Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a formidable combination for Downfall, a horror title that clearly responds well to high-end hardware. The measured data shows this system does not merely meet the 60 FPS playability threshold; it shatters it at every resolution, leaving substantial headroom for maxed-out settings and high refresh rates. This analysis breaks down exactly how this pairing performs, where the bottlenecks lie, and how it stacks up against other tested configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Downfall is characterized by extreme performance, even at the most demanding settings. The system's output scales predictably with resolution, but the sheer frame rates indicate a title that is not particularly taxing on the GPU.

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4080 is effectively unchained. With Low settings, the average FPS hits 400. Moving to Medium settings, the average is 327 FPS, with a minimum of 278 FPS and a maximum of 376 FPS. The High preset averages 268 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset produces an average of 168 FPS, which is nearly three times the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 285 FPS. Medium settings deliver an average of 233 FPS, with the frame rate fluctuating between a minimum of 198 FPS and a maximum of 268 FPS. The High preset averages 191 FPS. The Ultra preset, while more demanding, still averages 120 FPS, comfortably doubling the playability threshold.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the GPU begins to show more of a load, but performance is still stellar. The Low preset averages 178 FPS. Medium settings see an average of 145 FPS, with a minimum of 123 FPS and a maximum of 167 FPS. The High preset averages 119 FPS. Finally, the Ultra preset, the most demanding configuration tested, still achieves an average of 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior depending on the resolution. At lower resolutions, the CPU is the primary limiter, while at 4K, the GPU takes on a more significant role.

The evidence for a CPU bottleneck at 1080p is the marginal FPS gain between the Low and High presets. The difference between 400 FPS (Low) and 268 FPS (High) is substantial, but the jump from 327 FPS at Medium to 268 FPS at High is relatively small compared to the performance ceiling. The fact that even the Ultra preset yields 168 FPS—far beyond the 60 FPS target—suggests the Core Ultra 5 225 is capable of feeding the RTX 4080 enough data to maintain high frame rates, but the scaling from Low to High is not linear. This indicates the game engine's draw calls at 1080p are more likely to be limited by the CPU's processing speed than the GPU's rendering capacity.

As resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU's workload increases, but the system still doesn't seem to hit a hard GPU limit. The average FPS at Ultra drops to 120 FPS, which is still incredibly high. The scaling from 1080p Ultra (168 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (120 FPS) shows a performance reduction of about 29%, which is a typical result of adding more pixels. This suggests that while the GPU is working harder, both components are still well within their limits.

At 4K, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The drop from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra is significant, going from 120 FPS down to 74 FPS. This is a 38% reduction in performance, indicating that the RTX 4080 is now the primary bottleneck. The CPU's role is less critical at this resolution because the GPU is spending more time on pixel processing, giving the CPU ample time to prepare frames. The fact that the High preset at 4K achieves 119 FPS while Ultra drops to 74 FPS confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the settings change directly impacts the rendering load.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 4K with the highest settings?*

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows an average of 74 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 168. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 74. This represents a performance drop of approximately 56% when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 225 holding back the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The data suggests a CPU bottleneck is present at lower resolutions. For example, at 1920x1080, the average FPS at Low settings is 400, but at Ultra it is 168. The GPU is not fully utilized at 1080p, as it could likely render more frames if the CPU could feed it faster. At 4K, the bottleneck shifts to the GPU, as indicated by the larger performance drop at higher settings.

Q: What is the most demanding setting that still runs at a very high frame rate at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 runs at an average of 120 FPS. This is double the 60 FPS playability threshold and indicates a very smooth experience.

Q: How does the RTX 4080's performance compare to its immediate successor?

A: According to the nearestRivals data, the RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has a score of 54209, resulting in a deltaPct of 0.1%. This indicates the RTX 4080 is effectively on par with the 4080 SUPER in general compute benchmarks.

Q: Is there a significant difference in performance between the Low and Medium presets at 4K?

A: Yes, there is a noticeable jump. The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 178 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 145 FPS. The data also shows that the Medium preset has a minimum of 123 FPS and a maximum of 167 FPS, indicating a stable frame time.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific hardware combination holds a strong position within the database of tested systems. The combo achieved a rank of 230 out of 3716 tested combinations for Downfall. This places it in the top 6.2% of all tested configurations, a signal of the high-end nature of both the CPU and GPU.

This high ranking is unsurprising given the performance data. The Core Ultra 5 225, which falls in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and the RTX 4080, which is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, are both high-performing parts on their own. When combined, they create a system that is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming in Downfall. The data shows that this combo is not just about achieving a playable frame rate; it's about achieving a very high frame rate that can take advantage of high-refresh-rate monitors, with enough headroom to spare.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users looking at this specific pairing, there are several hardware alternatives that would yield a very similar experience. The data from the nearestRivals sections provides a clear picture of what performs comparably.

On the CPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which has a score of 36945 and a deltaPct of 0%. This means a system using the Ryzen 5 5600F would perform virtually identically to the Core Ultra 5 225 in general CPU workloads. Other close rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with a deltaPct of -0.2%, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 with a deltaPct of -0.4%, and the Intel Core i9-12900T with a deltaPct of -0.5%. These CPUs will all offer a nearly identical level of performance in Downfall, meaning the choice between them would come down to platform features rather than raw gaming performance.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247. The closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, with a score of 54209 and a deltaPct of 0.1%. This indicates that the 4080 SUPER would offer a practically identical performance level. Other alternatives include the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X with a deltaPct of -1.1%, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB with a deltaPct of -2.6%, and the AMD Radeon 8060S with a deltaPct of -2.7%. These GPUs are slightly less performant but would still be in the same ballpark, providing a similar gaming experience in Downfall, though the RTX 4080 and 4080 SUPER are the closest direct matches.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally confirms that this PC can run Downfall flawlessly. The verdict by resolution is clear, with every single resolution and preset combination exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 1920x1080, the system is vastly overqualified. Even the most demanding Ultra preset achieves an average of 168 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset still delivers an excellent 120 FPS average, ensuring a very smooth experience. At 3840x2160, the system remains fully playable at the highest settings, with the Ultra preset averaging 74 FPS. This means a user can enjoy the game at maximum visual fidelity in 4K without dropping below the 60 FPS threshold. In short, this is a system that not only runs the game but dominates it.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark results indicate that there is no need to compromise on visual quality to achieve a high frame rate. The most demanding preset, Ultra, maintains an average FPS above the 60 FPS threshold at all tested resolutions.

• 3840x2160 (4K): The best settings are Ultra, which produces an average FPS of 74.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): The best settings are Ultra, which produces an average FPS of 120.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): The best settings are Ultra, which produces an average FPS of 168.

This data shows that the optimal experience is to enable the Ultra preset at any resolution. The performance headroom is so substantial that users can prioritize visual fidelity without any concern for frame rate drops below the playable threshold.