Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 presents a stark contrast in hardware generations. The CPU is a modern 14-core Arrow Lake desktop part, while the GPU is a Polaris 20 architecture card from the RX 500 series that is now end-of-life. In the horror game Downfall, this combination produces a range of outcomes that are heavily dictated by resolution and settings. The data indicates that the RX 570 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the Ultra 5 245 provides ample headroom for the CPU-bound tasks at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, scaling behavior, and component-specific roles to provide a clear picture of what this pairing can achieve.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Downfall?*

A: The combo ranks 2797 out of 2928 tested combinations in the database. This places it in the lower percentile of all possible pairings, indicating that while it can run the game, it will not deliver top-tier performance, especially under demanding settings.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, scores 49196, which is just 0.4% higher. The Ultra 5 245 is also 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K.

Q: What is the performance context for the AMD Radeon RX 570 based on its percentile?

A: The RX 570 holds a percentile rank of 74 among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 28766. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, scores 28874, which is 0.4% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 470 is 0.8% higher, indicating a tight cluster of performance around this tier.

Q: What are the maximum and minimum average frame rates observed for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 92, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest average FPS is 17, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This shows a wide performance envelope from playable at 1080p Low to nearly unplayable at 4K Ultra.

Q: Is the measured FPS data reliable or is it estimated?

A: The field `dataIsMeasured` is set to true. This confirms that the FPS figures provided are from direct testing, not synthetic estimations, lending credibility to the performance analysis.

Q: Does the CPU support ECC memory, and what is its socket type?

A: Yes, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 supports ECC memory. It uses the Intel Socket 1851 and is built on the Arrow Lake-S architecture.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is built on the Polaris 20 chip using the GCN 4.0 architecture. Its role in Downfall is defined by its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and a 256-bit memory bus, which provides a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1168 MHz, with a boost clock reaching 1244 MHz. Memory operates at 1750 MHz, translating to 7 Gbps effective. These specifications place the card in a specific performance tier, and the measured results show that it is the decisive factor in the game's performance at higher visual demands.

The GPU's shading units total 2048, with 128 texture mapping units and 32 render output units. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS. These numbers indicate a card that was designed for 1080p gaming in its era, and the Downfall results reflect that legacy. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 62 FPS, which is a solid result. However, the 4 GB VRAM capacity becomes a critical limitation as resolution increases and settings are pushed higher.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations are fully exposed. The average FPS drops to 27 on High settings and plummets to 17 on Ultra. The 4 GB frame buffer is likely being saturated at these resolutions, as texture and geometry data exceed the available memory. The measured data supports this, as the FPS penalty from moving from High to Ultra at 4K is a substantial 10 FPS drop, suggesting the card is struggling with both memory capacity and raw compute. In contrast, at 1080p, the GPU has enough resources to maintain a playable experience, with the Ultra preset still yielding 39 FPS average. The GPU's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with its performance class, and the data shows that it is best utilized at lower resolutions in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is a clear indicator of where the bottleneck lies. The data shows a significant performance drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a system where the GPU is the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 92 at 1920x1080 to 66 at 2560x1440, and finally to 41 at 3840x2160. This represents a 55.4% drop from 1080p to 4K, showing that the GPU is being pushed progressively harder.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at higher settings. At High settings, the FPS drops from 62 at 1080p to 44 at 1440p, and then to 27 at 4K. This is a 56.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 39 at 1080p to 28 at 1440p, and then to 17 at 4K, a 56.4% decrease. The consistency of these percentage drops across different settings suggests that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, as the workload scales linearly with pixel count.

This scaling behavior indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with its high boost clock, has enough performance to feed the GPU at 1080p, but as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The fact that FPS drops by more than half from 1080p to 4K at every setting level is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's role becomes less important as the GPU takes longer to render each frame. The data clearly shows that for this game and this combo, the resolution scaling is entirely dominated by the RX 570's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo is at its most capable. The Low preset delivers an average of 92 FPS, which is a very playable experience. The Medium preset drops to 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 86 FPS. High settings yield an average of 62 FPS, which is still smooth. The Ultra preset brings the average down to 39 FPS, which is playable but may show stutters in more demanding scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is still good. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 62 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 44 FPS. The Ultra preset becomes more demanding, with an average of only 28 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for a horror game where smoothness is important.

At 3840x2160, the RX 570 is clearly out of its depth. Low settings are the only playable option, with an average of 41 FPS. Medium settings drop to 33 FPS, with a minimum of 28 and a maximum of 38 FPS. High settings yield only 27 FPS average, which is a stuttery experience. The Ultra preset is practically unplayable, with an average of just 17 FPS. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot, 1440p is playable only on lower settings, and 4K is not viable for a smooth experience.

The Medium preset at each resolution provides the most interesting data points, as they include min and max FPS values. At 1080p, the 64 FPS minimum is acceptable, while at 1440p, the 46 FPS minimum is borderline. At 4K, the 28 FPS minimum indicates significant frame time spikes. These numbers illustrate the growing strain on the GPU as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a modern 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This high boost clock is crucial for gaming performance, as it allows the CPU to quickly process game logic and physics. The CPU's L3 cache is 24 MB shared, which helps with data access patterns in games. The processor is built on a 3 nm process node by TSMC, which contributes to its efficiency, with a TDP of 65 W.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ultra 5 245 shows strong single-threaded performance, scoring 4648 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 468 in Cinebench R15 single-core. Multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 13828. These scores place the CPU in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performance part. Its average benchmark score of 48995 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which scores 49196.

In the context of Downfall, the CPU's role is to provide a stable foundation for the GPU. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, where the GPU has less work to do, the CPU is able to push frame rates to 92 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra 5 245 is not a bottleneck at this resolution. However, as resolution increases, the FPS drops are entirely attributable to the GPU's inability to keep up with the pixel workload. The CPU's high boost clock and 14 cores ensure that it will not be the limiting factor in this game, even with the GPU's performance constraints. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s and support for DDR5 memory further ensure that data can be fed to the GPU efficiently.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's resolution and preference for frame rate. For a 1080p display, the High preset offers a solid balance, delivering an average of 62 FPS. This is a smooth experience for a horror game, where atmosphere is key. For those who prefer higher frame rates, the Medium preset at 75 FPS average is a good choice, offering a significant boost over High while still maintaining decent visual quality. The Low preset at 92 FPS is the best for competitive or very fast-paced play, but it comes with a visual quality trade-off. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is only recommended if the user prioritizes visual fidelity over smoothness, as the lower frame rate may be noticeable.

At 2560x1440, the recommendations shift. The Low preset, with an average of 66 FPS, is the most reliable option for a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset, at 54 FPS, is also playable, but the minimum FPS of 46 suggests there could be occasional stutters. The High preset at 44 FPS is borderline and may not be ideal for a game that relies on tense moments. The Ultra preset at 28 FPS is not recommended, as the frame rate is too low for a comfortable experience. Users at this resolution should stick with Low or Medium to ensure the game is responsive.

For 3840x2160, the options are severely limited. The Low preset, at an average of 41 FPS, is the only setting that provides a reasonably playable experience. The Medium preset at 33 FPS is playable but will feel sluggish, with a minimum FPS of 28. High and Ultra settings are not viable, with averages of 27 and 17 FPS respectively. For 4K users, the recommendation is to use Low settings and accept the visual compromise, or to consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience. The data clearly shows that this GPU is not designed for 4K gaming in this title, and users should adjust their expectations accordingly.

Ultimately, the best experience per the measured rows is at 1080p with Medium or High settings. The 75 FPS average at Medium provides a good balance of visual quality and smoothness, while the 62 FPS at High is also acceptable. The data suggests that users should prioritize a consistent frame rate over maximum visual fidelity, especially in a horror game where frame pacing is critical for atmosphere. The RX 570's 4 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p but is a limiting factor at higher resolutions, making 1080p the recommended resolution for this pairing.