Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 occupies a specific and well-defined position in the Downfall benchmark hierarchy. This combination is positioned in the lower half of the tested pool, with the data placing it at rank 2270 out of 2928 total combos. This percentile placement indicates that while the pairing is capable of delivering playable sessions, the vast majority of other hardware configurations tested will outperform it in this horror title. The interplay between the 14-core CPU and the RDNA 2.0 GPU creates a system where the graphics card becomes the definitive bottleneck, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's standing in the Downfall database is clearly defined by its rank of 2270 out of 2928 tested combinations. This places it in the 23rd percentile of all systems, meaning approximately 77% of the tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates. The data suggests this is not a pairing designed for chasing high refresh rates or maximum visual fidelity, but rather one that can achieve smooth performance with adjusted settings. When examining the individual components, the CPU is the stronger link in the chain. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 holds an 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs, showcasing significant processing power. In contrast, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs. The substantial gap between the CPU's high standing and the GPU's more modest position confirms that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this system. The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce its capability; it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085. Its average benchmark score of 46062 places it in a dead heat with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, which scores 46030 (a 0.1% delta), and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, which scores 46098 (a -0.1% delta). This indicates the processor is performing at the top of its class, meaning any performance shortfall in Downfall cannot be attributed to the CPU.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture and features the Navi 23 chip manufactured on a 7 nm process. It comes equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The card's clocks are set to a base frequency of 1626 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz and a boost clock of 2491 MHz. The memory operates at an effective speed of 14 Gbps. These specifications culminate in a pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s, with a peak FP32 throughput of 8.928 TFLOPS.

In the context of Downfall, these specifications directly influence the measured frame rates. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's demands at the tested settings, as there is no indication of memory-related stuttering in the benchmark results. The GPU's relative performance against its nearest rivals is remarkably close. Its average benchmark score of 19036 puts it on par with the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19030, 0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19049, -0.1% delta). This suggests that within this performance class, the RX 6600 is a representative contender. However, its 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs means that in Downfall, it will struggle to maintain high frame rates at the most demanding settings. The data shows a clear pattern: as the resolution and quality settings increase, the GPU's workload becomes more intense, and the frame rate drops accordingly.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It utilizes a 3 nm process and features 14 cores and 14 threads. The base clock is 3.40 GHz, which can boost up to 5.00 GHz. This configuration provides a strong foundation for gaming, as evidenced by its Cinebench R20 single-core score of 875 and multi-core score of 6202. The processor's Passmark single-thread score of 4516 further confirms its capability in tasks that rely on single-core performance, which is often critical for game logic and physics.

In Downfall, the CPU's role appears to be handling the game's background tasks and ensuring a stable frame delivery when the GPU is not the sole constraint. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and the dual-channel DDR5 memory support with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s provide ample data throughput for the game's demands. The processor's performance is so robust that it likely does not bottleneck the RX 6600 at 1080p, where the GPU is already working near its limit. However, at lower settings where the GPU load decreases, the CPU's strong single-threaded performance helps push frame rates higher, as seen in the 175 FPS average at 1080p Low settings. This indicates the CPU is not holding the system back; rather, it is the GPU that caps the maximum achievable performance in most scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the pairing delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 175, which is exceptionally high and indicates a very playable experience. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 143 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 164 FPS, maintaining smoothness. High settings yield an average of 117 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The most demanding preset, Ultra, brings the average down to 73 FPS, which remains playable but shows a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings produce an average of 125 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset averages 102 FPS, with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS. High settings average 84 FPS, which is a solid result for this resolution. The Ultra preset, however, drops to an average of 52 FPS, which is on the cusp of the playable threshold and shows the GPU struggling with the higher pixel count and demanding effects. At 3840x2160 (4K), the GPU is clearly overburdened. Low settings average 78 FPS, which is acceptable. Medium settings average 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS, indicating some dips into less comfortable territory. High settings average 52 FPS, which is marginal for a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 4K produces an average of just 33 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay. The data shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution and settings increase, with the GPU being the primary constraint.

Resolution Scaling

Examining the frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 117 at 1080p to 84 at 1440p, a 28.2% reduction, and then to 52 at 4K, which is a 55.6% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates a GPU-bound scenario. When the resolution increases, the GPU must render significantly more pixels, and the RX 6600's compute resources are rapidly exhausted. The 4K Ultra result of 33 FPS, compared to the 1080p Ultra result of 73 FPS, represents a 54.8% drop, further confirming the GPU's limitation.

The scaling pattern is similar across all settings. At Low settings, the drop from 175 FPS at 1080p to 125 FPS at 1440p is a 28.6% decrease, and the 4K result of 78 FPS is a 55.4% drop from 1080p. This consistent scaling behavior, regardless of the quality preset, strongly suggests that the frame rate is entirely dependent on the GPU's pixel throughput. The CPU, which is operating well within its capabilities, does not become a limiting factor even at lower resolutions where frame rates are high. The data indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 provides more than enough headroom for the RX 6600, and any attempt to improve performance in Downfall would require a more powerful graphics card rather than a faster processor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For 1920x1080, the High preset offers an excellent balance, delivering an average of 117 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth and responsive gameplay. The Medium preset also provides a high frame rate of 143 FPS, but the increase in visual quality at High is generally worth the 26 FPS trade-off. The Ultra preset, at 73 FPS, is playable but the performance cost for the highest settings may not be justified when the visual difference is often minimal in a horror game's dark environments. For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is a strong recommendation, averaging 102 FPS and providing a smooth experience. The High preset at 84 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual quality, but the Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 52 FPS should be avoided for consistent smoothness. At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only option for a consistently smooth experience, averaging 78 FPS. The Medium preset at 64 FPS may be acceptable for some, but the minimum of 54 FPS indicates occasional dips that could be noticeable. High and Ultra presets are not recommended at 4K due to their average frame rates of 52 and 33 FPS, respectively. The data suggests that for most users, the Medium preset at 1440p or the High preset at 1080p provides the best combination of visual quality and playable performance for this hardware combination.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 in Downfall?

A: This combination is ranked 2270 out of 2928 tested combos, placing it in the lower third of all systems tested in the database.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for this combo in Downfall?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 63rd percentile. The steep frame rate drops with increasing resolution confirm a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset is recommended, delivering an average of 117 FPS, which provides an excellent balance between visual quality and performance.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the combo can only achieve a consistently smooth experience at Low settings, which averages 78 FPS. Higher settings result in average frame rates below 64 FPS, with Ultra dropping to 33 FPS.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon RX 6600 compare to its closest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19036, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19030, 0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19049, -0.1% delta).

Q: What is the performance difference between the 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra presets?

A: The average frame rate drops from 73 FPS at 1080p Ultra to 33 FPS at 4K Ultra, a decrease of 54.8%, which shows the GPU struggling significantly with the higher resolution.