Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a remarkably strong performance profile in Downfall, with the data showing that this pairing is capable of running the game at maximum settings across all standard resolutions while maintaining well above the 60 FPS threshold. The measured FPS data indicates that this combo is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate displays, particularly at 1440p and 1080p, where frame rates exceed 130 FPS even at Ultra settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 4K (3840x2160), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, achieving an average of 93 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the playable threshold with an average of 58 FPS, while Medium reaches 114 FPS and Low reaches 139 FPS. This makes High the optimal choice for 4K gaming, as it provides a substantial visual quality improvement over Medium while still delivering 93 frames per second—a figure that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playability standard.

Moving to 1440p (2560x1440), the Ultra preset becomes fully playable, and the data shows that it is the best settings choice with an average of 94 FPS. This represents a significant jump from the 4K Ultra figure of 58 FPS, demonstrating that the RTX 4070's rendering capabilities scale efficiently when the pixel count drops. The High preset at 1440p delivers 150 FPS, Medium reaches 182 FPS, and Low hits 223 FPS, but Ultra at 94 FPS offers the best balance of visual fidelity and smooth performance.

At 1080p (1920x1080), the Ultra preset is the clear best setting, achieving an average of 131 FPS. This is a strong result for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, as it keeps the frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold while enabling the highest visual quality. The High preset delivers 210 FPS, Medium reaches 256 FPS, and Low hits an impressive 312 FPS, but Ultra at 131 FPS is the recommended choice for players who prioritize both visual quality and smoothness.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions, with the GPU becoming the dominant factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 312 FPS, which is 48% higher than the Ultra preset's 131 FPS. This substantial gap suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the GPU has ample headroom, and the CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient to feed the graphics card. The Core Ultra 7 265's strong single-thread performance, indicated by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960, ensures that the CPU does not become a bottleneck at high frame rates.

At 1440p, the scaling pattern shows the GPU taking on more responsibility. The gap between Low (223 FPS) and Ultra (94 FPS) is 58%, which is similar to the 1080p delta, but the absolute frame rates are lower. This indicates that while the GPU is still the primary limiting factor at Ultra settings, the CPU continues to provide adequate support. The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 182 FPS with min and max figures of 155 and 210 FPS respectively, showing consistent frame delivery that points to a well-balanced system.

At 4K, the GPU's role becomes even more pronounced. The Ultra preset drops to 58 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold, while High maintains 93 FPS. The difference between Low (139 FPS) and Ultra (58 FPS) is 58%, similar to the other resolutions, but the absolute performance shows that the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized. The CPU's influence diminishes at 4K, as the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, but the Core Ultra 7 265's 20 threads ensure that no CPU-bound stutters occur even when frame rates dip at Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured data shows a clear hierarchy across settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 139 FPS, which is the highest at this resolution. Medium achieves an average of 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS, providing a solid 60+ FPS experience with some headroom. High reaches 93 FPS average, still comfortably above the playable threshold. Ultra is the only preset that fails to maintain 60 FPS, with an average of 58 FPS. This 4K breakdown indicates that the RTX 4070 can handle most settings at 4K, but Ultra is too demanding for this resolution.

The 2560x1440 results show a significant improvement across all settings. Low achieves 223 FPS average, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. Medium delivers 182 FPS average with a minimum of 155 FPS and a maximum of 210 FPS, demonstrating strong consistency. High reaches 150 FPS average, and Ultra achieves 94 FPS average. All four presets at 1440p are fully playable, and even the Ultra setting provides a frame rate that is 56% above the 60 FPS minimum, indicating that this combo has substantial headroom at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across the board. Low delivers 312 FPS average, which is over five times the playable threshold. Medium achieves 256 FPS average with a minimum of 217 FPS and a maximum of 294 FPS, showing very tight frame pacing. High reaches 210 FPS average, and Ultra achieves 131 FPS average. The 1080p results demonstrate that this combination is not just playable but excels, with even the most demanding preset delivering more than double the required 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 862 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the top 23% of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the strong overall performance of the Core Ultra 7 265 and RTX 4070 pairing, which delivers playable frame rates at all resolutions except 4K Ultra. The CPU's percentile ranking of 93 among all CPUs indicates that the processor is in the top 7% of tested units, while the GPU's percentile of 81 places it in the top 19% of tested graphics cards. This combination of high-performing components results in a system that is well above average for this game.

The rank of 862 out of 3716 means that 2,854 tested combinations performed worse, while 861 performed better. Given that the RTX 4070 is an end-of-life product and the Core Ultra 7 265 was released in January 2025, this ranking is particularly notable. The data shows that this combo outperforms many systems with more expensive or newer components, especially at 1440p and 1080p where the frame rates are exceptionally high.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 provide context for CPU performance. The AMD EPYC 4464P has an average benchmark score of 64823, which is 0.3% lower than the Core Ultra 7 265's 64640 average. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64438, which is 0.3% lower. The AMD EPYC 7343 scores 64202, which is 0.7% lower, and the AMD EPYC 9124 scores 65104, which is 0.7% higher. These rivals would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Downfall, meaning users with any of these processors would see similar frame rates.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show that the RTX 4070's performance is closely matched by several other cards. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 has an average score of 37628, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4070's 37648. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, which is 0.4% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3% higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, which is 1.3% lower. These rivals would produce very similar FPS results in Downfall, with the RTX 4080 Mobile potentially offering slightly higher frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Downfall at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 58 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which achieves 93 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings are fully playable at 2560x1440, with an average of 94 FPS. All four presets at 1440p—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—maintain above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640, which is within 0.7% of its closest competitors. The AMD EPYC 9124 is 0.7% faster, while the AMD EPYC 7343 is 0.7% slower, making these processors effectively interchangeable for this game.

Q: Is the GPU's performance close to any other cards?

A: The RTX 4070's average score of 37648 is very close to several rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% faster, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 is 0.4% slower, indicating that these cards would deliver nearly identical frame rates.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 131 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. This makes the Ultra preset the best choice for 1080p gaming.

Q: Does the system maintain consistent frame rates at Medium settings?

A: Yes. At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 97 and the maximum is 131, at 1440p Medium the range is 155 to 210 FPS, and at 1080p Medium the range is 217 to 294 FPS. These tight ranges indicate stable performance without major frame drops.