Downfall

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 902nd out of 2,928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the 69th percentile of all configurations. This is a solid upper-midrange result, though not a top-tier showing — the data suggests this combo is positioned well above the median but leaves room for higher-end hardware to pull ahead. The RTX 4080's 86th percentile among all GPUs is the stronger contributor here, while the Core Ultra 5 235HX's 91st percentile among all CPUs reinforces that both components are above-average performers. However, the combo's rank relative to other pairings indicates that the CPU-GPU balance is not perfectly optimized for this horror title; the gap between the two components' individual standings suggests the GPU is the more influential factor in Downfall's frame rates.

The nearest CPU rivals frame the processor's standing: the AMD EPYC 8124P scores 52,121 on average, a mere 0.1% ahead of the Core Ultra 5 235HX's 52,073 average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X trails by 0.2% at 51,947, while the Intel Core i7-14700 sits 0.4% ahead at 52,301, and the Intel Core i9-13900F leads this group by 0.7% at 51,730. These minuscule deltas — all within 1% — indicate the Core Ultra 5 235HX is effectively neck-and-neck with several established desktop-class processors, which is notable for a mobile chip. For the GPU, the RTX 4080's average score of 54,247 places it 0.1% behind the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209), 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828), 2.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698), and 2.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757). The RTX 4080 just barely trails its SUPER variant, making the performance difference negligible in synthetic terms.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data across Downfall's four settings presets reveals a clear sweet spot for this combo at Medium settings. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 235 FPS average with a minimum of 199 FPS and maximum of 270 FPS — this represents the best balance between visual quality and headroom, as the minimum frame rate stays well above any perceived stutter threshold. High settings at the same resolution drop to 192 FPS average, which is still smooth but sacrifices the 43 FPS buffer that Medium provides. Low settings push to 287 FPS average, but the visual downgrade is unnecessary given the GPU's capability. Ultra settings at 1080p produce 120 FPS average, which is playable but represents a 115 FPS drop from Medium — a substantial cost for the extra visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats: Medium leads with 168 FPS average (142 FPS minimum, 193 FPS maximum), while High delivers 137 FPS and Ultra falls to 86 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p is the recommended configuration for users prioritizing smooth gameplay, as it maintains frame rates above the 140 FPS threshold that many players consider critical for responsive horror gameplay. At 3840x2160, Medium still holds up with 104 FPS average (89 FPS minimum, 120 FPS maximum), but this is where the GPU begins to show strain — High drops to 85 FPS and Ultra plummets to 53 FPS. The data indicates that Medium is the optimal preset across all three resolutions, providing the highest average FPS with a reasonable minimum frame rate that avoids severe dips.

# Resolution Scaling

Downfall's frame rates scale predictably as resolution increases, but the pattern reveals important insights about which component limits performance. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 235 to 168 — a 28.5% reduction. Scaling further to 3840x2160 at Medium brings the average down to 104 FPS, another 38.1% drop from 1440p. This steep decline at higher resolutions is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, where the RTX 4080's rendering workload increases exponentially with pixel count.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 192 FPS at 1080p drops to 137 FPS at 1440p (a 28.6% decrease) and then to 85 FPS at 4K (a 38.0% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across presets suggests the limiting component remains the same throughout — the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions rather than continue scaling upward; instead, the data shows 287 FPS at 1080p Low, which indicates the Core Ultra 5 235HX has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The 5.10 GHz boost clock and 14 cores provide sufficient processing power to avoid becoming the primary constraint until frame rates exceed the 300 FPS range, which this combo never approaches in the measured data.

The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with 716.8 GB/s bandwidth and 256-bit bus width becomes the deciding factor at 4K, where the 53 FPS Ultra result shows the GPU's limits. Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K (127 FPS vs. 53 FPS) is a 58.3% difference, while at 1080p that same comparison (287 FPS vs. 120 FPS) is a 58.2% difference — nearly identical proportions, reinforcing that the GPU's relative performance across settings is resolution-independent.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080: The full resolution range shows this combo excels at 1080p. Low settings produce 287 FPS average, the highest recorded measurement for this configuration. Medium settings deliver 235 FPS average with a minimum of 199 FPS and maximum of 270 FPS, providing excellent consistency. High settings yield 192 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 120 FPS average. All four presets remain above the 120 FPS threshold at this resolution, making 1080p the most forgiving environment for this hardware.

2560x1440: At 1440p, the frame rates remain strong but the gaps widen. Low settings achieve 205 FPS average, a 28.6% reduction from 1080p. Medium settings produce 168 FPS average (142 FPS minimum, 193 FPS maximum), which is still well above competitive thresholds. High settings deliver 137 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 86 FPS — the first preset to dip below the 100 FPS mark. The minimum frame rate of 142 FPS at Medium indicates this preset maintains stability even during demanding scenes.

3840x2160: The 4K results show the RTX 4080 working harder. Low settings reach 127 FPS average, which is the only 4K preset above 120 FPS. Medium settings achieve 104 FPS average with a minimum of 89 FPS and maximum of 120 FPS — the minimum here is notable because it suggests occasional dips below the 90 FPS threshold. High settings produce 85 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 53 FPS average, the lowest measured result for this combo. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 58.3% performance loss, which is substantial but expected given the rendering demands.

Across all resolutions, Medium settings consistently provide the best balance of average FPS and minimum frame rate stability. The minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium presets, but the pattern suggests that Low and High presets would show similar relative stability, while Ultra likely introduces more variance given its lower averages.

# FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations in Downfall?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX with RTX 4080 ranks 902nd out of 2,928 tested combos, placing it in the top 30.8% of all configurations. This is a solid result for a mobile CPU paired with a high-end GPU, though the rank indicates many desktop-class combos outperform it.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this hardware?

A: Medium settings provide the optimal experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 235 FPS average with a 199 FPS minimum; at 1440p, it achieves 168 FPS average with a 142 FPS minimum; at 4K, it maintains 104 FPS average with an 89 FPS minimum. These are the highest averages with the most stable minimums among the four presets.

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

A: The GPU is the primary limiter. Frame rates scale consistently with resolution — from 235 FPS at 1080p Medium to 168 FPS at 1440p Medium to 104 FPS at 4K Medium — which is characteristic of GPU-bound rendering. The CPU's 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock provide enough headroom at lower resolutions where frame rates reach 287 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54,247 puts it 0.1% behind the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209), 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828), 2.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698), and 2.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757). The performance difference from the SUPER variant is negligible.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Medium settings, the combo achieves 104 FPS average with an 89 FPS minimum, which is playable. High settings produce 85 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 53 FPS average. For consistent 4K performance above 100 FPS, Medium is the recommended preset.

Q: What is the CPU's standing among all processors?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235HX ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 52,073. It sits within 0.7% of several strong rivals: the AMD EPYC 8124P (52,121, 0.1% ahead), AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (51,947, 0.2% behind), Intel Core i7-14700 (52,301, 0.4% ahead), and Intel Core i9-13900F (51,730, 0.7% behind).

# CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on TSMC's 3 nm process with an Arrow Lake-HX architecture. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz boosts up to 5.10 GHz, and it carries 24 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 per core. These specifications place it firmly in the high-performance mobile segment, with a TDP of 55 W indicating it is designed for larger laptops with adequate cooling.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is evident from the frame rate scaling patterns. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 287 FPS average — a figure that approaches the upper limits of what many displays can show. This high frame rate demonstrates that the Core Ultra 5 235HX can feed the RTX 4080 efficiently at lower resolutions, where the GPU's rendering workload is lighter. The 14 cores provide sufficient multi-threaded throughput for game logic, physics, and AI systems common in horror titles, while the 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance for the primary game thread.

The CPU's benchmark results corroborate this interpretation. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34,731 and single-core score of 4,903 indicate robust performance across both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The PassMark multi-thread score of 40,849 and single-thread score of 4,683 further confirm this balance. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all processors means it outperforms the vast majority of CPUs on the market, including many desktop parts.

However, the data suggests the Core Ultra 5 235HX is not the bottleneck in this combo. The consistent frame rate drops as resolution increases — from 287 FPS at 1080p Low to 127 FPS at 4K Low — indicate the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises. At 4K Ultra, the 53 FPS average is far below what the CPU could theoretically support, confirming that the RTX 4080 is the constraint. The CPU's nearest rivals — all within 0.7% in average benchmark score — include desktop processors like the Ryzen 9 5950X and Core i9-13900F, which suggests this mobile chip can hold its own against desktop-class hardware in CPU-bound scenarios. In Downfall specifically, the CPU's performance headroom means it will not prevent the GPU from delivering its full potential, even at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 200 FPS.