Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a compelling performance profile in Downfall, a horror title from 2016. The measured data reveals a system that scales predictably across resolutions, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher settings while the CPU provides ample headroom at lower presets. This combination ranks in the 1237th position out of 2928 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of system configurations for this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the system’s limitations lie. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 242 FPS average, which is the absolute ceiling observed across all tested configurations. Stepping up to 2560x1440 at the same preset yields 173 FPS, representing a 28.5% drop. Moving to 3840x2160 at Low settings produces 107 FPS, which is a 55.8% reduction from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a system where the CPU is capable of feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower resolutions.

The Medium preset tells a similar story with slightly different numbers. At 1080p Medium, the system achieves 198 FPS average, dropping to 141 FPS at 1440p (a 28.8% decline) and then to 88 FPS at 4K (a 55.6% decline from 1080p). The consistency of these percentages across Low and Medium presets suggests that the rendering pipeline is scaling linearly with pixel count, which points to the GPU being the limiting factor rather than any CPU bottleneck.

High settings reveal a different scaling curve. The 1080p High result of 162 FPS drops to 116 FPS at 1440p (28.4% lower) and then to 72 FPS at 4K (55.6% lower). The Ultra preset produces 101 FPS at 1080p, 72 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops between resolutions remain remarkably consistent across all four settings tiers, which indicates that the RTX 5060’s rendering workload scales nearly perfectly with resolution. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for this title’s demands, as frame rates do not exhibit anomalous collapses at higher resolutions.

The data strongly suggests that at 1080p Low and Medium, the CPU is capable of pushing frame rates well beyond what the GPU can deliver, but the gap narrows considerably as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the system delivers 45 FPS, which is barely playable for a horror title where responsiveness matters. The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows the GPU workload increasing substantially: at 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 141 FPS (from 242 to 101); at 4K, the same settings change costs 62 FPS (from 107 to 45).

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Downfall?*

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 with High settings delivers 116 FPS average, which balances visual fidelity with smooth performance. At 1920x1080 High the system reaches 162 FPS, but the 1440p result remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for comfortable gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in this system?

A: The RTX 5060’s average benchmark score is 26331, placing it within 0.3% of the AMD Radeon 860M (26401) and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26421). It sits 0.8% below the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26553) and 1.2% above the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (26011).

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the system produces 242 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. Given that the CPU’s multi-threaded performance sits at the 89th percentile of all CPUs, the data indicates the Ultra 5 235 provides sufficient headroom for the RTX 5060 at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at different settings?

A: The Medium preset is the only tier with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the range spans 168 to 227 FPS (average 198); at 1440p Medium, 120 to 162 FPS (average 141); and at 4K Medium, 75 to 101 FPS (average 88). These ranges suggest consistent frame pacing without major hitches.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: This specific combination ranks 1237th out of 2928 total combos tested in Downfall, placing it in the 57.8th percentile of all system configurations for this game.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: At 4K High, the system averages 72 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Ultra, performance drops to 45 FPS, which falls below the typically desired 60 FPS threshold. The 4K Low preset yields 107 FPS for those prioritizing frame rate over visual quality.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 serves as the primary performance determinant in this configuration, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2280 MHz and a boost clock of 2497 MHz, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 3840 shading units. The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory across a 128-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which the measured frame rates suggest is adequate for Downfall’s rendering demands.

The GPU’s benchmark scores paint a picture of mid-range capability. Its PassMark G3D score of 20891 places it at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, while its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628 indicates modest performance in modern API workloads. The compute performance, measured at 10899 in PassMark GPU Compute, supports the observed frame rates. The nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD Radeon 860M (26401, 0.3% higher) and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26421, 0.3% higher), placing the RTX 5060 in a competitive mid-range segment.

The RTX 5060’s 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 299.6 GTexel/s texture rate translate directly to the measured results. At 4K High, the GPU delivers 72 FPS, which is exactly half of the 1440p High result of 116 FPS when normalized for pixel count (1440p has 44% of 4K’s pixels, and 116 × 0.44 ≈ 51, but the actual result is 72, indicating some efficiency gains at higher resolutions). The 45 FPS at 4K Ultra versus 101 FPS at 1080p Ultra shows a 55.4% reduction, closely matching the pixel count difference of 5.6x.

The GPU’s memory configuration becomes relevant when considering the frame buffer demands of Downfall. With 8 GB of GDDR7, the card has sufficient capacity for this 2016 title, as evidenced by the absence of catastrophic frame rate drops at 4K. The 128-bit bus width, while narrow by modern standards, provides enough bandwidth for the game’s textures and geometry at the tested settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination achieves a rank of 1237 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. This places the system in the upper half of all configurations, specifically at the 57.8th percentile. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component severely bottlenecks the other across the tested resolution spectrum.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 46062 places it at the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU’s average score of 26331 sits at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. The disparity between these percentiles suggests the CPU is comparatively stronger than the GPU, which is consistent with the resolution scaling data showing GPU-bound behavior at higher settings.

The combo rank of 1237 indicates that while this system is capable, there are 1691 configurations that deliver higher frame rates in Downfall. The rank position relative to the CPU’s 89th percentile and GPU’s 72nd percentile suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in overall game performance. Systems with stronger GPUs paired with similar CPUs would likely rank higher, as the CPU has demonstrated headroom at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance across all settings. Low settings produce 242 FPS average, Medium produces 198 FPS (with a range of 168 to 227 FPS), High produces 162 FPS, and Ultra produces 101 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra costs 141 FPS, representing a 58.3% reduction in average frame rate.

The 2560x1440 results show a proportional decline. Low settings yield 173 FPS, Medium yields 141 FPS (ranging from 120 to 162 FPS), High yields 116 FPS, and Ultra yields 72 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 101 FPS, a 58.4% reduction that mirrors the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, the system remains playable but with reduced headroom. Low settings produce 107 FPS, Medium produces 88 FPS (ranging from 75 to 101 FPS), High produces 72 FPS, and Ultra produces 45 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread at 4K is 62 FPS, representing a 57.9% reduction. This consistency across resolutions indicates that the rendering pipeline scales linearly with pixel count.

The Medium preset is the only configuration with complete min/max data, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the 168-227 FPS range shows a 59 FPS spread; at 1440p, the 120-162 FPS range shows a 42 FPS spread; and at 4K, the 75-101 FPS range shows a 26 FPS spread. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests more consistent frame pacing as the GPU becomes more uniformly utilized.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 198 FPS with a minimum of 168 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without any perceptible stutter. At 1440p Medium, the 141 FPS average with a 120 FPS minimum keeps the experience well above refresh rate thresholds for most monitors. Even at 4K Medium, the 88 FPS average with a 75 FPS minimum maintains playability.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1440p provides 173 FPS, which is only 25 FPS less than the 1080p Low result of 242 FPS. This suggests that 1440p Low is a more efficient use of the GPU’s capabilities than 1080p Low, given the modest performance cost for a substantial resolution increase.

The High preset delivers 162 FPS at 1080p and 116 FPS at 1440p, both well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K High, the 72 FPS average remains playable, though it does not provide the same headroom as lower resolutions. The Ultra preset should only be considered at 1080p, where 101 FPS remains smooth; at 1440p Ultra the 72 FPS average is workable, but at 4K Ultra the 45 FPS average falls below comfortable playability for a horror title where reaction time matters.

The data suggests that 1440p Medium represents the sweet spot for this combination, delivering 141 FPS with a 120 FPS minimum. This configuration offers the best balance of visual quality and performance headroom, ensuring the system can handle demanding scenes without dropping below acceptable frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 provides substantial processing power for Downfall, with 14 cores and 14 threads operating at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process, delivers strong single-threaded performance with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and multi-core score of 14769. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth support the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 place it at the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals by average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, 0.1% higher) and Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, 0.1% lower), indicating this processor sits at the top of its performance class. The 14-core, 14-thread configuration with no hyperthreading means each core handles one thread, which is sufficient for Downfall’s workload as demonstrated by the high frame rates at low resolutions.

At 1080p Low, the system achieves 242 FPS, which represents the CPU’s maximum frame delivery capability before the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The fact that this 1080p Low result is 40% higher than the 1440p Low result (173 FPS) suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is operating near its ceiling while the GPU is partially idle. As resolution increases, the GPU workload grows, and the CPU’s role diminishes, evidenced by the narrowing performance gap between settings at higher resolutions.

The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking relative to the GPU’s 72nd percentile confirms that the processor has more headroom than the graphics card in this pairing. For Downfall, this means the Ultra 5 235 will not hinder performance at any resolution or settings combination tested. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (45 FPS) is a function of GPU limitations rather than CPU constraints, as the processor’s single-threaded performance is more than adequate for this 2016 title’s game logic and physics.