Downfall

Downfall is a 2016 horror title that remains demanding enough to expose the differences between a mid-range CPU and GPU pairing. The data measured for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination shows a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p very well, but which struggles at 4K, particularly when settings are pushed beyond Medium. This analysis draws exclusively from the measured FPS rows and the hardware specifications provided, placing the results in context using the nearest rival scores.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Downfall?

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 with High settings delivers 95 FPS average, which is a strong balance. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average rises to 133 FPS, while 3840x2160 with High settings drops to 59 FPS. The sweet spot for both visual quality and smoothness is 1440p High, as it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold without the steep performance penalty seen at 4K.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of FPS?

A: The Ultra preset causes a significant frame rate drop across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 83 FPS compared to 133 FPS on High, a reduction of 50 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 59 FPS versus 95 FPS on High. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages only 37 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, while High manages 59 FPS.

Q: Is the RX 6650 XT capable of 4K gaming in Downfall?

A: Only at Low settings. The measured data shows 88 FPS average at 3840x2160 with Low settings, and 72 FPS at Medium. However, High settings drop to 59 FPS and Ultra falls to 37 FPS. This indicates that 4K is only viable if the user is willing to compromise heavily on visual fidelity, since the GPU is better suited for 1080p and 1440p workloads.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Medium settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 199 FPS, while Medium produces 162 FPS. This represents a 37 FPS difference. The Medium preset also shows a minimum FPS of 138 and a maximum of 187, whereas the Low preset only provides the average figure.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 225 rank among CPUs for this game?

A: The CPU holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36945, a delta of 0%. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% behind, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% behind. This suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck in most Downfall scenarios.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking, and what does that imply?

A: The RX 6650 XT ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19765. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, scores 19885, which is 0.6% higher. The AMD FirePro D300 is 0.7% lower, and the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 is 0.8% higher. This mid-range positioning explains why the GPU struggles at 4K Ultra, as it is not designed for that workload.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for the optimal settings preset. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 199 FPS average, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors. However, the Medium preset still delivers 162 FPS average with a minimum of 138 FPS, making it a better choice for visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 133 FPS average is also viable, but the step from Medium to High comes with a 29 FPS cost. The Ultra preset at 83 FPS average is the least attractive option at 1080p, as it drops below the 100 FPS mark while offering diminishing returns over High.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, with 116 FPS average and a minimum of 99 FPS. This keeps the frame rate above 60 FPS consistently. The High preset at 95 FPS average is also acceptable, but users who want the best combination of smoothness and detail should stick with Medium. The Low preset at 142 FPS average is overkill for most displays and sacrifices too much visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 59 FPS average is borderline, as it sits just below the 60 FPS target and is not recommended for a stable experience.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset at 88 FPS average is the only option that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 72 FPS average is playable, but the minimum FPS of 61 suggests it can dip close to the threshold. High settings at 59 FPS average are marginal, and Ultra at 37 FPS average is not suitable for serious play. For 4K users, the best experience per the measured data is the Low preset, with Medium as a fallback if the user prioritizes visuals over frame rate stability.

The data indicates that the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and quality across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 162 FPS average, which is 63 FPS higher than High and 79 FPS higher than Ultra. At 1440p, it delivers 116 FPS average, which is 21 FPS higher than High and 57 FPS higher than Ultra. At 4K, it delivers 72 FPS average, which is 13 FPS higher than High and 35 FPS higher than Ultra. The Medium preset consistently provides the most headroom for maintaining smooth gameplay, making it the default recommendation for this hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 133. Moving to 2560x1440 with the same settings drops the average to 95 FPS, a reduction of 38 FPS or roughly 28.6%. Moving further to 3840x2160 with High settings drops the average to 59 FPS, another reduction of 36 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the performance penalty scales steeply with pixel count.

The Low settings row shows a similar trend but with higher absolute values. At 1080p, Low averages 199 FPS. At 1440p, it averages 142 FPS, a drop of 57 FPS. At 4K, it averages 88 FPS, another drop of 54 FPS. The consistent drop of roughly 50-57 FPS per resolution step suggests that the RX 6650 XT is being pushed harder as the resolution increases, with the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus width becoming more relevant at 4K.

The Medium settings row provides the only complete data with minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the average is 162 FPS, with a minimum of 138 and a maximum of 187. At 1440p, the average drops to 116 FPS, with a minimum of 99 and a maximum of 133. At 4K, the average drops to 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 and a maximum of 83. The minimum FPS values show that even at 4K Medium, the system does not drop below 61 FPS, which is a positive sign for consistency, but the gap between average and minimum widens at higher resolutions, indicating increased frame time variance.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear in terms of percentage. At High settings, 1080p to 1440p is a 28.6% drop, while 1440p to 4K is a 37.9% drop. This suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s and pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s become more strained at 4K. The CPU, which is in the 85th percentile, is unlikely to be the bottleneck, as its single-thread performance remains strong. The data points to the GPU as the limiting component, particularly at 4K where even Low settings only manage 88 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS values span a wide range. The Low preset delivers the highest average of 199 FPS, which is suitable for 144Hz or 165Hz displays. The Medium preset averages 162 FPS, with a minimum of 138 FPS and a maximum of 187 FPS, providing a stable experience for high refresh rate gaming. The High preset averages 133 FPS, which is still smooth but shows a notable drop from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 83 FPS, which is playable but represents a significant compromise in performance for the highest visual settings. The spread from Low to Ultra is 116 FPS, indicating that the game’s settings have a substantial impact on the GPU load at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 142 FPS, which is excellent for 1440p gaming. The Medium preset averages 116 FPS, with a minimum of 99 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate stays above 90 FPS in most scenarios. The High preset averages 95 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold but shows the GPU starting to work harder. The Ultra preset averages 59 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability and is not recommended for consistent performance. The drop from Low to Ultra is 83 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p but still significant.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 88 FPS, which is a surprise given the resolution, but it shows that the game is not overly demanding at lower settings. The Medium preset averages 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, making it the best choice for 4K if the user wants some visual improvements. The High preset averages 59 FPS, which is marginal and likely to cause noticeable stutters in intense scenes. The Ultra preset averages 37 FPS, which is not smooth enough for a horror game that requires quick reactions. The spread from Low to Ultra is 51 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K.

The data shows a consistent pattern where the Medium preset offers the best balance of frame rate and quality. At 1080p, it is 29 FPS below Low but 50 FPS above Ultra. At 1440p, it is 26 FPS below Low but 57 FPS above Ultra. At 4K, it is 16 FPS below Low but 35 FPS above Ultra. The Medium preset also provides the only min/max data, showing that it maintains a stable frame rate across all resolutions, with the minimum FPS never falling below 61.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process node from TSMC. It features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, along with 32 ray tracing cores. The GPU has a base clock of 2055 MHz, a game clock of 2410 MHz, and a boost clock of 2635 MHz. The memory configuration includes 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. These specifications place the GPU in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19765.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU’s performance in Downfall is strongly tied to the settings preset. At 1080p, the GPU can deliver 199 FPS on Low, which is far above the refresh rate of most monitors. The GPU’s pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p workloads. However, at 4K, the GPU’s 8 GB memory capacity and 128-bit bus width become limiting factors, as the data shows a significant drop in performance on High and Ultra settings.

The GPU’s FP32 performance of 10.79 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, but it is enough for a 2016 horror game. The nearest rival comparisons show that the RX 6650 XT is closely matched with older workstation GPUs like the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, which scores 19885, and the AMD FirePro W7000, which scores 19905. This indicates that the GPU is positioned in the mid-range segment, and its performance in Downfall reflects that. The GPU’s boost clock of 2635 MHz is high, which helps maintain frame rates at lower resolutions, but the memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck at 4K.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are relevant for modern game compatibility, but the measured data shows that the GPU’s raw compute power is the main factor in Downfall. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1859 is a synthetic benchmark, but the in-game results show that the GPU can handle 1440p Medium settings at 116 FPS average, which is a strong result. At 4K, the GPU struggles to maintain 60 FPS on Medium, indicating that users should stick to 1080p or 1440p for the best experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture and built on a 3 nm process node from TSMC. It has 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The L3 cache is 20 MB shared, and the CPU includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 16 execution units. The CPU is in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938.

In Downfall, the CPU’s role is likely to be secondary to the GPU, as the game is not known for being CPU-intensive. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as indicated by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, is strong enough to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at most settings. The multi-core score of 25891 in Cinebench R23 shows that the CPU can handle background tasks, but the game’s frame rates are more dependent on the GPU. The nearest rival comparisons show that the Core Ultra 5 225 is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, with a delta of 0%, and slightly ahead of the Ryzen 5 5500X3D by 0.2%.

The CPU’s boost clock of 4.90 GHz is high, which helps in single-threaded workloads. The PassMark single-thread score of 4412 is strong, and the PassMark multi-thread score of 30459 shows that the CPU can handle multi-threaded tasks. However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in Downfall, as the frame rates scale more with resolution and settings than with CPU load. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 199 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would test the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU, but the CPU’s performance is sufficient for this task.

The CPU’s 10 cores and 10 threads are more than enough for a game from 2016, and the L3 cache of 20 MB is adequate for game data. The memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is sufficient for the GPU, which has its own 280.3 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU’s PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes ensures that the GPU can communicate at full speed, although the GPU uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which is still adequate. The CPU’s role in Downfall is to provide consistent frame delivery, and the data shows that it does so without introducing significant bottlenecks, as the FPS drops are more pronounced at higher resolutions where the GPU is under more stress.