing that the performance penalty accelerates as resolution climbs. This nonlinear degradation suggests the GPU's memory subsystem and shading units are progressively overwhelmed, not just by raw pixel count but by the increased memory pressure at higher resolutions.

High settings tell a similar story. The system produces 71 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 28%, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 37%. Ultra settings are the most demanding, yielding 44 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and just 20 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these scaling ratios across settings indicates that the bottleneck is not a specific setting feature but rather the fundamental throughput ceiling of the GPU. The data implies that at 4K Ultra, the system is essentially at the edge of playability, and any attempt to push beyond these settings would likely result in sub-20 FPS performance.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture, built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a TDP of 170 W. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with a theoretical bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 9 7900X demonstrates exceptional multi-threaded capability. It scores 29,300 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 19,267 in Geekbench multi-core, and 51,406 in Passmark multi-thread. Single-thread performance is equally strong, with scores of 2,016.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4,238 in Passmark single-thread. The 3DMark results show scaling from 2,137 with 2 threads to 12,536 with max threads, indicating that the processor can effectively utilize its full core count. The CPU's average benchmark score of 53,288 places it in the 91st percentile, with nearest rivals including the AMD EPYC 7313P (0.2% higher), Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (0.3% lower), Intel Xeon 634 (0.6% higher), and Intel Core i7-14700F (0.6% lower).

For Downfall, a horror game released in 2016, the CPU's role is likely to be minimal given the game's age and genre. The data supports this hypothesis: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 106 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target, and even at 4K Low it manages 47 FPS. The fact that frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution and settings indicates that the CPU is not the constraint. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions at the same settings, which is not the case. The Ryzen 9 7900X's 12 cores and 24 threads provide substantial headroom for game logic, physics, and AI calculations, and the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance for older game engines that may not scale well across many cores.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 presents a stark contrast to the CPU. This is a mobile-class integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. The GPU includes 12 ray tracing cores and delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Critically, the memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's DDR5 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

The Arc B390's benchmark presence is minimal, with only a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482. This places it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all significantly older, lower-end parts: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% higher), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5% higher), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% higher), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7% higher). These are entry-level GPUs from a decade ago, which contextualizes the Arc B390's performance class.

In Downfall, the GPU's limitations are evident across all measured configurations. Even at 1080p Low, the system only reaches 106 FPS, which is respectable but not exceptional for a game from 2016. The 4K Ultra result of 20 FPS is particularly telling — it suggests the GPU's 24 ROPs and shared memory bandwidth are severely insufficient for 4K rendering at high quality settings. The system shared memory architecture means the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which could exacerbate the performance drop at higher resolutions where memory pressure increases. The FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS is the theoretical peak, but the shared memory bottleneck likely prevents the GPU from approaching this figure in real-world gaming scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Why does the system perform so much better at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: The measured data shows a consistent pattern where FPS drops by roughly 28-37% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and then another 37% or more when moving from 1440p to 4K. This is because the Intel Arc B390 has only 24 ROPs and uses system shared memory, both of which become increasingly strained as pixel count and memory pressure rise.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X bottlenecking the Arc B390 in Downfall?

A: No. The CPU is in the 91st percentile with an average benchmark score of 53,288, while the GPU is in the 9th percentile with a score of 1,482. The frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, which indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads, along with its 5.60 GHz boost clock, provide far more processing power than this game from 2016 requires.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Downfall with this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1080p is the only resolution where the system maintains playable frame rates across most settings. At 1080p Low it averages 106 FPS, at Medium 87 FPS, and at High 71 FPS. Even 1080p Ultra averages 44 FPS, which is borderline. At 1440p, only Low settings (76 FPS) provide a comfortable experience, while 4K is generally below 50 FPS across all settings.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482 is within 2.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1,443), 1.5% of the GeForce 800M (1,460), 1.3% of the GeForce GT 520MX (1,463), and 2.5% of the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446). These are all entry-level GPUs, confirming the Arc B390's low-end positioning.

Q: Does the game's 2016 release date affect how this hardware performs?

A: The data suggests that the game is not particularly demanding, as the system achieves over 100 FPS at 1080p Low. However, the GPU's limitations become apparent at higher resolutions and settings, indicating that the hardware is the constraint rather than the game's engine. The CPU's high single-thread performance (2,016.5 in Cinebench R23) is likely sufficient for the game's logic, but the GPU cannot keep pace at higher loads.

Q: What do the min and max FPS values at Medium settings indicate?

A: At 1080p Medium, the system ranges from 74 to 100 FPS with an average of 87 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it ranges from 53 to 71 FPS with an average of 62 FPS. At 4K Medium, it ranges from 33 to 44 FPS with an average of 39 FPS. The relatively tight range at each resolution suggests consistent performance without major stuttering, but the average FPS drops significantly as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2589 out of 2928 tested combinations places this system in the bottom 11.6% of all tested configurations in Downfall. This ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's weak performance, as the CPU is among the top 10% of all processors. The data implies that this combination is severely imbalanced — the CPU is capable of far higher frame rates, but the GPU cannot deliver them.

The ranking context matters when interpreting the measured FPS. A system that ranks 2589th out of 2928 would be expected to produce frame rates well below the median tested combo. The measured results align with this expectation: at 1440p High, the system averages 51 FPS, and at 4K High it averages 32 FPS, both of which are likely below the median for tested combos. However, the CPU's high percentile ranking suggests that if paired with a more capable GPU, this system could rank significantly higher. The bottleneck is clear, and the ranking reflects the weakest link in the chain.

The delta between the CPU's 91st percentile and the GPU's 9th percentile is enormous, and this disparity is the defining characteristic of this combo. The data indicates that the GPU limits performance in every measured scenario, and the combo rank serves as a quantitative confirmation of this imbalance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for Downfall with this combo is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 106 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. High settings average 71 FPS. Ultra settings average 44 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 76 FPS. Medium settings average 62 FPS, with a range of 53 to 71 FPS. High settings average 51 FPS. Ultra settings average 32 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 47 FPS. Medium settings average 39 FPS, with a range of 33 to 44 FPS. High settings average 32 FPS. Ultra settings average 20 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all settings: each step up in resolution costs roughly 25-35% of the frame rate, and each step up in settings costs a similar amount. The gap between Low and Ultra at the same resolution is substantial — at 1080p, the difference is 62 FPS (106 vs 44), at 1440p it is 44 FPS (76 vs 32), and at 4K it is 27 FPS (47 vs 20). This indicates that both resolution and settings have significant impacts on performance, but the GPU's limited capabilities mean that even the lowest settings at 4K cannot achieve 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS target, the system can achieve this at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, and at 1440p with Low settings. At 1080p Medium, the average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for smooth gameplay. At 1080p High, the 71 FPS average is still above 60 FPS, but the reduced headroom means occasional dips could approach the threshold.

For 1440p, Low settings at 76 FPS average is the only configuration that reliably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings at 62 FPS average is technically above 60 FPS, but the 53 FPS minimum suggests that demanding scenes could cause noticeable frame drops. High settings at 51 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are likely to feel stuttery in a horror game where smooth motion is important for atmosphere.

For 4K, none of the settings achieve 60 FPS. Low settings at 47 FPS is the most playable option, but even this may feel less fluid. Medium at 39 FPS, High at 32 FPS, and Ultra at 20 FPS are all below the playability threshold for most users. The data suggests that 4K gaming is not viable with this combo if frame rate consistency is a priority.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium settings, which balances visual quality with a high average FPS of 87 and a minimum of 74 FPS. This configuration provides the largest margin above 60 FPS while still offering improved visuals over Low settings. For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, 1080p High at 71 FPS average is a viable alternative, but the reduced headroom relative to Medium makes it a riskier choice for maintaining consistent performance.