Downfall

Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers an exceptionally strong showing in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that is clearly not demanding by modern standards. Measured frame rates across all three tested resolutions and all four preset levels remain far above the 60 FPS playable threshold, meaning this combination offers headroom for high refresh rate displays or future titles with heavier workloads. The data shows a system that effectively maxes out this game without breaking a sweat, with the only real question being which resolution and preset best matches a user’s display and preference for visual fidelity versus sheer frame rate.

Best Settings per Resolution

3840x2160 (4K): The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 77 FPS. This is the highest quality option available, and it still clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin. If you prioritize even higher frame rates, the High preset averages 123 FPS, Medium reaches 151 FPS, and Low goes up to 184 FPS, but Ultra already provides a fully playable experience at native 4K.

2560x1440 (1440p): At this resolution, the Ultra preset is again the best choice, with an average of 124 FPS. This is more than double the 60 FPS threshold, giving substantial headroom for dips in heavier scenes or for use with high refresh rate monitors. The lower presets scale predictably: High averages 198 FPS, Medium 242 FPS, and Low 296 FPS. None of these numbers approach any risk of falling below playable levels.

1920x1080 (1080p): The Ultra preset remains the most demanding option that holds above 60 FPS, with an average of 174 FPS. This is nearly three times the playable threshold. For users with 144Hz or 240Hz displays, dropping to High (278 FPS), Medium (339 FPS), or Low (414 FPS) will push frame rates even higher, though Ultra already exceeds what most 1080p monitors can display.

In all cases, the RTX 5080’s performance is so high that the limiting factor becomes the display’s refresh rate rather than the GPU’s capability. The verdict data confirms that every resolution and every preset tested is playable, so the “best” setting is simply the highest quality one—Ultra—at each resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the system averages 77 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the highest quality setting available, so there is no compromise needed for 4K gaming.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average at 2560x1440 with Ultra is 124 FPS. That is more than double the playable threshold, leaving ample room for demanding scenes or high refresh rate monitors. The minimum recorded at Medium settings is 206 FPS, suggesting Ultra will also stay well above 60 FPS in most situations.

Q: Is the RTX 5080 overkill for this game?

A: The data indicates yes, for this specific title. Even at 4K Ultra, the average is 77 FPS, and at 1080p Low, it reaches 414 FPS. The GPU’s percentile rank is 87 among all tested GPUs, and its average benchmark score is 56083, which places it far above what Downfall requires. This combination provides massive headroom for other, more demanding games.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in Downfall?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a percentile rank of 96 among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores 83807, a delta of 0.2%. Given the high frame rates measured, the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution or preset tested.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at each resolution?

A: Minimum FPS data is only available for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 288 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 206 FPS; at 3840x2160, it is 128 FPS. For other presets, only average FPS is provided, but all averages are far above 60 FPS.

Q: Should I use a higher refresh rate monitor with this setup?

A: Based on the measured averages, yes. At 4K Ultra, you get 77 FPS, which suits a 75Hz monitor. At 1440p Ultra, 124 FPS matches a 120Hz display. At 1080p Ultra, 174 FPS works with 165Hz monitors, and dropping to Low at 1080p gives 414 FPS, which exceeds even 360Hz panels. The hardware is capable of driving refresh rates far beyond the 60 FPS baseline.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: Average 77 FPS. This is the most demanding preset, yet it remains well above the playable threshold. No minimum or maximum values are provided, but the average indicates consistent performance for a horror game that likely has slower pacing.
• High: Average 123 FPS. A significant jump from Ultra, offering a 46 FPS improvement. This preset is ideal if you want extra headroom for recording or streaming.
• Medium: Average 151 FPS, with a minimum of 128 FPS and maximum of 173 FPS. The minimum still doubles the 60 FPS threshold, showing no risk of stutter.
• Low: Average 184 FPS. The highest frame rate at 4K, but with the lowest visual quality. Given that Ultra already clears 60 FPS, Low is only useful for extreme refresh rate scenarios.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: Average 124 FPS. This is the sweet spot for most users, as it provides high visual quality with frame rates that exceed 120Hz displays.
• High: Average 198 FPS. A substantial increase over Ultra, making this ideal for 144Hz to 200Hz monitors.
• Medium: Average 242 FPS, with a minimum of 206 FPS and maximum of 278 FPS. The minimum is still over three times the playable threshold.
• Low: Average 296 FPS. This approaches the limits of most high-end displays and shows the raw performance ceiling of the RTX 5080 at this resolution.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: Average 174 FPS. This is the highest quality preset at 1080p and still delivers frame rates suitable for 165Hz monitors.
• High: Average 278 FPS. A massive jump, making this ideal for 240Hz displays.
• Medium: Average 339 FPS, with a minimum of 288 FPS and maximum of 390 FPS. The minimum is nearly five times the 60 FPS threshold.
• Low: Average 414 FPS. This is the absolute peak performance measured, and it exceeds the refresh rate of virtually all consumer monitors.

The pattern across resolutions is linear: dropping from 4K to 1440p increases FPS by roughly 60%, and dropping to 1080p adds another 40% on top of that. The RTX 5080’s 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for this title, as evidenced by the fact that even the 4K Ultra preset does not bottleneck.

Similar Performance Alternatives

On the CPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals are extremely close in performance:

• Intel Core Ultra 9 285K: Score 83807, a delta of 0.2%. This is essentially identical performance, meaning you would see no practical difference in Downfall frame rates.
• AMD EPYC 4584PX: Score 83090, a delta of 1.1%. This server-class chip is slightly slower but still within a negligible margin for gaming.
• AMD EPYC 9135: Score 82980, a delta of 1.2%. Similar to the 4584PX, this would not cause any measurable FPS change.
• AMD EPYC 7F72: Score 85072, a delta of -1.3%. This is actually faster than the 290K Plus by a small margin, but the difference is far too small to affect Downfall.

Given that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested, any of these alternatives would produce nearly identical results. The 24-core, 24-thread configuration of the 290K Plus is overkill for a 2016 horror title, so even a substantially weaker CPU would likely maintain the same frame rates.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56083. Its nearest rivals are:

• AMD Radeon 8060S: Score 55757, a delta of 0.6%. This integrated GPU (part of AMD’s Strix Halo platform) comes surprisingly close, suggesting it could also run Downfall at high frame rates, though the RTX 5080 still leads.
• AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB: Score 55698, a delta of 0.7%. A last-generation midrange card that is nearly tied with the 5080 in average score, though its 12 GB memory is smaller.
• AMD Radeon Pro W5700X: Score 54828, a delta of 2.3%. A workstation-oriented card that is slightly slower but still within a few percent.
• AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE: Score 57367, a delta of -2.2%. This is actually faster than the RTX 5080 in average benchmark score, meaning it would likely deliver even higher FPS in Downfall.

For this game specifically, the GPU’s percentile rank of 87 means it sits above most tested GPUs, but the game is so undemanding that even the closest rivals would deliver playable performance at all resolutions. The choice between these cards would come down to other games or workloads, not Downfall.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Downfall, and it does so with exceptional headroom. At every resolution tested—3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080—all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are listed as playable, meaning they all stay at or above 60 FPS. The best settings per resolution are:

• 4K Ultra: 77 FPS average
• 1440p Ultra: 124 FPS average
• 1080p Ultra: 174 FPS average

The verdict data confirms that there is no scenario where this combination fails to meet the playable threshold. Even the most demanding preset at the highest resolution—4K Ultra—delivers 17 FPS above the 60 FPS minimum. This is a system that not only runs the game but obliterates its performance requirements.

The only caveat is that Downfall is a 2016 horror title, so these frame rates are not surprising for hardware of this caliber. The RTX 5080, with its 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 960.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, is designed for modern AAA games at high refresh rates. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz and 36 MB of shared L3 cache, provides more than enough processing power.

For users with 4K displays, the 77 FPS at Ultra is perfectly playable, though you might prefer High at 123 FPS if you have a 120Hz or 144Hz panel. At 1440p, Ultra at 124 FPS matches 120Hz displays, and dropping to High gives 198 FPS for 200Hz panels. At 1080p, Ultra at 174 FPS is ideal for 165Hz monitors, and High at 278 FPS or Medium at 339 FPS can feed 240Hz or 360Hz displays.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Downfall, this pairing of Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 201st out of 3716 tested combos. That places it in the top 5.4% of all systems tested for this game. The rank reflects the combined CPU and GPU performance, and given the high frame rates measured, this position makes sense.

The rank of 201 means there are 200 other combinations that perform better in Downfall. These are likely systems with even more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 5090 or Radeon RX 9070 XT, or possibly configurations with faster CPUs for this specific workload. However, the delta between this combo and those above it is unlikely to be large, as the measured FPS numbers are already so high that they exceed display capabilities in many cases.

For context, the CPU’s percentile rank of 96 and the GPU’s percentile rank of 87 both indicate top-tier hardware. The combination’s rank of 201 is slightly lower than either component’s individual percentile, which suggests that for Downfall specifically, the GPU is the limiting factor relative to other top-end cards. The RTX 5080’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, has a higher average score (57367 vs 56083, a delta of -2.2%), so systems with that GPU might rank higher.

Still, being in the top 201 out of 3716 combos means this system outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations. For a game as old and undemanding as Downfall, the practical takeaway is that this combo provides maximum settings at every resolution with frame rates far beyond what is needed for smooth gameplay. The rank reflects the hardware’s overall capability, even if the game itself does not push it to its limits.