Downfall

The AMD Radeon 890M integrated GPU paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H presents a specific performance profile in Downfall, a 2016 horror title. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a component combination consistently bound by graphics throughput, yet the data also shows the CPU provides sufficient headroom to avoid becoming the primary constraint. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, component roles, and practical takeaways for this specific configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, indicating that the rendering load scales heavily with pixel count. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 94 FPS, which drops to 67 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 42 FPS at 3840x2160 under the same Low preset. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a substantial hit that points directly at the GPU as the limiting factor.

The scaling pattern holds across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 77 at 1080p, to 55 at 1440p, and finally to 34 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 29%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 38%, showing that the penalty accelerates at higher resolutions. This non-linear degradation is typical of a GPU that is running out of raw pixel throughput, as the Radeon 890M must process 2.25 times the pixels at 1440p compared to 1080p, and 4 times the pixels at 4K compared to 1080p.

At High settings, the same trend continues: 63 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 29%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 38%, mirroring the Medium preset almost exactly. This consistency suggests that the resolution scaling is independent of the specific quality preset, reinforcing that the bottleneck is purely resolution-driven rather than setting-driven. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic falloff, with 39 FPS at 1080p dropping to 28 FPS at 1440p (a 28% reduction) and then to 18 FPS at 4K (a 36% reduction from 1440p).

The data strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across all resolutions. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 18 threads, has ample processing power to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as pixel count increases, the GPU's shading units and ROPs become saturated. The fact that the frame rate drops by roughly half from 1080p to 4K at every preset is a textbook sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU is waiting on the GPU to finish rendering frames rather than the reverse. This means that users should expect playable performance only at 1080p, with 1440p being marginal, and 4K being largely unplayable except at the lowest settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process node. Its specifications include 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units, along with 16 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, with memory being system-shared and dependent on the host system's RAM. This shared memory configuration means the GPU's bandwidth is "System Dependent," which can introduce variability in performance depending on the installed memory speed.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is clearly dominant, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the 890M produces 94 FPS, which is respectable for an integrated solution. However, the performance drops sharply when settings are increased. Moving from Low to Medium at 1080p reduces the average from 94 to 77 FPS, a decline of 18%. The jump from Medium to High further reduces it to 63 FPS, another 18% drop. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding only 39 FPS at 1080p, which is less than half of the Low preset's performance.

The GPU's pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s and texture rate of 185.6 GTexel/s provide theoretical ceilings that the measured data respects. At 4K, the Ultra preset produces just 18 FPS, which is a direct consequence of the GPU being overwhelmed by the 8.3 million pixels per frame combined with the high-quality shaders and textures. The FP32 performance of 5.939 TFLOPS is modest for a modern GPU, and the benchmark results align with this: the GPU's Passmark G3D score is 8076, placing it in the 45th percentile of all GPUs.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Radeon 890M scores nearly identically to the AMD Radeon Vega 8, with a deltaPct of -0.1%, meaning it is 0.1% slower. It also sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, which has an average score of 9273, making the 890M 0.7% slower. These comparisons show that the 890M is a mid-range performer among integrated and older discrete GPUs, which explains why it struggles with Downfall at higher resolutions. The GPU's 32 ROPs are a particular bottleneck at 4K, as the fill rate required for high-resolution rendering exceeds what the chip can deliver, resulting in the sub-30 FPS figures observed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile processor from the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It features 14 cores and 18 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU also includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG graphics with 96 execution units, though in this benchmark configuration, the discrete Radeon 890M is handling the rendering.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the data suggests it does so without becoming a bottleneck at most settings. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700, with a Passmark multi-thread score of 22422 and a single-thread score of 3521. These figures place the CPU in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is well above average for processing tasks.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which has an average benchmark score of 29123, making the 135H 0.1% slower, and the Intel Core i5-13500HX, which scores 29270, making the 135H 0.6% slower. This puts the 135H in the same performance class as these desktop and high-end mobile chips, meaning it has more than enough compute power for a game like Downfall, which is not typically CPU-intensive given its 2016 release date.

The measured FPS data confirms the CPU's adequacy. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 94 FPS, which is a frame rate that would be limited by the GPU's pixel throughput rather than the CPU's ability to issue draw calls. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU is heavily loaded, the CPU maintains a 39 FPS average, suggesting it is not stalling the rendering pipeline. The only scenario where the CPU might come closer to parity is at 4K Low, where the GPU produces 42 FPS, but this is still more likely GPU-limited given the resolution.

The CPU's 18 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel memory support with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s provide sufficient data throughput for the game's assets. The memory bandwidth is shared with the GPU, which could be a limiting factor in some scenarios, but the data does not show any unusual stuttering or frame time spikes that would indicate a memory bottleneck. Overall, the CPU is a capable partner for this GPU, providing the necessary headroom for the GPU to be the primary performance determinant.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Downfall with this combo?*

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 39 at Ultra to 94 at Low, while at 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to a range of 28 to 67, making it marginal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Radeon 890M compare to its closest GPU rival?

A: The Radeon 890M has an average benchmark score of 9210, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD Radeon Vega 8's score of 9221. It is also 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, which scores 9273.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H a strong performer for this game?

A: Yes, the CPU is well above average, sitting in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 11875.5, and its Passmark single-thread score is 3521, indicating it is more than capable of handling Downfall's processing demands.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo produces an average of 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS, based on the measured data.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops by roughly half from 1080p to 4K at every settings preset, which is a clear indicator of GPU-bound performance, while the CPU's strong benchmark scores show it is not the primary constraint.

*Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in Downfall?*

A: The combo ranks 2746 out of 2928 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 6% of all tested systems for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 94 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays or for users who prioritize smoothness over visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 77 FPS, which is still very playable and offers a significant visual improvement over Low, with the measured minimum of 66 FPS ensuring no major dips. The High preset at 1080p drops to 63 FPS, which is acceptable for most users, but the Ultra preset at 39 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience.

For users at 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only reliable option, producing 67 FPS. The Medium preset at 55 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 47 FPS that could cause noticeable stutter in fast-paced scenes. High and Ultra at 1440p are not recommended, as they produce 45 FPS and 28 FPS respectively, which are too low for comfortable gameplay. At 3840x2160, all presets are below 60 FPS, with Low at 42 FPS being the highest achievable, and Ultra at 18 FPS being effectively unplayable.

The best experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1920x1080, which balances visual quality and performance. The 77 FPS average is well above the playable threshold, and the minimum of 66 FPS ensures consistent frame delivery. The High preset at 1080p is a close second, but the 14 FPS drop from Medium to High may not justify the modest visual gains in this horror title. The data suggests that users should avoid Ultra at any resolution, as the performance penalty is severe, with the 4K Ultra preset producing less than half the frame rate of the 4K Low preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon 890M combo in Downfall is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low settings preset produces an average of 94 FPS, with no minimum or maximum measured. The Medium preset at the same resolution averages 77 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS. The High preset averages 63 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 39 FPS, with no min/max data recorded for these two presets.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 67 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS. The High preset at 1440p averages 45 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 28 FPS, again with no min/max data. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 42 FPS, the Medium preset averages 34 FPS, with a minimum of 29 FPS and a maximum of 39 FPS, the High preset averages 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 18 FPS.

These numbers show a consistent pattern: each step up in settings reduces the average FPS by approximately 15-20% at a given resolution, and each step up in resolution reduces the average FPS by approximately 30-40% at a given setting. The only preset with full min/max data is Medium, which shows that the frame time variance is relatively tight, with the minimum being about 14% below the average at 1080p and 15% below the average at 1440p and 4K. This suggests that the Medium preset provides a stable experience without major frame rate spikes.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall ranking for Downfall, this combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon 890M places 2746 out of 2928 tested combos. This ranking, which is in the bottom 6.2% of all tested systems, reflects the GPU's limitations rather than the CPU's capabilities. The CPU, with its 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs, is a strong performer, but the GPU's 45th percentile ranking among all GPUs drags the combined system down significantly for this graphics-intensive title.

The GPU's proximity to its nearest rivals explains this low ranking. The Radeon 890M is only 0.1% faster than the AMD Radeon Vega 8 and 0.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M, both of which are older or lower-tier parts. This means the combo is competing with systems that have discrete GPUs from several generations ago, and in Downfall, the integrated nature of the 890M limits its ability to handle high-resolution textures and complex shaders that the game's horror atmosphere requires.

The ranking also implies that most other tested combos include either more powerful discrete GPUs or more balanced CPU-GPU pairings. The fact that this combo sits at 2746 out of 2928 suggests that users with this hardware should expect a below-average experience in Downfall compared to the broader benchmark database. However, the measured data shows that at 1080p with Medium or Low settings, the combo can still deliver playable frame rates, making it a viable option for users who are willing to compromise on visual quality for the sake of portability and low power consumption.