Downfall

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Downfall with the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT reveal a clear pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 136.6 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset drops the average to 92.9 FPS, a reduction of roughly 32%. At 3840x2160, the High preset yields 61.2 FPS, which is about 55% below the 1080p result. This scaling behavior indicates that the rendering load is scaling predictably with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 197.4 FPS, which falls to 144.9 FPS at 1440p and then to 88.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 52.5 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 56.1 FPS. These nearly identical absolute deltas suggest that the GPU is still the limiting factor even at Low settings, though the margins shrink as resolution climbs.

Ultra settings show the steepest scaling curve. The 1080p Ultra average of 83.8 FPS declines to 62.7 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 35.3 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p Ultra number, which points to the memory bandwidth and compute throughput of the RX 6650 XT being saturated by the combination of high settings and dense pixel counts. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is not a playable target for this configuration, while 1080p and 1440p remain viable across most presets.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for balancing visual quality and playability. At 1920x1080, every preset exceeds 83 FPS, so the recommendation depends on whether the user prioritizes smoothness or fidelity. Ultra at 1080p delivers 83.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold commonly cited for smooth gameplay, but High at 136.6 FPS offers a substantial margin for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium at 164.4 FPS and Low at 197.4 FPS are both well beyond what most monitors can display, making them less useful unless the user has a 144Hz or 240Hz panel.

At 2560x1440, the choice narrows. Ultra drops to 62.7 FPS, which is still playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. High at 92.9 FPS provides a better balance, offering a 48% increase over Ultra while maintaining visual quality that is likely indistinguishable in fast-paced horror sequences. Medium at 114.3 FPS is the strongest option for users with 120Hz or 144Hz monitors, as it clears that refresh rate with a small buffer. Low at 144.9 FPS is the only preset that fully saturates a 144Hz display at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the options are limited. High at 61.2 FPS is the only preset that stays above 60 FPS, while Medium at 73.8 FPS and Low at 88.8 FPS are both playable but require accepting reduced visual fidelity. Ultra at 35.3 FPS is not recommended for actual gameplay. For a horror game where atmosphere and frame stability matter, 1440p High appears to be the sweet spot, delivering 92.9 FPS with a meaningful quality uplift over lower presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2055 MHz, a game clock of 2410 MHz, and a boost clock of 2635 MHz. These clocks are relatively high for the segment, and the data suggests they contribute meaningfully to the frame rates observed in Downfall.

The GPU's memory configuration is a notable factor in the 4K results. With 8 GB of VRAM and a 128-bit interface, the card is pushed hard at 3840x2160, especially on Ultra settings where the average drops to 35.3 FPS. The bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s appears sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, where the card scales well across presets, but the 4K Ultra result indicates that the memory subsystem and the 10.79 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are both saturated. The pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s also play a role, with the latter being stressed by high-detail textures at 4K.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the database, the RX 6650 XT has an average benchmark score of 29024, which is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (29011, 0.0% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996, 0.1% delta). It sits slightly below the Intel Arc A370M (29175, -0.5%) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH (29197, -0.6%). These margins are within noise, indicating that the 6650 XT is positioned in a crowded performance band. In Downfall specifically, its 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs suggests it handles the game competently at mainstream resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings shows a wide spread. Low produces 197.4 FPS average, Medium drops to 164.4 FPS, High comes in at 136.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 83.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 113.6 FPS, demonstrating that Downfall's settings have a substantial impact on the GPU load. The step from High to Ultra is particularly steep, losing 52.8 FPS, which is the largest single-step drop across all resolutions.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 144.9 FPS, Medium 114.3 FPS, High 92.9 FPS, and Ultra 62.7 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 82.2 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p but still significant. The High-to-Ultra step loses 30.2 FPS, indicating that Ultra's additional effects are costly at this resolution as well.

At 3840x2160, the results compress further. Low averages 88.8 FPS, Medium 73.8 FPS, High 61.2 FPS, and Ultra 35.3 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap narrows to 53.5 FPS, but the Ultra result becomes the only one below 60 FPS. The Medium-to-High step at 4K is 12.6 FPS, while the High-to-Ultra step is 25.9 FPS, showing that the GPU is progressively less able to absorb the cost of higher presets as pixel count rises.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently delivers the highest frame rates, with 1080p Low nearly hitting 200 FPS. The data indicates that this combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being viable only on lower presets.

FAQ

Q: Can this configuration run Downfall at 60 FPS on 4K Ultra?

A: No. The measured average at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 35.3 FPS, which is well below 60 FPS. The High preset at 4K achieves 61.2 FPS, so 60 FPS is only feasible with lower settings.

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

A: High at 2560x1440 delivers 92.9 FPS, which offers a solid balance between visual quality and frame rate. Medium at 114.3 FPS is better for 120Hz displays, while Ultra at 62.7 FPS is the lowest playable option.

Q: How does the RX 6650 XT compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 6650 XT has an average benchmark score of 29024, which is effectively tied with the RX 6800M (29011, 0.0%) and the RX 470 (28996, 0.1%). It is 0.5% behind the Intel Arc A370M and 0.6% behind the RX Vega M GH.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter, especially at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops consistently as resolution increases across all presets, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient for the load.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average at 1920x1080 with High settings is 136.6 FPS. This is well above 60 FPS and suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a playable experience at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 1080p Ultra the average is 83.8 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra it is 62.7 FPS. Both are above 60 FPS, but the 4K Ultra result of 35.3 FPS is not playable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S family, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, and it carries a 12 MB shared L3 cache. The chip is built on Intel's 10 nm process and has a TDP of 58 W. These specifications are modest by modern standards, but the benchmark data shows they are sufficient for Downfall.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 11912 points, while its single-core score is 1681. The 3DMark results show a score of 4051 with 16 threads and 4023 with max threads, indicating that the 4-core design saturates quickly but still performs consistently. The Passmark multithread score is 14015, and the single-thread score is 3444. These numbers place the i3-12100F in the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13516.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i3-12100F is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13534, -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i7-1250U (13462, 0.4% delta). It also sits close to the Intel Core i3-10105 (13430, 0.6%) and the Intel Core i7-7700K (13280, 1.8%). These tight margins suggest that the 12100F is well within the expected performance envelope for this class.

In Downfall, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution and settings, with no evidence of a CPU bottleneck at any preset. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed and the CPU would be most likely to limit performance, the system still reaches 197.4 FPS. This indicates that the 4-core, 8-thread configuration is more than adequate for this title, which likely does not demand high core counts. The boost clock of 4.30 GHz and the efficient Alder Lake architecture help maintain high frame delivery without stutter, as evidenced by the consistent averages across all measured points.