Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Downfall, a 2016 horror title. Benchmark data shows this combination easily clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution and preset, with average frame rates ranging from 84 FPS at 4K Ultra to 452 FPS at 1080p Low. The measured results indicate a system with substantial headroom, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays even at maximum graphical settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains above 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average of 84 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This makes Ultra the most demanding playable setting at 4K, with High (135 FPS), Medium (164 FPS), and Low (201 FPS) all also exceeding 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807). It also leads the AMD EPYC 4584PX by 1.1% and the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2%, while trailing the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 323 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 135 FPS. This represents a 188 FPS difference, or roughly 58% lower performance at maximum settings compared to minimum settings.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its closest competitor in average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, which is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605) and 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79396). It also leads the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT by 1.1% but trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4%.

Q: Which resolution shows the smallest gap between Medium and High settings?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium averages 370 FPS and High averages 303 FPS, a difference of 67 FPS. At 2560x1440 the gap is 47 FPS (264 vs 217), and at 3840x2160 it is 29 FPS (164 vs 135), so the smallest absolute gap appears at 4K.

Q: How many total combinations were tested for the ranking in this game?

A: This CPU and GPU combination ranks 63rd out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the top 1.7% of all tested hardware pairings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU shifts across resolutions and presets in Downfall. At 1920x1080, the system produces extremely high frame rates—452 FPS on Low and 303 FPS on High—which suggests the GPU is not heavily taxed at this resolution. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop from 452 to 190 FPS, a reduction of 262 FPS or approximately 58%. This steep decline indicates that graphical settings have a dominant effect on performance at this resolution, with the GPU being the limiting factor as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high but show a different pattern. Low settings produce 323 FPS, which drops to 135 FPS at Ultra—a decrease of 188 FPS or about 58%. The consistency of this percentage drop across 1080p and 1440p suggests that the GPU workload scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1440p, the GPU is still capable of high output, but the increased pixel count begins to show, with Ultra settings falling to 135 FPS compared to 190 FPS at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes clearly more important. Low settings yield 201 FPS, while Ultra drops to 84 FPS—a decline of 117 FPS or roughly 58%. The absolute frame rates at 4K are significantly lower than at lower resolutions, which is expected given the fourfold increase in pixel count compared to 1080p. The fact that even 4K Ultra maintains 84 FPS indicates that the RTX 5090 has substantial headroom, while the CPU appears sufficient to feed the GPU at all tested settings. The consistent percentage drop across resolutions implies that Downfall scales primarily with GPU workload, with the CPU providing stable performance without becoming a bottleneck.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score provide context for what other processors would deliver similar results. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K scores 83807, just 0.2% lower than the 290K Plus, meaning it would perform nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. The AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090) and AMD EPYC 9135 (82980) are 1.1% and 1.2% lower respectively, while the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85072) is 1.3% higher. In a game like Downfall where frame rates exceed 200 FPS at lower resolutions, these small differences would translate to negligible real-world FPS variations.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar pattern. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605, which is 0.3% lower than the RTX 5090’s 79842. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79396) is 0.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940) is 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (80959) is 1.4% higher. These deltas are small enough that any of these GPUs would produce nearly the same frame rates in Downfall, though the RTX 5090’s 32 GB memory and Blackwell architecture might offer advantages in other titles. For this specific game, the performance differences among these GPUs would be within a few FPS.

The Verdict

This system can run Downfall at 60 FPS or higher across all tested resolutions and presets. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 84 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by 24 FPS, making 4K Ultra fully playable. The 2560x1440 resolution delivers even stronger results, with Ultra averaging 135 FPS—more than double the playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset reaches 190 FPS, providing excellent performance for high-refresh-rate monitors.

The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at every resolution tested. The best settings at each resolution are Ultra, with average frame rates of 84 FPS at 4K, 135 FPS at 1440p, and 190 FPS at 1080p. The data shows that this combination has enough performance headroom to handle future patches or additional graphical mods without dropping below 60 FPS at 4K. For users with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors at 1440p or 1080p, the system can fully utilize the display’s capabilities even at maximum settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in Downfall places this CPU and GPU pairing at 63rd out of 3716 tested combinations. This top 1.7% ranking reflects the high absolute performance of both components, though it is notably the rank may be influenced by the game’s age and relatively modest system requirements. The frame rates achieved—from 84 FPS at 4K Ultra to 452 FPS at 1080p Low—are far above what most games require, and the ranking suggests that only a small number of even more powerful or better-optimized combinations can outperform it in this title.

The rank of 63 out of 3716 indicates that while this is an exceptionally fast configuration, it is not the absolute fastest tested. The delta between this combo and the top-ranked systems is likely small given the high frame rates involved, but the data shows there is still some hardware that delivers even higher performance in Downfall. For practical purposes, the system is overkill for this game, as it exceeds 60 FPS at every setting and resolution by a wide margin.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 84 FPS, which is the most demanding setting that maintains at least 60 FPS. High settings average 135 FPS, Medium averages 164 FPS with a minimum of 140 FPS and maximum of 189 FPS, and Low averages 201 FPS. All settings at 4K are playable, but Ultra provides the best visual quality while still offering a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 135 FPS, making it the best choice for maximum quality. Medium averages 264 FPS with a minimum of 225 FPS and maximum of 304 FPS, while High averages 217 FPS and Low averages 323 FPS. The 135 FPS at Ultra is well above 60 FPS, allowing for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate displays. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 190 FPS, which is the recommended setting for this resolution. Medium averages 370 FPS with a minimum of 314 FPS and maximum of 425 FPS, High averages 303 FPS, and Low averages 452 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p offers the best visual experience while still delivering frame rates that exceed most 144Hz monitors’ refresh rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured frame rates show a clear progression across settings. Low averages 201 FPS, Medium averages 164 FPS with a minimum of 140 FPS and maximum of 189 FPS, High averages 135 FPS, and Ultra averages 84 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, indicating a range of 140 to 189 FPS. The step from High to Ultra represents the largest drop at this resolution, falling from 135 to 84 FPS, a 51 FPS decrease.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are substantially higher. Low averages 323 FPS, Medium averages 264 FPS with a minimum of 225 FPS and maximum of 304 FPS, High averages 217 FPS, and Ultra averages 135 FPS. The Medium preset shows a spread of 225 to 304 FPS, demonstrating some variability but still far above playable levels. The gap between High and Ultra is 82 FPS, which is larger than at 4K, suggesting that the Ultra preset imposes a more significant load at this resolution relative to High.

At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates. Low averages 452 FPS, Medium averages 370 FPS with a minimum of 314 FPS and maximum of 425 FPS, High averages 303 FPS, and Ultra averages 190 FPS. The Medium preset’s range of 314 to 425 FPS shows that even at this high level, there is variability of over 100 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 67 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 113 FPS, making the High to Ultra transition the most demanding step at 1080p. All recorded frame rates, including minimums, remain well above the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that this combination provides an exceptionally smooth experience in Downfall at any settings.