Downfall

Downfall pairs a 14-core, 18-thread Intel Core Ultra 5 135H mobile processor with the flagship NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 desktop GPU. The CPU's base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz, combined with an 18 MB shared L3 cache, provide the instruction throughput needed to keep the RTX 4090 fed. The processor's 28 W TDP is a mobile-class figure, but benchmark results indicate that this combination still delivers high frame rates across all tested resolutions in this horror title. The Core Ultra 5 135H sits in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29093, placing it within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and 0.5% above the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT. The RTX 4090, with its 16384 shading units and 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, ranks in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that this system's performance in Downfall is substantial, though the CPU's mobile heritage becomes apparent when analyzing scaling patterns across settings and resolutions.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H brings 14 physical cores and 18 threads to the table, a configuration designed to handle both lightly-threaded game logic and background tasks simultaneously. Its Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process, operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is critical in a horror game where sudden asset loads and physics calculations can cause frame hitches. The processor's PassMark single-thread score of 3521 and multithread score of 22422 indicate solid per-core performance, while the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11875.5 confirms that the 14-core design scales well under sustained load.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is to manage game state, entity interactions, and the rendering thread's draw calls. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 314 FPS on average, which is a strong indicator that the Core Ultra 5 135H is not a bottleneck at lower graphical loads. However, the CPU's mobile positioning becomes evident when examining the percentile data: it ranks in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which scores nearly identically (deltaPct of -0.1%). This means the 135H delivers desktop-class compute in a mobile package, but it is not the absolute fastest processor available.

The relationship between CPU and GPU in this combo is asymmetric. The RTX 4090 is an end-of-life desktop flagship with a 450 W TDP, while the 135H is a 28 W mobile chip. Benchmark results indicate that the GPU's raw power dominates performance in most scenarios, but the CPU's clock speeds and core count still matter for maintaining high frame rates. At 1080p Ultra, the system drops to 132 FPS, which is a 58% reduction from the Low setting's 314 FPS. This drop suggests that while the CPU can push high frame rates at low settings, the GPU's workload at higher settings introduces enough rendering complexity that the CPU's limited boost clock (compared to desktop rivals) begins to show. The 135H's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13500HX, scores 0.6% higher on average, indicating that this processor is competitive within its mobile segment but not a performance outlier.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H compare to its nearest CPU rivals in raw compute performance?

A: The 135H has an average benchmark score of 29093, which is 0.1% below the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (29123) and 0.5% above the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28940). It also trails the Intel Core i5-13500HX by 0.6%, which scores 29270.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Downfall, and at what settings?

A: The highest measured average is 314 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 257 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 224 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: Does the RTX 4090's performance in this combo suffer from the mobile CPU?

A: The data shows high frame rates across all resolutions, but the scaling from 1080p to 4K indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the CPU drives 314 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 59 FPS, suggesting the GPU's rendering load is the bottleneck rather than CPU compute.

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

A: This combo ranks 595th out of 2928 tested combinations, placing it in the top 20.3% of all tested systems for this game.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the combo shows a narrow range between minimum and maximum FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 257 FPS with a range of 218 to 295 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 184 FPS with a range of 156 to 211 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 114 FPS with a range of 97 to 131 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance in this game typical for its class?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 60347, which puts it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, scores 60326 (a 0% delta), indicating that the 4090's performance in this combo is consistent with its expected capabilities.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured data shows a clear pattern of frame rate reduction as resolution increases, which is typical for a system where the GPU becomes progressively more stressed. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 314 at 1920x1080 to 224 at 2560x1440, a 28.7% reduction. Moving to 3840x2160, the average falls to 140 FPS, which is a 55.4% reduction from the 1080p figure. This scaling is consistent with the RTX 4090's memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s and 24 GB of GDDR6X memory being tasked with filling more pixels.

At High settings, the resolution scaling is steeper. The system delivers 211 FPS at 1080p, 150 FPS at 1440p (a 28.9% drop), and 94 FPS at 4K (a 55.5% drop from 1080p). This consistent percentage reduction across settings suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the Core Ultra 5 135H were limiting performance, the frame rate would plateau or show diminishing returns as resolution increased, but the data shows a linear decline that correlates with pixel count.

The Ultra settings tell a different story. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 132 FPS, which drops to 94 FPS at 1440p (a 28.8% reduction) and then to 59 FPS at 4K (a 55.3% reduction from 1080p). The proportional drops are nearly identical across all settings, indicating that the GPU's rendering workload scales predictably with resolution. The RTX 4090's 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate are being exercised fully, while the CPU's 14 cores maintain a consistent frame delivery without introducing additional bottlenecks at higher resolutions.

The data supports the conclusion that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, while the CPU has sufficient headroom to drive high frame rates at 1080p. The fact that Low settings at 1080p reach 314 FPS—well above typical display refresh rates—shows that the Core Ultra 5 135H can keep up with the RTX 4090's output at lower graphical loads. However, the 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput, not CPU compute, determines the ceiling at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—across three resolutions. The best experience depends on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 257 FPS on average with a minimum of 218 FPS, which provides excellent smoothness for a horror game where sudden frame drops can ruin immersion. The High preset at 1080p averages 211 FPS, still very fluid, but the Medium preset's narrower range (218-295 FPS) suggests more consistent frame pacing.

For 2560x1440, the High preset stands out with an average of 150 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 184 FPS, which is higher, but the visual quality improvement from Medium to High is often substantial in horror titles where lighting and shadow detail matter. The High preset's 150 FPS average remains well above the 100 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making it the recommended choice for 1440p displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 94 FPS, which is still playable but introduces more variance in frame delivery.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the clear winner with an average of 114 FPS and a minimum of 97 FPS. The High preset at 4K averages 94 FPS, which is close to the Medium figure but with less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K averages only 59 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced horror gameplay but risks feeling unresponsive during action sequences. The Low preset at 4K averages 140 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant for a game that relies on atmosphere and lighting.

The data indicates that the Medium preset offers the best balance of frame rate and visual quality across all three resolutions. At 1080p, it provides 257 FPS with a tight minimum-maximum range. At 1440p, it delivers 184 FPS, which is 22.7% higher than High's 150 FPS. At 4K, it maintains 114 FPS, which is 21.3% higher than High's 94 FPS and nearly double Ultra's 59 FPS. For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the High preset at 1440p (150 FPS) or 1080p (211 FPS) is a viable alternative, but the Medium preset's consistency makes it the safest recommendation.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 595th out of 2928 tested combinations in Downfall. This places the system in the top 20.3% of all tested hardware pairings for this game. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's 81st percentile performance and the GPU's 88th percentile capability. While the RTX 4090 is a dominant GPU, the mobile-class CPU prevents this combo from climbing higher in the rankings.

The rank of 595 out of 2928 means there are 594 combinations that achieve better performance in Downfall. Given that the RTX 4090 is one of the most powerful GPUs available, the limitation likely comes from the Core Ultra 5 135H's positioning relative to desktop-class processors. The CPU's nearest rivals—the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and Intel Core i5-13500HX—score within 0.6% of the 135H, but the top-ranked combinations likely feature desktop CPUs with higher sustained clock speeds and larger thermal headroom.

The combo's rank also indicates that the GPU's performance is not the limiting factor in the pairing's overall standing. The RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60347 puts it in the 88th percentile, with its nearest rival being the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, a 0% delta). This suggests that the GPU is performing as expected, and the CPU is the component that drags the combo down in the rankings. For a system aiming to maximize Downfall performance, a desktop-class CPU paired with the RTX 4090 would likely rank higher, but this mobile-processor pairing still delivers playable frame rates at all tested settings.

The data shows that despite the rank, the combo's measured FPS figures are strong. At 1080p Medium, it achieves 257 FPS, which would place it in the upper echelon of systems. The 595th rank out of 2928 is a reflection of the wide variety of hardware combinations tested, many of which feature higher-end desktop CPUs. For users with this specific mobile CPU, the RTX 4090 provides a substantial performance boost, but the CPU's 14-core/18-thread design with a 4.60 GHz boost clock remains the limiting factor in the combo's overall standing.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 314 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded
• Medium: Average 257 FPS, minimum 218 FPS, maximum 295 FPS
• High: Average 211 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded
• Ultra: Average 132 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded

The 1080p results show the system's peak performance. The jump from Medium to High costs 46 FPS (a 17.9% reduction), while moving from High to Ultra costs another 79 FPS (a 37.4% reduction). The Low setting's 314 FPS average demonstrates that the CPU and GPU combination can deliver extremely high frame rates when graphical load is minimal. The Medium preset's minimum of 218 FPS ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above display refresh rates.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 224 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded
• Medium: Average 184 FPS, minimum 156 FPS, maximum 211 FPS
• High: Average 150 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded
• Ultra: Average 94 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show the expected reduction from 1080p. The Low setting drops from 314 to 224 FPS (a 28.7% reduction), while Medium drops from 257 to 184 FPS (a 28.4% reduction). The Medium preset's minimum of 156 FPS provides a solid floor for gameplay. The Ultra preset at 94 FPS is the first setting that dips below 100 FPS, indicating that the GPU is starting to struggle with the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical effects.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 140 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded
• Medium: Average 114 FPS, minimum 97 FPS, maximum 131 FPS
• High: Average 94 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded
• Ultra: Average 59 FPS, no minimum or maximum recorded

The 4K results reveal the GPU's limits. The Low setting averages 140 FPS, which is still smooth, but the Ultra setting drops to 59 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 97 FPS means that frame rates can dip below 100 FPS during intense moments, which is noticeable in a horror game. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 57.9% reduction in average FPS (from 140 to 59), which is steeper than the 58% reduction seen from 1080p Low to 4K Low (from 314 to 140). This indicates that the GPU's rendering workload scales non-linearly with settings at high resolutions, likely due to increased shading and texture memory demands.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most complete data, with minimum and maximum FPS values recorded. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 257 FPS with a range of 218-295. At 1440p Medium, it averages 184 FPS with a range of 156-211. At 4K Medium, it averages 114 FPS with a range of 97-131. These ranges show that the system maintains consistent frame delivery, with the spread between minimum and maximum increasing only slightly as resolution increases. The data confirms that this combo is capable of delivering high-quality horror gaming experiences, with the RTX 4090 providing the graphical muscle and the Core Ultra 5 135H ensuring the CPU side does not introduce major bottlenecks.