Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 pairs a 10-core, 10-thread Arrow Lake design with a 3.30 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost clock. This configuration places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 36,938. Its nearest rivals are separated by fractions of a percent: the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36,945 (0% delta), the Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37,018 (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37,093 (-0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37,112 (-0.5%). The data indicates this is a tightly contested performance tier, where the Ultra 5 225 effectively matches its immediate competition in synthetic workloads, despite the architectural differences.

For a horror game like Downfall, the CPU's role is often secondary to the GPU, but the 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth are relevant. The single-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655, suggests the processor can handle game logic and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck. The multi-core score of 25,891 in the same test shows headroom for background tasks, but the game's genre typically doesn't stress all 10 threads equally. The absence of a multiplier unlock means overclocking is off the table, so the measured boost clock of 4.90 GHz is the ceiling for this chip.

The GPU is the dominant component in this pairing. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with an AD103 chip, featuring 10,240 shading units, 80 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores. It operates at a base clock of 2,295 MHz with a boost of 2,550 MHz. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This hardware places the GPU in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,209. Its closest rival is the standard RTX 4080, which scores 54,247 (-0.1% delta), confirming the SUPER variant is virtually identical in raw compute. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X trails by -1.1%, and the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is -2.7% behind.

In Downfall, the GPU's VRAM capacity and bandwidth are critical. The 16 GB frame buffer is more than sufficient for the game's textures at any resolution. The pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s provide the fill rate necessary to maintain high frame rates in a horror title that likely features dark, detailed environments. The FP32 performance of 52.22 TFLOPS indicates the card can handle the shader complexity. The data suggests the RTX 4080 SUPER is not the limiting factor in this combo; rather, it has the computational headroom to push high FPS, leaving the CPU to keep up.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling from 1080p to 4K that points to the GPU as the primary driver of performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 397 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 284 FPS, a 28.5% reduction. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 177 FPS, which is a 55.4% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline with increasing pixel count is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario; the CPU is capable of feeding frames at 397 FPS, but the GPU's rendering workload grows exponentially with resolution.

The scaling at High settings tells a similar story. From 267 FPS at 1080p, the frame rate drops to 190 FPS at 1440p (-28.8%) and then to 118 FPS at 4K (-55.8%). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and High settings suggests that the game's rendering pipeline is scaling predictably with resolution, independent of the visual fidelity preset. The limiting component is the GPU's ability to process pixels, not the CPU's ability to issue draw calls.

At Ultra settings, the scaling becomes even more pronounced. 1080p Ultra runs at 167 FPS, 1440p Ultra at 119 FPS (-28.7%), and 4K Ultra at 74 FPS (-55.7%). The fact that the relative drops are nearly identical across all four settings presets is telling. It implies that the additional load from higher settings (like shadows, textures, and post-processing) is not disproportionately taxing the GPU; the resolution is the dominant variable. The data suggests that if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see diminishing returns at lower resolutions, where the FPS would plateau. Instead, the FPS continues to rise at 1080p, indicating the CPU has ample headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full dataset provides exact numbers for each resolution and settings combination. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 397 FPS. The Medium preset yields 325 FPS, with a minimum of 276 FPS and a maximum of 374 FPS. High settings produce 267 FPS, while Ultra drops to 167 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 230 FPS, illustrating the significant cost of maxing out the visual features at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low runs at 284 FPS. Medium averages 232 FPS, with a minimum of 197 FPS and a maximum of 267 FPS. High settings hit 190 FPS, and Ultra manages 119 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 165 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium (197 FPS) is still well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on high-end monitors, indicating a smooth experience even during demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the 4K resolution pushes the GPU harder. Low settings achieve 177 FPS. Medium averages 144 FPS, with a minimum of 123 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS. High settings produce 118 FPS, and Ultra falls to 74 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (123 FPS) is notable; it indicates that even in the heaviest moments, the combo stays above 120 FPS at this preset. However, at 4K Ultra, the average of 74 FPS suggests the game is becoming more demanding, though it remains playable on a 60 Hz display.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a combo rank of 194 out of 2,928 tested combinations in Downfall. This places it in the top 6.6% of all pairings in the database, which is a strong result. The data indicates that this specific pairing is well-balanced for the game, with the GPU's high performance compensating for the CPU's mid-range positioning. The rank suggests that, among the thousands of possible CPU-GPU pairings, this one delivers a frame rate experience that is superior to the vast majority of alternatives.

The rank is a holistic measure that takes into account all resolutions and settings tested. The fact that this combo ranks at 194 means there are 193 other combinations that perform better. Those are likely to include higher-end CPUs paired with the same GPU, or the same CPU paired with faster GPUs. The percentile of the individual components (85th for CPU, 86th for GPU) roughly aligns with the combo's overall ranking, but the game-specific rank of 194 suggests that Downfall is not particularly CPU-sensitive. If it were, the combo might rank lower, as the Ultra 5 225's mid-range multi-core performance could hold back the flagship GPU. Instead, the data shows the combo excels, implying the GPU is the star and the CPU is sufficient.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 190 FPS. This indicates a very smooth experience, well above the threshold for high refresh rate monitors.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The resolution scaling data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter. The FPS drops by roughly 55% from 1080p to 4K across all settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The CPU has headroom, as evidenced by the 397 FPS at 1080p Low.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080?

A: According to the benchmark data, the RTX 4080 SUPER has an average score of 54,209, while the standard RTX 4080 scores 54,247. This is a delta of -0.1%, meaning the SUPER is essentially equivalent in performance to the non-SUPER variant in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 144 FPS with a minimum of 123 FPS. This provides a high frame rate while maintaining visual quality. The High preset at 118 FPS is also viable, but the Ultra preset drops to 74 FPS, which may be less desirable for competitive play.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36,938. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36,945, a delta of 0%. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D is -0.2% behind, the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is -0.4% behind, and the Core i9-12900T is -0.5% behind. The performance differences are negligible.

Q: Does the combo rank high among all tested pairings?

A: Yes, the combo ranks 194th out of 2,928 tested combinations in Downfall. This places it in the top 6.6% of all pairings, indicating excellent overall performance for this specific game.

Settings Recommendations

The data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 397 FPS, which is excessive for most displays. The Ultra preset at 167 FPS is more reasonable for a 144 Hz monitor, but the Medium preset at 325 FPS offers a massive safety margin. For 1080p, the High preset at 267 FPS is a balanced choice, providing high visual quality while still maintaining frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

At 1440p, the Medium preset stands out. It averages 232 FPS with a minimum of 197 FPS, ensuring no dips below the 144 Hz threshold. The High preset at 190 FPS is also excellent, but the Medium preset's minimum FPS of 197 provides more consistent performance. The Ultra preset at 119 FPS is playable but drops below 120 FPS, which might be noticeable on a 120 Hz or 144 Hz display. The Low preset at 284 FPS is overkill and sacrifices visual fidelity for no practical benefit.

For 4K, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. It achieves an average of 144 FPS with a minimum of 123 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 120 Hz refresh rate. The High preset at 118 FPS is just below 120, making it less ideal for high refresh rate displays. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is suitable for 60 Hz gaming but leaves performance on the table. The Low preset at 177 FPS is unnecessary, as the Medium preset provides a better visual experience while remaining well above 120 FPS. Overall, the Medium preset at 4K is the recommended choice for balancing visual quality and frame rate stability.