Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B390 is a study in imbalance for Downfall. The CPU sits in the 96th percentile of all processors in the database, a 24-core, 24-thread part with a 5.80 GHz boost clock that posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731. The GPU, by contrast, is an integrated solution on the 9th percentile of all graphics hardware, with 1536 shading units and 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput. Benchmark results indicate the processor is never the limiter here. Every frame-drop in Downfall traces back to the graphics side.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows the following averages: 106 FPS on Low, 87 FPS on Medium, 71 FPS on High, and 44 FPS on Ultra. The Medium run captured a frame range of 74 minimum to 100 maximum, which means the worst moments of a Medium session stay comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. High clears the threshold on average at 71 FPS, though no minimum frame data was captured at that preset, so expect dips below the average in heavier scenes. Ultra at 1080p falls to 44 FPS, well short of playable.

At 2560x1440, Low delivers 76 FPS, Medium 62 FPS, High 51 FPS, and Ultra 32 FPS. Medium is the interesting result here: the average sits just above the 60 FPS line, with a recorded minimum of 53 and maximum of 71. That minimum tells you the frame rate will dip below 60 during demanding moments, so 1440p Medium is playable but not rock-solid. High at 51 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are both out of reach.

At 3840x2160, nothing works. Low manages 47 FPS, Medium 39 FPS (with a 33 to 44 range), High 32 FPS, and Ultra just 20 FPS. The database shows zero playable presets at 4K for this combo, and the gap between the best result (47 FPS on Low) and the 60 FPS threshold is large enough that no amount of settings tweaking closes it.

Scaling between resolutions is telling. Going from 1080p to 1440p cuts roughly 18 percent off the Medium average (87 to 62), and the further step to 4K costs another 37 percent (62 to 39). This steep, roughly linear decline confirms the Arc B390 is fully saturated at every resolution; the Ultra 9 290K Plus has headroom to spare that the graphics side cannot use.

Similar Performance Alternatives

On the CPU side, the nearest rivals by aggregate score are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2 percent behind), AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1 percent behind), AMD EPYC 9135 (1.2 percent behind), and AMD EPYC 7F72 (1.3 percent ahead). Any of these processors would deliver effectively identical frame delivery in Downfall, because the game never stresses this class of hardware hard enough to separate them. Swapping the 290K Plus for the 285K would change nothing measurable.

On the GPU side, the picture is very different. The Arc B390's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3 percent behind), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5 percent behind), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5 percent behind), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7 percent behind). All four are clustered within about 3 percent of the B390's average benchmark score of 1482 on 3DMark Steel Nomad. In practical terms: any machine built around one of these graphics solutions will produce nearly the same Downfall numbers listed above, typically within a frame or two at each preset. Someone running this game on hardware from that tier should expect the same 1080p Medium experience and the same 4K dead end.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Downfall at 4K?

A: No. The database shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The best result is 47 FPS on Low, which misses the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, and Medium drops to 39 FPS with a 33 FPS minimum.

Q: What is the best experience at 1440p?

A: Medium at 2560x1440 averages 62 FPS, making it the highest preset that clears 60 FPS. The recorded minimum of 53 means occasional dips, so players sensitive to frame drops may prefer Low, which averages 76 FPS.

Q: Is the processor or the graphics solution the bottleneck?

A: The graphics side, decisively. The Ultra 9 290K Plus ranks in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Downfall is a 2016 horror title that poses little CPU challenge, so all limits here come from the integrated graphics.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested pairings for this game?

A: It ranks 3303 out of 3716 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom tier. The strong CPU cannot compensate for the weak graphics performance.

Q: What does Ultra settings look like at 1080p?

A: Ultra at 1920x1080 averages 44 FPS. That is below the 60 FPS playable threshold, so the database recommends High at 71 FPS as the top playable preset for full HD.

Q: Would a similar-tier CPU from AMD change the results?

A: No. The closest AMD rivals, the EPYC 4584PX and EPYC 9135, score within about 1 percent of the 290K Plus in aggregate benchmarks. Frame rates in Downfall would be indistinguishable.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Downfall, but only at lower resolutions and moderate presets. The verdict data shows two playable configurations: 1920x1080 at Low (106 FPS), Medium (87 FPS), or High (71 FPS), and 2560x1440 at Low (76 FPS) or Medium (62 FPS). FourK is a firm no across every preset. For a horror game like Downfall, where atmospheric detail matters but the game is several years old, 1080p High at 71 FPS is the sweet spot: full visual fidelity, smooth average frame rate, and a CPU that will never stutter. Players who insist on 1440p should accept Medium and the occasional dip toward the recorded 53 FPS minimum.

The practical read: this combo works for casual play at 1080p, and the frame rate headroom at Low settings (106 FPS) makes it viable for high-refresh displays at reduced visual quality. Anyone hoping for 4K or Ultra presets needs different graphics hardware; the processor is already more than enough.

How This Combo Ranks

The pairing ranks 3303 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, which places it near the bottom of the database for this specific game. That low rank is entirely a GPU story. The 290K Plus outclasses the Arc B390 by one of the widest margins the database records: 96th percentile CPU versus 9th percentile GPU. Many of the combinations ranked above this one pair far weaker processors with stronger discrete graphics, and for a game like Downfall, that trade wins every time. If this CPU were matched with graphics hardware from the upper half of the GPU chart, the same rank would climb dramatically. As measured, the combo is an example of a top-tier processor carrying an integrated graphics solution well past its comfortable limits.

Best Settings per Resolution

• 1920x1080: High, averaging 71 FPS. Low (106 FPS) and Medium (87 FPS) also clear 60 FPS, but High is the most demanding preset that holds the line. Ultra at 44 FPS does not qualify.
• 2560x1440: Medium, averaging 62 FPS. Low at 76 FPS is the safer choice given Medium's 53 FPS minimum, but Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above the threshold on average.
• 3840x2160: No playable preset. Low, the least demanding option, averages only 47 FPS.

In short, set High at 1080p for the best balance, settle for Medium at 1440p, and skip 4K entirely with this graphics solution.