Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER pairing delivers a clear picture of a system where the GPU is the primary performance arbiter in Downfall. Across the measured resolutions, the frame rate scales consistently with the load placed on the graphics card, with the CPU providing ample headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The data indicates a playable experience at most settings, though the upper echelon of graphical fidelity at 4K remains out of reach.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a predictable and pronounced drop in frame rates, underscoring the significant strain that higher pixel counts place on the RTX 2060 SUPER. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 128 FPS at 1920x1080 to 92 FPS at 2560x1440, a 28% reduction. Moving to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 57 FPS, which is a 38% drop from the 1440p figure and a 55% decline from the 1080p baseline. This steep curve is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering workload grows exponentially with resolution.

The pattern holds across other presets. At Medium settings, the average FPS sequence is 156 at 1080p, 112 at 1440p, and 69 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 38%, identical to the High preset, suggesting that the relative cost of 4K resolution is consistent regardless of the medium-level graphical details. At Low settings, the system achieves 191 FPS at 1080p, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 85 FPS at 4K. The scaling here shows a 29% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 37% reduction from 1440p to 4K, indicating that even with the lowest graphical load, the GPU is still the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic degradation. The average frame rate at 1080p is 80 FPS, which is already a significant drop from the High preset's 128 FPS. At 1440p, it falls to 57 FPS, and at 4K, it collapses to 36 FPS. The 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and the 37% drop from 1440p to 4K highlight that the Ultra settings impose a massive uniform load that the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot sustain as pixel count increases. The data strongly suggests that this combination is GPU-limited across all resolutions and settings, with the CPU having sufficient capacity to feed the graphics card at every measured point.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear performance bottleneck in this configuration. Its specifications, including 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, are the primary drivers of the frame rates observed. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor; while it is sufficient for the measured settings, the significant performance drop at 4K Ultra suggests that memory capacity or bandwidth may be a contributing factor to the sub-60 FPS result.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context for its position. With an average benchmark score of 18093, it sits in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. This places it in the mid-range tier, and its nearest rivals in synthetic testing are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, -0.4%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, -1.5%). These deltas are remarkably small, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER is functionally equivalent in raw compute to these competitors, despite architectural differences.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is evident in the frame rate scaling. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 35 FPS (191 to 156), while the jump from Medium to High costs another 28 FPS (156 to 128). These are substantial reductions, indicating that the game's visual effects at these settings heavily tax the GPU's shading units, TMUs, and ROPs. The Ultra preset is particularly punishing, with a 48 FPS drop from High at 1080p, demonstrating that the extra effects enabled by Ultra are beyond what this GPU can handle smoothly. The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is best utilized at High settings or below for a balanced experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides a robust foundation for this gaming system. With 10 cores and 10 threads, a base clock of 3.30 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, its processing power is more than adequate to support the RTX 2060 SUPER in Downfall. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36945 (0% delta). Other close competitors include the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.4%). These negligible differences in synthetic benchmarks suggest that the Ultra 5 225 offers comparable processing capability to these alternatives, meaning the choice between them would not significantly affect Downfall's frame rates in a GPU-bound scenario.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in any of the measured configurations. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 191 FPS, which is a very high frame rate and suggests the CPU is capable of handling the game's logic and draw calls with ease. Even at 4K Low, the 85 FPS average is likely well above the CPU's threshold for creating a bottleneck. The consistent frame rate drops across resolutions at each settings level point squarely at the GPU as the performance ceiling. The Ultra 5 225's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3655 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures that it can keep up with the demands of a 2016 horror title like Downfall, which may not be heavily multi-threaded.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable at 1080p with this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 191 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The High preset achieves 128 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 80 FPS.

Q: Is the system capable of a smooth 4K experience?

A: At 3840x2160, the system achieves 57 FPS on High and 69 FPS on Medium. The Ultra preset only manages 36 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. For a 60 FPS target, Medium settings at 4K are the highest achievable.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, which is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F's score of 36945, showing a 0% delta. It also edges out the Intel Core i9-12900T, which scores 37112, by a -0.5% delta.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to the Intel Arc A770M?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, which is 1.6% lower than the Intel Arc A770M's score of 18383. In practice, this difference is minimal and unlikely to cause a noticeable disparity in Downfall.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 136 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 57 FPS. This represents a 79 FPS difference, demonstrating the massive performance cost of the Ultra preset.

Q: Does the system provide a stable frame rate at Medium settings?

A: Yes, at Medium settings, the system provides stable frame rates with a minimum FPS recorded. At 1920x1080, the average is 156 FPS with a minimum of 133 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average is 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average is 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 191 FPS. The Medium preset averages 156 FPS, with a minimum of 133 FPS and a maximum of 180 FPS. The High preset averages 128 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 80 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 136 FPS. The Medium preset averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. The High preset averages 92 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 57 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 85 FPS. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. The High preset averages 57 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 36 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern where the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, suggesting it offers a stable frame time experience across all resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the most balanced option. It delivers an average of 92 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while providing a significant visual upgrade over the Medium preset. The 1440p resolution offers a substantial increase in image clarity over 1080p without the extreme performance cost of 4K.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the clear choice, delivering 191 FPS. This is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p is a solid alternative for those who want a balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 156 FPS and a minimum of 133 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS. The High preset at 4K averages 57 FPS, which is borderline, and the Ultra preset's 36 FPS average is not recommended for comfortable gameplay. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions, as the performance cost is substantial, with the 1080p Ultra average of 80 FPS being significantly lower than the High preset's 128 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Downfall, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER holds a rank of 2061 out of 2928 total configurations. This places it in the 70th percentile of all tested combos, indicating that it performs better than a majority of systems but is not among the top-tier high-end builds.

This ranking is consistent with the hardware's individual percentile scores. The CPU is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, which is a strong result, while the GPU is in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. The combo's overall rank is pulled down by the GPU, which is the weaker component in this pairing. The data suggests that while the CPU is a high-performing part, the GPU's mid-range position limits the system's overall capability in a graphically intensive game like Downfall.

The rank of 2061 indicates that this is a solid mainstream configuration. It will handle 1080p gaming with high frame rates and can manage 1440p well, but it will struggle with 4K on higher settings. This positioning is accurately reflected in the measured FPS data, which shows a system that is capable but not excessive in its performance headroom.