Downfall

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 760M produces a fundamentally unbalanced gaming experience in Downfall, where the CPU’s immense processing power is consistently bottlenecked by the integrated graphics solution. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings place this combo near the very bottom of the database, ranking 2919 out of 2928 tested combinations. This indicates a severe GPU limitation that defines every aspect of the game’s performance profile.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, drawing a 55 W TDP. This mobile flagship features 64 MB of L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, with 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The CPU supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, providing 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Built on TSMC’s 5 nm process, the chip contains 13,140 million transistors across a 2x 71 mm² die configuration.

In synthetic benchmarks, this processor demonstrates exceptional multi-threaded capability. It scores 42,713 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,030 in single-core, while achieving 17,939 in Cinebench R20 multi-core and 2,532 in single-core. The Passmark multi-thread score reaches 51,405, with single-thread performance at 3,907. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 76,212, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX with an average score of 76,155 (0.1% delta), the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P at 76,492 (-0.4% delta), the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX at 76,513 (-0.4% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D at 75,779 (0.6% delta).

Despite this CPU horsepower, Downfall is clearly not CPU-bound in any measurable way. The game’s horror genre typically involves limited AI and physics calculations compared to large-scale strategy or simulation titles. Benchmark results indicate that even at 1080p Low settings, where CPU load would be most apparent relative to GPU load, the system only manages 65 FPS average. This is far below what the Ryzen 9 8945HX could deliver if the graphics pipeline were not the limiting factor. The CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads remain largely underutilized in this workload, as frame rates scale almost entirely with GPU-related parameters such as resolution and graphical preset quality.

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

The AMD Radeon 760M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, using the Phoenix chip manufactured on TSMC’s 4 nm process. It contains 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2599 MHz. It features 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, 16 raster operation pipelines, and 8 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 41.58 GPixel/s, texture rate is 83.17 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance reaches 5.323 TFLOPS. Memory is System Shared, meaning the GPU borrows from the CPU’s DDR5 pool, with bandwidth described as System Dependent. The GPU has a 15 W TDP and connects via PCIe 4.0 x8.

In GPU benchmarks, the Radeon 760M scores 5,310 in Passmark G3D, 890 in G2D, and 2,840 in GPU compute. DirectX performance varies significantly: 65 in DirectX 9, 52 in DirectX 11, 25 in DirectX 12, and 19 in DirectX 10. Geekbench scores show 20,255 in OpenCL and 30,336 in Vulkan. The GPU sits in the 35th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 6,019. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6400 at 6,001 (0.3% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M at 6,000 (0.3% delta), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server at 5,996 (0.4% delta), and the NVIDIA Quadro P2000 at 6,049 (-0.5% delta).

The Radeon 760M is the decisive factor in this combo’s poor gaming performance. With only 16 ROPs and 512 shaders, the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates even at modest settings. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: the GPU cannot handle Downfall’s rendering demands at any resolution above Low. The DirectX 12 score of 25 out of a possible scale indicates weak modern API performance, which directly impacts this 2016 horror title. The System Shared memory architecture adds latency and bandwidth constraints, though the exact impact cannot be quantified from the available data.

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

At 1920x1080, the lowest measured resolution, the Low preset delivers 65 FPS average, which is the only setting that approaches smooth gameplay. Medium drops to 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS and maximum of 61 FPS, while High falls to 44 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 27 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 58% performance reduction, highlighting the GPU’s inability to handle increased graphical fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 46 FPS, which remains borderline playable but below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium produces 38 FPS with a range of 32 to 44 FPS, High drops to 31 FPS, and Ultra falls to 19 FPS. The 1440p Low result represents a 29% decrease from the 1080p Low result, indicating resolution scaling that outpaces the GPU’s capabilities.

At 3840x2160, all presets become effectively unplayable. Low yields 29 FPS, Medium 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 FPS and maximum of 27 FPS, High 19 FPS, and Ultra a mere 12 FPS. The data clearly indicates that 4K gaming is not viable with this combination.

The optimal experience is achieved at 1080p Low, where 65 FPS average provides the smoothest gameplay. Users seeking higher visual quality should accept that Medium at 1080p (53 FPS) is the maximum playable preset, though it sacrifices smoothness. Any settings above Medium or any resolution above 1080p will result in frame rates that fall below acceptable thresholds for a horror game requiring responsive controls.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This combination of AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and AMD Radeon 760M ranks 2919 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 0.3% of all systems tested. This rank reflects the severe mismatch between the high-end CPU and the entry-level integrated GPU. The CPU alone ranks in the 95th percentile of all processors, while the GPU sits in the 35th percentile of all graphics solutions. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU creates a system that is fundamentally incapable of delivering competitive frame rates in this title.

The rank of 2919 indicates that only 9 other combinations performed worse in Downfall. This positions the system among the weakest configurations tested, despite featuring a modern 16-core processor. The data suggests that the integrated GPU’s performance ceiling is so low that it negates any potential CPU advantages. For context, the CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, would presumably achieve much higher frame rates if paired with a discrete GPU, though no direct comparison data exists in this pack.

The low rank is consistent across all measured settings and resolutions, with no configuration escaping the bottom-tier performance envelope. This consistency indicates that the GPU bottleneck is absolute, leaving no scenario where the CPU’s capabilities can positively influence gaming performance.

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

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals the nature of the bottleneck. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p sees a drop from 65 FPS to 46 FPS, a 29% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K further reduces performance to 29 FPS, another 37% drop. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 55%, from 65 FPS to 29 FPS.

At Medium settings, the scaling shows 53 FPS at 1080p, 38 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. This represents a 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 37% drop from 1440p to 4K, with a total reduction of 55% from 1080p to 4K. High settings follow a similar pattern: 44 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K, with drops of 30% and 39% respectively, totaling a 57% reduction. Ultra settings show 27 FPS at 1080p, 19 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K, with drops of 30% and 37%, totaling a 56% reduction.

The consistent ~55-57% total reduction across all settings indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, resolution scaling would show diminishing FPS drops at higher resolutions as GPU load increases. Instead, the FPS drops proportionally with the pixel count increase, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The 4K results of 12-29 FPS across all presets are far below playable thresholds, confirming that the Radeon 760M simply lacks the pixel throughput, texture rate, and ROP capacity to handle modern resolutions in this title.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 at Low settings provides the highest average FPS at 65, making it the only configuration that approaches smooth gameplay. Medium at 1080p achieves 53 FPS, but any resolution above 1080p or preset above Medium results in average FPS below 46.

Q: How does this system rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 2919 out of 2928 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the bottom 0.3% of all systems. Only 9 other configurations performed worse in this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is entirely the limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 8945HX ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the Radeon 760M sits in the 35th percentile of GPUs. The consistent FPS scaling across resolutions confirms a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at any setting in Downfall?

A: No. The highest measured average FPS is 65 at 1080p Low, which exceeds 60 FPS. However, all other settings and resolutions fall below 60 FPS, with 1080p Medium at 53 FPS being the next highest.

Q: How does the Radeon 760M compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Radeon 760M has an average benchmark score of 6,019, placing it 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6400 (6,001) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M (6,000), 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server (5,996), and 0.5% behind the NVIDIA Quadro P2000 (6,049).

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

A: At 1080p, Low achieves 65 FPS while Ultra achieves 27 FPS, representing a 58% performance reduction when moving from the lowest to the highest preset. The intermediate presets scale predictably, with Medium at 53 FPS and High at 44 FPS.