Downfall

Downfall, a 2016 horror title, places the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B370 combo in a demanding position. Measured data shows that this pairing, ranked 2688 out of 2928 tested combos in the game, delivers playable frame rates only at lower resolutions and settings. The CPU, which sits at the 85th percentile among all tested processors, is far more capable than the integrated graphics solution it is paired with, creating a significant bottleneck that defines the entire performance profile.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Downfall with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Based on measured average FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently exceeds 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, average frame rates drop to between 29 and 68 FPS depending on settings, while 3840x2160 only achieves 18 to 43 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5%), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, -0.7%). It is 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: Which graphics preset provides the highest average frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Low preset yields the highest average FPS at 96. Medium follows at 78 FPS, High at 64 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and smoothness.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 CPU a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370 GPU?

A: Benchmark results indicate a severe imbalance. The CPU's average benchmark score is 36938, placing it at the 85th percentile, while the GPU's average score is 1184, placing it at the 5th percentile. The GPU is overwhelmingly the limiting factor in this combo.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among all tested systems in Downfall?

A: The combo ranks 2688 out of 2928 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom tier of systems, consistent with the low percentile ranking of the integrated GPU.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B370 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The GPU uses System Shared memory, with its memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This means it relies on the system's main memory rather than having its own dedicated frame buffer.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and Panther Lake chip. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operations pipelines. Its theoretical peak performance is listed at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16. The data sheet shows a power draw of 25 W, and it uses system memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with memory bandwidth listed as "System Dependent."

This lack of dedicated VRAM is the primary constraint in Downfall. The GPU's memory configuration is entirely dependent on the system, which introduces latency and bandwidth limitations that a dedicated graphics card would not face. In a horror game that often relies on detailed textures and lighting to create atmosphere, this shared memory architecture hurts performance. The measured FPS numbers reflect this: at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average is only 29 FPS, dropping to 18 FPS at Ultra. The GPU is simply unable to handle the data throughput required at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark standing confirms its limitations. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all legacy parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000. These are all over a decade old, which underscores how far behind modern dedicated graphics this integrated part is. The 25 W power envelope and lack of any power connectors further indicate that this is a low-power solution intended for basic tasks, not high-end gaming. In Downfall, the GPU is the decisive bottleneck, capping performance far below what the CPU can deliver.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep decline as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 96 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 68 FPS, a reduction of 28 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 43 FPS, another 25 FPS drop. This scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets.

For the High preset, the progression is 64 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. Medium settings show 78, 56, and 35 FPS respectively. Even the Low preset, which is the least demanding, cannot maintain playable frame rates at 4K, averaging only 43 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most punishing, with 40 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and just 18 FPS at 4K.

This scaling suggests that the limiting component is the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth, both of which are constrained by its integrated design. The CPU, with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz and 10 cores, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as pixel count increases, the GPU's 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 96.00 GTexel/s texture rate become exhausted. The result is that the frame rate is nearly halved when going from 1080p to 4K, regardless of quality preset. The data shows no scenario where this combo provides a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1440p or above, indicating that users must stay at 1080p for acceptable performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 96 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset follows at 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS, indicating a stable experience. The High preset drops to 64 FPS, which is still playable but with less headroom. The Ultra preset falls to 40 FPS, which is below the ideal for a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that provides a comfortable average above 60 FPS, at 68 FPS. Medium averages 56 FPS (min 48, max 64), which is borderline. High drops to 46 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS. At 3840x2160, none of the presets achieve a playable 60 FPS. Low averages 43 FPS, Medium 35 FPS, High 29 FPS, and Ultra 18 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded for Medium at 4K is 30 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for a horror game that may have slower pacing.

Based on this data, the best experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. It offers an average of 78 FPS, a minimum of 67 FPS, and a maximum of 90 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The Low preset is faster, but the Medium preset is likely to have better textures and lighting effects, which are important in a horror game. The High preset at 1080p is also viable, but the Medium preset has more performance headroom to avoid dips. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended, as it consistently produces average frame rates below 40 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B370 combination is ranked 2688 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU itself is a strong performer, with an average benchmark score of 36938, which puts it at the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.4%), and Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, -0.5%). This shows the CPU is competitive with mainstream desktop parts from previous generations.

In stark contrast, the Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all legacy parts from the early 2010s. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is essentially tied with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). This enormous gap between CPU and GPU capability is the defining characteristic of this combo. The CPU could easily drive a much more powerful discrete GPU, but the integrated graphics hold the entire system back.

The combo's rank of 2688 out of 2928 reflects this reality. In a game like Downfall, which has modest system requirements, the CPU is never the limiting factor. The frame rates are entirely dictated by the GPU's ability to render frames. The data shows that even with the CPU's high percentile standing, the combo cannot escape the bottom tier because the GPU is so weak. For any user looking at this pairing, the ranking makes it clear that the system will struggle with modern or demanding titles.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the average FPS measured for each resolution and settings preset. The data includes minimum and maximum values only for the Medium preset at each resolution.

1920x1080:

• Low: 96 avg FPS
• Medium: 78 avg FPS (min 67, max 90)
• High: 64 avg FPS
• Ultra: 40 avg FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 68 avg FPS
• Medium: 56 avg FPS (min 48, max 64)
• High: 46 avg FPS
• Ultra: 29 avg FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 43 avg FPS
• Medium: 35 avg FPS (min 30, max 40)
• High: 29 avg FPS
• Ultra: 18 avg FPS

The data reveals a consistent pattern. At 1080p, the combo can handle Low and Medium presets with average frame rates above 60 FPS. The High preset is just above 60 FPS, while Ultra falls below. At 1440p, only the Low preset stays above 60 FPS. At 4K, all presets fail to reach 60 FPS, with the best case being 43 FPS on Low.

The Medium preset's minimum and maximum values provide insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the range is 67 to 90 FPS, a spread of 23 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 48 to 64 FPS, a spread of 16 FPS. At 4K, the range is 30 to 40 FPS, a spread of 10 FPS. This suggests that as resolution increases, the frame rate becomes more consistent but also lower. The lack of min/max data for other presets means we cannot assess their frame pacing, but the averages are clear.

In summary, the measured FPS breakdown shows that this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming with low to medium settings. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is not the limiting factor; rather, the Intel Arc B370's integrated architecture and shared memory configuration cap performance. The numbers confirm that the combo ranks in the bottom 10% of tested systems, and users should not expect high refresh rate or high-resolution gaming from this hardware. The best case scenario is 96 FPS at 1080p Low, which is playable but not a high-fidelity experience.