Downfall

The benchmark data for Downfall, running on an Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, shows a system that is decisively overpowered for this horror title. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high across all tested resolutions and presets, indicating that the primary bottleneck will almost never be the hardware. The data shows a clear path to maximum visual fidelity at standard and high-resolution gaming, with only the most extreme 4K Ultra preset dipping below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS varies by resolution, but the results are consistently high.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the best playable setting is High, which delivers an average of 89 FPS. This is a substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold. While the Medium preset also clears the bar with an average of 109 FPS, High is the superior choice as it provides a significant visual upgrade while still offering a very high frame rate. The Ultra preset is the only one that fails to meet the playable standard, dropping to an average of 56 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the best playable setting is Ultra, achieving an average of 90 FPS. This is a remarkable result, as it means the game can be run at its highest visual quality with a frame rate that is 50% higher than the 60 FPS target. The High preset runs at 143 FPS, and Medium at 175 FPS, but Ultra is clearly the optimal choice for this resolution.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the best playable setting is also Ultra, with an average of 125 FPS. This frame rate is more than double the playable threshold, making the experience exceptionally smooth. The Low preset reaches 299 FPS, likely hitting a frame rate cap or engine limit, but the Ultra preset's 125 FPS average is the best balance of visual quality and performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals a clear picture of which component is doing the heavy lifting. The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-threaded performance ensures high frame rates are maintained at lower resolutions.

Comparing the 4K and 1080p results at the Ultra preset, the average frame rate drops from 125 FPS at 1080p to 56 FPS at 4K. This 55% reduction in performance is a direct consequence of the increased pixel count, which places a proportionally larger load on the GPU. The RTX 3080's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are being stressed, but the scaling is smooth and predictable.

The scaling from 1440p to 1080p at the Ultra preset shows a more modest drop, from 90 FPS to 125 FPS. The CPU’s role becomes more apparent here. The Core Ultra 5 225's single-core performance, as evidenced by its 368 Cinebench R15 and 3655 Cinebench R23 scores, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU. The fact that the 1080p Ultra score of 125 FPS is not significantly higher than the 1440p score of 90 FPS suggests that the engine is beginning to hit a CPU-bound limit, but it is a very high limit.

The performance gap between presets at a fixed resolution also points to GPU dominance. At 4K, the jump from Low to Ultra is from 133 FPS down to 56 FPS. This massive 77 FPS difference is almost entirely due to the GPU's workload, as the CPU's task of managing the game world remains relatively constant. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is never the limiting factor, as even the most demanding preset at 1440p and 1080p yields frame rates above 90 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K resolution, the system can play the game on the High preset with an average of 89 FPS, and also on Medium with 109 FPS. The Ultra preset is not playable, as it drops to an average of 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset I can use at 1440p?

A: The data shows that the Ultra preset is playable at 2560x1440, producing an average frame rate of 90 FPS. This is the highest quality setting tested and it comfortably exceeds the playable threshold.

Q: How does the frame rate compare between Medium and High settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 245 FPS, while the High preset averages 201 FPS. Both are exceptionally high, but the High preset will provide better visual fidelity at the cost of 44 FPS.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset ever a viable option?

A: No, according to the measured data. The average frame rate at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset is 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This preset is not recommended for a smooth experience.

Q: Which is better for this game: the CPU or the GPU?

A: The GPU has a more significant role in determining performance at higher resolutions. For example, at 4K, performance scales dramatically with settings, from 133 FPS on Low to 56 FPS on Ultra. The CPU's role is more prominent at lower resolutions, but its performance headroom is so large that it never acts as a bottleneck.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The average frame rate at 1920x1080 with the Low preset is 299 FPS. This is likely near the engine's maximum frame rate limit.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Downfall? The data provides a definitive and resounding yes. The benchmark results indicate that this combination of an Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is exceptionally well-suited for the game.

At 3840x2160, the system is playable on High and Medium presets. The High preset, with an average of 89 FPS, is the recommended choice for the best experience. The Ultra preset is the only setting that fails to reach the 60 FPS standard, averaging 56 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system is fully playable on all tested presets. The Ultra preset is the most demanding and still achieves an average of 90 FPS, which is a stellar result. This resolution is the sweet spot for this hardware, allowing for maximum visual settings with a high frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the system is also fully playable on all tested presets. The Ultra preset runs at an average of 125 FPS, providing an extremely fluid experience. Even the most demanding settings at 1080p are far beyond the playable threshold.

The verdict is clear: this PC can run Downfall with maximum settings at 1440p and 1080p, and with high settings at 4K. The only scenario that falls short is the 4K Ultra preset, which is a minor compromise given the overall performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark data places this specific configuration among a range of hardware with similar aggregate performance. For the CPU and GPU respectively, the nearest rivals offer an idea of what other components would deliver a comparable experience.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits alongside a tight cluster of CPUs with nearly identical average benchmark scores. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has a delta of 0%, meaning its average score of 36945 is functionally identical to the Ultra 5's 36938. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% slower. The Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% slower. In practice, any of these processors would deliver similar frame rates in Downfall, as the game is not heavily CPU-bound at the tested settings.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is compared to a set of rivals with very small performance deltas. The NVIDIA P106-100 is 0.3% slower, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and AMD Radeon R9 M290X are both 0.4% slower. These results suggest that a system with any of these GPUs would produce frame rates very close to those measured for the RTX 3080, though none would offer a meaningful performance advantage. The user should expect nearly identical playability characteristics.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 places this system firmly in the upper echelon of tested configurations for Downfall.

The combo ranks 1057 out of 3716 total tested combinations. This places it in the top 28.5% of all systems tested. Given the game's age and its relatively modest system requirements, this high ranking is expected. The performance is not just playable; it is exceptionally strong, with a significant amount of headroom for high refresh rate monitors or future content updates. The data confirms that this pairing is a high-performing configuration that will not struggle with this title.