Downfall

Downfall, a 2016 horror title, is an older game, yet the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination reveals a compelling performance profile that scales predictably with resolution and graphical fidelity. The measured results indicate that this pairing is capable of delivering high frame rates across most settings, but the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for visual quality versus raw performance. The data suggests a clear hierarchy where lower settings unlock significantly higher frame rates, while Ultra settings present a substantial performance penalty.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset yields an average of 141 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience, while the Medium preset achieves 172 FPS. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, drops to 88 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play at 1080p, the Medium preset offers a 22% performance increase over High while still maintaining a very high frame rate. However, for users prioritizing a balance of visual fidelity and performance, the High preset at 141 FPS is the recommended choice, as it is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a more detailed image than Medium.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance profile shifts. The High preset delivers an average of 101 FPS, which is still a strong result for a 1440p panel. The Medium preset provides 123 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 150 FPS. The Ultra preset again becomes a significant bottleneck, dropping to 63 FPS. At this resolution, the High preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides a near-ideal balance; the 101 FPS average is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors, and the visual upgrade over Medium is noticeable. While 63 FPS on Ultra is playable, the performance sacrifice is substantial for the visual gains.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals a more constrained scenario. The High preset achieves 63 FPS, which is just at the edge of a playable experience. The Medium preset is more comfortable at 77 FPS, but the Low preset is the only one that provides a significant headroom, with a 94 FPS average. The Ultra preset is not a viable option here, with an average of only 39 FPS. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the optimal recommendation for a smooth experience, as it offers a 22% performance increase over High and stays comfortably above 60 FPS. Users who prioritize frame rate above all else could consider the Low preset, but the Medium preset offers a better balance without falling below the playability threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested combinations for Downfall, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER holds a rank of 1653 out of 2928 total combos. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, indicating that it is a capable performer for this title, though not at the very top of the performance hierarchy. The percentile ranking of the individual components supports this: the CPU is in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 65th percentile among all GPUs. This suggests that the CPU is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU, which is often the limiting factor in gaming scenarios.

The combo's rank reflects a system that can handle the game well at most settings, but it is not without its limitations. The data shows that while the CPU has significant headroom, the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at higher resolutions and settings, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra result of 39 FPS. This ranking suggests that the system is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates, but it will struggle to maintain high performance at 4K with maximum graphical settings. The position of this combo, just inside the top half of all tested configurations, suggests that a significant number of other systems, likely with more powerful GPUs, can outperform it in the most demanding scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary driver of graphical performance in this configuration, and its specifications directly correlate with the measured frame rates. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the resolutions tested in Downfall, though the data suggests it becomes a limiting factor at 4K with Ultra settings, where the frame rate collapses to 39 FPS. The GPU's core clocks, with a base of 1605 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz, are substantial for its generation, and its 2560 shading units allow for significant parallel processing power.

The GPU's performance, as measured in the game, shows a clear pattern of scaling. At 1080p, the frame rate is primarily CPU-bound, as the GPU has ample resources to render frames quickly. However, as the resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the GPU's workload becomes more demanding, and its performance becomes the bottleneck. The difference between the Low and Ultra settings at 4K is particularly telling: a jump from 94 FPS to 39 FPS. This 55 FPS difference highlights the immense graphical load that the Ultra preset places on the GPU. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Downfall, but its 8 GB VRAM and overall compute power are stretched thin at 4K, especially with high-fidelity settings. The GPU's performance percentile of 65 indicates it is a mid-to-high-tier card, which aligns with its measured performance in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates significant headroom. The Low preset averages 210 FPS, which is an exceptionally high frame rate. The Medium preset averages 172 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 146 and 198 FPS, respectively. The High preset averages 141 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 88 FPS. This shows a clear performance gradient, with the Ultra preset representing a 58% performance decrease from the Low preset.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. The Low preset averages 150 FPS, which is still very high. The Medium preset averages 123 FPS, with a minimum of 105 FPS and a maximum of 141 FPS. The High preset averages 101 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 63 FPS. The frame rate at High and Ultra settings at this resolution remains playable, but the Ultra setting is only marginally above the 60 FPS threshold. The data indicates that the gap between Medium and High is 22 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is a significant 38 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. The Low preset averages 94 FPS, which is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 77 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS. The High preset drops the average to 63 FPS, which is right at the playability threshold. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it averages only 39 FPS. This data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires sacrificing graphical settings to maintain a smooth frame rate. The results at each resolution follow a consistent pattern of performance decline with increasing settings, with the most severe drops occurring when transitioning from High to Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a consistently high frame rate?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At this resolution, even the High preset achieves an average of 141 FPS, and the Medium preset reaches 172 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. The 2560x1440 resolution is also viable, with the High preset averaging 101 FPS, but 4K requires significant compromises in settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Downfall?

A: It can handle 4K, but with limitations. The benchmark data shows that at 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 77 FPS and the High preset averages 63 FPS, which are playable. However, the Ultra preset drops to an unplayable 39 FPS. Therefore, 4K is only viable with Medium or lower settings.

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

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 88 FPS compared to 141 FPS on High, a performance drop of 53 FPS. At 2560x1440, the difference is more pronounced, with Ultra averaging 63 FPS versus 101 FPS on High. At 3840x2160, the gap widens further, with Ultra at 39 FPS and High at 63 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER or the Core Ultra 5 225 the limiting factor in this system?

A: The benchmark results suggest the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU is in the 85th percentile, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile. The substantial frame rate drops at 4K Ultra settings, where the GPU's workload is highest, indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the bottleneck in demanding scenarios.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Medium settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 150 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 123 FPS. This represents a 27 FPS difference, meaning the Medium preset provides a visual upgrade at a cost of about 18% performance. Both settings offer high frame rates, so the choice depends on preference.

Q: Does the game run smoothly at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset?

A: The data shows that the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 88 FPS. This is a very playable frame rate for most users, especially on a 60Hz or 144Hz monitor. While it is lower than the High preset's 141 FPS, it is still well above the standard 60 FPS target.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a critical role in ensuring the GPU can perform to its potential. This CPU features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This high boost clock is crucial for gaming, as it provides the single-threaded performance necessary to feed the GPU with data. The CPU's benchmark scores support this, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and a multi-core score of 25891. This indicates a strong processor that is more than capable of handling the demands of Downfall.

The CPU's high percentile ranking of 85th among all CPUs suggests that it is unlikely to be a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios. The data from the measured FPS supports this, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, which is a hallmark of a GPU-limited system. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU's performance is sufficient to drive frame rates up to 210 FPS on the Low preset, indicating it can handle high-throughput situations. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide the necessary bandwidth for smooth data flow. The core configuration of 10 cores and 10 threads is more than sufficient for this 2016 title, which likely does not utilize more than a few cores effectively.

The data suggests that the Core Ultra 5 225 provides ample performance headroom for the RTX 2070 SUPER. For instance, at 1920x1080, the CPU can push frame rates high enough that the GPU becomes the limiting factor. This is a balanced pairing, where the CPU's strength allows the GPU to be the primary determinant of performance at higher graphical settings. The CPU's robust single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures that the game's main logic threads are processed without delay, preventing any stutters or frame hitches that could occur with a weaker processor. This makes the CPU a solid foundation for the system, ensuring that the GPU is the only component that needs to be considered for performance scaling.