Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 delivers a playable experience at 1080p in Downfall, but the data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, clearly identifying the GPU as the primary bottleneck. This combination ranks 3593rd out of 3716 tested configurations in this title, placing it in the lower percentile of systems capable of running the game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a dramatic decline in performance as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, a pattern that points directly to the graphics card as the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 91 FPS, which drops to 65 FPS at 1440p and further to 41 FPS at 4K. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GTX 1650's pixel throughput is being saturated at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced at higher quality presets. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 61 FPS at 1080p to 44 FPS at 1440p, then to 27 FPS at 4K — a 56% drop from 1080p to 4K. The Medium preset shows similar behavior: 75 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. These consistent percentage drops across settings confirm that resolution scaling affects the system uniformly, regardless of graphical complexity.

Ultra settings tell the harshest story. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages 38 FPS average, but this collapses to 27 FPS at 1440p and a nearly unplayable 17 FPS at 4K. The 55% decline from 1080p to 4K mirrors the other presets, reinforcing that the GPU's rendering capabilities scale linearly with pixel count. The GTX 1650's 128.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128-bit bus width are insufficient to feed the GPU efficiently at 4K, and the data reflects this limitation across every settings preset.

The frame rate deltas between 1080p and 1440p range from 39% (Low: 91 to 65 FPS) to 29% (Ultra: 38 to 27 FPS), while the 1440p to 4K transitions show similar proportional drops. This consistent scaling behavior indicates that the CPU, with its 10 cores and 20 MB of shared L3 cache, is not the limiting factor at any resolution — the workload remains GPU-bound throughout.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is built on the Turing architecture with a TU117 chip fabricated on a 12 nm process. Its 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs operate at base and boost clocks of 1485 MHz and 1665 MHz respectively. The 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves to be a critical constraint in Downfall's horror environments.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 40th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 7472. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8850M (0.3% faster), Intel UHD Graphics 750 (0.4% faster), and AMD Radeon R7 350 (0.6% faster), while the Intel Arc A310 is 1% slower. These marginal differences indicate that the GTX 1650 sits at the lower end of dedicated GPU performance, which aligns with its measured results in this game.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity becomes a tangible limitation at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 17 FPS, and the system cannot maintain playable performance. The texture and geometry demands of Downfall at 4K exceed what the GTX 1650's memory subsystem can deliver, causing the GPU to become the definitive bottleneck. Even at 1440p Ultra, the 27 FPS average suggests the card is struggling to keep up with the rendering workload.

The GPU's pixel rate of 53.28 GPixel/s and texture rate of 93.24 GTexel/s provide theoretical ceilings that the measured data shows are being approached at 1080p Medium and High settings. With the FP32 compute performance at 2.984 TFLOPS, the GTX 1650 is adequate for 1080p gaming in this title but lacks the headroom required for higher resolutions or maximum quality presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides ample processing power for Downfall, with its 10 cores and 10 threads running at base and boost clocks of 3.30 GHz and 4.90 GHz respectively. Built on the Arrow Lake architecture using a 3 nm process, this processor ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% difference), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (0.2% slower), and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (0.4% slower), placing it in strong company for gaming workloads.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance is robust, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and single-core score of 3655. PassMark results further demonstrate its capabilities, with a multi-thread score of 30459 and single-thread score of 4412. These figures suggest the processor can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a bottleneck, which the resolution scaling data confirms — frame rates decline uniformly with resolution, not in a pattern that would indicate CPU limitations.

The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for the game's assets. The 3 nm process node and 65 W TDP indicate efficient power delivery, though the unlocked multiplier is not available for overclocking. The CPU's PassMark physics score of 2342 and data compression score of 302811 show balanced performance across different workload types, suggesting it can handle the varied computational demands of a horror title like Downfall.

At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 91 FPS average, which is well within the range where CPU and GPU workloads are balanced. However, the consistent frame rate drops across all resolutions — even at Low settings where GPU load is minimized — indicate that the GTX 1650's rendering limits are reached before the Core Ultra 5 225's processing capabilities are stressed. The CPU's 10-core configuration provides ample headroom for the game's single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks, making it a solid foundation for this GPU pairing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings in Downfall with this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 91 FPS, providing the smoothest experience with substantial headroom above typical 60 FPS targets. The Medium preset at 75 FPS average offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, with minimum and maximum frame rates of 64 and 86 FPS respectively, ensuring consistent gameplay without significant drops.

For players prioritizing visual fidelity, the High preset at 1080p achieves 61 FPS average, which is playable but closer to the threshold where frame drops become noticeable. The Ultra preset at 38 FPS average is not recommended for 1080p, as it sacrifices smoothness for marginal visual improvements that may not be worth the 37 FPS penalty compared to Low settings.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset provides 65 FPS average, making it the only settings tier that maintains consistently playable performance at this resolution. The Medium preset at 53 FPS average is borderline, with minimums at 45 FPS that may cause occasional stutter in intense horror sequences. High and Ultra settings at 1440p — 44 FPS and 27 FPS respectively — are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

The 4K resolution is largely impractical with this GPU, as even the Low preset only achieves 41 FPS average, and the Ultra preset drops to 17 FPS. The data indicates that the GTX 1650 cannot adequately drive Downfall at 3840x2160, and players should avoid this resolution entirely unless they prioritize visual detail over frame rate. The optimal experience for this configuration is 1080p with Medium or Low settings, where the system delivers the best combination of performance and visual quality.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Downfall at 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average frame rate is 91 FPS. The Medium preset also exceeds 60 FPS with a 75 FPS average, while the High preset falls slightly short at 61 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this GPU and CPU combination?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset maintains an average above 60 FPS at 65 FPS, while at 3840x2160, even Low settings only reach 41 FPS average.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Downfall?*

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting component. Resolution scaling produces consistent frame rate drops across all settings, and the GTX 1650 ranks in the 40th percentile of GPUs, while the Core Ultra 5 225 ranks in the 85th percentile of CPUs.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its closest competitors?

A: The GTX 1650's average benchmark score of 7472 places it within 1% of its nearest rivals. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M is 0.3% faster, the Intel UHD Graphics 750 is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Radeon R7 350 is 0.6% faster, while the Intel Arc A310 is 1% slower.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 53 FPS, with minimum and maximum frame rates of 45 and 61 FPS respectively. This provides playable performance but may experience occasional dips.

Q: Is the Ultra preset viable at any resolution?

A: The Ultra preset only achieves 38 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K. Based on the measured data, Ultra settings are not recommended for smooth gameplay at any resolution with this hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 91 FPS, providing the highest frame rates measured with this configuration. Medium settings produce a 75 FPS average with minimum and maximum values of 64 and 86 FPS, offering consistent performance within a narrow band. High settings reach 61 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 38 FPS average, representing a 58% reduction from Low settings.

The 2560x1440 resolution shows a significant performance penalty across every preset. Low settings average 65 FPS, which is 26 FPS lower than at 1080p. Medium settings deliver 53 FPS average with a range of 45 to 61 FPS, maintaining playability but with reduced headroom. High settings fall to 44 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 27 FPS, making them unsuitable for consistent gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal for most settings. Low settings achieve 41 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. Medium settings produce 33 FPS average with a range of 28 to 38 FPS, showing significant frame pacing variability. High settings reach 27 FPS average, and Ultra settings bottom out at 17 FPS, rendering the game effectively unplayable at this resolution with this hardware.

The complete data set shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Medium provides the best balance with 75 FPS average and tight frame times, while 1080p Low offers maximum performance at 91 FPS. The 1440p Low setting at 65 FPS is the only viable option at that resolution, and 4K should be avoided entirely given that even the lowest settings fail to reach 45 FPS average. These measured results across 12 distinct configurations provide a comprehensive picture of this hardware's capabilities in Downfall.