Downfall

Downfall, a horror title from 2016, places distinct demands on the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing. The measured data reveals a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions, with the CPU proving more than adequate for the GPU at lower settings, while the graphics card becomes the definitive bottleneck at higher presets. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, contextualizes the combo’s standing among other tested configurations, and provides actionable settings guidance based on the observed frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a clear and consistent progression as resolution increases, with the most dramatic shifts occurring between 1080p and 1440p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 202 FPS. Moving up to 2560x1440 at the same preset, the average drops to 144 FPS, representing a 28.7% decrease. The jump to 3840x2160 yields a 90 FPS average, which is a further 37.5% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is operating with significant headroom, and the primary limiter shifts as the pixel count climbs.

For Medium settings, the deltas are similarly pronounced. The 1080p average of 165 FPS falls to 118 FPS at 1440p (a 28.5% drop) and then to 73 FPS at 4K (a 38.1% drop). High settings exhibit a slightly different curve: 135 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p (a 28.1% decrease), and 60 FPS at 4K (a 38.1% decrease). The consistency of these percentage drops—roughly 28% from 1080p to 1440p and 38% from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and fillrate are the controlling factors at these quality levels.

The Ultra preset, however, tells a more severe story. At 1080p, the average is 85 FPS, which is already 37.0% lower than the High preset at the same resolution. At 1440p, Ultra averages 60 FPS, a 29.4% drop from 1080p. At 4K, the average plummets to 38 FPS, which is 36.7% lower than the 1440p result. The absolute numbers here—particularly the 38 FPS average at 4K—demonstrate that Ultra settings push the RTX 4060 beyond its comfort zone in this horror title. The data indicates that the limiter is overwhelmingly the GPU, as the CPU’s performance metrics (detailed later) suggest it has ample capacity to feed the graphics card even at 1080p Low.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 holds a rank of 2270 out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This places the pairing in the lower third of all configurations, which is notable given the hardware’s specifications. The rank reflects the game’s specific engine behavior, which appears to favor raw single-thread performance and memory bandwidth over the multi-core capabilities that this CPU offers.

The CPU’s percentile rank of 81 against all processors suggests it is a strong component in isolation. Its average benchmark score of 29093 places it virtually level with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which scores 29123 (a delta of -0.1%). Similarly, it trails the Intel Core i5-13500HX by a mere 0.6% (29270 vs. 29093) and sits just 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT. This clustering indicates that the Core Ultra 5 135H delivers performance on par with established desktop-class parts, making it unlikely to be the source of bottleneck in Downfall.

The GPU, however, ranks at the 61st percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, delta -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, delta 0.3%). This places the RTX 4060 in a strange middle ground—it is newer and more feature-rich than those older parts, but its raw score is comparable. The combo’s low rank of 2270 suggests that Downfall’s rendering pipeline does not fully utilize the RTX 4060’s architectural advantages, such as its Ada Lovelace features, leaving the pairing to compete on raw throughput alone.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC’s 5 nm process. Its chip, designated AD107, contains 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with memory running at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus yields a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, which is a critical figure for Downfall’s high-resolution performance.

The data shows that the GPU’s 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 236.2 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient for smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p on most presets, but the 4K results reveal the limitations of the 128-bit memory interface. At 3840x2160, the bandwidth requirement for textures and framebuffer operations outpaces what 272.0 GB/s can deliver, particularly on Ultra settings where the average FPS collapses to 38. The pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s also becomes a constraint at 4K, as the GPU must fill over eight million pixels per frame.

The RTX 4060’s 3072 shading units and 48 ROPs are adequate for the horror genre’s typically dark scenes, but the measured FPS suggests that Downfall’s lighting effects and post-processing are heavy consumers of both compute and memory resources. The card’s 61st percentile rank among all GPUs is reflected in its performance here—it is competent but not exceptional, and the 4K Ultra result of 38 FPS is the clearest indicator that this GPU is best paired with lower resolutions or reduced settings for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4060 delivers playable to excellent frame rates across all settings. The Low preset averages 202 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display. Medium averages 165 FPS with a minimum of 140 and maximum of 190, indicating consistent frame pacing. High averages 135 FPS, while Ultra drops to 85 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1080p is 50 FPS, or 37.0%, suggesting that Ultra enables expensive effects that heavily impact performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages remain strong. Low produces 144 FPS, Medium averages 118 FPS (min 100, max 136), and High averages 97 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 60 FPS, which is exactly the threshold for smooth gameplay on a 60 Hz display. The data shows that the step from High to Ultra at this resolution is a 38.1% reduction, mirroring the pattern seen at 1080p. This consistency implies that the Ultra preset’s additional cost is resolution-independent, pointing to fixed-cost effects like shadow quality or ambient occlusion.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle. Low averages 90 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS (min 62, max 84), and High averages 60 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 38 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 52 FPS, or 57.8%, which is the largest spread observed across any resolution. This indicates that at 4K, the combination of high pixel count and Ultra settings overwhelms the GPU’s memory subsystem, as evidenced by the 272.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB frame buffer.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Downfall?

A: The highest average is 202 FPS, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K on any preset?

A: Yes, both High and Medium presets average 60 FPS and 73 FPS respectively at 3840x2160. The Low preset averages 90 FPS, while Ultra drops to 38 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H scores 29093 on average, which is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (29123, -0.1%) and slightly behind the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270, -0.6%).

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and how does it relate to 4K performance?

A: The RTX 4060 has a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s via its 128-bit bus. The 4K Ultra result of 38 FPS suggests this bandwidth is insufficient for the game’s highest settings at that resolution.

Q: At 1440p, which preset provides the closest to 120 FPS?

A: The Medium preset averages 118 FPS at 2560x1440, with a minimum of 100 and maximum of 136.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 2270 out of 3716 total tested combos for Downfall.

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. The CPU’s 28 W TDP is modest, but its benchmark scores indicate it performs well above its power class.

In synthetic tests, the Core Ultra 5 135H achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700. Its Passmark single-thread score is 3521, which is strong for a mobile part. These results place the CPU at the 81st percentile of all processors, and its average benchmark score of 29093 is within 0.6% of the Intel Core i5-13500HX. This proximity suggests that in Downfall, the CPU is not the limiting factor; the game’s engine does not appear to leverage the 14-core configuration heavily, as evidenced by the FPS scaling being tied almost exclusively to GPU load.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface could theoretically bottleneck the GPU in some scenarios, but the measured FPS at 1080p Low (202 FPS) shows no such constraint. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG 96EU graphics are irrelevant for this discrete GPU configuration, but the CPU’s PCIe Gen 5 support (8 lanes) ensures adequate data transfer to the RTX 4060. Overall, the CPU provides a stable foundation, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of performance differences across settings.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p displays, the data supports using High settings as the optimal balance. The 135 FPS average is well above the refresh rate of most monitors, and the jump to Ultra (85 FPS) costs 37.0% performance for visual gains that may not be noticeable in a fast-paced horror title. If the display supports high refresh rates, Medium at 165 FPS or Low at 202 FPS are viable alternatives, with Medium providing a 30 FPS advantage over High while maintaining a minimum of 140 FPS.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts to Medium or High. Medium averages 118 FPS, which is ideal for 120 Hz displays, and the minimum of 100 FPS ensures no significant stutters. High averages 97 FPS, which is still smooth on 60 Hz and 100 Hz monitors. Ultra at 60 FPS is playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes; the data shows a 38.1% drop from High to Ultra, making it a risky choice for consistent frame times.

For 4K, the choices are more constrained. High settings average 60 FPS, which is the minimum for a stable experience on a 60 Hz display. Medium averages 73 FPS with a minimum of 62, providing a safer margin. Low at 90 FPS is the best for smoothness but sacrifices visual fidelity. Ultra at 38 FPS is not recommended, as the average falls below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, and the lack of a minimum FPS figure suggests potential for dips. The measured data indicates that Medium at 4K offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, given the 62 FPS minimum ensures the experience remains fluid.